List of All Articles with Tag 'eu'

National and regional authorities in Spain signed an agreement Monday to invest 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in areas around the treasured national park of Doñana in a bid to stop the park from drying up. Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said the plan was aimed at encouraging farmers to stop cultivating crops that rely heavily on water from underground aquifers that have been overexploited in recent years, damaging one of Europe’s largest wetlands. “This is an agreement with which we put an end to pressure on a natural treasure the likes of which there are few in the world,” Ribera said. Andalusia regional President Juan Moreno said farmers will receive financial incentives to stop cultivating and to reforest land in and around some 14 towns close to Doñana. He said farmers who wish to continue cultivating will receive less money but must switch to farming dry crops ecologically. As part of the agreement, Andalusia will cancel previously announced plans to expand irrigation near Doñana, a decision that UNESCO, the central government and ecologists criticized for putting more pressure on the aquifer. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, Doñana is a wintering site for half a million waterfowl and a stopover spot for millions more birds that migrate from Africa to northern Europe. Ecologists working in and near the park have long warned that its ecosystem of marshes and lagoons is under severe strain because of agriculture and tourism. The situation has been made worse by climate change and a long drought, along with record high temperatures. Andalusia recently announced a plan to allow the Doñana park to annex some 7,500 hectares (18,500 acres) by purchasing land from a private owner for 70 million euros. Doñana currently covers 74,000 hectares (182,000 acres) on an estuary where the Guadalquivir River meets the Atlantic Ocean on Spain’s southern coast. ___ Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment Read More Elon Musk visits Israel to meet top leaders as accusations of antisemitism on X grow Tesla sues Swedish agency as striking workers halt delivery of license plates of its new vehicles Qatar is the go-to mediator in the Mideast war. Its unprecedented Tel Aviv trip saved a shaky truce

Vladimir Putin has been accused of “senselessly sending more Russians to die than at any time since the war began” as neither Moscow or Kyiv appear to be making any substantial advancement in the 21-month-old conflict. UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps made the strong claim on X, formerly called Twitter, as the Ministry of Defence released figures showing the number of Russians casualties had risen to an average 931 a day this month. The number, from Ukraine’s General Staff and described as “plausible” by the MoD, is higher than the previously reported deadliest month in March, when there were an average 76 deaths and injuries a day. The increase comes as Russia, which widened its conscription programme earlier this year, continues its assault on the key towns of Donbas and Avdiivka. Both attacks, the MoD say, contribute to the casualties. Mr Shapps wrote: “Putin is stepping up his invasion - senselessly sending more Russians to die than at any time since the war began. “Ukrainian bravery and western support is holding back their advance, but we cannot be complacent. Ukraine needs our unwavering support to fight and win.” Read More World’s attention must ‘stay on Ukraine’, warns ex-Nato chief 'You’ll die in this pit': Takeaways from secret recordings of Russian soldiers in Ukraine Dead, wounded or AWOL: The voices of desperate Russian soldiers trying to get out of the Ukraine war Kyiv hit by biggest Russian drone attack since war began

More than half a million people were left without power in Crimea, Russia and Ukraine after a storm in the Black Sea area flooded roads, ripped up trees and took down power lines, Russian state news agency Tass and Ukraine's energy ministry said. Meanwhile, the Moscow region experienced its heaviest snowfall in 40 years, the governor said. The storms and snowfall were part of a weather front that left one person dead and many places without electricity amid heavy snow and blizzards in Romania and Moldova on Sunday. The head of Russia's national meteorological service said the storm that hit Crimea was the most powerful since record keeping began, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Crimea was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014 and is a key military and logistics hub for Russia as it pursues its war in Ukraine. It is unclear whether the storm damaged any Russian military equipment or defenses. The storm also hit southern Russia and sent waves flooding into the beach resort of Sochi, blew the roof off a five-story building in Anapa and damaged homes and schools in Kuban, the state news agency said. It also caused a cargo ship to run aground near Anapa. Local Russia-installed officials said one person died in Crimea after going out to look at the waves in a village near the town of Sudak in the southern part of the peninsula, while other people were hospitalized or evacuated from their homes. The government in Crimea told people to stay at home on Monday and closed government facilities including schools and hospitals as strong winds were expected to continue. The storm prompted several Crimean regions to declare a state of emergency, Tatyana Lyubetskaya, a Russia-installed official at the Crimean environmental monitoring department, told Tass. Roman Vilfand, the head of Russia’s national meteorological service, told RIA Novosti that a similar storm hit the region in November 1854 during the Crimean War. It aused at least 30 ships to sink off Crimea’s coast, RIA Novosti said. The head of one Crimean region, Natalia Pisareva, said everyone in the Chernomorske area of western Crimea lost water supply as well as central heating because pumping stations had lost power. There were also reports of a problem with a gas pipeline in Saky in western Crimea. Around 800 exotic fish died in an aquarium in Sevastopol after the room they were in was flooded, the Crimea 24 TV channel reported. The fish, including pikes and piranhas, died from thermal shock after cold sea water flooded the aquarium, the aquarium director told RIA Novosti. Ukraine's Ministry of Energy said more than 2,000 towns and villages were without electricity in 16 Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, Odesa and Mykolaiv. It said it expected the weather to worsen, with forecasters predicting more strong winds and snowfall. In southern Russia, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium stopped crude oil loading at the Novorossiysk port on Monday due to “extremely unfavorable weather conditions,” including winds of up to about 86 kilometers (54 miles) per hour and waves of up to 8 meters (26 feet). Heavy snow in the Moscow region caused drifts of up to 25 centimeters (almost 10 inches), three times more than normal, Tass said. Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said about 3,000 people worked to clear the streets after the heaviest snowfall in 40 years. In Serbia, heavy snow that fell over the weekend left villages cut off and thousands of people without electricity. A 53-year-old man was reported missing on Sunday in central Serbia and the search for him is continuing, RTS state television reported. Read More Ukraine aims a major drone attack at Crimea Russia puts Ukrainian winner of 2016 Eurovision on wanted list Ukraine's troops work to advance on Russian-held side of key river after gaining footholds Ukrainian marines claim multiple bridgeheads across a key Russian strategic barrier Russia admits Ukrainian troops crossed Dnipro river but says ‘fiery hell’ awaits them Blow for Putin as Ukraine takes major step in bid to outflank Russian troops

Six teenagers go on trial Monday in Paris for their alleged roles in the beheading of a teacher who showed caricatures of the prophet of Islam to his class, a killing that led authorities to reaffirm France's cherished rights of expression and secularism. Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was killed on Oct. 16, 2020, near his school in a northwest Paris suburb by an 18-year-old of Chechen origin who had become radicalized. The attacker was in turn shot dead by police. Paty’s name was disclosed on social media after a class debate on free expression during which he showed caricatures published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which triggered a newsroom massacre by extremists in January 2015. All hearings at a Paris juvenile court are to be held without media in accordance with French law regarding minors. Among those going on trial, a teenage girl, who was 13 at the time, is accused of making false allegations for wrongly saying that Paty had asked Muslim students to raise their hands and leave the classroom before he showed the cartoons. She later told investigators she had lied. She was not in the classroom that day and Paty did not make such a request, the investigation has shown. Five other students of Paty's school, then 14 and 15, are facing charges of criminal conspiracy with the aim of preparing aggravated violence to be committed. They are accused of having waited for Paty for several hours until he left the school and of having identified him to the killer in exchange for promises of payments of 300-350 euros ($348-$406). The investigation established that the attacker knew the name of the teacher and the address of his school, but he did not have the means to identify him. All six teenagers are facing 2 1/2-year in prison. The trial is scheduled to end on Dec. 8. Eight other adults are to be sent to trial later. They include the father of the teenage girl charged with false allegations. At the time, he had posted videos on social media that called for mobilization against the teacher. A radical Islamic activist who helped him disseminate the virulent messages naming Paty has also been charged. The trial comes six weeks after a teacher was fatally stabbed and three other people injured in a school attack by a former student suspected of Islamic radicalization. The killing in a context of global tensions over the Israel-Hamas war led French authorities to deploy 7,000 additional soldiers across the country to bolster security and vigilance. Read More Pope Francis getting antibiotics intravenously for lung problem, limiting appointments, Vatican says Biden to convene new supply chain council and announce 30 steps to strengthen US logistics Jill Biden says White House decor designed for visitors to see the holidays through a child's eyes Representatives of European and Arab countries meet in Barcelona to discuss the Israel-Hamas war Wilders ally overseeing first stage of Dutch coalition-building quits over fraud allegation Live updates | Israel and Hamas prepare for fourth swap as mediators seek to extend cease-fire

The Czech Republic is facing one of the biggest displays of public discontent since the fall of communism

The suspect in the Dublin nursery stabbing which sparked violent riots in Ireland’s capital has suffered “extensive” brain injuries which “may be permanent”, it has been claimed. An Garda Siochana did not comment on claims by a source who told the Irish Mirror that the suspect “is in a bad way”, adding: “His head injuries are extensive and may be permanent.” It comes as the five-year-old girl who was stabbed remains in critical condition at CHI Temple Street, while the children’s care assistant, a woman aged in her 30s, is in a serious but stable condition in The Mater Hospital. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald insisted on Monday that justice minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris’s positions were “untenable”, warning that “we now have a scenario where people do not feel safe in parts of Dublin's inner city”. Ireland’s further education minister Simon Harris pledged that there would be a “full review” of the policing of the riots which engulfed parts of central Dublin on Thursday, which he condemned as “absolute opportunistic criminality and thuggery”. Read More Over £280,000 raised for Deliveroo hero who stopped Dublin child knife attack Elon Musk weighs in on Dublin riots claiming country’s PM ‘hates the Irish people’ How the Dublin riots began: From flares and fireworks at a crime scene to hundreds-strong mob Heroic Katie Taylor earns redemption and unites Dublin with special win over Chantelle Cameron

Delegations from European Union member states and Middle Eastern and north African countries are meeting Monday in Barcelona, Spain, to discuss the crisis in Gaza, where a fragile pause in fighting is set to expire. Forty-two delegations are scheduled to gather at the event hosted by the Union for the Mediterranean, with many represented by their foreign ministers. The meeting is chaired by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Israel is not attending the meeting, which in past years has largely become a forum for cooperation between the EU and the Arab world. Monday’s gathering was supposed to focus on the role of the union 15 years after its founding, but it has taken on new significance since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war in the Gaza Strip. Borrell said he “regretted” the absence of Israel. He repeated his condemnation of the Hamas attack, while calling on Israel to permanently end its assault, which he said has claimed the lives of over 5,000 children. “One horror cannot justify another horror,” Borrell said. “Peace between Israel and Palestine has become a strategic imperative for the entire Euro-Mediterranean community and beyond." Jordan’s Safadi, who told The Associated Press on the eve of the event that he hopes the talks will help “bridge a gap” between Arab and European countries, urged the officials attending the meeting to back a two-state solution that would recognize a Palestinian state. “My friends, Europe has a crucial role to play,” Safadi said. “The two-state solution cannot remain a talking point.” Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has also been invited to the event. A small pro-Palestinian group rallied before the gathering at the art nouveau building that once housed Barcelona's Sant Pau Hospital. The pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas continued Sunday with a third day of releases of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. It was scheduled for four days and neither side has made fully clear what comes after Monday. Spain is one of the EU countries that has called for Israel to cease its assault, while also condemning the Hamas attack. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the time has come for the international community and the EU to recognize a Palestinian state during a trip with his Belgian counterpart to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt last week. That prompted Israel to summon the Belgian and Spanish ambassadors. The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental organization formed by the 27 members of the EU and 16 from the southern and eastern Mediterranean including Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. The EU is the world’s biggest provider of assistance to the Palestinians. Almost 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) has been earmarked for 2021-2024. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Israel summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium, not that it recalled its ambassadors to those countries. Read More Jordan's top diplomat wants to align Europeans behind a call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza Israel summons Irish ambassador over tweet it alleges doesn't adequately condemn Hamas Why Finland is blaming Russia for a sudden influx of migrants on its eastern border Israel summons Spanish, Belgian ambassadors following criticism during visit to Rafah Slovak leader calls the war between Russia and Ukraine a frozen conflict Activists call on France to endorse a consent-based rape definition across the entire European Union

Amsterdam airport’s owner Royal Schiphol Group has appointed Pieter van Oord as its next chief executive officer after

Julius Baer Group Ltd. is reviewing a business that extends loans to some of its wealthiest clients after

Hi, I’m Leo from Bloomberg’s UK Breaking News team, catching you up on this morning’s business stories. There’s

The strongest earthquake in 48 hours was detected near the evacuated town of Grindavik this morning, as the Icelandic Met Office continues to warn of the “persistent likelihood of an imminent eruption”. In its latest update, the forecaster said there were around 300 earthquakes on Sunday, with a “swarm” near the town which lasted just over an hour before midnight. They included a earthquake with a magnitude of 3, located three miles north easts of Grindavik, at 00.26am on Monday. Over the previous 48 hours, the strongest earthquake had a 2.7 magnitude. A fortnight ago, Grindavik was evacuated after magma-induced seismic activity tore vast chasms through the streets of the town. While hundreds of earthquakes are still hitting the surrounding area daily, “seismic activity continues to decrease”, said the Icelandic Met Office, adding: “The likelihood of an imminent volcanic eruption diminishes with time.” However, one civil protection official told theThe Independent “It is still dangerous here ... I have never seen anything like it before. Usually we will have a few minutes warning to get out, but with the weather like it is today, we have even less.” Read More What to do with Grindavík: Has Iceland’s #1 selfie spot just emerged out of the ground? Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked Every resident of an Icelandic town was evacuated due to a volcano. Daring rescuers went back to save the pets Inside the abandoned Iceland town left in limbo by a volcano

Irish Booker prize winner Paul Lynch has said he was “astonished” by violent disturbances on the streets of Dublin this week, but this kind of behaviour is “always under the surface”. The author, who lives in Dublin, spoke at a Sunday press conference after he received the award during a ceremony at Old Billingsgate, London His dystopian novel Prophet Song explores what happens when his home country slides into authoritarianism. When asked what he thought about the riots in Ireland, which involved right-wing elements, Lynch said: “Like everybody else, I was astonished by it. “And at the same time, I recognise the truth that this kind of energy is always there under the surface and, I didn’t write this book to specifically say, ‘here’s a warning’, I wrote the book to articulate the message that the things that are in this book are occurring timelessly throughout the ages. “And maybe we need to deepen our own responses to that kind of idea. But at the same time, what was happening in Dublin? Well, you know, we can see it as a warning, I think we should see it was a warning.” Lynch also said he was “distinctly not a political novelist” and his book is really about “grief”, as it tells the story of a woman who has her husband taken away by the newly formed Irish secret police. He also said that “Ireland is an extraordinary country to live in” and a welcoming country. Lynch added: “It’s a great place for writers, any country that supports writers in the way that the Arts Council has supported me and many other really truly worthy Irish writers can only be a great place to live. “So I could not be more proud to be an Irish writer right now, it’s really something. “Well, you know, I think that if any of us were to look at the state of affairs from the point of view of 20 years ago, we couldn’t quite believe the modern world that we find ourselves in. “And I do think that you looked at things objectively, there is a sense of unravelling of a kind. “The question is, is what are we going to do about it and can anything be done about it? “I mean, Prophet Song is a counterfactual novel, it’s not a prophetic statement but there are resonances in it that are there for the taking for readers who want to think about these things.” He also said that “there’s layers and layers at work in my writing” and novels are complex. Lynch added: “To reduce the book down to one single message is actually pointless to a certain extent and goes against, the reason why I wrote the book, the book is actually its own answer.” He also said he was most likely to spend half of the prize, worth £50,000, on his mortgage. Lynch also said that before writing full time he had reached a point in his life where he had “exhausted all the possibilities”. He added: “There was a moment writing this book during lockdown, it was hugely challenging. I had long Covid for periods, and I’d wake up many days and I would have had just like, brain fog, and I had just, like, just fatigue, and I couldn’t work.” Read More Rishi Sunak slams Elon Musk’s ‘wrong’ remarks as antisemitism row deepens Former England footballer Ian Wright among those to collect honours What the papers say – November 27 Covid inquiry kicks off key week with Khan and Burnham giving evidence AI image generators ‘being used by children to create indecent images’ Bill to ban creation of new leasehold houses to be introduced to Parliament