Page 5 - Europe

US destroys Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen; F-22 jets land in West Asia

US forces successfully destroyed one Houthi uncrewed surface vessel in the Red Sea, it said in a press statement on Thursday

TikTok agrees to withdraw rewards feature after EU raised concerns

It was the first resolution of an investigation under the 27-country EU's sweeping Digital Services Act, which went into effect in February

UK PM Keir Starmer meets police after 100 arrests in violent protests

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday called a meeting with police chiefs after violent protests outside Downing Street in London over the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, north-west England, as the teenage male suspect in the attack was charged with murder. The Metropolitan Police said that over 100 people have been arrested during the clashes on Wednesday evening for offences including violent disorder, assault on an emergency worker, and breach of protest conditions as some of its officers suffered minor injuries. It followed violent protests in Southport and also in Hartlepool, north-east England, and Aldershot, south-east England, believed to involve far-right groups whipped up by social media misinformation claiming the male suspect behind the stabbing was a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived illegally in the country on a boat. Following the tragic events in Southport, it is understandable the public have strong feelings about this shocking incident b

HSBC shares rise on $3 bn buyback; flat first-half profit beats estimates

Europe's largest bank forecast its return on average tangible equity - a performance target - to be in the mid-teens in 2025, matching its estimate for 2024

Barcelona and beyond: How Europe's tourism boom is sparking unrest

Central to these protests across Europe is the escalating issue of rising rents and house prices, making homeownership unattainable for residents

France's new lawmakers set to pick a speaker as political turmoil persists

France's influential lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, will elect its speaker on Thursday evening after a chaotic early election called by President Emmanuel Macron produced a hung legislature. Two figures emerged as favorites after two nonconclusive rounds of vote: outgoing Speaker Yal Braun-Pivet of Macron's centrist party, and the candidate of the leftist coalition, communist lawmaker Andr Chassaigne. The parliamentary election earlier this month resulted in a split between three major political blocs: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, Macron's centrist allies and the far-right National Rally party. None of them won an outright majority. Thursday's opening session of the National Assembly comes two days after Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers, but asked them to handle affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed, as France prepares to host the Paris Olympics at the end of the ...

ECB keeps interest rates unchanged, offers no guidance on next move

ECB came out with a balanced message following Thursday's meeting, arguing that corporate profits were absorbing some price pressures but risks remained

New car sales in EU increase by 4.3% in June, says industry body Acea

Top European carmakers are betting on car sales to pick up over the year, despite cooling electric vehicle (EV) demand after several years of strong growth

'Hellishly hot' southern Europe bakes under heat wave as temp tops 104F

The Italian health ministry placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning Tuesday as a wave of hot air from Africa baked southern Europe and the Balkans and sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with the worst still to come. Croatia reported the highest-ever temperatures of the Adriatic Sea, with the thermometer reaching nearly 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the southern walled city of Dubrovnik, the country's most popular tourism spot. In Serbia, the state power company reported record consumption Tuesday due to the use of air conditioning. Municipal authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities took measures to look after elderly people in particular as civil protection crews fielded calls for water-dropping aircraft such as Canadairs to douse wildfires that raged in southern Italy and North Macedonia. It's hellishly hot," said Carmen Daz, a tourist from Madrid who was trying to keep cool with a fan at lunchtime in ..

Estonia's PM Kaja Kallas steps down, to become EU's foreign policy chief

Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has stepped down as the leader of the Baltic country to become the foreign policy chief of the European Union later this year. Kallas, Estonia's first female prime minister, handed in her formal resignation to President Alar Karis during a brief meeting at the Presidential Palace in the capital, Tallinn, on Monday. Estonia under Kallas has been one of Europe's most vocal backers of Ukraine following the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. Summing up Kallas' 3 1/2 years at the helm of the nation of 1.3 million, Karis was quoted as saying by the Baltic News Service that it has been a time full of crises, the milestones (such as) the coronavirus, the economic recession and the war in Europe, when Russia destroyed our previous security picture with its aggression in Ukraine. The prime minister's move automatically triggered the resignation of Kallas' three-party Cabinet, made up of her center-right Reform Party, the Social Democratic Party

Unilever to cut a third of office jobs in Europe by end of 2025: Report

The report added that the cuts were a part of the cost-savings programme announced in March, which included as many as 7,500 layoffs

Global electric vehicle sales up 13% in June, decline 7% in Europe

China accounted for over 60 per cent of the total, as rising availability of electric vehicles and strong sales by BYD contributed to an increase

Beryl's remnants drop tornadoes, heavy rain from Great Lakes to New England

The remnants of Hurricane Beryl dropped tornadoes and threatened flooding Wednesday as the system churned into Canada and the northeastern US after leaving millions in the Houston area without power. Beryl, which landed in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, was a post-tropical cyclone and centered over southeastern Michigan around midday Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph), the National Weather Service reported. A threat of heavy rain and flooding stretched from the Great Lakes to New England and included southern Canada. The storm dumped 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) of rain in northern Indiana, saturating the ground and putting trees at risk of toppling in strong winds. Tens of thousands of customers lost power in New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania, according to PowerOutage.us. At least one tornado touched down Wednesday afternoon in upstate New York, the weather service reported. Videos posted to social media showed swirling debris under

European carbon removal specialists to support new projects in India

Indian projects are expected to focus on biochar - charcoal produced from burning organic matter - as well as "enhanced weathering", where materials like basalt are spread across land to absorb CO2

June 2024 sets record as hottest in history, shows EU climate monitor

June's temperature exceeded the estimated average for the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) by 1.50 degrees Celsius, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service

S Korean prez to discuss Pyongyang's 'distinct threat' to Europe at Nato

Seoul would make a decision on weapons support for Ukraine based on how a new military pact between Moscow and Pyongyang plays out

Victories, setbacks part of journey in democracy: Rahul to Rishi Sunak

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday extended commiserations to the UK's Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak on the party's recent electoral defeat, saying victories and setbacks are inevitable part of democracy and "we must take both in our stride". In his letter to Sunak, Gandhi hailed the former British prime minister's dedication to public service and commitment to the British people. "I would like to extend my commiserations on the recent electoral outcome. Victories and setbacks are both an inevitable part of the journey in a democracy and we must take both in our stride," the Congress leader said. "Your dedication to public service and commitment to your people are commendable. I also deeply value the efforts you made to strengthen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office," he said. Gandhi expressed confidence that Sunak would continue to contribute to public life with his experience. "I wish you all the best for your future ..

Euro 2024: Merino's goal sends Spain to semis after victory over Germany

Spain and its fans celebrated as if they'd won the European Championship. After eliminating tournament host Germany in a thrilling quarterfinal, Luis de la Fuente's team has a great chance to lift the trophy in Berlin next week. Spain snatched a 2-1 win in extra time on Friday thanks to substitute Mikel Merino's header in the 119th minute. Merino celebrated by running around the corner flag, mimicking his father Miguel Merino's celebration after he scored in the same stadium for Osasuna in the UEFA Cup against Stuttgart in 1991. "I knew that there was very little time left and that it was one of the last attacks we would have," Merino said. I didn't believe that it had gone in until a couple of seconds later. When you get 30 slaps on your back it sinks in real quick. I am very happy for me and the entire team. It all comes down to one moment (the goal), but there is so much work behind it, all the training, the hope, the faith, and the belief in ourselves. Extra time came only afte

Euro 2024 quarterfinals: Ronaldo heads home as France beats Portugal 5-3

France's heartache in penalty shootouts is over. So is Cristiano Ronaldo's last-ever European Championship. In a clash of the soccer superstars, it was Kylian Mbapp and not Ronaldo, his idol advancing to a semifinal match against Spain as France beat Portugal 5-3 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw on Friday. Portugal substitute Joao Felix hit a post with the only miss in the shootout and Theo Hernndez showed no sign of pressure by converting the clinching kick into the top corner. It was a record sixth and final European Championship for the 39-year-old Ronaldo, who scored Portugal's first penalty in the shootout and ended up consoling fellow veteran Pepe afterward as the 41-year-old defender cried on his captain's shoulder. We need to go through this moment of our loss, which is very painful, Pepe said. Ronaldo's 20-year career in the Euros included the title in 2016 when Portugal beat France in the final and it remains to be seen if the five-time world player of the year wil

Nato to pour weapons into Ukraine for another year, no membership yet

NATO leaders plan to pledge next week to keep pouring arms and ammunition into Ukraine at current levels for at least another year, hoping to reassure the war-ravaged country of their ongoing support and show Russian President Vladimir Putin that they will not walk away. US President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington for a three-day summit beginning Tuesday to mark the military alliance's 75th anniversary as Russian troops press their advantage along Ukraine's eastern front in the third year of the war. Speaking to reporters Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO's 32 member countries have been spending around 40 billion euros (USD 43 billion) each year on military equipment for Ukraine since the war began in February 2022 and that this should be a minimum baseline going forward. I expect allies will decide at the summit to sustain this level within the next year, Stoltenberg said. He said the amount would be shared among nations based on their ...