Last month became the warmest June ever observed in Western Europe, with temperatures exceeding the 1991–2020 average by more than three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. In a statement released Thursday, the climate monitoring agency reported that the region’s average temperature climbed to 20.74C (69.33F). The surge was largely driven by a powerful heatwave in the latter half of the month that shattered records in

• Russia announced a ban on diesel exports on Wednesday as part of a broader package of steps aimed at stabilising its domestic fuel market. The move follows repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, which have disrupted production, caused gasoline shortages and driven up prices. In many regions, motorists have been forced to wait in long queues to fill their tanks as supplies of diesel and petrol tighten. Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak told a televised government

The FIFA World Cup quarterfinal lineup has been finalized following an intense round of 16 filled with dramatic comebacks, penalty shootouts, and surprising results. France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, and Switzerland have advanced to the final eight, setting up four high-profile quarterfinal clashes to be staged across the United States. Beyond the action on the field, the competition continues to face controversy. Egypt has accused officials of bias after its narrow

Liberian authorities have brought charges against five individuals following one of the largest drug seizures in the nation’s history, after more than 200kg of cocaine was discovered disguised as Maggi seasoning cubes. The consignment, estimated to be worth $19m (£14.2m), was uncovered at Monrovia’s international airport on 8 June. However, the identities of the suspects were not disclosed until a press conference held over the weekend. “This operation uncovered a major transnational cocaine

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Powerful explosions shook the Syrian capital on Tuesday as France’s president held talks with his Syrian counterpart during a significant diplomatic visit, injuring at least 18 people, according to Syria’s Interior Ministry. Emmanuel Macron had just entered the presidential palace for discussions with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when blasts struck near the Four Seasons Hotel. Authorities did not immediately provide detailed comments about the circumstances

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an "unequivocal" apology following remarks he made about pop star Kylie Minogue during a podcast interview last week. The prime minister appeared on the Bush Deep podcast hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne. During the roughly 20-minute conversation, Osborne asked him to choose whether he would "shag, marry or date" Minogue, actress Nicole Kidman, or performer Rhonda Burchmore. After first attempting to sidestep the

ITV has agreed to sell its media and entertainment operations to Sky in a £1.6bn transaction that the companies say will establish a powerful competitor to international streaming platforms. The agreement covers ITV’s traditional broadcast channels as well as its ITVX streaming platform, with Sky chief executive Dana Strong describing the move as “a landmark moment for British media”. The acquisition ranks among the largest deals ever seen in the UK media sector. Talks began in November last

• US President Donald Trump held a 90-minute telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he offered American assistance in seeking a way to end the war in Ukraine, according to a senior Kremlin official. Yuri Ushakov said the proposal was made during Saturday’s call, ahead of Trump’s planned attendance at a Nato summit in Turkey next week. “The American president once again confirmed his willingness to work toward a swift cessation of hostilities and to identify

A bold new effort to prevent one of NASA’s renowned space observatories from falling back to Earth is now underway. If it succeeds, the mission will become the first commercial robotic operation to capture and service an uncrewed NASA spacecraft that was never designed for in-orbit maintenance, according to the agency. Without action, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory would slip below a critical orbital altitude this month due to atmospheric drag intensified by recent solar activity. For

Warning: This story contains descriptions of abuse An investigation by BBC Eye has found that Instagram has been displaying paid advertisements in India that promote child sexual abuse material. The adverts, reviewed by the BBC World Service, included phrases such as “rape video” and “child video” and directed users to channels on the messaging platform Telegram, where the illegal material was offered for sale for as little as 99 rupees (around 80p). Within hours of the investigation being

Despite widespread fuel shortages across Russia, President Vladimir Putin has shown little public concern over Ukraine’s escalating strikes on Russian oil refineries. He has characterized the disruption to one of the world’s largest oil producers as “not critical,” brushed aside calls for a ceasefire and reaffirmed that military operations will continue until his objectives are achieved. Putin has framed the attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as an attempt by Kyiv to divert attention from

There are few roads in Britain where you can stop to fry breakfast and eat it without a single vehicle passing. While my friend Ben lit the stove, I explored the ruins of Dun Dornaigil, an Iron Age broch more than 2,000 years old. Low clouds drifted across the brooding cliffs of Ben Hope above us. This was exactly the sort of forgotten road we had travelled to Sutherland to find. We had set off the previous day from Lairg, often described as the “crossroads of the north”. With its small

At least 17 people were killed and dozens more wounded overnight in Kyiv, according to local officials, as Russia carried out another large-scale drone and missile assault on the Ukrainian capital. As dawn broke on Thursday, fires were still burning across the city. Residential buildings in several districts were struck either directly or by falling debris, and a hotel on a central boulevard was also damaged. Authorities warned that the number of victims could rise, with emergency services

A modest fossil that sat unnoticed in a drawer for four decades has now been identified as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered in Antarctica. The fossil was originally uncovered in 1985, but the researchers who collected it were uncertain about its identity. As a result, it was placed in storage within the geology collections of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in Cambridge, where it remained largely overlooked. Recently, palaeontologists re-examined the specimen and confirmed it is a

Officials in Monaco have stated that, at this point, they do not believe “terrorism” was the motive behind an explosion that injured three people. The powerful detonation occurred Monday evening at the entrance of a residential building, shortly after a man reportedly left a package at the scene. Prosecutor Stephane Thibault told journalists on Tuesday that the suspect, who escaped on foot, appears to have acted alone and has not yet been apprehended. Footage from security cameras shows the

Deep in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, a carved stone face twists in fury. The reason is clear enough: a man straddles the figure’s head, legs splayed, brandishing a fish and a bowl in his outstretched hands. Nearby, other sculptures cling to slender columns — a serpent-tailed beast grappling with a dog-like creature, a gryphon devouring a siren, and the remains of a horned devil now broken from its perch. Such unruly imagery lurking beneath one of England’s holiest spaces feels startling,

In July 1983, Clash of Loyalties was shown publicly for the first time – and almost the last. Decades later, in 2020, its producer reflected on the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the production: military call-ups, tense interrogations, and an infamous incident involving a heavily intoxicated Oliver Reed. The gravest danger to Saddam Hussein’s lavish, Hollywood-style epic was not the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, just weeks after filming had begun in the desert outside Baghdad.

In August 2026, Spain will witness an extraordinary astronomical event — the first of three eclipses set to occur within just two years. One Spanish city is already preparing a wide-ranging program for both visitors and residents, according to National Geographic. On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible from several regions of Spain, but Valencia has drawn particular attention from astronomers and travelers alike. The city lies directly along the path of totality, where the