Author: staff
Big call The final legal approval on the two projects — which are already far-progressed and could start production as soon as this year — sits with current U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been approached for comment. Burnham’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Labour’s most prominent climate champion, Miliband described the Rosebank project as “climate vandalism” when the party was in opposition. A key ally of Burnham, Miliband is now seen as a leading contender to become his chancellor, the second-most powerful role in government. However,…
European Union energy ministers have secured a greater role in planning Europe’s future electricity system after launching an intense political campaign against the European Commission’s proposal seeking more control over the bloc’s power grid. Two politically sensitive issues in the bloc’s plan to revamp the electric grid were discussed by energy ministers in Luxembourg on 26 June: a new centralised planning scenario for future grid investments and a sweeping effort to accelerate permitting procedures for clean power projects, which typically take 5 to 10 years to be approved. While Europe excels at producing clean power, it struggles to transport it…
Updated: 26/06/2026 – 15:30 GMT+2 South Korea’s air force carried out its first live-fire exercise against a simulated swarm drone attack. Military forces used Vulcan air-defense guns, a portable laser and shotguns to intercept all 50 drones during the drill. … More
“We built our cities for the climate from before,” said Jeroen Kluck, a professor at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences researching climate resilience in cities. “We have done simulations that showed that more and more houses will get too hot even if we provide some [sun] screening and ventilation,” he added. “Somewhere in the future, those houses might need active cooling.” While air-conditioning is on the rise, it remains uncommon in Europe. Only about one-fifth of European households have AC installed, compared to 90 percent in the U.S. Europe’s high heat mortality is down to “a combination of factors,…
Published on 26/06/2026 – 16:19 GMT+2 Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 160 captured soldiers each, both governments confirmed on Friday, in the latest prisoner swap since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the handover on social media. “We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity. Today, 160 service members were released,” he wrote, adding that “all of them had been held captive since 2022.” He posted photographs of the returning men draped in blue-and-yellow flags, smiling and embracing one another. Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the figures from the other side, saying…
Firefighters battled the blaze as paramedics treated the injured and emergency crews evacuated casualties from the affected area. Regional authorities said the strike hit civilian neighbourhoods, damaging warehouses, homes and parked vehicles while rescue teams searched the debris for anyone still trapped. Regional officials said the strike involved at least two ballistic missiles and several attack drones targeting a civilian neighbourhood in the city centre. Warehouses, commercial buildings, parked vehicles and nearby residential properties were damaged. Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, said the number of injured continued to rise as rescue operations progressed. Ukraine’s National Police…
In an emailed statement to POLITICO, VW said it would “not comment on internal, confidential documents,” but added that “the entire Group — including its brands and subsidiaries — must undergo a profound transformation. To this end, the Group Executive Board has been working intensively over the past few months on a strategic plan for the company’s restructuring.” VW has been squeezed by declining demand from China, tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and a difficult transition to electric vehicles. The company’s struggles mirror challenges faced by many of Germany’s industrial giants. Bosch announced 20,000 job cuts in January,…
“What a lovely day! Blue sky, a shining sun. It’s a gift!”, exclaims Anne-Marie, as she greets Deborah Warta, a community nurse, starting her daily visits to patients, in the Dutch city of Amersfoort. At 88, and despite living with dementia, Anne-Marie Wildbergh delights in the simple pleasures of life. After watering the flowers she cares for on her balcony, she walks back gleefully into her flat, as Deborah reminds her it’s time to take her medicine. “Oh yes! Here’s the day’s candy”, Anne-Marie says jokingly, picking up the pills that were just spilled out from a small automatic dispenser.…
The ceremony took place near Nabatieh’s main square, where damaged buildings and piles of rubble remained visible after the fighting. While most participants marked Ashoura with processions and mourning prayers, a small minority performed tatbir, a disputed ritual involving self-inflicted wounds with blades. The practice is observed by some Shiite communities but rejected by many others, including Hezbollah. Earlier the same day, Israeli strikes were reported in nearby Nabatieh al-Fawqa, underlining the tense security backdrop to the commemoration. Mourners processed through neighbourhoods scarred by recent Israeli airstrikes, carrying religious banners and taking part in traditional rituals honouring Imam Hussein, the…
One in five workers in the European Union is exposed to high temperatures at work, making extreme heat one of the fastest-growing occupational risks linked to climate change, according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Those most at risk are people who work outdoors or in hot indoor environments. Agriculture, construction, transport, manufacturing, emergency services and tourism are among the sectors facing the greatest health and productivity impacts during increasingly frequent heatwaves. Agriculture and construction are on the front line Agriculture is consistently identified as the sector most exposed to extreme heat. The International Labour…