5 h. ago Weather tracker: wet conditions raise risk of flooding in south

Warnings issued for Serbia, Romania and Greek islands amid forecast of prolonged rainfall and strong winds While storms and hurricanes have churned in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, Europe has faced extreme conditions of its own. A low-pressure system that developed over the Mediterranean midweek moved north-east into south-eastern Europe on Thursday, bringing widespread showers, thunderstorms and prolonged rainfall.The system is expected to persist into Friday, with models on indicating 48-hour totals of 80-130mm of rain across much of the Balkans. Red weather warnings were issued for Serbia, south-west Romania, north-east Greece, and the Dodecanese and North Aegean Islands, highlighting the risk of flooding and threat to life. Strong winds also closed schools on Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands. Continue reading...

Events

9 h. ago ‘Like it had been put on Earth specially for me’: readers’ favourite European city breaks

From the later summer glow of Marseille to polar nights in Tromsø, our tipsters choose their favourite cities • Tell us about a great trip you’ve had since hitting 60 – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherSibiu, the former capital of Transylvania, proved a wonderful place to visit. The city’s old town is on a hill, with every other building in the three main squares and the sidestreets seemingly a historic monument, dominated by the medieval Lutheran cathedral of Saint Mary. The characteristic design of attic windows makes it clear why Sibiu is called “the town of a thousand eyes”, and the Teutsch Haus provides a brilliant history of the region and the Transylvanian Saxons. The old town is crammed full of restaurants and cafes, and down by the river there is a local market with giant aubergines, tomatoes and peppers. For an evening glass, Wine Not has a vast selection of Romanian (and Moldovan) wines, and a black cat to talk to.Barbara Forbes Continue reading...

Politics

57 h. ago Tea, coffee and water linked to longer life but too much can raise cardiovascular risk

Scientists have uncovered the exact amount of these three drinks people should be having each day to extend their life

Events

3 d. ago Putin denounces European Convention for the Prevention of Torture after 'Europe blocked Russia's work'

WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: A report due to be presented to the UN in a matter of weeks is said to detail horrific cases of torture and genital mutilation in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine

Politics

3 d. ago Vladimir Putin denounces torture convention after 'Europe blocked Russia's work'

WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: A report due to be presented to the UN in a matter of weeks is said to detail horrific cases of torture and genital mutilation in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine

Politics

4 d. ago Los Angeles vowed to host the Olympics without breaking the bank and environment. Can it?

With three years to go, experts agree that the city has set bold goals and faces steep challengesHosting the summer Olympics used to be a dream for many global cities, but it is now seen by many as more of a nightmare. There’s the cost of hosting – $10bn and up, in recent years – the displacement of local residents, the environmental toll, and the risk of being left, like Rio de Janeiro or Athens, with major debt and crumbling Olympic stadiums.In the decade since Los Angeles secured its bid for the summer 2028 games, the city’s leaders have promised they will do it differently, and that Los Angeles is prepared to deliver world-class Olympics and Paralympic games in its “sunny, ideal weather”, all while keeping costs, environmental damage, and community disruption to a minimum. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Environmental damage is putting European way of life at risk, says report

EU officials warn climate breakdown and wildlife loss ‘are ruining ecosystems that underpin the economy’The European way of life is being jeopardised by environmental degradation, a report has found, with EU officials warning against weakening green rules.The continent has made “important progress” in cutting planet-heating pollution, according to the European Environment Agency, but the death of wildlife and breakdown of the climate are ruining ecosystems that underpin the economy.More than 80% of protected habitats are in a poor or bad state, with “unsustainable” consumption and production patterns driving loss of wildlife.The EU’s “carbon sink” has declined by about 30% in a decade as logging, wildfires and pests damage forests.Emissions from transport and food have barely budged since 2005, despite progress in other sectors.Member states have failed to adapt to extreme weather as fast as risk levels have risen.Water stress already affects one in three Europeans and will worsen a...

Events

4 d. ago Shane Lowry bursts into tears after ‘hardest couple of hours of my life’ as Europe WIN Ryder Cup

SHANE LOWRY could not control his emotions following his crucial putt to retain the Ryder Cup for Team Europe. Europe had headed into the final day's action with a seven-point lead over their opponents following Viktor Hovland's withdrawal through injury. The US put up a spirited fightback that saw them stun European stars such as...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump and Putin are threatening to carve up Europe between them. Suddenly, it all feels a bit 1939 | Simon Tisdall

Forget the US president’s seeming volte-face on Ukraine this week: he and Putin fundamentally agree that European liberal democracy is the problemFor many people in eastern Europe, August 1939 may not feel that long ago. That was the moment Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union secretly agreed to partition Poland and forcibly subsume the sovereign Baltic republics and Finland into their totalitarian “spheres of influence”. The world knows what came next.Now the question arises: is it happening again? This time around, it’s Donald Trump’s United States and Vladimir Putin’s Russia making the big geopolitical power-play – and, once again, all of Europe is potential prey. Notwithstanding last week’s sparring over Ukraine, the two leaders’ core aims appear closely aligned.Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago ALEXANDRA SHULMAN: I had no symptoms but the doctor said I was at high risk of a heart attack. It was only luck that saved my life Was my time at Vogue to blame?

The other day I saw my boyfriend's blood pressure monitor on his desk, so I thought I might as well check mine. How lucky I did.

Events

6 d. ago Putin preparing to attack another European country, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine’s president says Kremlin checking Europe’s capacity to protect its skies following new drone sightingsVladimir Putin will expand his war in Ukraine by attacking another European country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has predicted, and accused Russia of recent drone incursions that he said were an attempt to test Nato’s defences.Speaking in Kyiv after his meeting with Donald Trump at the UN in New York, the Ukrainian president said Russia was preparing for a bigger conflict. “Putin will not wait to finish his war in Ukraine. He will open up some other direction. Nobody knows where. He wants that,” he said. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago WW3 fears skyrocket as key Putin ally issues stark nuclear warning to Europe

As tensions between Russia and NATO continue to rise due to Russian incursions into European airspace, a key ally to Putin has given a chilling warning that could kick off WW3

Events

6 d. ago Meet the Shard Climber, who refuses to give up his passion despite knowing it could kill him

George King, known as the ‘Shard Climber’, tells Hebe Campbell about the compulsions that drive him to risk his life – and why he can’t stop climbing

Events

6 d. ago Five Great Reads: a stroke while swimming, Matthew McConaughey, and 10 endangered British puddings

Guardian Australia’s weekend wrap of essential reads from the past seven days, selected by Claire KeenanGet this in your inbox every weekend. Sign up for Five Great Reads here.Happy Saturday readers. How does it feel to go back to enjoy the place where your life was last at risk? This is a question that our first read, and a dear colleague of mine, grapples with. His answer hides in the value of human connection. There are actually a lot of good humans in this week’s newsletter. Do enjoy. Oh – and thank you for being here. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago The red flag sign in your pee that means you could be at 25% higher risk of dementia revealed

A RED flag sign in your pee could mean you have a 25 per cent higher risk of dementia, scientists say. Having high levels of the protein albumin in your pee could mean you're at increased risk of developing the disease later in life, according to Karolinska Institutet. Also known as albuminuria, having the protein...

Events

9 d. ago Drinking 'any alcohol' could increase dementia risks, new bombshell research warns

New findings suggest that even light drinking could boost the risk of developing dementia in later life, contrary to the initial belief that a small amount of alcohol could actually benefit brain health

Events

9 d. ago If Europe keeps placating its own far right, how can it possibly stand up to Trump? | Thu Nguyen and Jannik Jansen

European leaders have been pulled to the right on migration, the climate crisis and Israel. Their weakness is undermining the democratic principles on which the EU was builtWhen Ursula von der Leyen made her pitch to become president of the European Commission back in 2019, she put the “European way” at the heart of her appeal. Under her direction, she said, Europe would be a principled power built on multilateralism, fair trade and the rules-based order, standing firm and united against authoritarianism, protectionism and the politics of zero-sum thinking.Six years on, she is again calling on Europe to “fight” for that future. But the vision is fading fast. This summer brought a cascade of negative headlines decrying Europe’s “humiliation”; it was the worst in years, if not in a century, some critics said. All pointed to the same reality: European leaders, fearing both a trade war and the loss of US support for Ukraine, had bowed to the wishlist of the Trump administration and left...

Politics

1 week ago Leading risk factor for cancer revealed – and it’s not smoking, alcohol or the sun

The factor most associated with cancer is unavoidable, and a condition that we will all experience

Events

1 week ago New EU digital border could put off 15 million Brits from European holidays next summer

The system, set to be introduced in October, is designed to replace manual passport stamping for non-EU travellers, including UK passport holders, entering the Schengen Area.

Politics

1 week ago Arc’teryx fireworks display in Tibet prompts environmental outcry

Outdoor brand says the Rising Dragon promotional event was out of line with its values after public criticismThe outdoor brand Arc’teryx has issued an apology after a promotional fireworks display in the Tibetan plateau led to an outcry over potential environmental damage.The promotional Rising Dragon high-altitude show involved long stretches of choreographed pyrotechnics and coloured smoke along snow-topped Himalayan ridgelines in the Tibetan region of Shigatse. The Canadian company, part-owned by China’s Anta Group, had partnered with a Chinese artist, Cai Guo-Qiang, who oversaw similar shows for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Continue reading...

Events