The Guardian Europe

Mystery Palestinian flag continues to fly atop Dublin's Spire as removal deemed too risky

A Palestinian flag that appeared on Dublin's 120-metre Spire last September remains in place seven months later, with authorities unable to safely remove it. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for installing the flag on the city's tallest landmark on O'Connell Street. All proposed removal methods have been rejected as too dangerous.

Why it matters: The incident highlights Ireland's strong public support for Palestinian causes while demonstrating the challenges authorities face in addressing unauthorized political statements on public infrastructure. The prolonged presence of the flag has become a symbol of both solidarity and municipal impotence.

Consequences of Iran war ‘may echo for months or years to come,’ EU chief warns – Europe live

Ursula von der Leyen later due to meet new Hungarian leader who is seeking to unlock EU funds in return for reforms AFP is reporting that so far, officials in Brussels are hopeful that Péter Magyar – who once served under Viktor Orbán , before turning on his former boss – will genuinely launch a new chapter in ties. But wary of celebrating too soon, they insist they need to see concrete moves and not just kind words. “A huge mandate, a strong mandate, a great responsibility! We know our task: we will bring home the EU funds that Hungarians are entitled to. More soon.” Continue reading...

EU farmers and hauliers to get up to €50,000 to cover extra costs of Iran war

Fishing companies can also access subsidies in loosening of state aid rules to cover fuel and fertiliser price rises Business live – latest updates The EU is to subsidise up to 70% of the extra cost of fuel and fertilisers caused by the Iran war for farmers, fishing businesses and road hauliers as part of a package of emergency measures. Individual companies can claim up to €50,000 each between now and the end of the year with minimum paperwork, a measure the EU hopes will remove what it sees as an existential threat to hauliers and farmers. Continue reading...

Kim praises North Korean soldiers who blew themselves up to evade Ukraine capture

Leader mentions for first time lengths to which troops go to avoid falling into enemy hands while fighting for Russia Kim Jong-un has praised North Korean soldiers who blew themselves up with grenades in order to avoid capture while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia’s western Kursk region, confirming the existence of the extreme battlefield policy. Mounting evidence, including from intelligence reports and testimonies of defectors, has indicated North Korean soldiers are explicitly told to resort to self-detonation or other forms of suicide to avoid falling into enemy hands. Continue reading...

Timmy the whale rescue attempt begins off coast of Germany – in pictures

A rescue operation to transport a young male humpback to deeper waters in the North Sea after it became stranded in the Baltic Sea off Lübeck a month ago is under way. The whale’s ordeal has gripped Germany but there are concerns it may be too fatigued and sick to survive Stranded whale swims on to barge in German rescue attempt Continue reading...

Russia to hold Victory Day parade with no military hardware amid Ukraine strike fears

Annual event in Red Square to feature no armoured vehicles or missile systems for first time in two decades Europe live – latest updates Russia’s annual Victory Day parade will be held on 9 May without military hardware for the first time in almost two decades because of fears of a long-range attack by Ukrainian drones. The defence ministry said no armoured vehicles or missile systems would roll across Red Square during the parade, which marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, citing “the current operational situation”. Continue reading...

Meta found in breach of EU law for failing to keep children off platforms

Commission says tech company does not have effective measures to keep under-13s off Facebook and Instagram The tech company Meta has been found to be in breach of EU law for failing to prevent children under 13 from using its Facebook and Instagram platforms. Issuing the preliminary findings of a nearly two-year investigation, the European Commission said on Wednesday that Meta did not have effective measures in place to stop under-13s accessing its services. Continue reading...

Births, deaths and a first kiss: life near the frontline in Ukraine – in pictures

Aria Shahrokhshahi went to teenage discos and hospital wards rattled by rockets in order to capture how it feels when your country is dragged into a war Continue reading...

Avalanche deaths have surged in the Alps this season. Here’s why | Johan Gaume

As an ex-pro snowboarder, I know the temptations of fresh snowfall. And as an avalanche researcher, I know how easily people can get into trouble Many avalanche accidents occur just after a storm, when blue-sky conditions return and people head to the backcountry to enjoy fresh powder. These kinds of accidents happen every year, despite warnings to those heading out into the snow. It is easy to dismiss some behaviour as reckless, and sometimes it is – but it is also human behaviour, and it is nothing new. I have been there too; I have made mistakes and got lucky. When I was about 18, while freeriding with my brother, we suddenly changed direction towards a beautiful and untracked powder field. It felt magical, until we realised we were heading straight for a 100-metre cliff. We turned...

Lost copy of seventh-century poem in Old English discovered at Rome library

Dublin scholars find 1,200-year-old manuscript of Caedmon’s Hymn composed by Northumbrian cattle herder A lost copy of a poem composed in the seventh century by a Northumbrian cattle herder – the earliest surviving poem in the English language – has been discovered in Rome. Scholars from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) uncovered the manuscript that contains Caedmon’s Hymn at the National Central Library of Rome. Continue reading...

Nordic heatwave part of record year that saw temperatures scorch most of Europe, report finds

Scientists find annual sea surface temperatures across Europe reached highest levels recorded, while deadly wildfires set large parts of continent ablaze The Nordic heatwave that pushed temperatures above 30C (86F) in the Arctic Circle in July was part of a record-breaking year that saw abnormal heat sear more than 95% of Europe, a report has found. Parts of Scandinavia were scorched last summer by 21 days of punishingly hot weather that led to “tropical nights” in typically cool countries such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, according to a scientific report campaigners said showed “all the emergency warning lights are flashing red”. Continue reading...

The Guardian view on the politics of central Europe: in search of a new left | Editorial

Social democratic parties are suffering an almost total wipeout, as rightwing nationalism flourishes on the EU’s eastern flank Péter Magyar’s historic defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary’s recent election was rightly celebrated in progressive circles and beyond. For the global far right, which has been steadily gaining power and influence for over a decade, this was a significant reverse. But it was no victory for the left. A former member of Mr Orbán’s Fidesz party, Mr Magyar will lead a centre‑right conservative government in a parliament where the only opposition will come from Fidesz and a small party with neo-Nazi roots. Across the rest of central Europe, it is much the same story. Bulgaria last week elected a nationalist, Moscow‑friendly prime minister, Rumen Radev, who will take a...

One year after Spain’s blackout, its shift to renewables and grid evolution power on

Though solar was initially incorrectly blamed for crisis, renewables have helped insulate Spain from gas price rises caused by war in Middle East One year ago today, all of Spain, and much of Portugal, suffered through a blackout of unprecedented scale and duration. In mere seconds, a cascading sequence of events burst through the grid and created Europe’s first “system black” event in recent memory. Traffic signals failed, mobile networks stopped working entirely, petrol stations could not pump fuel and supermarkets could not process payments. Madrid’s metro came to a halt and people had to be pulled out of carriages. “People were stunned because this had never happened in Spain,” Carlos Condori, a 19-year-old construction sector worker, told AFP at the time. “There’s no [phone]...