Eurotopics.net

Another heatwave is hovering over parts of Europe. The meteorological service in France has issued a red alert in 49 regions, and many schools have closed. In Spain, temperatures are set to rise to over 40 degrees in some places over the coming days, and the nights will not be much cooler. Germany and Switzerland are also sweltering in the heat. Commentators discuss how to adapt to the new norm in terms of weather.

Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Moscow on Thursday. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed the attack, writing on Telegram that it was "a just response to the constant Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities and towns". The oil refinery is one of the largest facilities in Russia and covers a significant proportion of the capital's fuel demands.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham of the Labour Party, has won the by-election for a seat in parliament representing the Makerfield constituency. As an MP in London, he can now challenge the embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a leadership election. If successful, he would become the new head of government.

The European Parliament has approved the deregulation of plants developed using genetic editing technology in food production. The new directive will mean that if the plant in question could in theory have been bred in a certain way naturally – i.e., no foreign genes have been introduced – the labelling requirements and most environmental assessments will no longer apply.