Europe

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.

A senior Swedish diplomat, charged with unauthorised possession of classified documents, allegedly jeopardised national security by taking sensitive information to his residence. Prosecutors stated that while the diplomat accessed the data through his official duties, he acted without intent to harm Sweden’s interests.

Thousands of students marched in Prague on Wednesday in protest against the Czech government’s plan to overhaul public media funding, which would eliminate access fees and make state funding the sole source. Critics warn this could jeopardise media independence and lead to significant budget cuts and layoffs.

A second French soldier, Corporal Anicet Girardin, has died from wounds sustained during a Hezbollah ambush on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. This follows the death of Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio in the same attack, marking a significant escalation for French forces in the region.

Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for his involvement in the disappearance of $1 billion from the country’s banking system in 2014. The court also ordered the seizure of approximately $60 million from his accounts. Plahotniuc denies the charges and plans to appeal.

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