Across Europe

Storms are typical during intense heat but this week’s have been extreme. Plus, deadly monsoon rains in BangladeshHailstones the size of golf balls have been seen in French villages as, on top of the exceptional European heatwave, thunderstorms struck across certain parts of Europe.While thunderstorms are typical during and after a period of extreme heat, the storms across countries like France, Germany and Poland have been particularly severe and have brought flooding, strong winds and heavy showers with huge balls of hail. Continue reading...

• The European Union is preparing to implement a comprehensive ban on social media usage for children across all member states. • This move follows similar regulatory actions or proposals already established in other major global markets, including Australia, Britain, China, India, and the United States. • The initiative reflects a growing international effort to protect minors from the potential psychological and social harms associated with social media platforms.

• Disney's film *Moana* is released under the title *Vaiana* in several European markets, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. • The name change was implemented primarily because "Moana" was already a registered trademark in many of these specific territories. • This highlights the legal complexities animation studios face regarding intellectual property and branding when distributing content globally.

• Rakuten TV has launched 20 free ad-supported streaming channels (FAST) provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment across several European markets. • The new lineup, consisting of single-program and scripted-genre feeds, debuted this week in the U.K., Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and the Nordics. • This expansion increases the platform's available linear and on-demand content options without requiring additional costs from viewers.

• The European Commission has launched a new Action Plan designed to enhance AI integration and cybersecurity to boost overall cyber resilience across the EU. • A central initiative is the "EU Grand Challenge on AI for cybersecurity," which will unite researchers, public organizations, and private companies to create next-generation security solutions. • The plan emphasizes strategic investments in European AI infrastructure, specifically focusing on the development of AI Factories and future Gigafactories.

Tour de France spectator ban as country along with Spain, Portugal and Greece faces ‘powder keg’ after heatwaveEurope live – latest updatesWildfires raging across southern Europe have forced thousands to flee their homes and prompted officials to ban spectators from a stage of the Tour de France, amid warnings of “powder keg” conditions after a record-breaking early summer heatwave.Hundreds of firefighters are tackling blazes that have burned through almost 20,000 hectares (49,500 acres) in Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. Strong winds are forecast to fan the flames and temperatures are expected to rise again this week. Continue reading...

UK provisional high of 37.7C shatters previous record by huge margin, while Germany experiences all-time high of 41.7CLast week’s heatwave across western Europe broke national records for June maximum temperatures as well as setting new all-time highs. The UK recorded a provisional high of 37.7C at Lingwood, Norfolk, on Friday 27 June, shattering the previous June record of 35.6C in 1976. This kind of margin is exceptional; temperature records are normally beaten by 0.1 or 0.2 degrees rather than, as in this case, a whole 2.1 degrees.Germany recorded 41.7C on 28 of June in Coschen, beating the previous all-time record three days in a row. The Netherlands broke its June record with 39.4C on 26 June, while Hungary broke its all-time record, with 42C recorded in Szécsény on the 30 June. Continue reading...