A Spanish minister has been roasted by members of his own coalition government over his efforts to reduce meat consumption in the country. This week consumer affairs minister, Alberto Garzón, launched a campaign to encourage Spaniards to eat less meat. “Eating too much meat is bad for our health and for the planet,” Mr Garzón said […]
A prominent Dutch crime journalist has been seriously wounded after being shot on a street in Amsterdam. Police said Peter R de Vries was taken to hospital in a serious condition after being gunned down in the city centre on Tuesday evening. National broadcaster NOS said he was attacked minutes after appearing on a TV […]
A huge explosion has been seen off the coast of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, sending plumes of black smoke and flames into the sky. The blast, which erupted in an area full of oil and gas fields on Sunday, was caused by a mud volcano, the government says. None of the oil farms were […]
Several nations have sent firefighting aircraft to help Cyprus tackle a huge wildfire described by officials as the worst in the country’s history. Greece, Italy and Israel have pledged help, and British troops stationed on the island are already involved. The blaze, fanned by strong winds, is spreading through the southern Limassol district and has […]
Pope Francis has been admitted to hospital in Rome for scheduled surgery to treat a colon problem. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said there would be more information after the surgery had taken place at the Gemelli University Hospital. Earlier on Sunday, the 84-year-old Argentine Pope addressed thousands of visitors in St Peter’s Square. This is […]
Crimea crisis Russia’s Vladimir Putin has accused the UK and US military of staging a “complex provocation,” after British warship HMS Defender sailed near the coast of Russian-annexed Crimea. While there was no risk of starting World War Three, he said, he believed it was part of an attempt to set up military bases […]
India’s Covishield jab is not eligible for a European Union travel pass for vaccinated tourists, reports say. Covishield is the Indian-made version of AstraZeneca, which is eligible for the EU-wide pass or digital green certificate, set to launch on 1 July. While the latter has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the former doesn’t appear […]
By Lucy Williamson BBC Paris correspondent In an open space near Châtelet in central Paris, lanky young men – their knees and elbows folded around BMX bikes – dodge skateboarders out practising their moves. For some of them, France’s regional elections this month are their first ever opportunity to vote. But when polls opened for […]
A tornado has swept through several villages in the Czech Republic, killing five people and leaving more than 150 others injured. Thursday night’s storm blew the roofs off buildings in the south-eastern Breclav and Hodonin districts, uprooting trees and overturning cars. Winds of at least 219km/h (136 mph) were recorded and the worst-hit areas were […]
Pope Francis has put French statesman Robert Schuman, one of the founders of modern Europe, on the path to sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican said the Pope approved a decree recognising Schuman’s “heroic virtues”, an early stage of the long process that can lead to canonisation. One miracle would have to be […]
