Europe

Spain’s national football team celebrated their World Cup victory with an open-top bus parade through Madrid, drawing over one million supporters. Celebrations featured jubilant fans chanting and displaying mobile phones, as players raised the trophy, marking Spain’s return home after 16 years since their last win.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated a possible government reshuffle following the resignation of CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn. Merz aims to announce Spahn’s successor by month-end, amid growing pressure from key state elections. Chancellery Minister Thorsten Frei is a leading candidate for the role.

Barcelona recorded its highest ever temperature of 40.5C on Wednesday, exceeding the previous record of 40C set in July 2024. The heatwave, which began on Sunday, is expected to persist, prompting AEMET to issue red warnings for extreme heat across Catalonia and Valencia.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar proposes a constitutional amendment to remove President Tamás Sulyok, citing his allegiance to Viktor Orbán. The Tisza Party’s supermajority facilitates this change, prompting Fidesz to schedule a demonstration in support of Sulyok, who criticises the move as a threat to democracy.

Tens of thousands protested in Tirana against plans for a luxury tourist resort linked to the Trump family, marking 35 consecutive days of demonstrations. Initially an environmental campaign, dissatisfaction has expanded to anti-government sentiment, demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation amid accusations of corruption and ecological threats.

Thousands protested across France following the rape and murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna, demanding urgent government action against sexual violence. Criticism centred on systemic failures in the justice system, with Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin pledging to review 70,000 unresolved child abuse cases by mid-July.

The Italian government has raised alarms after 80 vials of fentanyl were stolen from Rome’s Israelitic Hospital, enough for 20,000 doses for illicit use. Prosecutors in Rome have launched an investigation into the theft, while health authorities prepare to enhance checks on fentanyl management in medical facilities.

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