All Europe
- Is Niger’s coup a sign that France’s influence in the Sahel is over?
Niger and France have been mutually dependent on each other for decades. But the coup in Niger has shaken their relationship, as well as French ties with the broader Sahel region.
- The Ukrainian cafe serving soldiers free food and motherly love
Nataliia Bilovol’s cafe is not a normal pit stop. She and her team serve up 2,500 free meals a day and loving motherly care to Ukrainian soldiers.
- US-Ukraine space project taught resilience, innovation. Why it’s over.
A fruitful decadelong program of U.S.-Ukrainian cooperation in space has ended, a victim of Russia’s war against Ukraine and other forces.
- They like the nightlife: ‘Night mayors’ revive cities after dusk
Since the pandemic devastated downtowns, night mayors have relied on the power of persuasion to help cities regrow their nightlife in ways that respect all parties.
- Kremlin’s anti-trans law leaves many Russians asking, ‘Who’s next?’
The Kremlin’s ban on gender-affirming care signals an acceleration of Russia’s authoritarian drift, with treatment of trans people as a signal to distinguish Russia from the West.
- As Ukrainians slog through minefields, what they need most is time
In the best of circumstances, advancing through minefields while minimizing losses is time-consuming for armies. As Ukraine struggles to expel Russia, it hopes not to exhaust its allies’ patience.
- First LookAmid brutal heat, Europeans offer air conditioning a cool embrace
Europeans have long shunned air conditioning, tolerating even the most intense heat. But amid a brutal heatwave, where breezes are far and few between, some are beginning to give AC a second look.
- First LookTwo drone attacks in Moscow this week. Who is behind them?
Moscow is sweeping up after two recent drone strikes. On Sunday and Tuesday, drones shot down by the Russian military blew out part of a floor of windows on a high-rise building and sent glass cascading to the streets below. There were no fatalities.
- First LookItaly’s double trouble: Soaring migration meets labor shortage
Despite her campaign pledges, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has struggled to control a surge in migration. Due to the country’s growing labor shortages, her administration has been compelled to issue a larger number of work visas for migrants.
- Hotel? Office? Mushroom farm? Unused French churches get new roles.
France has too many empty church buildings. No one wants to tear them down, but how do towns find new purposes for them while navigating sensitivities about those new roles?
- Special delivery: This Frenchman builds community, letter by letter
At a time when letter writing has gone the way of the quill pen, a bicycle delivery messenger and his team are helping to build the social bridges the digital world threatens to tear down.
- Russian attacks on grain exports challenge Ukraine, and the world
Russia has launched near-nightly attacks on Ukrainian export facilities since it withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, reviving concerns for worsening global food security.
- Britons favor ‘controlled openness’ over closed door as immigration soars
U.K. immigration rates are at record levels, but, unlike the government, the public now seems unconcerned with an issue that once stirred angry passion.
- First LookWildfires in Greece engulf island of Rhodes as tourists seek safety
For the seventh straight day, Greece continues to battle devastating wildfires that are forcing widespread evacuations and damaging property. Firefighters are battling flames throughout the affected regions.
- Odesa’s reply to Russian missiles: Unity, volunteerism, resolve
A Russian bombing campaign launched with Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal has targeted Odesa’s port and grain silos. But it has also targeted the city’s culture and heart. Odesans are unbowed.
- First LookSpain’s vote: Far-right Vox stumbles, political power struggle looms
In Spain’s recent election, there’s political deadlock: the far-right Vox party was foiled in its attempt to seize power. While the conservative Popular Party emerged victorious, it fell short of ousting Prime Minister Sánchez as polling data had predicted.
- In Ukraine, summer camps provide kids a ‘childhood during war’
Children are both remarkably resilient and vulnerable. However hard a society may try to shelter its children, a war such as Ukraine’s invades lives. For kids who have experienced loss, these summer camps are a corrective.
- First LookQuran desecration in Sweden sparks global protest wave
Protests erupted in Muslim-majority nations like Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran over Quran desecration in Sweden. After storming Sweden’s Baghdad embassy, protestors demonstrated peacefully, but the evacuated Swedish staff were relocated to Stockholm.
- Why Russia’s grain deal snub isn’t just about attack on Kerch Bridge
Russia’s withdrawal from a deal allowing Ukrainian grain to get to global markets isn’t simply a matter of spite. The agreement helped Kyiv and grain buyers, but not Russia, Moscow says.
- First LookCluster bombs: Putin warns retaliation for US-armed Ukraine
After the United States delivered cluster bombs to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid intensifying fighting, threatened retaliation if Ukraine uses them. The bombs have been condemned for their threat to civilians.