Europe

France is to build a high-security prison in the South American jungle for the most “dangerous” criminals, including drug kingpins, hardline Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said in remarks published on May 18.

Justice ministry officials added that 15 places would be reserved for convicted Islamist radicals.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/30080345

A website visualizing the repression of Palestine sentiment in Germany proportionally and by location

It also shows the date and type of each event.

You can filter by specific events and see the results.

The right bar shows the events and you can click them for more information

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/30240142

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/64276454

Following heavy lobbying, the European Commission proposed allowing automakers to meet the targets based on their average emissions over the period 2025-2027, rather than just this year.

Albanese, set to meet von der Leyen on the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, said it was unlikely that the talks would lead to much movement on progressing a deal.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/64272298

https://archive.is/CUo0k

Merz’s coalition must persuade younger generations to surrender more of their free time to support Europe’s largest economy

The coalition between Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democrats have, in their treaty which defines the political agenda until the next election, committed to incentives to persuade Germans to increase their working hours, and to delay retirement.

Extremely low river levels in the UK recently have experts concerned about an impending drought.

The UK is also experiencing its driest spring since 1961, as BBC News reported.

According to data from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), the UK received just 43% of the average rainfall in March, and some rivers — including Mourne, Eden, English Tyne, Conwy and Welsh Dee — have hit their lowest levels ever recorded for the month of March this year.

River levels are expected to continue to remain low through May. Dry conditions and warm weather are also predicted for the next few months, according to UKCEH, prompting more concerns over a summer drought and how that will affect water supply.

“The dry start to May increases the likelihood that low to exceptionally low flows in some areas persist into the summer,” UKCEH reported.

In the UK, low river levels coupled with a lack of reservoir infrastructure puts water supply at risk. As The Guardian reported, there have been no new water reservoirs built in England for at least 30 years, so farmers and companies turn to rivers to draw water when reservoirs run low. When both run low, the demand will outpace supply.

In response, officials are considering water use restrictions, as The Guardian reported.

“This crisis was avoidable. But thanks to corporate greed and regulatory complacency, our reservoirs are running dry and our rivers are polluted with sewage,” James Wallace, CEO of the charity River Action UK, told The Guardian. “Rather than punish the culprits, customers have been told by government they will be fined £1,000 if they break a hosepipe ban. Yet again, the public will bear the costs of a failing water industry.”

A drought map by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre reveals that much of the UK and Ireland is already under a drought watch or warning. While officials have not formally announced a drought or water rationing, some farmers are already feeling the impacts.

“We are having a drought now from an agricultural point of view,” Nick Deane, a farmer based in Norfolk, told BBC News. “We have to ration our water and decide which areas we are going to put that water on in order to keep the crops growing.”

According to the European Commission, the drought risk applies to much of Europe following months of lower-than-average rainfall and higher-than-average temperatures, with northern and western Europe likely to experience continued dry conditions in June. The commission noted that the lower-than-usual river levels across Europe are already having a negative impact on agriculture, energy generation and transport.

Vegetation in some areas is already showing signs of stress, too, meaning the lack of rainfall is harming ecosystems. In the UK, wildfire events in the first four months of 2025 have already surpassed the amount of land burned more than any other year in over 10 years due to extended dry conditions.

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Very proud of my fellow Europeans for standing behind this initiative to uphold fundamental rights and to call for greater protections for marginalised people.

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