europe watch
Aerial footage shows flooded cities as storms hit Spain
Aerial footage showed the extend of floods in Spain after a series of storms hit the Iberian Peninsula. Storm Marta hit Spain on Saturday, bringing more rain to the region, as it was still recovering from Storm Leonardo. In Córdoba, drone footage showed flooded olive trees as Spanish farmers warned of the millions of euros worth of damage to crops following the torrential rains and high winds. In the country's southern region of Andalucia, over 11,000 people have been displaced. Nazar Daletskyi's relatives were told he had been killed in 2022, the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion.
- Asia > Russia (0.54)
- Europe > Spain > Andalusia (0.25)
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'It's 2C in our flat': Inside Kyiv apartment as Russia targets power and heating
Russia has been exploiting Ukraine's harshest winter in years to pummel energy infrastructure across the country. Repeated strikes have crippled the power supply to major Ukrainian cities, leaving millions without heating or light as temperatures hover around -15C (5F) for the third week in a row. Electrical companies carry out round-the-clock repairs - only for their work to be undone at night, when Russian drone and missiles again damage power stations. In Kyiv, people were initially able to keep the cold at bay by using electric heaters or wrapping up warm. But the freezing temperatures have lasted weeks now, with no end in sight.
- Europe > Russia (0.29)
- Asia > Russia (0.29)
- Europe > Ukraine > Kyiv Oblast > Kyiv (0.27)
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- Government (0.73)
- Leisure & Entertainment > Sports (0.43)
Watch: Fishing on a frozen river for respite from the war in Ukraine
Kyiv is many miles from the front line, but Ukraine's war with Russia is never far away - with Moscow's missile and drone attacks directed at the city almost every day. On the frozen surface of the mighty River Dnipro, the BBC speaks to men who spend hours fishing to take their minds off the almost four-year-old conflict, which has left homes with no heating after Russian strikes on power stations. Drilling holes in the ice of the river in the heart of the city, these ice-fisherman - many of them veterans with friends and family at the front - hope to catch small fish, and a little respite. Authorities deliberately triggered the avalanche on Mount Elbrus to release a build up of snow. The limited deployment involves Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK.
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- Europe > Germany (0.26)
- Europe > Ukraine > Kyiv Oblast > Kyiv (0.25)
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- Leisure & Entertainment > Sports (0.54)
Day of mourning for bar fire victims in Switzerland
A day of national mourning is being held in Switzerland on Friday, following a fire which killed 40 young people, mostly teenagers, in a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort on New Year's Eve. Church bells rang across the country for five minutes, and people stood for a minute's silence in their memory. Firefighters in the resort were applauded as they joined an audience watching the tribute ceremony, which was live-streamed to Crans-Montana from the Swiss city of Martigny. The ceremony saw the leaders of neighbouring countries, including France's Emmanuel Macron, join an audience while speakers, including the Valais canton's president, paid tribute to those who died. The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells.
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- Europe > France (0.55)
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- Government > Regional Government > Europe Government > United Kingdom Government (0.32)
Skiers create heart-shaped tribute for Switzerland fire victims
Dozens of skiers created a heart shape on the slopes of Crans-Montana to mourn the victims of the deadly bar fire on New Year's Eve. Forty people were killed at the bar where the fire began, while 119 others were injured. Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of Le Constellation bar. The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells. The French model and actress has died at the age of 91.
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Watch: Spaniards hurl flour, eggs and fireworks in mock battle
The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells. Every year participants wear military-style costumes and stage a fake coup using eggs, flour and firecrackers. The eggers go around asking for taxes - donations to charity - from local people and if you don't pay you could end up getting splatted. The festival, held in the province of Alicante, is more than 200 years old and takes place on the 28 December each year to coincide with the Day of the Innocents - Spain's equivalent of April Fools' Day. The French model and actress has died at the age of 91.
- Europe > Spain > Valencian Community > Alicante Province (0.25)
- Asia > Russia (0.20)
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Snow-capped Mount Etna erupts as skiers use its slopes
Huge plumes of ash and smoke were filmed erupting from Mount Etna, Sicily on 27 December as skiers used the slopes below. Scientists at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia said volcanic activity at the site, which frequently erupts, had intensified, with craters continuously emitting ash. In response, scientists issued a red Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation, its highest level, though authorities said flights would continue to operate normally at a nearby airport unless ashfall increased. The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells. The French model and actress has died at the age of 91.
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- Government > Regional Government > Europe Government > United Kingdom Government (0.30)
Interpreter in tears as Ukrainian boy recalls losing mother in Russian strike
An interpreter broke down in tears at the European Parliament in Brussels while translating for an 11-year-old Ukrainian boy who was injured in a Russian missile strike on a hospital in central Ukraine in 2022. Roman Oleksiv's mother was killed in the attack and he has undergone multiple surgeries since. The aspiring ballroom dancer, who was also the subject of an award-winning film, has also received an award from the Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. A waterspout is a whirling column of air and mist that can form over oceans, seas or large lakes. 'I don't want to be part of this war machine': Young Germans protest against military service plans Germany is introducing voluntary military service to boost national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
'I don't want to be part of this war machine': Young Germans protest against military service plans
'I don't want to be part of this war machine': Young Germans protest against military service plans Young people have taken to the streets of Berlin to protest against the German parliament's decision to introduce voluntary military service to boost national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. While the plan is for voluntary service, if the security situation worsens or if too few volunteers came forward, a form of compulsory military service could be considered. I don't want to be part of this war machine, one of the protesters said. Another person said, we as a youth do not want to die in wars because of Germany.
- Government > Military (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > Europe Government > United Kingdom Government (0.32)
Banquet, Royal Family and Starmer on first day of German state visit
The Royal Family hosted the first German state visit to the UK in 27 years - with a state banquet and ceremonial events in Windsor. The Prince and Princess of Wales met Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the tarmac at Heathrow, before King Charles hosted him in a glittering, Christmassy state banquet at Windsor Castle. In a speech delivered in both English and German, the King welcomed the President and his wife, as well as the 150 other guests which included Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In response, President Steinmeier said the King's first visit abroad as monarch to Germany in 2023 was a special symbol of the German-English friendship. The BBC's Russia Editor shares his analysis after five hours of peace talks between the Russians and the US.
- Europe > Germany (0.56)
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- Europe > United Kingdom > Wales (0.27)
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