Poland’s president-elect Karol Nawrocki is taking up a largely ceremonial role, but his impact on the country’s politics in the next five years may be profound. Nawrocki’s supporters, the national conservative Law and Justice (PiS) opposition, feel re-energised after losing power 18 months ago to Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition. They …
Read More »Ukraine’s audacious drone attack sends critical message to Russia
It’s hard to exaggerate the sheer audacity – or ingenuity – that went into Ukraine’s countrywide assault on Russia’s air force. We cannot possibly verify Ukrainian claims that the attacks resulted in $7bn (£5.2bn) of damage, but it’s clear that “Operation Spider’s Web” was, at the very least, a spectacular …
Read More »Video appears to show Ukraine drone attack in Russia
Ukraine claims to have hit more than 40 Russian bomber planes at a number of military airbases, in one of its most audacious drone attacks since the war began. Footage appears to show Russian warplanes on a runway being struck and bursting into flames. Other videos appear to show cargo …
Read More »Russia may attack Nato in next four years, German defence chief warns
Members of the Western alliance Nato need to prepare for a possible attack from Russia within the next four years, according to Germany’s chief of defence. General Carsten Breuer told the BBC that Russia was producing hundreds of tanks a year, many of which could be used for an attack …
Read More »Three dead after fire in elderly ward at Hamburg hospital
Three people have died after a fire broke out overnight at a hospital ward caring for elderly people in Hamburg. The north German city’s fire brigade said they were unable to reach the three victims during the rescue effort. They died at the scene. The fire at the Marienkrankenhaus was …
Read More »Footage shows aftermath of Russia bridge collapse
Two bridges have collapsed overnight in separate incidents in Russian regions bordering Ukraine, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more. Footage from Reuters shows the aftermath after a road bridge came down in Bryansk, bringing several heavy trucks on to a moving passenger train late on Saturday, the …
Read More »Clashes in Paris as PSG fans celebrate Champions League win
Getty Images Cars were burned amid the disorder after PSG won the largest-ever victory in a Champions League final Hundreds of people have been arrested in Paris following clashes with police, after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans celebrated their club’s victory in the Champions League final. Officers arrested nearly 300 people …
Read More »Silent acts of resistance and fear
BBC A Russian call-up poster urges the local population in occupied Melitopol to “Defend the Motherland, professionally” A fifth of Ukrainian territory is now under Russian control, and for Ukrainians living under occupation there seems little chance that any future deal to end the war will change that. Three Ukrainians …
Read More »Swiss glacier collapse: How the village of Blatten was wiped off the map
“I was speechless,” said Matthias Huss, a leading glacier specialist at Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology. “It was the worst case that could happen.” Mr Huss had been aware of the situation in Blatten; he and his team check Switzerland’s glaciers all year round, and their annual reports show a …
Read More »Norway calls time as school-leavers Russ bus partying gets out of hand
Shutterstock Norweigen school-leavers partying in red overalls is a sight often seen on Norway’s national day on 17 May After 13 years of school, Selma Jenvin-Steinsvag and her classmate Aksel were running to catch the Oslo metro in red overalls. “After that all our written exams will be done,” said …
Read More »Polish knife-edge presidential vote pits liberal mayor against conservative
Adam Easton BBC Warsaw correspondent Reuters Rafal Trzaskowski (L) has a narrow lead in the polls over national conservative historian Karol Nawrocki (R) Poles will vote for a new president on Sunday in a tight election that will have major consequences for the future of the country’s pro-EU government. Opinion …
Read More »France to ban smoking on beaches, parks and near schools
France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, health and family minister Catherine Vautrin has said. The ban will come into force on 1 July and will include beaches, parks, public gardens, outside schools, bus stops and sports venues. “Tobacco must disappear where there …
Read More »Ex-aide of Georgia’s most powerful man, claims he was abducted abroad
Rayhan Demytrie BBC South Caucasus correspondent Georgian State Security Service Georgian authorities said Bachiashvili was detained in a border area after a tip-off A former confidant of Georgia’s most powerful man has alleged in a Tbilisi court that he was “kidnapped from abroad” last Saturday and flown back to Georgia …
Read More »Moment glacier crashed down Alps and onto village
The Swiss village of Blatten was partially destroyed after a huge chunk of glacier crashed down into the valley, flooding plains and destroying houses. Drone footage showed a large section of the Birch glacier collapsing at about 15:30 (14:30 BST) on Wednesday. The avalanche of mud that swept over the …
Read More »Prolific French paedophile’s sentence leaves victims appalled
The victims of prolific French paedophile Joel Le Scouarnec have expressed their dismay that the former surgeon’s 20-year prison sentence does not include preventive detention – meaning he could be released from jail in the early 2030s. The 74-year-old was found guilty on Tuesday of sexually abusing hundreds of people, …
Read More »British and US bestsellers hit by purge in Russian bookshops
A Russian book distributor has ordered bookshops to “return or destroy” works by the Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffery Eugenides and the British bestseller Bridget Collins, among others, in the latest case of censorship targeting the country’s literary scene. Trading House BMM sent a letter to shops this week, seen by the …
Read More »Haribo recalls product in Netherlands after cannabis found
Haribo is recalling packets of sweets in the Netherlands after some were found to contain traces of cannabis. Several people, including multiple members of one family, reported feeling unwell after eating from a 1kg pack of Haribo Happy Cola F!ZZ. A spokesperson for the food safety body in the Netherlands …
Read More »Heysel disaster leaves ‘indelible stain’ on city
Lindsey Prosser & Lauren Hirst BBC News, Liverpool BBC Metro mayor Steve Rotheram was at the stadium during the 1985 disaster The mayor of the Liverpool City Region has spoken of the importance of remembering the causes of the Heysel stadium disaster 40 years on. Steve Rotheram was at the …
Read More »Rats thrive in Sarajevo as rising diseases cause crisis
In Sarajevo it is, once again, the Year of the Rat. Social media posts from residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital have shown an abundance of rodents swimming in the Miljacka river which flows through the centre of the city. Sarajevans long accustomed to poor public services have also posted …
Read More »Swiss glacier collapse buries most of village of Blatten
The Swiss village of Blatten has been partially destroyed after a huge chunk of glacier crashed down into the valley. Although the village had been evacuated some days ago because of fears the Birch glacier was disintegrating, one person has been reported missing, and many homes have been completely flattened. …
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