Rapid developments in tourism have taken a toll on Europe's oldest lake Ohrid in North Macedonia. With different groups battling for their interests, the lake's preservation has been put at stake. The lake is polluted to the utmost level.

Rapid developments in tourism take toll on Europe's oldest lake, Ohrid

France will freeze natural gas and electricity costs for consumers for the coming months amid growing concern about rising global energy prices, the prime minister announced.

Europe consuming more power due to onset of winter

Europe's BepiColombo mission has had its first encounter with Mercury, which happens to be the innermost planet of the Solar System.

The probe raced over the surface of mercury at an altitude of 200km, before heading back.

The controllers have planned a further five such flybys, each time using the gravitational tug of Mercury to trim the speed of the spacecraft.

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Hello Mercury! 🤩 
 
One of our first views of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mercury?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mercury</a>, taken ~10mins after close approach. More details and images to follow later today! <a href="https://t.co/6CH9vE8Z0f">https://t.co/6CH9vE8Z0f</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MercuryFlyby?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MercuryFlyby</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExploreFarther?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ExploreFarther</a> <a href="https://t.co/hguRQbOGi5">pic.twitter.com/hguRQbOGi5</a>
— BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) <a href="https://twitter.com/BepiColombo/status/1444219731188256772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The aim is for Bepi to be moving slow enough it can drop into a stable orbit. This should happen by the end of 2025. 
Bepi is two spacecraft in one. One part has been developed by the European Space Agency (Esa), the other part by the Japanese space agency (Jaxa).&nbsp;

For this first flyby, the timing of closest approach was calculated to be 23:34 GMT. At that moment, Bepi would have been moving with a velocity over 50km/s (30 miles/s) to the Sun.

The probe was busy snapping pictures. However, its high-resolution science cameras were not used as these cannot actually see anything currently because they are tucked inside the spacecraft stack.

Dave Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at the UK's Open University, was quoted by the BBC as saying, "I think we'll recognise Kuiper Crater. It's bright and has this big fan of ejecta rays."

He added, "We'll just have to wait and see. We know what should be in the field of view but given the lighting conditions and what these small cameras are capable of - there's some uncertainty."&nbsp;

Europe's BepiColombo mission has had its first encounter with Mercury, which happens to be the innermost planet of the Solar System. The probe raced over the surface of mercury at an altitude of 200km, before heading back.

Europe's BepiColombo mission has had its first encounter with Mercury, which happens to be the innermost planet of the Solar System. The probe raced over the surface of mercury at an altitude of 200km, before heading back. The controllers have planned a further five such flybys, each time using the gravitational tug of Mercury to trim the speed of the spacecraft. Hello Mercury! 🤩 One of our first views of #Mercury, taken ~10mins after close approach. More details and images to follow later today! https://t.co/6CH9vE8Z0f#MercuryFlyby #ExploreFarther pic.twitter.com/hguRQbOGi5 — BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) October 2, 2021 × The aim is for Bepi to be moving slow enough it can drop into a stable orbit. This should happen by the end of 2025. Bepi is two spacecraft in one. One part has been developed by the European Space Agency (Esa), the other part by the Japanese space agency (Jaxa). For this first flyby, the timing of closest approach was calculated to be 23:34 GMT. At that moment, Bepi would have been moving with a velocity over 50km/s (30 miles/s) to the Sun. The probe was busy snapping pictures. However, its high-resolution science cameras were not used as these cannot actually see anything currently because they are tucked inside the spacecraft stack. Dave Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at the UK's Open University, was quoted by the BBC as saying, "I think we'll recognise Kuiper Crater. It's bright and has this big fan of ejecta rays." He added, "We'll just have to wait and see. We know what should be in the field of view but given the lighting conditions and what these small cameras are capable of - there's some uncertainty."

Europe's BepiColombo mission had its first encounter with Mercury

For France’s venerable Socialist Party, languishing at 4% support before next year’s presidential elections, news of a surprise win last Sunday by its center-left counterpart in Germany offered a glimmer of hope.

The slim victory by Olaf Scholz and Germany’s Social Democratic Party, along with the expected return to power of Norway’s Labor Party following a recent win, have underscored the recent success of Europe’s long-embattled social democrats. If Scholz succeeds in forming a government, social democrats in Europe’s most powerful nation will join center-left governments in Spain, Portugal and the Nordic nations of Sweden, Denmark and Finland, as well as Norway.

Attention will then turn to France, where presidential elections are scheduled for next April. But in France, experts say, the social democrats’ hopes of a continentwide revival are likely to dim.

Socialist Party officials were nevertheless quick to seize on the German results as a sign that Europe’s political tides may be turning.

“Never assume the battle’s already lost,” the Socialists’ leader, Olivier Faure, said in a Twitter post. The party’s presidential candidate, Anne Hidalgo, noted that Scholz “had beaten the odds” thanks to policies common to both social democratic parties.

But it will take more than that to reverse the fortunes of a party that not so long ago utterly dominated French politics.

After months of hinting that she would run for president, Hidalgo, 62, the second-term mayor of Paris, finally announced her candidacy in mid-September. But instead of getting an expected bounce in the polls, her approval ratings have drifted lower.

Her polling is now far below not only the two favorites to meet in a showdown — President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Rally — but also well below candidates from the center-right and Éric Zemmour, a writer and TV star known for his far-right views, who is not yet an official candidate.

On the other side of the political spectrum, she trails the far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon and is neck and neck with the newly designated presidential candidate of the Greens, Yannick Jadot, polls show.

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The Socialists’ collapse is even more noteworthy because, less than a decade ago, under the Socialist President François Hollande, the party controlled the Élysée Palace, both chambers of Parliament, a majority of big cities and nearly all the regions.

“Nine years ago, this party held all the cards,” said Pascal Delwit, a political scientist specializing in social democracy at the Free University of Brussels. “Nine years later, it has none.”

In what became a symbol of its fall, the Socialist Party had to abandon its longtime headquarters, in one of the toniest neighborhoods of Paris, for cheaper real estate in a suburb, or banlieue, that many members never bothered visiting.

Alain Bergounioux, a historian who is an expert on the Socialist Party, said that beyond crumbling at the ballot box, Socialists seem to have lost the ability to push forward their ideas and themes in a fast-moving political landscape.

“They really don’t influence the national debate any longer, as public opinion has shifted to the right,” Bergounioux said.

He added, “If it was premature to say that social democracy was dead, it would be overstating it to say that there is a renaissance.”

Seven months before the presidential elections, issues dear to the right — like immigration, crime and national identity — are dominating the political discourse. While Macron ran as a centrist in 2017, he has tacked right in a bid for the biggest slice of the electorate.

The focus on these themes has only increased in recent weeks, with the intense news media attention on a possible candidacy by Zemmour. Styling himself as a Trump-like populist outsider, he has been visiting different regions on a book tour that has doubled as a campaign. A poll released this week showed that his support among potential voters in the first round of the elections has kept climbing, to 13%, or just 3 percentage points below Le Pen.

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France is an extreme, though revealing, example of the problems afflicting social democratic parties across Europe, experts say.

While social democratic parties have lost support nearly everywhere amid the political fragmentation on the continent, France’s Socialist Party was also decimated by Macron’s successful creation of his centrist La République en Marche party. Some Socialist leaders abandoned their old party to join Macron, who had served as Hollande’s economy minister. In forming his government, Macron also poached from the center-right, which was less weakened than the center-left and remains a force in French politics.

For decades, social democratic parties appealed to a core base of unionized, industrial workers and urban professionals with a vision of social justice and an equitable economy.

But many longtime French supporters felt betrayed by Hollande’s business-friendly policies as French Socialists, like their counterparts elsewhere, were unable to protect their traditional base from globalization.

While French Socialists hark back to their traditional values and now emphasize their commitment to the environment, their vision for society lacks a “strong spine,” Bergounioux said. In France, like elsewhere, the constituencies supporting social democratic parties tend to be made up of “aging, loyal voters who have voted for them their entire lives,” Delwit said.

In Germany and elsewhere in Europe, the recent success of social democratic parties rested on successful jockeying — and not on the attraction of a fresh social democratic vision, experts said.

Ernst Stetter, a member of the Social Democratic Party in Germany and former secretary-general of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, an umbrella group of social democratic think tanks across the continent, said the party’s victory last Sunday was “first and foremost a strategic victory” by Scholz.

As vice chancellor and finance minister in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Scholz offered “change in continuity by offering a little bit more social programs, a little bit more on the environment and continuity in European and international affairs,” said Stetter, who is also an analyst at the Fondation Jean-Jaurès research institute in Paris.

Narrow as it was, Scholz’s victory represented “the center of the Social Democratic Party, not the left,” said Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a French-German politician and former Green member of the European Parliament.

Socialists in Spain, Portugal and the Nordic nations also owed their success to responding to local needs, not a common vision of social democracy, Cohn-Bendit said.

“On immigration policy, social democrats in Denmark are to the right of many centrist parties,” Cohn-Bendit said, referring to a series of hard-line immigration measures adopted by Denmark’s Social Democrats.

Following years of a rise in right-wing parties, social democrats now lead governments in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and are poised to do so in Norway. But their hold on power is far more tenuous than in the past.

In Norway, the Labor Party, led by Jonas Gahr Stoere, came in first in last month’s parliamentary election, but won only a little more than one-quarter of the total seats, one of the party’s lowest scores on record. After talks to form a broad center-left coalition failed in recent days, Stoere is now expected to become prime minister of a minority government.

“There isn’t a new definition yet of what social democracy could be in today’s world,” Cohn-Bendit said.

Stetter said he, too, was skeptical of a broad revival of social democracy. Over the past decade, social democrats had worked unsuccessfully for a revival under the banner of the “Next Left,” he said.

Still, Stetter said he hoped that last Sunday’s election results in Germany could presage positive developments for social democrats in Europe.

“If Scholz succeeds in forming a government as a social democratic chancellor, there would be a dynamic force at the heart of Europe, and that could give energy to the French Socialist Party in the campaign period before the presidential elections in April,” Stetter said. “We have to remain optimistic.”

For France’s venerable Socialist Party, languishing at 4% support before next year’s presidential elections, news of a surprise win last Sunday by its center-left counterpart in Germany offered a glimmer of hope.

For France’s venerable Socialist Party, languishing at 4% support before next year’s presidential elections, news of a surprise win last Sunday by its center-left counterpart in Germany offered a glimmer of hope. The slim victory by Olaf Scholz and Germany’s Social Democratic Party, along with the expected return to power of Norway’s Labor Party following a recent win, have underscored the recent success of Europe’s long-embattled social democrats. If Scholz succeeds in forming a government, social democrats in Europe’s most powerful nation will join center-left governments in Spain, Portugal and the Nordic nations of Sweden, Denmark and Finland, as well as Norway. Attention will then turn to France, where presidential elections are scheduled for next April. But in France, experts say, the social democrats’ hopes of a continentwide revival are likely to dim. Socialist Party officials were nevertheless quick to seize on the German results as a sign that Europe’s political tides may be turning. “Never assume the battle’s already lost,” the Socialists’ leader, Olivier Faure, said in a Twitter post. The party’s presidential candidate, Anne Hidalgo, noted that Scholz “had beaten the odds” thanks to policies common to both social democratic parties. But it will take more than that to reverse the fortunes of a party that not so long ago utterly dominated French politics. After months of hinting that she would run for president, Hidalgo, 62, the second-term mayor of Paris, finally announced her candidacy in mid-September. But instead of getting an expected bounce in the polls, her approval ratings have drifted lower. Her polling is now far below not only the two favorites to meet in a showdown — President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Rally — but also well below candidates from the center-right and Éric Zemmour, a writer and TV star known for his far-right views, who is not yet an official candidate. On the other side of the political spectrum, she trails the far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon and is neck and neck with the newly designated presidential candidate of the Greens, Yannick Jadot, polls show. ALSO READ | Even as activists accuse country of illegal deportation, Greek PM says 'essentially crushed' migrant smugglers The Socialists’ collapse is even more noteworthy because, less than a decade ago, under the Socialist President François Hollande, the party controlled the Élysée Palace, both chambers of Parliament, a majority of big cities and nearly all the regions. “Nine years ago, this party held all the cards,” said Pascal Delwit, a political scientist specializing in social democracy at the Free University of Brussels. “Nine years later, it has none.” In what became a symbol of its fall, the Socialist Party had to abandon its longtime headquarters, in one of the toniest neighborhoods of Paris, for cheaper real estate in a suburb, or banlieue, that many members never bothered visiting. Alain Bergounioux, a historian who is an expert on the Socialist Party, said that beyond crumbling at the ballot box, Socialists seem to have lost the ability to push forward their ideas and themes in a fast-moving political landscape. “They really don’t influence the national debate any longer, as public opinion has shifted to the right,” Bergounioux said. He added, “If it was premature to say that social democracy was dead, it would be overstating it to say that there is a renaissance.” Seven months before the presidential elections, issues dear to the right — like immigration, crime and national identity — are dominating the political discourse. While Macron ran as a centrist in 2017, he has tacked right in a bid for the biggest slice of the electorate. The focus on these themes has only increased in recent weeks, with the intense news media attention on a possible candidacy by Zemmour. Styling himself as a Trump-like populist outsider, he has been visiting different regions on a book tour that has doubled as a campaign. A poll released this week showed that his support among potential voters in the first round of the elections has kept climbing, to 13%, or just 3 percentage points below Le Pen. ALSO READ | Artificial intelligence completes Beethoven's unfinished tenth symphony France is an extreme, though revealing, example of the problems afflicting social democratic parties across Europe, experts say. While social democratic parties have lost support nearly everywhere amid the political fragmentation on the continent, France’s Socialist Party was also decimated by Macron’s successful creation of his centrist La République en Marche party. Some Socialist leaders abandoned their old party to join Macron, who had served as Hollande’s economy minister. In forming his government, Macron also poached from the center-right, which was less weakened than the center-left and remains a force in French politics. For decades, social democratic parties appealed to a core base of unionized, industrial workers and urban professionals with a vision of social justice and an equitable economy. But many longtime French supporters felt betrayed by Hollande’s business-friendly policies as French Socialists, like their counterparts elsewhere, were unable to protect their traditional base from globalization. While French Socialists hark back to their traditional values and now emphasize their commitment to the environment, their vision for society lacks a “strong spine,” Bergounioux said. In France, like elsewhere, the constituencies supporting social democratic parties tend to be made up of “aging, loyal voters who have voted for them their entire lives,” Delwit said. In Germany and elsewhere in Europe, the recent success of social democratic parties rested on successful jockeying — and not on the attraction of a fresh social democratic vision, experts said. Ernst Stetter, a member of the Social Democratic Party in Germany and former secretary-general of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, an umbrella group of social democratic think tanks across the continent, said the party’s victory last Sunday was “first and foremost a strategic victory” by Scholz. As vice chancellor and finance minister in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Scholz offered “change in continuity by offering a little bit more social programs, a little bit more on the environment and continuity in European and international affairs,” said Stetter, who is also an analyst at the Fondation Jean-Jaurès research institute in Paris. Narrow as it was, Scholz’s victory represented “the center of the Social Democratic Party, not the left,” said Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a French-German politician and former Green member of the European Parliament. Socialists in Spain, Portugal and the Nordic nations also owed their success to responding to local needs, not a common vision of social democracy, Cohn-Bendit said. “On immigration policy, social democrats in Denmark are to the right of many centrist parties,” Cohn-Bendit said, referring to a series of hard-line immigration measures adopted by Denmark’s Social Democrats. Following years of a rise in right-wing parties, social democrats now lead governments in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and are poised to do so in Norway. But their hold on power is far more tenuous than in the past. In Norway, the Labor Party, led by Jonas Gahr Stoere, came in first in last month’s parliamentary election, but won only a little more than one-quarter of the total seats, one of the party’s lowest scores on record. After talks to form a broad center-left coalition failed in recent days, Stoere is now expected to become prime minister of a minority government. “There isn’t a new definition yet of what social democracy could be in today’s world,” Cohn-Bendit said. Stetter said he, too, was skeptical of a broad revival of social democracy. Over the past decade, social democrats had worked unsuccessfully for a revival under the banner of the “Next Left,” he said. Still, Stetter said he hoped that last Sunday’s election results in Germany could presage positive developments for social democrats in Europe. “If Scholz succeeds in forming a government as a social democratic chancellor, there would be a dynamic force at the heart of Europe, and that could give energy to the French Socialist Party in the campaign period before the presidential elections in April,” Stetter said. “We have to remain optimistic.”

Europe’s social democrats show signs of life, but France poses a roadblock

As per French experts, Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in western Europe has shrunk by a metre since it was last measured.&nbsp;

Geographical experts said that after an expedition in mid-September, the mighty mountain in the heart of the French Alps was 4,807.81 metres high, lower than their last published estimate of 4,808.72 metres in 2017.

While speaking at a press conference, they said, "Now it’s up to climatologists, glaciologists and other scientists to look at all the data collected and put forward all the theories to explain this phenomenon."

The official height of Mont Blanc has been on a downward slide for over a decade as the highest reading was 4,810.90 metres in 2007.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-climate-change-everyones-business-for-the-present-and-the-future-generation-416831">Also read |&nbsp;Opinion | Climate Change: Everyone’s business for the present and the future generation</a>

The measurements are being taken regularly to create a model of the ice sheet and to feed a precise data bank which will be made available to all experts.&nbsp;The measurement expedition is carried out every two years. However, the experts revealed on Wednesday they did not publish the “exceptionally low” figure in 2019 of 4,806.03 metres.

Readings vary every year as the permanent layer of snow on the summit, which acts as a huge snowdrift changes with high winds and precipitation. "Since the dawn of time, the altitude of Mont Blanc has varied continuously,” the experts said. Also, the mountain has been losing an average of 13 centimetres in height annually since 2001.

As per French experts, Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in western Europe has shrunk by a metre since it was last measured. Geographical experts said that after an expedition in mid-September, the mighty mountain in the heart of the French Alps was 4,807.

As per French experts, Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in western Europe has shrunk by a metre since it was last measured. Geographical experts said that after an expedition in mid-September, the mighty mountain in the heart of the French Alps was 4,807.81 metres high, lower than their last published estimate of 4,808.72 metres in 2017. While speaking at a press conference, they said, "Now it’s up to climatologists, glaciologists and other scientists to look at all the data collected and put forward all the theories to explain this phenomenon." The official height of Mont Blanc has been on a downward slide for over a decade as the highest reading was 4,810.90 metres in 2007. Also read | Opinion | Climate Change: Everyone’s business for the present and the future generation The measurements are being taken regularly to create a model of the ice sheet and to feed a precise data bank which will be made available to all experts. The measurement expedition is carried out every two years. However, the experts revealed on Wednesday they did not publish the “exceptionally low” figure in 2019 of 4,806.03 metres. Readings vary every year as the permanent layer of snow on the summit, which acts as a huge snowdrift changes with high winds and precipitation. "Since the dawn of time, the altitude of Mont Blanc has varied continuously,” the experts said. Also, the mountain has been losing an average of 13 centimetres in height annually since 2001.

Mont Blanc has shrunk by almost 1 metre since its last measurement

France is set to sell 52 Caesar artillery guns to the Czech Republic in a deal worth 257 million euros ($301 million) as Paris pushes for greater European defence autonomy, an Armed Forces Ministry official said on Wednesday.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Europe needed to stop being naive when it comes to defending its interests and must build its own military capacity after sealing a 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) frigate deal with Greece and penning a cooperation agreement.

Paris was plunged into a dispute with the United States, Australia and Britain earlier this month over a trilateral nuclear security deal which sank a multi-billion dollar French-designed submarine contract with Canberra.

"This (Czech deal) comes after a period of rapprochement with the Czech Republic that was marked on a strategic level, but also a vision that is closer to what European defence policy should be and should bring us," the official told reporters ahead of a visit by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly to Prague on Thursday to sign the contract.

Most of the guns will be assembled in the Czech Republic.

France has also sought to bring European allies into military operations in the Sahel region of Africa where it has some 5,000 counter-terrorism troops fighting Islamist militants as part of efforts to encourage a broader European military strategy.

The Czechs are one of nine countries that has contributed special forces to a European contingent.

France is set to sell 52 Caesar artillery guns to the Czech Republic in a deal worth 257 million euros ($301 million) as Paris pushes for greater European defence autonomy, an Armed Forces Ministry official said on Wednesday.

France is set to sell 52 Caesar artillery guns to the Czech Republic in a deal worth 257 million euros ($301 million) as Paris pushes for greater European defence autonomy, an Armed Forces Ministry official said on Wednesday. President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Europe needed to stop being naive when it comes to defending its interests and must build its own military capacity after sealing a 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) frigate deal with Greece and penning a cooperation agreement. Paris was plunged into a dispute with the United States, Australia and Britain earlier this month over a trilateral nuclear security deal which sank a multi-billion dollar French-designed submarine contract with Canberra. "This (Czech deal) comes after a period of rapprochement with the Czech Republic that was marked on a strategic level, but also a vision that is closer to what European defence policy should be and should bring us," the official told reporters ahead of a visit by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly to Prague on Thursday to sign the contract. Most of the guns will be assembled in the Czech Republic. France has also sought to bring European allies into military operations in the Sahel region of Africa where it has some 5,000 counter-terrorism troops fighting Islamist militants as part of efforts to encourage a broader European military strategy. The Czechs are one of nine countries that has contributed special forces to a European contingent.

In European push, France to sell artillery guns to Czech Republic

Google has hit back against the European Union in court appealing a $5 billion antitrust fine. The European Commission has levied a record fine on Google in 2018 for monopolistic practices.

Google fights against record EU fine, slams regulators for ignoring Apple

Winter is coming & Europe is worried. Natural Gas is alarmingly in short supply in UK, France, Germany & Spain. This crunch could get worse as the temperature drops. Millions will be unable to heat their homes. Palki Sharma tells you about the potential fallout.

Gravitas US Edition: Europe's energy crisis to worsen with the onset of Winter

EU top diplomat Josep Borrell called Wednesday for greater confidence with the United States as he met Secretary of State Antony Blinken following a spat between Paris and Washington. Watch this report for more details.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calls for 'Stronger Confidence'

Top EU official Charles Michel has accused Joe Biden of disloyalty over the AUKUS deal. With Europe backing France's position, is the transatlantic partnership facing a new challenge? What happened to Biden's promise of reviving alliances? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas US Edition: Europe rebels against Biden over AUKUS

For Katie Wait, the coronavirus pandemic has been more than just a year and a half of uncertainty. It has also meant months separated from her parents, brother and extended family in Florida.

Birthdays missed. Milestones celebrated apart. Time together lost.

“It’s just been mentally and emotionally the most challenging year, when you really want your family around,” Wait said, suddenly overcome by tears. “It’s been hard.”

So Monday, she was one of many across Europe and the world who rejoiced when the Biden administration announced that an 18-month ban on travel from 33 countries, including Britain, member states of the European Union, Brazil, China, India, Iran and South Africa, would be lifted.

The travel ban had not been a mere inconvenience for Wait and countless others: It crushed jobs and dashed opportunities and put an immovable wall between them and families or partners.

The United States began to implement travel bans at the start of the pandemic in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The bans extended to other nations as outbreaks continued. But they rankled Britain and nations in the European Union, particularly after those countries scrapped quarantine rules earlier this summer and welcomed fully vaccinated travelers from the United States.

When the United States did not immediately reciprocate, officials were annoyed. (As the delta variant spread over the summer, the European Union reversed course and recommended that member states once again restrict travel from the United States.)

As the months wore on, thousands who had been separated from family members and partners gathered online to share their experiences with the hashtag #LoveIsNotTourism to call attention to their plight.

Wait, who had to cancel a trip to catch up with family in March 2020 and has not seen her parents since 2019, found the support there vital. She, her husband and her 9-year-old daughter are British, but Wait’s parents and brother have lived in St. Augustine, Florida, for the past 17 years and are U.S. citizens.

“You never expected that if they went to live in America, you wouldn’t be able to get to them,” she said. “You never think in a million years things like this will happen, that the border would be closed.”

Some people found ways — often expensive or arduous — around the ban, by traveling to a third country to circumvent the rule.

When his ex-wife died in Italy in June 2020, Francesco Sacca, 44, an Italian entrepreneur who lives in Florida, immediately flew back to the country. But he and his children, who are 15 and 17, were caught up in the travel ban.

They managed to fly to Costa Rica, spend two weeks there, and then enter the United States, but in the following months Sacca had to travel repeatedly to Italy for paperwork related to the death. Every time, in order to return to the United States, he had to spend two weeks in Colombia or the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, at a total expense of 80,000 euros, or $93,000.

But what worried him most was leaving his children alone in Florida.

“Every morning, I think of my 15-year-old who goes to the bus stop alone with her bike in the dark,” he said by telephone from Doha, the capital of Qatar. “All because of this travel ban.”

For most people, such an expensive workaround was not an option.

The search for news of when the ban would be lifted became a daily ritual for some.

“It’s been very hard to not think about it,” Wait said.

Now, with the uncertainty finally over, Wait has booked flights to see her parents in November.

For Lucrezia Tassi, 24, it was not family but professional plans that were put out of reach by the ban. Tassi is an Italian from Caravaggio, a town near the northern city of Bergamo, where some of the most deadly moments of the pandemic’s early days unfolded.

She paused plans to become an au pair for a family in Seattle for more than a year because of the ban. She said the uncertainty had also prevented her from moving on with her life.

“I couldn’t look for a small job or even book a concert ticket because I didn’t know if in one month I would be here,” she said.

Alejandro Gaebelt, a Spanish sales manager who lives in Madrid, said the Biden administration’s decision to change the travel rules was a positive shift but came too late.

Gaebelt’s sister lives in the United States, and he had plans to travel with his wife and two children to visit her this summer, but the ban made their plans impossible.

“We lost out on what was going to be a great family trip,” he said.

Lucia Vidal lost her job after being stuck in Italy because of the travel ban. Vidal, 33, an Italian who had worked as a nanny in Washington for seven years, was home renewing her visa when the Trump administration announced the ban and has been unable to return.

After she was stuck in Italy for more than a year, her employer fired her. She has been unable to return to the United States even to gather her things.

“It’s 10 years of life in America,” she said. “I have always paid taxes, my friends are there. Now that I lost my job I feel lost.”

Elide Vincenti, 30, was unable to begin a job in Miami as she was also back in Italy getting a visa when the ban was announced. She was blocked from visiting her boyfriend in New York for more than a year. Her friends in Miami moved her belongings into a storage unit, but as she did not collect them for months, they were eventually thrown away.

“I don’t have anything anymore,” she said.

For Katie Wait, the coronavirus pandemic has been more than just a year and a half of uncertainty. It has also meant months separated from her parents, brother and extended family in Florida.

For Katie Wait, the coronavirus pandemic has been more than just a year and a half of uncertainty. It has also meant months separated from her parents, brother and extended family in Florida. Birthdays missed. Milestones celebrated apart. Time together lost. “It’s just been mentally and emotionally the most challenging year, when you really want your family around,” Wait said, suddenly overcome by tears. “It’s been hard.” So Monday, she was one of many across Europe and the world who rejoiced when the Biden administration announced that an 18-month ban on travel from 33 countries, including Britain, member states of the European Union, Brazil, China, India, Iran and South Africa, would be lifted. The travel ban had not been a mere inconvenience for Wait and countless others: It crushed jobs and dashed opportunities and put an immovable wall between them and families or partners. The United States began to implement travel bans at the start of the pandemic in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The bans extended to other nations as outbreaks continued. But they rankled Britain and nations in the European Union, particularly after those countries scrapped quarantine rules earlier this summer and welcomed fully vaccinated travelers from the United States. When the United States did not immediately reciprocate, officials were annoyed. (As the delta variant spread over the summer, the European Union reversed course and recommended that member states once again restrict travel from the United States.) As the months wore on, thousands who had been separated from family members and partners gathered online to share their experiences with the hashtag #LoveIsNotTourism to call attention to their plight. Wait, who had to cancel a trip to catch up with family in March 2020 and has not seen her parents since 2019, found the support there vital. She, her husband and her 9-year-old daughter are British, but Wait’s parents and brother have lived in St. Augustine, Florida, for the past 17 years and are U.S. citizens. “You never expected that if they went to live in America, you wouldn’t be able to get to them,” she said. “You never think in a million years things like this will happen, that the border would be closed.” Some people found ways — often expensive or arduous — around the ban, by traveling to a third country to circumvent the rule. When his ex-wife died in Italy in June 2020, Francesco Sacca, 44, an Italian entrepreneur who lives in Florida, immediately flew back to the country. But he and his children, who are 15 and 17, were caught up in the travel ban. They managed to fly to Costa Rica, spend two weeks there, and then enter the United States, but in the following months Sacca had to travel repeatedly to Italy for paperwork related to the death. Every time, in order to return to the United States, he had to spend two weeks in Colombia or the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, at a total expense of 80,000 euros, or $93,000. But what worried him most was leaving his children alone in Florida. “Every morning, I think of my 15-year-old who goes to the bus stop alone with her bike in the dark,” he said by telephone from Doha, the capital of Qatar. “All because of this travel ban.” For most people, such an expensive workaround was not an option. The search for news of when the ban would be lifted became a daily ritual for some. “It’s been very hard to not think about it,” Wait said. Now, with the uncertainty finally over, Wait has booked flights to see her parents in November. For Lucrezia Tassi, 24, it was not family but professional plans that were put out of reach by the ban. Tassi is an Italian from Caravaggio, a town near the northern city of Bergamo, where some of the most deadly moments of the pandemic’s early days unfolded. She paused plans to become an au pair for a family in Seattle for more than a year because of the ban. She said the uncertainty had also prevented her from moving on with her life. “I couldn’t look for a small job or even book a concert ticket because I didn’t know if in one month I would be here,” she said. Alejandro Gaebelt, a Spanish sales manager who lives in Madrid, said the Biden administration’s decision to change the travel rules was a positive shift but came too late. Gaebelt’s sister lives in the United States, and he had plans to travel with his wife and two children to visit her this summer, but the ban made their plans impossible. “We lost out on what was going to be a great family trip,” he said. Lucia Vidal lost her job after being stuck in Italy because of the travel ban. Vidal, 33, an Italian who had worked as a nanny in Washington for seven years, was home renewing her visa when the Trump administration announced the ban and has been unable to return. After she was stuck in Italy for more than a year, her employer fired her. She has been unable to return to the United States even to gather her things. “It’s 10 years of life in America,” she said. “I have always paid taxes, my friends are there. Now that I lost my job I feel lost.” Elide Vincenti, 30, was unable to begin a job in Miami as she was also back in Italy getting a visa when the ban was announced. She was blocked from visiting her boyfriend in New York for more than a year. Her friends in Miami moved her belongings into a storage unit, but as she did not collect them for months, they were eventually thrown away. “I don’t have anything anymore,” she said.

For families in Europe, US travel ban’s end is a new beginning

San Marino, one of Europe's smallest countries is preparing to head to the polls on Sunday to vote in a historic referendum on abortion dating back to 1865 in the landlocked enclave.

San Marino to vote in a historic referendum on abortion

TikTok's lead data privacy regulator in the European Union has opened two inquiries into the Chinese-owned short-video platform related to the processing of children's personal data and transfers of personal data to China.

Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which is lead EU regulator for many of the world's top internet firms due to the location of their regional headquarters in Ireland, is allowed to impose fines of up to 4% of global revenue.

TikTok in August announced stricter privacy controls for teenagers, seeking to address criticism that it has failed to protect children from hidden advertising and inappropriate content.

Owned by China's ByteDance, TikTok has grown rapidly around the world, particularly among teenagers.

The first of the probes relates "to the processing of personal data in the context of platform settings for users under age 18 and age verification measures for persons under 13," the Data Protection Commission said in a statement.

The second probe will focus on transfers by TikTok of personal data to China and whether the company complies with EU data law in its transfers of personal data to countries outside the bloc, the statement said.

A spokesperson for TikTok said it had implemented extensive policies and controls to safeguard user data and relies on approved methods for data being transferred from Europe, such as standard contractual clauses.

"The privacy and safety of the TikTok community, particularly our youngest members, is our highest priority," the spokesperson said.

Ireland's data watchdog earlier this month levied a record 225 million euro ($265.64 million) fine on Facebook's WhatsApp under the EU's 2018 General Data Protection Regulation law (GDPR).

But the watchdog has faced criticism from other European regulators at the speed of its inquiries and the severeness of its sanctions.

The Irish regulator had 27 international inquiries in progress at the end of last year, including 14 into Facebook and its subsidiaries. 
&nbsp;

TikTok's lead data privacy regulator in the European Union has opened two inquiries into the Chinese-owned short-video platform related to the processing of children's personal data and transfers of personal data to China.

TikTok's lead data privacy regulator in the European Union has opened two inquiries into the Chinese-owned short-video platform related to the processing of children's personal data and transfers of personal data to China. Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which is lead EU regulator for many of the world's top internet firms due to the location of their regional headquarters in Ireland, is allowed to impose fines of up to 4% of global revenue. TikTok in August announced stricter privacy controls for teenagers, seeking to address criticism that it has failed to protect children from hidden advertising and inappropriate content. Owned by China's ByteDance, TikTok has grown rapidly around the world, particularly among teenagers. The first of the probes relates "to the processing of personal data in the context of platform settings for users under age 18 and age verification measures for persons under 13," the Data Protection Commission said in a statement. The second probe will focus on transfers by TikTok of personal data to China and whether the company complies with EU data law in its transfers of personal data to countries outside the bloc, the statement said. A spokesperson for TikTok said it had implemented extensive policies and controls to safeguard user data and relies on approved methods for data being transferred from Europe, such as standard contractual clauses. "The privacy and safety of the TikTok community, particularly our youngest members, is our highest priority," the spokesperson said. Ireland's data watchdog earlier this month levied a record 225 million euro ($265.64 million) fine on Facebook's WhatsApp under the EU's 2018 General Data Protection Regulation law (GDPR). But the watchdog has faced criticism from other European regulators at the speed of its inquiries and the severeness of its sanctions. The Irish regulator had 27 international inquiries in progress at the end of last year, including 14 into Facebook and its subsidiaries.

TikTok's lead EU regulator opens two data privacy probes

Intel is planning to build new chip-making facilities in Europe. The company's CEO said that it could potentially expand it with increase in total investment.

Intel plans to build new chip-making facilities in Europe

The Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan is, first and foremost, a tragedy for Afghans. The world’s attention is rightly focused on trying to help those desperately trying to flee the country and worrying about those left behind, notably women and girls.

But it is also a severe blow to the West. Europe and the United States were united as never before in Afghanistan: It was the first time that NATO’s Article 5, committing all members to defend one another, was invoked. And for many years, Europeans provided a strong military commitment and an important economic aid program, amounting to a total of 17.2 billion euros, or $20.3 billion.

But in the end, the timing and nature of the withdrawal were set in Washington. We Europeans found ourselves — not only for the evacuations out of the Kabul airport but also more broadly — depending on American decisions.

That should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the Atlantic alliance. The United States understandably does not want to do everything alone. To become a more capable ally, Europe must invest more in its security capabilities and develop the ability to think and act in strategic terms. The events in Afghanistan have been harrowing. But they should lead us to deepen, not divide, the alliance with America. And to strengthen our cooperation, Europe must step up.

To do so, we first need to have a shared sense of the threats we face and how best to address them — a common strategic culture. In that vein, the European Union is working on a European Strategic Compass, a document that will precisely define our ambitions for security and defense for the next five to 10 years.

Member states are fully involved in this exercise. Some, for example, have suggested the creation of a European “initial entry force,” consisting of about 5,000 troops, that could undertake rapid and robust action. Helping to secure an airport in challenging circumstances, as in Kabul, could be the type of operation we aim for in the future. By embracing the spirit and potential of collaboration, we hope the document — to be issued in spring 2022 — will serve as a guide to our collective future.

It’s an uncertain future, full of threats in different domains, including cyberspace, the sea and outer space. That’s why it’s vital that Europeans, whether in NATO, the United Nations or the E.U., work together more on defense. Alongside increasing pivotal military capabilities — airlift and refueling, command and control, strategic reconnaissance and space-based assets — we need forces that are more capable, more deployable and more interoperable. Efforts to achieve just that, in the form of several initiatives, are already underway.

But we must go further and faster. The European Defence Fund, established to boost the bloc’s defense capabilities, will receive close to 8 billion euros, or $9.4 billion, over the next six years. That should be used to significantly support collaborative research and the development of much-needed defense technologies.

A more strategically autonomous and militarily capable E.U. would be better able to address the challenges to come in Europe’s neighborhood and beyond. It would also, I am convinced, be a boon for the United States and in the interest of the Atlantic alliance. After all, any partnership needs capable allies and political trust.

The task could not be more urgent. The Taliban’s return to power brings with it the risk of renewed terrorist attacks, a growth in drug trafficking and a large amount of irregular migration. We must be resolute in combating these threats, as well as in responding to a changed regional landscape. China, Russia and Iran will have greater sway in the region, while Pakistan, India, Turkey and Gulf monarchies will all reposition themselves. We cannot let them be the only interlocutors with Afghanistan after the Western withdrawal. Europe, along with the United States, has to reframe its engagement.

Not least with the Taliban themselves. After failing to prevent their capture of the country, we will now have to deal with them, carefully weighing our options and working for a coordinated international approach. That must be subject, of course, to clear conditions on their behavior, notably respect for human rights.

What’s more, we must continue supporting the Afghan people, especially minorities and women and girls. To this end, the European Commission has already decided to quadruple its humanitarian aid this year to 200 million euros, or $236 million, while suspending development aid. And though it will be a challenge, we will have to find ways to get humanitarian aid in and delivered — and safe passage out for those who feel under imminent threat.

The events in Afghanistan are not an invitation to withdraw from further international challenges. On the contrary, they should embolden Europe to deepen its alliances and strengthen its commitment — and ability — to defend its interests.

Some events catalyze history: The Afghanistan debacle is one of them. We Europeans must learn its lessons.

(Josep Borrell Fontelles is the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and vice president of the European Commission)

The Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan is, first and foremost, a tragedy for Afghans. The world’s attention is rightly focused on trying to help those desperately trying to flee the country and worrying about those left behind, notably women and girls.

The Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan is, first and foremost, a tragedy for Afghans. The world’s attention is rightly focused on trying to help those desperately trying to flee the country and worrying about those left behind, notably women and girls. But it is also a severe blow to the West. Europe and the United States were united as never before in Afghanistan: It was the first time that NATO’s Article 5, committing all members to defend one another, was invoked. And for many years, Europeans provided a strong military commitment and an important economic aid program, amounting to a total of 17.2 billion euros, or $20.3 billion. But in the end, the timing and nature of the withdrawal were set in Washington. We Europeans found ourselves — not only for the evacuations out of the Kabul airport but also more broadly — depending on American decisions. That should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the Atlantic alliance. The United States understandably does not want to do everything alone. To become a more capable ally, Europe must invest more in its security capabilities and develop the ability to think and act in strategic terms. The events in Afghanistan have been harrowing. But they should lead us to deepen, not divide, the alliance with America. And to strengthen our cooperation, Europe must step up. To do so, we first need to have a shared sense of the threats we face and how best to address them — a common strategic culture. In that vein, the European Union is working on a European Strategic Compass, a document that will precisely define our ambitions for security and defense for the next five to 10 years. Member states are fully involved in this exercise. Some, for example, have suggested the creation of a European “initial entry force,” consisting of about 5,000 troops, that could undertake rapid and robust action. Helping to secure an airport in challenging circumstances, as in Kabul, could be the type of operation we aim for in the future. By embracing the spirit and potential of collaboration, we hope the document — to be issued in spring 2022 — will serve as a guide to our collective future. It’s an uncertain future, full of threats in different domains, including cyberspace, the sea and outer space. That’s why it’s vital that Europeans, whether in NATO, the United Nations or the E.U., work together more on defense. Alongside increasing pivotal military capabilities — airlift and refueling, command and control, strategic reconnaissance and space-based assets — we need forces that are more capable, more deployable and more interoperable. Efforts to achieve just that, in the form of several initiatives, are already underway. But we must go further and faster. The European Defence Fund, established to boost the bloc’s defense capabilities, will receive close to 8 billion euros, or $9.4 billion, over the next six years. That should be used to significantly support collaborative research and the development of much-needed defense technologies. A more strategically autonomous and militarily capable E.U. would be better able to address the challenges to come in Europe’s neighborhood and beyond. It would also, I am convinced, be a boon for the United States and in the interest of the Atlantic alliance. After all, any partnership needs capable allies and political trust. The task could not be more urgent. The Taliban’s return to power brings with it the risk of renewed terrorist attacks, a growth in drug trafficking and a large amount of irregular migration. We must be resolute in combating these threats, as well as in responding to a changed regional landscape. China, Russia and Iran will have greater sway in the region, while Pakistan, India, Turkey and Gulf monarchies will all reposition themselves. We cannot let them be the only interlocutors with Afghanistan after the Western withdrawal. Europe, along with the United States, has to reframe its engagement. Not least with the Taliban themselves. After failing to prevent their capture of the country, we will now have to deal with them, carefully weighing our options and working for a coordinated international approach. That must be subject, of course, to clear conditions on their behavior, notably respect for human rights. What’s more, we must continue supporting the Afghan people, especially minorities and women and girls. To this end, the European Commission has already decided to quadruple its humanitarian aid this year to 200 million euros, or $236 million, while suspending development aid. And though it will be a challenge, we will have to find ways to get humanitarian aid in and delivered — and safe passage out for those who feel under imminent threat. The events in Afghanistan are not an invitation to withdraw from further international challenges. On the contrary, they should embolden Europe to deepen its alliances and strengthen its commitment — and ability — to defend its interests. Some events catalyze history: The Afghanistan debacle is one of them. We Europeans must learn its lessons. (Josep Borrell Fontelles is the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and vice president of the European Commission)

Europe, Afghanistan Is Your Wake-Up Call

Football clubs worldwide splashed out $48.5 billion (41.1 billion euros) on international transfer fees over the past decade, almost half of which was spent by the top 30 clubs, FIFA revealed in a report published Monday.

The report charted the number of international transfers and loans concluded between FIFA's 200 member associations, totalling 133,225 such moves over the period from 2011 to 2020.

Transfer market activity rose steadily from 11,890 in 2011 to a peak of 18,079 in 2019, with Brazilian nationals (15,128) the most frequent movers to foreign clubs.

The number of clubs conducting international transfers increased by more than 30 percent over the past decade, from 3,167 in 2011 to a high of 4,139 in 2019.

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However the 30 top-spending clubs all came from Europe, led by England with 12. Spain and Italy had five each with Germany (three), France and Portugal (both two) and Russia (one) completing the list. &nbsp;

This group of clubs alone forked out $22.8 billion on transfer fees, representing 47 percent of the global total over the decade.

FIFA also highlighted the growing commissions paid to agents, which soared from 131.1 million in 2011 to 640.5 million two years ago. Agents pocketed $3.5 billion in commission on overseas deals over the course of the decade.

Football clubs worldwide splashed out $48.5 billion (41.1 billion euros) on international transfer fees over the past decade, almost half of which was spent by the top 30 clubs, FIFA revealed in a report published Monday.

Football clubs worldwide splashed out $48.5 billion (41.1 billion euros) on international transfer fees over the past decade, almost half of which was spent by the top 30 clubs, FIFA revealed in a report published Monday. The report charted the number of international transfers and loans concluded between FIFA's 200 member associations, totalling 133,225 such moves over the period from 2011 to 2020. Transfer market activity rose steadily from 11,890 in 2011 to a peak of 18,079 in 2019, with Brazilian nationals (15,128) the most frequent movers to foreign clubs. The number of clubs conducting international transfers increased by more than 30 percent over the past decade, from 3,167 in 2011 to a high of 4,139 in 2019. ALSO READ | Manchester United announcing Cristiano Ronaldo's homecoming shatters Instagram record, becomes most liked sports team post However the 30 top-spending clubs all came from Europe, led by England with 12. Spain and Italy had five each with Germany (three), France and Portugal (both two) and Russia (one) completing the list. This group of clubs alone forked out $22.8 billion on transfer fees, representing 47 percent of the global total over the decade. FIFA also highlighted the growing commissions paid to agents, which soared from 131.1 million in 2011 to 640.5 million two years ago. Agents pocketed $3.5 billion in commission on overseas deals over the course of the decade.

Europe's top 30 clubs account for half of global transfer spend

Polar ice-caps are melting six times faster than they did two decades ago. Experts say Europe's southernmost Glacier, Calderone will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Polar ice-caps melt six times faster, experts say Calderone will be gone in the blink of an eye

Last year has been recorded as warmest on record across Europe, breaking the previous high mark by a considerable distance. The temperatures across the region were more than 1.

Last year has been recorded as warmest on record across Europe, breaking the previous high mark by a considerable distance. The temperatures across the region were more than 1.9C above the long-term average between 1981 and 2010. As per the State of the Climate 2020 report from the American Meteorological Society, the temperatures in the Arctic are also rising rapidly. Robert Dunn, a senior climate scientist at the UK Met Office, was quoted by the BBC as saying, "This level of difference to the previous long-term average, which is a large difference, is something that is concerning". He further added, "It is something to sit up and take notice of, but it's not just the temperatures that are increasing, the extreme events, the heat waves we're seeing this year, and last year as well. We're seeing these responses across the world." Also read | India, Maldives to sign pact on mega Greater Malé Connectivity Project The reports earlier this year confirmed that 2020 was Europe's warmest on record and one of the three hottest globally. The new data shows that Europe's temperature margin over previous years was significantly greater than previously thought. The temperature not only was the year 1.9C above the long-term average, but it was also more than 0.5C greater than the previous high mark. Prof Gabi Hegerl, professor of climate system science at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved with the study said, "The amount by which the previous record has been exceeded should worry us all". He further added, "European temperatures are well measured and can be tracked back to the beginning of industrialisation and beyond, using documentary evidence and proxy records. This long-term context emphasises how unusual this warmth is."

2020 recorded as warmest on record across Europe

Europe and the Mediterranean continue to remain the world's wildfire hotspots. Nearly ten countries have been affected by the wildfires and more than 100 people have been killed whereas thousands have been left homeless.

Europe and Mediterranean wildfire ravage over ten countries

Greece is currently battling one of the devastating forest fires in the region, as record-breaking heatwave continues to plague parts of southern Europe.

Wildfires continue to ravage Greece

Climate experts are growing afraid that global warming may cause tipping points in the Earth's natural systems, resulting in widespread and potentially irreversible calamity unless immediate action is taken.&nbsp;

In the short term, reducing methane gas emissions is critical for combating climate change.

Natural gas contains methane, which is created when living things decompose.

Unlike carbon dioxide, methane only lasts a short time in the atmosphere, yet it is a considerably more potent global warming gas than CO2.&nbsp;

Experts have cautioned that reducing carbon dioxide alone would not be enough to solve the climate issue; the world must also move quickly to address another potent greenhouse gas, methane, to keep global temperatures from rising.

In a historic study due out on Monday, leading climate scientists will issue their most dire warning yet, warning that we are on the verge of climatic disaster.

A warning that methane is playing an increasingly large role in global warming is expected to be one of the main action items for policymakers.&nbsp;

The carbon-rich gas, which is produced by animal farming, shale gas wells, and poorly managed conventional oil and gas extraction, heats the world far more effectively than CO2 – it has a "warming potential" more than 80 times that of CO2 – but has a shorter life in the atmosphere, lasting only about a decade before degrading into CO2.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Climate experts are growing afraid that global warming may cause tipping points in the Earth's natural systems, resulting in widespread and potentially irreversible calamity unless immediate action is taken.

Climate experts are growing afraid that global warming may cause tipping points in the Earth's natural systems, resulting in widespread and potentially irreversible calamity unless immediate action is taken. In the short term, reducing methane gas emissions is critical for combating climate change. Natural gas contains methane, which is created when living things decompose. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane only lasts a short time in the atmosphere, yet it is a considerably more potent global warming gas than CO2. Experts have cautioned that reducing carbon dioxide alone would not be enough to solve the climate issue; the world must also move quickly to address another potent greenhouse gas, methane, to keep global temperatures from rising. In a historic study due out on Monday, leading climate scientists will issue their most dire warning yet, warning that we are on the verge of climatic disaster. A warning that methane is playing an increasingly large role in global warming is expected to be one of the main action items for policymakers. The carbon-rich gas, which is produced by animal farming, shale gas wells, and poorly managed conventional oil and gas extraction, heats the world far more effectively than CO2 – it has a "warming potential" more than 80 times that of CO2 – but has a shorter life in the atmosphere, lasting only about a decade before degrading into CO2. (With inputs from agencies)

Cut down methane emissions or face climate catastrophe, scientists warn

Tearing through Spanish and Greek countryside, raging wildfires have devastated several parts of southern Europe. The wildfires have forced around 1,000 people to flee their homes in Sardinia.&nbsp;

Describing the wildfires as a 'disaster without precedence', the local government of Italian island Sardinia has declared a state of emergency on Sunday.&nbsp;

In a statement on Monday, Christian Solinas, president, Sardinia region, said, "It is still not possible to estimate the damages caused by the fires that are still ongoing in the Oristano area." &nbsp;

Solinas added, "Vegetation destroyed, businesses and homes burnt and animals killed." &nbsp;

Providing an update on Tuesday, regional spokesman Ignazio Artissu told CNN, around 20,000 hectares of area has been burnt till now. The officials are still assessing the damage.&nbsp;

Although most of the fires have been put out, authorities are now focusing on taking the immediate steps to ensure fire doesn't start again, Artissu added.&nbsp;

The region has pressed into action around 20 aircrafts and 7,500 people to fight the wildfires recently.&nbsp;

France and Greece have also supported the neighboring Italy by deploying four planes to provide assistance in putting out the flames.&nbsp;

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said his government was monitoring the situation closely and expressed "full solidarity with the population that is working non-stop in the rescue interventions."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Tearing through Spanish and Greek countryside, raging wildfires have devastated several parts of southern Europe. The wildfires have forced around 1,000 people to flee their homes in Sardinia.

Tearing through Spanish and Greek countryside, raging wildfires have devastated several parts of southern Europe. The wildfires have forced around 1,000 people to flee their homes in Sardinia. Describing the wildfires as a 'disaster without precedence', the local government of Italian island Sardinia has declared a state of emergency on Sunday. In a statement on Monday, Christian Solinas, president, Sardinia region, said, "It is still not possible to estimate the damages caused by the fires that are still ongoing in the Oristano area." Solinas added, "Vegetation destroyed, businesses and homes burnt and animals killed." Providing an update on Tuesday, regional spokesman Ignazio Artissu told CNN, around 20,000 hectares of area has been burnt till now. The officials are still assessing the damage. Although most of the fires have been put out, authorities are now focusing on taking the immediate steps to ensure fire doesn't start again, Artissu added. The region has pressed into action around 20 aircrafts and 7,500 people to fight the wildfires recently. France and Greece have also supported the neighboring Italy by deploying four planes to provide assistance in putting out the flames. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said his government was monitoring the situation closely and expressed "full solidarity with the population that is working non-stop in the rescue interventions." (With inputs from agencies)

Wildfires’ wrath forces thousands to flee in ravaged southern Europe 

Wildfires burned across southern European regions on Monday fuelled by strong winds and hot weather. Whereas nothern countries cleaned up after a weekend of flooding and torrential rain.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitosakis said during past 24 hours, the firefighters had battled around 50 fires. He also termed it likely that meteorologists would warn about a further heatwave

"I want to emphasize that August remains a difficult month," he said. "That is why it is important for all of us, all state services, to be on absolute alert until the firefighting period is formally over."

Fire officials said that negligence on farms and construction site was the cause of several fire incidents. Many of these fires were in the Pelopinnesian region. No casulaties were reported.

Conditions in southern Europe were in sharp contrast to the torrential rainstorms that lashed northern countries from Austria to Britain following the catastrophic flooding in Germany and neighbouring countries last week.

On the Italian island of Sardinia, firefighting planes from France and Greece reinforced local aircraft battling blazes across the island where more than 4,000 hectares of forest were burnt and more than 350 people evacuated.

In Sicily, fires broke out near the western town of Erice.

In Spain, the northeastern region of Catalonia saw more than 1,500 hectares destroyed near Santa Coloma de Queralt, forcing dozens to be evacuated, although the blazes were 90% stabilized on Monday, firefighters and authorities said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Wildfires burned across southern European regions on Monday fuelled by strong winds and hot weather. Whereas nothern countries cleaned up after a weekend of flooding and torrential rain.

Wildfires burned across southern European regions on Monday fuelled by strong winds and hot weather. Whereas nothern countries cleaned up after a weekend of flooding and torrential rain. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitosakis said during past 24 hours, the firefighters had battled around 50 fires. He also termed it likely that meteorologists would warn about a further heatwave "I want to emphasize that August remains a difficult month," he said. "That is why it is important for all of us, all state services, to be on absolute alert until the firefighting period is formally over." Fire officials said that negligence on farms and construction site was the cause of several fire incidents. Many of these fires were in the Pelopinnesian region. No casulaties were reported. Conditions in southern Europe were in sharp contrast to the torrential rainstorms that lashed northern countries from Austria to Britain following the catastrophic flooding in Germany and neighbouring countries last week. On the Italian island of Sardinia, firefighting planes from France and Greece reinforced local aircraft battling blazes across the island where more than 4,000 hectares of forest were burnt and more than 350 people evacuated. In Sicily, fires broke out near the western town of Erice. In Spain, the northeastern region of Catalonia saw more than 1,500 hectares destroyed near Santa Coloma de Queralt, forcing dozens to be evacuated, although the blazes were 90% stabilized on Monday, firefighters and authorities said. (With inputs from agencies)

As north cleans up after floods, southern Europe battles wildfires

As Rome tries to rein in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19 infections</a>, tens of thousands of protesters in cities across Italy demonstrated on&nbsp;Saturday against the government's decision to place restrictions on unvaccinated people.

<div>Italy's flag-waving demonstrators chanted "Freedom!" and "Down with the dictatorship!" from Naples to Turin, while protesters soaked by rain in Milan shouted "No Green Pass!".</div>

An overwhelming majority of protestors were without masks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italian-prosecutors-examine-evidence-suggesting-covid-19-spread-before-official-confirmation-396216">Italian prosecutors examine evidence suggesting COVID-19 spread before official confirmation</a>

As per the new regulations, starting August 6, those entering cinemas, museums, indoor swimming pools, or sports stadiums, or eating at restaurants indoors, will need a Green Pass.

The pass will serve as proof that the bearer has been vaccinated, has recently undergone a negative COVID-19 test, or has recently recovered from a Coronavirus infection.

According to Francesco Figliuolo, emergency chief for COVID-19, the announcement made on Thursday making the pass mandatory for many activities, lead to a 200 per cent increase in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> bookings in Italy's smaller regions.

As the cabinet aims to safeguard the slowing economy and prevent further lockdowns, businesses are expected to enforce the rules or face stiff fines.

An evaluation of whether the pass should be made mandatory for train, coach, and plane travel will take place in September.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italy-crosses-30-million-vaccine-doses-mark-386771">Italy crosses 30 million vaccine doses mark</a>

"Better to die free than live like slaves!" read one placard held up outside Milan's Gothic cathedral, while another in Rome's historic centre read "Vaccines set you free" over a picture of the gates to Auschwitz.

Several protesters in Genova have yellow Star of David badges proclaiming that they haven't been vaccinated.

Through social media, more than 80 cities had announced that they were holding demonstrations on Saturday.

Faced with the threat of Delta variant, on Saturday, Italy&nbsp;one of the worst-hit countries in Europe during this pandemic, reported five thousand new coronavirus cases and five deaths.

(With inputs from agencies)

As Rome tries to rein in COVID-19 infections, tens of thousands of protesters in cities across Italy demonstrated on Saturday against the government's decision to place restrictions on unvaccinated people.

As Rome tries to rein in COVID-19 infections, tens of thousands of protesters in cities across Italy demonstrated on Saturday against the government's decision to place restrictions on unvaccinated people. Italy's flag-waving demonstrators chanted "Freedom!" and "Down with the dictatorship!" from Naples to Turin, while protesters soaked by rain in Milan shouted "No Green Pass!". An overwhelming majority of protestors were without masks. Also read | Italian prosecutors examine evidence suggesting COVID-19 spread before official confirmation As per the new regulations, starting August 6, those entering cinemas, museums, indoor swimming pools, or sports stadiums, or eating at restaurants indoors, will need a Green Pass. The pass will serve as proof that the bearer has been vaccinated, has recently undergone a negative COVID-19 test, or has recently recovered from a Coronavirus infection. According to Francesco Figliuolo, emergency chief for COVID-19, the announcement made on Thursday making the pass mandatory for many activities, lead to a 200 per cent increase in vaccine bookings in Italy's smaller regions. As the cabinet aims to safeguard the slowing economy and prevent further lockdowns, businesses are expected to enforce the rules or face stiff fines. An evaluation of whether the pass should be made mandatory for train, coach, and plane travel will take place in September. Also read | Italy crosses 30 million vaccine doses mark "Better to die free than live like slaves!" read one placard held up outside Milan's Gothic cathedral, while another in Rome's historic centre read "Vaccines set you free" over a picture of the gates to Auschwitz. Several protesters in Genova have yellow Star of David badges proclaiming that they haven't been vaccinated. Through social media, more than 80 cities had announced that they were holding demonstrations on Saturday. Faced with the threat of Delta variant, on Saturday, Italy one of the worst-hit countries in Europe during this pandemic, reported five thousand new coronavirus cases and five deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Italy awash with protests against Covid certificates

Electric&nbsp;cars, the key to reducing emissions and meeting climate change goals, have boosted their market share in Europe, data showed Friday, as the region prepares to abandon petrol and diesel.

Battery&nbsp;electric&nbsp;vehicles more than doubled their share of new car sales in Europe in the second quarter, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) which groups together major car firms.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/electric-cars-will-cost-less-than-gasoline-automobiles-by-2027-384051">Electric cars will cost less than gasoline automobiles by 2027</a>

All-electric&nbsp;vehicles accounted for 7.5 per cent of new car sales in Europe in the three months from April through June, against 3.5 per cent during that period last year.

In absolute terms, sales of battery&nbsp;electric&nbsp;vehicles more than tripled across Europe to reach 210,298&nbsp;cars.

The ACEA said there were substantial gains in the region's top four markets, led by sales more than quadrupling in Spain and Germany.

The publication of the data comes a week after the European Commission unveiled plans for what amounts to an effective ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/renault-seals-electric-car-battery-deals-with-envision-verkor-394434">Renault seals electric car battery deals with Envision, Verkor</a>

It believes such a move is necessary for Europe to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century and&nbsp;meet its goals under the 2015 Paris accord that aims to limit the global rise in temperatures.

The ACEA also found sales jumped of different types of hybrid vehicles, which are seen by some as a transitional technology as they can reduce emissions from standard petrol or diesel vehicles.&nbsp;

"Plug-in hybrid&nbsp;electric&nbsp;vehicles (PHEVs) had an even more impressive second quarter of 2021, with registrations jumping by 255.8 percent to 235,730 units," said the ACEA. That took their market share to 8.4 per cent.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-business-watch-tesla-plans-to-open-its-charging-network-to-other-evs-399369/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The slump in petrol&nbsp;cars&nbsp;

Sales of hybrids that cannot be recharged from power mains also&nbsp;more than tripled to 541,162 vehicles, remaining the largest category of alternatively-powered&nbsp;cars&nbsp;with a 19.3 per cent market share.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, registrations of new petrol and diesel vehicles increased given the low number of vehicles sold in the second quarter last year, when many European countries had severe restrictions on businesses due to the pandemic.

But in terms of market share, which shows the relative weight of the current choices being made by consumers, both petrol and diesel saw huge drops.

Diesel saw its market share plunge to 20.4 per cent from 29.4 per cent.&nbsp;

Petrol, which still claimed a majority of sales in the second quarter of last year with a 51.9 per cent of market share, saw a bigger slump to 41.8 per cent.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-business-watch-mercedes-benz-aims-to-go-all-electric-in-2030-399961/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The data also comes as a growing number of automakers are unveiling their plans to shift to all-electric&nbsp;vehicles as policymakers indicate the days of internal combustion engines are numbered.

Daimler was the latest, announcing Thursday that from 2025 it would introduce only&nbsp;electric&nbsp;new car platforms as it prepares to be ready to make a complete shift by 2030.

Electric cars, the key to reducing emissions and meeting climate change goals, have boosted their market share in Europe, data showed Friday, as the region prepares to abandon petrol and diesel.

Electric cars, the key to reducing emissions and meeting climate change goals, have boosted their market share in Europe, data showed Friday, as the region prepares to abandon petrol and diesel. Battery electric vehicles more than doubled their share of new car sales in Europe in the second quarter, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) which groups together major car firms. Also read | Electric cars will cost less than gasoline automobiles by 2027 All-electric vehicles accounted for 7.5 per cent of new car sales in Europe in the three months from April through June, against 3.5 per cent during that period last year. In absolute terms, sales of battery electric vehicles more than tripled across Europe to reach 210,298 cars. The ACEA said there were substantial gains in the region's top four markets, led by sales more than quadrupling in Spain and Germany. The publication of the data comes a week after the European Commission unveiled plans for what amounts to an effective ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035. Also read | Renault seals electric car battery deals with Envision, Verkor It believes such a move is necessary for Europe to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century and meet its goals under the 2015 Paris accord that aims to limit the global rise in temperatures. The ACEA also found sales jumped of different types of hybrid vehicles, which are seen by some as a transitional technology as they can reduce emissions from standard petrol or diesel vehicles. "Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) had an even more impressive second quarter of 2021, with registrations jumping by 255.8 percent to 235,730 units," said the ACEA. That took their market share to 8.4 per cent. The slump in petrol cars Sales of hybrids that cannot be recharged from power mains also more than tripled to 541,162 vehicles, remaining the largest category of alternatively-powered cars with a 19.3 per cent market share. Meanwhile, registrations of new petrol and diesel vehicles increased given the low number of vehicles sold in the second quarter last year, when many European countries had severe restrictions on businesses due to the pandemic. But in terms of market share, which shows the relative weight of the current choices being made by consumers, both petrol and diesel saw huge drops. Diesel saw its market share plunge to 20.4 per cent from 29.4 per cent. Petrol, which still claimed a majority of sales in the second quarter of last year with a 51.9 per cent of market share, saw a bigger slump to 41.8 per cent. The data also comes as a growing number of automakers are unveiling their plans to shift to all-electric vehicles as policymakers indicate the days of internal combustion engines are numbered. Daimler was the latest, announcing Thursday that from 2025 it would introduce only electric new car platforms as it prepares to be ready to make a complete shift by 2030.

Sales of electric cars charge ahead in Europe

European Medicine Agency (EMA) on Friday approved use of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17. This makes it the second jab approved for use among adolescents in Europe.

"The use of the Spikevax vaccine in children from 12 to 17 years of age will be the same as in people aged 18 and above," the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said, using the vaccine's brand name.&nbsp;

The vaccine will be given in two injections. The time period between first and second dose would be four weeks.

The decision by the Amsterdam-based agency follows the approval of the first vaccine for European youngsters, by Pfizer/BioNTech in May.

The EMA said that the effects of the Moderna jab was studied among 3,732 children aged 12-17 years.

"The study showed that Spikevax produced a comparable antibody response in 12- to 17-year-olds to that seen in young adults aged 18 to 25 years," it said.

The Moderna jab employs the same mRNA technology as Pfizer/BioNTech, using genetic material to deliver instructions to human cells to create coronavirus spike proteins.&nbsp;

It thereby trains an immune response without exposing the host to a real infection.

The EMA said there were common side effects in children similar to those in adults.

This included pain and swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle and joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes, chills, nausea, vomiting and fever.

"These effects are usually mild or moderate and improve within a few days from the vaccination," the EMA said.

(With inputs from agencies)

European Medicine Agency (EMA) on Friday approved use of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17. This makes it the second jab approved for use among adolescents in Europe.

European Medicine Agency (EMA) on Friday approved use of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17. This makes it the second jab approved for use among adolescents in Europe. "The use of the Spikevax vaccine in children from 12 to 17 years of age will be the same as in people aged 18 and above," the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said, using the vaccine's brand name. The vaccine will be given in two injections. The time period between first and second dose would be four weeks. The decision by the Amsterdam-based agency follows the approval of the first vaccine for European youngsters, by Pfizer/BioNTech in May. The EMA said that the effects of the Moderna jab was studied among 3,732 children aged 12-17 years. "The study showed that Spikevax produced a comparable antibody response in 12- to 17-year-olds to that seen in young adults aged 18 to 25 years," it said. The Moderna jab employs the same mRNA technology as Pfizer/BioNTech, using genetic material to deliver instructions to human cells to create coronavirus spike proteins. It thereby trains an immune response without exposing the host to a real infection. The EMA said there were common side effects in children similar to those in adults. This included pain and swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle and joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes, chills, nausea, vomiting and fever. "These effects are usually mild or moderate and improve within a few days from the vaccination," the EMA said. (With inputs from agencies)

European Medicine Agency approves Moderna jab for ages 12 and up

The data also showed that 212,732,730 adults (above the age of 18) have received at least one dose of the vaccine while 167,310,628 adults have been fully immunised against the coronavirus disease in the EU.

COVID-19: More than 50% people in Europe fully vaccinated, claims EU

More than 230 migrants crossed the Moroccan border into Spain's&nbsp;Melilla&nbsp;enclave before dawn on Thursday, in one of the largest influxes into this tiny North African territory in recent years.

The incident occurred two months after an unprecedented 10,000 people surged into Spain's other enclave of Ceuta, exacerbating a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lack-of-respect-spanish-pm-pedro-sanchez-slams-morocco-over-migrant-crisis-386352">'Lack of respect': Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez slams Morocco over migrant crisis</a>

In a statement, the Spanish government delegation in&nbsp;Melilla&nbsp;said: "a huge influx" of more than 300 migrants had tried to cross the frontier at 6:50 am with 238 of them successfully scaling the fence, all of them men.&nbsp;

It said they used "hooks" to scale the frontier which they managed to do despite the fact the border fence was equipped with "anti-intrusion" measures, without specifying what they were.

Three Guardia Civil police officers suffered "slight injuries" from the hooks used by those crossing the fence, it said.&nbsp;The migrants were taken to a reception centre where they will be quarantined in line with anti-Covid safety procedures.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/migrant-crisis-in-spains-ceuta-migrant-drowns-while-trying-to-enter-ceuta-386524/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Since mid-May, hundreds of migrants have tried to rush the Moroccan border fence into&nbsp;Melilla, with nearly 300 of them making it across.&nbsp;

Thursday's incident raised that number to more than 500 in just over two months.

Where Europe meets Africa&nbsp;

Spain's two tiny enclaves of Ceuta and&nbsp;Melilla&nbsp;have Europe's only land border with Africa, making them a magnet for migrants desperate to escape grinding poverty and hunger.

Over the years, thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the 12-kilometre (7.5-mile) border between&nbsp;Melilla&nbsp;and Morocco, or Ceuta's eight-kilometre border, by climbing the fences, swimming along the coast or hiding in vehicles.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-opens-migrant-camps-in-the-canaries-expecting-fresh-influx-359667">Spain opens migrant camps in the Canaries expecting fresh influx</a>

The two territories are protected by fences fortified with barbed wire, video cameras and watchtowers.

Claimed by Morocco, the two cities have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between Rabat and Madrid, which insists both are integral parts of Spain.

In mid-May, Spain was caught off guard when more than 10,000 people swam or used small inflatable boats to cross into Ceuta territory as the Moroccan border forces looked the other way.

Although most were quickly sent back, there were still more than 2,000 left inside the enclave, among them 1,185 unaccompanied minors, a spokesman for the government delegation in Ceuta told AFP on Thursday.&nbsp;

The influx took place during a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat over Western Sahara, which has long pushed for independence from Morocco.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/spain-migrant-crisis-spain-witnesses-unprecedented-migration-385837/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Madrid had angered Morocco by allowing the leader of&nbsp;Western Sahara's independence movement into Spain for hospital treatment for a severe case of Covid-19, sparking a tetchy standoff between the two countries.&nbsp;

The unprecedented border breach was widely seen as a punitive move by Rabat.&nbsp;

Although Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali left Spain on June 2, diplomatic relations have remained tense.

More than 230 migrants crossed the Moroccan border into Spain's Melilla enclave before dawn on Thursday, in one of the largest influxes into this tiny North African territory in recent years.

More than 230 migrants crossed the Moroccan border into Spain's Melilla enclave before dawn on Thursday, in one of the largest influxes into this tiny North African territory in recent years. The incident occurred two months after an unprecedented 10,000 people surged into Spain's other enclave of Ceuta, exacerbating a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat. Also read | 'Lack of respect': Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez slams Morocco over migrant crisis In a statement, the Spanish government delegation in Melilla said: "a huge influx" of more than 300 migrants had tried to cross the frontier at 6:50 am with 238 of them successfully scaling the fence, all of them men. It said they used "hooks" to scale the frontier which they managed to do despite the fact the border fence was equipped with "anti-intrusion" measures, without specifying what they were. Three Guardia Civil police officers suffered "slight injuries" from the hooks used by those crossing the fence, it said. The migrants were taken to a reception centre where they will be quarantined in line with anti-Covid safety procedures. Since mid-May, hundreds of migrants have tried to rush the Moroccan border fence into Melilla, with nearly 300 of them making it across. Thursday's incident raised that number to more than 500 in just over two months. Where Europe meets Africa Spain's two tiny enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla have Europe's only land border with Africa, making them a magnet for migrants desperate to escape grinding poverty and hunger. Over the years, thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the 12-kilometre (7.5-mile) border between Melilla and Morocco, or Ceuta's eight-kilometre border, by climbing the fences, swimming along the coast or hiding in vehicles. Also read | Spain opens migrant camps in the Canaries expecting fresh influx The two territories are protected by fences fortified with barbed wire, video cameras and watchtowers. Claimed by Morocco, the two cities have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between Rabat and Madrid, which insists both are integral parts of Spain. In mid-May, Spain was caught off guard when more than 10,000 people swam or used small inflatable boats to cross into Ceuta territory as the Moroccan border forces looked the other way. Although most were quickly sent back, there were still more than 2,000 left inside the enclave, among them 1,185 unaccompanied minors, a spokesman for the government delegation in Ceuta told AFP on Thursday. The influx took place during a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat over Western Sahara, which has long pushed for independence from Morocco. Madrid had angered Morocco by allowing the leader of Western Sahara's independence movement into Spain for hospital treatment for a severe case of Covid-19, sparking a tetchy standoff between the two countries. The unprecedented border breach was widely seen as a punitive move by Rabat. Although Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali left Spain on June 2, diplomatic relations have remained tense.

Over 230 migrants enter Spain's Melilla enclave after scaling the fence

The United States has reached a deal with Germany to prevent Russia from using its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The deal aims to invest more than 200 million euros in energy security in Ukraine as well as sustainable energy across Europe.

US and Germany reach a deal over controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline

England has removed nearly all coronavirus restrictions. Germany is allowing vaccinated people to travel without quarantines. Mask mandates are gone in Italy. Shopping malls remain open in Singapore.

Eighteen months after the coronavirus first emerged, several governments in Asia and Europe are encouraging people to return to their daily rhythms and transition to a new normal in which subways, offices, restaurants and airports are once again full. Increasingly, the mantra is the same: We have to learn to live with the virus.

Yet scientists warn that the pandemic exit strategies may be premature. The emergence of more transmissible variants means that even wealthy nations with abundant vaccines remain vulnerable. Places like Australia, which shut down its border, are learning that they cannot keep the virus out.

So rather than abandon their road maps, officials are beginning to accept that rolling lockdowns and restrictions are a necessary part of recovery. People are being encouraged to shift their pandemic perspective and focus on avoiding severe illness and death instead of infections, which are unavoidable. And countries with zero-COVID ambitions are rethinking those policies.

“You need to tell people: We’re going to get a lot of cases,” said Dale Fisher, a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore who heads the National Infection Prevention and Control Committee of Singapore’s Health Ministry. “And that’s part of the plan — we have to let it go.”

For months, many residents in Singapore, the small Southeast Asian city-state, pored over the details of each new COVID case. There was a palpable sense of dread when infections reached double digits for the first time. And with borders closed, there was also a feeling of defeat, since even the most diligent measures were not enough to prevent infection.

“Our people are battle weary,” a group of Singapore ministers wrote in an opinion essay in the Straits Times newspaper in June. “All are asking: When and how will the pandemic end?”

Officials in Singapore announced plans to gradually ease restrictions and chart a path to the other side of the pandemic. The plans included switching to monitoring the number of people who fall very ill, how many require intensive care and how many need to be intubated, instead of infections.

Those measures are already being put to the test.

Outbreaks have spread through several karaoke lounges and a large fishery port, and on Tuesday Singapore announced a tightening of measures, including banning all dine-in service. The trade minister, Gan Kim Yong, said the country was still on the right track, comparing the latest restrictions to “roadblocks” toward the final goal.

Singapore has fully vaccinated 49% of its population and has cited Israel, which is further ahead at 58%, as a model. Israel has pivoted to focusing on severe illness, a tactic that officials have called “soft suppression.” It is also facing its own sharp rise in cases, up from single digits a month ago to hundreds of new cases a day. The country recently reimposed an indoor mask mandate.

“It’s important, but it’s quite annoying,” said Danny Levy, 56, an Israeli civil servant who was waiting to see a movie in Jerusalem last week. Levy said that he would wear his mask inside the theater, but that he found it frustrating that restrictions were being reimposed while new virus variants were entering the country because of weak testing and supervision of incoming travelers.

Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, said that countries taking shortcuts on their way to reopening were putting unvaccinated people at risk and gambling with lives.

“At this point in time, I actually find it quite surprising that governments would necessarily decide they know enough about how this virus will behave in populations to choose, ‘Yes, we are going to live with it,’” said Baker, who helped devise New Zealand’s COVID elimination strategy.

New Zealanders seem to have accepted the possibility of longer-term restrictions. In a recent government-commissioned survey of more than 1,800 people, 90% of respondents said they did not expect life to return to normal after they were vaccinated, partly because of the lingering questions about the virus.

Scientists still do not fully understand “long COVID” — the long-term symptoms that hundreds of thousands of previously infected patients are still grappling with. They say that COVID-19 should not be treated like the flu, because it is far more dangerous. They are also uncertain about the duration of immunity provided by vaccines and how well they protect against the variants.

Much of the developing world is also still facing rising infections, giving the virus a greater opportunity to rapidly replicate, which then increases the risks of more mutations and spread. Only 1% of people in low-income countries have received a vaccine dose, according to the Our World in Data project.

In Australia, several state lawmakers suggested this month that the country had reached “a fork in the road” at which it needed to decide between persistent restrictions and learning to live with infections. They said that Australia might need to follow much of the world and give up on its COVID-zero approach.

Gladys Berejiklian, the leader of the Australian state of New South Wales, immediately knocked the proposal down. “No state or nation or any country on the planet can live with the delta variant when our vaccination rates are so low,” she said. Only about 11% of Australians over age 16 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also backed away from calls for a shift in the country’s COVID protocols. After announcing a four-phase plan for returning to regular life on July 2, he has insisted that the strength of the delta variant requires an indefinite postponement.

In places where vaccine shots have been widely available for months, such as Europe, countries have bet big on their inoculation programs as a ticket out of the pandemic and the key to keeping hospitalizations and deaths low.

Germans who have been fully immunized in the past six months can dine indoors in restaurants without showing proof of a negative rapid test. They are allowed to meet up in private without any limits and to travel without a 14-day quarantine.

In Italy, masks are required only when entering stores or crowded spaces, but many people continue to wear them, even if only as a chin guard. “My daughters chide me — they say I’ve been vaccinated and don’t need to wear a mask, but I got used to it,” said Marina Castro, who lives in Rome.

England, which has vaccinated nearly all of its most vulnerable residents, has taken the most drastic approach. On Monday, the country eliminated virtually all COVID-19 restrictions despite the rise of delta-variant infections, particularly among young people.

On “Freedom Day,” as the tabloids called it, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs flung their doors wide open. Curbs on gatherings and mask requirements were also lifted. People were seen dining al fresco and sunbathing, cheek to jowl.

In the absence of most rules, the government is urging people to use “personal responsibility” to maintain safety. Sajid Javid, Britain’s health secretary — who tested positive for the coronavirus last week — said last month that the country needed to “learn to live” with the virus. That is despite polls suggesting that the English public prefers a more gradual approach to reopening.

Officials in Singapore, which reported a year-high 182 locally transmitted infections Tuesday, say the number of cases is likely to rise in the coming days. The outbreak appears to have delayed but not scuttled plans for a phased reopening.

“You give people a sense of progression,” Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s health minister, said this month, “rather than waiting for that big day when everything opens and then you go crazy.”

England has removed nearly all coronavirus restrictions. Germany is allowing vaccinated people to travel without quarantines. Mask mandates are gone in Italy. Shopping malls remain open in Singapore.

England has removed nearly all coronavirus restrictions. Germany is allowing vaccinated people to travel without quarantines. Mask mandates are gone in Italy. Shopping malls remain open in Singapore. Eighteen months after the coronavirus first emerged, several governments in Asia and Europe are encouraging people to return to their daily rhythms and transition to a new normal in which subways, offices, restaurants and airports are once again full. Increasingly, the mantra is the same: We have to learn to live with the virus. Yet scientists warn that the pandemic exit strategies may be premature. The emergence of more transmissible variants means that even wealthy nations with abundant vaccines remain vulnerable. Places like Australia, which shut down its border, are learning that they cannot keep the virus out. So rather than abandon their road maps, officials are beginning to accept that rolling lockdowns and restrictions are a necessary part of recovery. People are being encouraged to shift their pandemic perspective and focus on avoiding severe illness and death instead of infections, which are unavoidable. And countries with zero-COVID ambitions are rethinking those policies. “You need to tell people: We’re going to get a lot of cases,” said Dale Fisher, a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore who heads the National Infection Prevention and Control Committee of Singapore’s Health Ministry. “And that’s part of the plan — we have to let it go.” For months, many residents in Singapore, the small Southeast Asian city-state, pored over the details of each new COVID case. There was a palpable sense of dread when infections reached double digits for the first time. And with borders closed, there was also a feeling of defeat, since even the most diligent measures were not enough to prevent infection. “Our people are battle weary,” a group of Singapore ministers wrote in an opinion essay in the Straits Times newspaper in June. “All are asking: When and how will the pandemic end?” Officials in Singapore announced plans to gradually ease restrictions and chart a path to the other side of the pandemic. The plans included switching to monitoring the number of people who fall very ill, how many require intensive care and how many need to be intubated, instead of infections. Those measures are already being put to the test. Outbreaks have spread through several karaoke lounges and a large fishery port, and on Tuesday Singapore announced a tightening of measures, including banning all dine-in service. The trade minister, Gan Kim Yong, said the country was still on the right track, comparing the latest restrictions to “roadblocks” toward the final goal. Singapore has fully vaccinated 49% of its population and has cited Israel, which is further ahead at 58%, as a model. Israel has pivoted to focusing on severe illness, a tactic that officials have called “soft suppression.” It is also facing its own sharp rise in cases, up from single digits a month ago to hundreds of new cases a day. The country recently reimposed an indoor mask mandate. “It’s important, but it’s quite annoying,” said Danny Levy, 56, an Israeli civil servant who was waiting to see a movie in Jerusalem last week. Levy said that he would wear his mask inside the theater, but that he found it frustrating that restrictions were being reimposed while new virus variants were entering the country because of weak testing and supervision of incoming travelers. Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, said that countries taking shortcuts on their way to reopening were putting unvaccinated people at risk and gambling with lives. “At this point in time, I actually find it quite surprising that governments would necessarily decide they know enough about how this virus will behave in populations to choose, ‘Yes, we are going to live with it,’” said Baker, who helped devise New Zealand’s COVID elimination strategy. New Zealanders seem to have accepted the possibility of longer-term restrictions. In a recent government-commissioned survey of more than 1,800 people, 90% of respondents said they did not expect life to return to normal after they were vaccinated, partly because of the lingering questions about the virus. Scientists still do not fully understand “long COVID” — the long-term symptoms that hundreds of thousands of previously infected patients are still grappling with. They say that COVID-19 should not be treated like the flu, because it is far more dangerous. They are also uncertain about the duration of immunity provided by vaccines and how well they protect against the variants. Much of the developing world is also still facing rising infections, giving the virus a greater opportunity to rapidly replicate, which then increases the risks of more mutations and spread. Only 1% of people in low-income countries have received a vaccine dose, according to the Our World in Data project. In Australia, several state lawmakers suggested this month that the country had reached “a fork in the road” at which it needed to decide between persistent restrictions and learning to live with infections. They said that Australia might need to follow much of the world and give up on its COVID-zero approach. Gladys Berejiklian, the leader of the Australian state of New South Wales, immediately knocked the proposal down. “No state or nation or any country on the planet can live with the delta variant when our vaccination rates are so low,” she said. Only about 11% of Australians over age 16 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Prime Minister Scott Morrison also backed away from calls for a shift in the country’s COVID protocols. After announcing a four-phase plan for returning to regular life on July 2, he has insisted that the strength of the delta variant requires an indefinite postponement. In places where vaccine shots have been widely available for months, such as Europe, countries have bet big on their inoculation programs as a ticket out of the pandemic and the key to keeping hospitalizations and deaths low. Germans who have been fully immunized in the past six months can dine indoors in restaurants without showing proof of a negative rapid test. They are allowed to meet up in private without any limits and to travel without a 14-day quarantine. In Italy, masks are required only when entering stores or crowded spaces, but many people continue to wear them, even if only as a chin guard. “My daughters chide me — they say I’ve been vaccinated and don’t need to wear a mask, but I got used to it,” said Marina Castro, who lives in Rome. England, which has vaccinated nearly all of its most vulnerable residents, has taken the most drastic approach. On Monday, the country eliminated virtually all COVID-19 restrictions despite the rise of delta-variant infections, particularly among young people. On “Freedom Day,” as the tabloids called it, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs flung their doors wide open. Curbs on gatherings and mask requirements were also lifted. People were seen dining al fresco and sunbathing, cheek to jowl. In the absence of most rules, the government is urging people to use “personal responsibility” to maintain safety. Sajid Javid, Britain’s health secretary — who tested positive for the coronavirus last week — said last month that the country needed to “learn to live” with the virus. That is despite polls suggesting that the English public prefers a more gradual approach to reopening. Officials in Singapore, which reported a year-high 182 locally transmitted infections Tuesday, say the number of cases is likely to rise in the coming days. The outbreak appears to have delayed but not scuttled plans for a phased reopening. “You give people a sense of progression,” Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s health minister, said this month, “rather than waiting for that big day when everything opens and then you go crazy.”

How nations are learning to ‘let it go’ and live with COVID

The death toll from flooding in Europe climbed above 180 after rescue workers dug deeper into debris left by receding waters. The deadly floods in western Europe have been triggered by heavy rainfall, which in some areas broke a 100-year record.

Over 180 killed in deluge in Europe, hundreds missing in Germany

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