List of All Articles with Tag 'europe'

The Bank of England warned that UK households renewing their mortgage deals will probably have to pay almost

The Bank of England said the UK’s eight largest lenders all passed its latest stress test, which examined

Watch live as representatives from Nato member states meet for a second day in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Wednesday 12 July. G7 allies are set to announce a security package for Ukraine at the summit, with the announcement coming after Volodymyr Zelensky voiced his frustration that Nato has not offered a timeframe for Kyiv to join. Rishi Sunak believes the move has the potential to “return peace to Europe” and has cited the UK as having played a leading role in the pact. Wednesday’s G7 declaration, which is expected to be ratified in the margins of the Nato summit in Vilnius, is set to provide more defence equipment, increase and accelerate intelligence sharing and bolster support for cyber defences. It plans to expand training programmes and military exercises, while also developing Ukraine’s industrial capabilities, according to Downing Street. Mr Zelensky has said the delay by allies in allowing Ukraine to join Nato is providing Russia and its occupying forces with the “motivation to continue its terror”. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Arm Ltd., the chip designer backed by SoftBank Group Corp., is in talks with Nvidia Corp. to join

Floodwaters receded in Vermont cities and towns pummeled by a storm that delivered two months of rain in two days, allowing officials to focus on recovering from a disaster that trapped residents in homes, closed roadways and choked streets and businesses with mud and debris. In the capital city of Montpelier, where streets were flooded Tuesday by the swollen Winooski River, officials said that water levels at a dam just upstream appeared to be stable. “It looks like it won’t breach. That is good. That is one less thing we have to have on our front burner," Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser said. Fraser said the dam remains a lingering concern but with the water receding the city was shifting to recovery mode. Public works employees were expected out Wednesday to start removing mud and debris downtown and building inspections will start as businesses begin cleaning up their properties. The slow-moving storm reached New England after hitting parts of New York and Connecticut on Sunday. Some communities received between 7 and 9 inches (18 centimeters and 23 centimeters) of rain. Towns in southwest New Hampshire had heavy flooding and road washouts, and the Connecticut River was expected to crest above flood stage Wednesday in Hartford and towns to the south. In Vermont's capital, brown water from the Winooski had obscured vehicles and all but the tops of parking meters along picturesque streets lined with brick storefronts whose basements and lower floors were flooded. Some residents of the city of 8,000 slogged their way through waist-high water Tuesday; others canoed and kayaked along main streets to survey the scene. Bryan Pfeiffer canoed around downtown to check out the damage and was appalled by what he saw. The basement of every building — including the one where he works — and the lower levels of most were inundated. Even the city’s fire station was flooded. “It’s really troubling when your fire station is under water,” Pfeiffer said. Similar scenes played out in neighboring Barre and in Bridgewater, where the Ottauquechee River spilled its banks. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said floodwaters surpassed levels seen during Tropical Storm Irene. Irene killed six people in Vermont in August 2011, washing homes off their foundations and damaging or destroying more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of highway. The flooding has already caused tens of millions of dollars in damage throughout the state. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to the flooding in Vermont, where swift-water rescue teams aided by National Guard helicopter crews performed more than 100 rescues, Vermont Emergency Management said Tuesday. One of the worst-hit places was New York’s Hudson Valley, where a woman identified by police as Pamela Nugent, 43, died as she tried to escape her flooded home with her dog in the hamlet of Fort Montgomery. Atmospheric scientists say destructive flooding events happen more frequently as storms form in a warmer atmosphere, and the planet’s rising temperatures will only make it worse. In Vermont, more rain was forecast Thursday and Friday, but Peter Banacos, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the state will be spared any further torrential downpours. Much of the focus turned to reopening roadways, checking on isolated homeowners and cleaning out mud and debris from water-logged businesses. “We sustained catastrophic damage. We just really took the brunt of the storm,” Ludlow Municipal Manager Brendan McNamara said as he assessed the flood's impact around the town of 1,500 people. Among the losses was the town’s water treatment plant. Its main supermarket remained closed. The main roadway through town had yet to be fully reopened and McNamara couldn’t begin to estimate how many houses had been damaged. The town’s Little League field and a new skate park were destroyed, and scores of businesses were damaged. “Thankfully we got through it with no loss of life,” McNamara said. “Ludlow will be fine. People are coming together and taking care of each other." Colleen Dooley returned to her condominium complex in Ludlow on Tuesday to find the grounds covered in silt and mud and the pool filled with muddy river water. “I don’t know when we’ll move back, but it will certainly be awhile,” said Dooley, a retired teacher. President Joe Biden, attending the annual NATO summit in Lithuania, declared an emergency for Vermont and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide assistance. FEMA sent a team to Vermont, along with emergency communications equipment, and was prepared to keep shelters supplied if the state requests it. The agency also monitored flooding in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, regional spokesperson Dennis Pinkham said. ___ Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; and Mark Pratt, Michael Casey and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Rescuers brace for more rain as relentless storms flood Northeast, Vermont hit hard Russia rains fresh air strikes on Kyiv as Zelensky meets Nato leaders - live Police give update as helicopter teams use mother’s voice recording in search – live

Russian has fired a fresh wave of kamikaze drone attacks on the city of Kyiv and its wider region for a second night in row, Ukraine‘s military said today. “The 504th day of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. The enemy launched another air attack on the capital,” Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration said on Telegram. The overnight attack came just hours before Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to meet Nato leaders at a summit that has backed Ukraine’s independence and military in the continuing war, but stopped short of offering a timeline for membership of the alliance. France said yesterday that it would join Britain in supplying Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, a move that allows Ukrainian forces to hit Russian troops and supplies deep behind frontlines. In a new interview while the Nato summit takes place, Russia’s foreign minister claimed the war in Ukraine will continue until the West gives up plans “to dominate and defeat Moscow”. Western nations have called on Vladimir Putin to end the conflict by withdrawing his troops from the neighbouring country. Read More Ukrainian minister says he fears Russia has "no red lines" to prevent attacks on nuclear plant Biden will meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Lithuania as war with Russia rages on Why Ukraine’s plea for Nato membership is such a challenge for the West

Oil steadied in Asia after rising 2.5% on Tuesday on signs that Russian crude production may be finally

The European Union and Australia deadlocked in negotiations aimed at wrapping up a free-trade deal this week, putting

Nato leaders have refused to offer Ukraine a timetable or clear conditions for membership – a stance the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky called absurd. A communique released on the first afternoon of a two-day summit in Lithuania said only that Kyiv would join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met”. It came despite Mr Zelensky denouncing delays to the process, accusing Nato of handing Russia “motivation” in its invasion. “It’s unprecedented and absurd when [a] time frame is not set, neither for the invitation, nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he said as the summit began. He also claimed the alliance was leaving a “window of opportunity” for Ukraine to be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with its invaders and expressed anger at a “vague” draft agreement. “Uncertainty is weakness,” he said. Later, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg insisted the alliance had taken “key decisions at a critical moment” and that allies have agreed “a strong, united and positive message for Ukraine” as well as a “positive path forward for membership”. Asked about Mr Zelensky’s concerns, Mr Stoltenberg said it was important to ensure that Ukraine wins the war because “unless Ukraine prevails, there is no membership to be discussed at all”. “There has never been a stronger message from Nato at any time, both when it comes to the political message of the path forward for membership and the concrete support from Nato allies,” he said, adding that previous members had joined without a timeline. “They are conditions-based, have always been,” he said. Mr Stoltenberg could not disguise the differences between the 31 members over Ukraine’s pathway to membership. Britain had been pushing for the US and other more hesitant allies, such as Germany, to agree to language signalling bolstered support for Ukraine to join, while many eastern European nations have pushed for swift resolution. However, all attendees – including Ukraine – agree the country cannot join during the war, as to do so would risk pulling the group into direct conflict with Russia. Nato did not specify conditions Ukraine needs to meet, but said members would help Kyiv to make progress on military matters as well as on additional democratic and security sector reforms. The US, in particular, has been keen for Ukraine to make progress against corruption. Later, speaking to a crowd of thousands in central Vilnius – many waving Ukrainian flags – Mr Zelensky’s disappointment was clear. “I embarked on a trip here with faith in decisions, with faith in partners, with faith in a strong Nato. In a Nato that does not hesitate, does not waste time and does not look back at any aggressor,” he said. “And I would like this faith to become confidence – confidence in the decisions that we deserve – all of us deserve, and every warrior, every citizen, every mother, every child expects,” he added. “Is that too much to expect?” President Joe Biden has stressed Nato needs to stay united. “I still think that President Putin thinks the way he succeeds is to break Nato and we’re not going to do that,” Mr Biden said. Rishi Sunak told reporters that both Britain and Ukraine recognised Kyiv could not join the alliance “in the midst of a conflict”. Mr Sunak said: “I’ve always said that Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato and that we stand by the language of Bucharest in 2008. I think what is important at this summit is that that commitment is reaffirmed and also that there is demonstrable progress towards that goal.” He also appeared to confirm reports Ukraine would be offered an "Israel-style" security deal, as part of a multi-year plan to defend itself from Russia. Mr Sunak told reporters he was “keen to try and get this over the line”. He said it was “distinct from the Nato conversation” and would “send a very strong signal of deterrent to Putin, that he can't wait people out, in terms of this conflict”. The UK and its G7 allies will agree a new framework to guarantee Ukraine’s long-term security on Wednesday, in a system that has been dubbed “Nato-lite”. Under the plans, Ukraine receives more defence equipment, intelligence, support for cyber and hybrid threat defences as well as expanded training programmes. The move will also help develop Ukraine’s industrial base. The UK will also announce new support for Ukraine, including thousands of extra rounds of ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks and more than 70 combat and logistics vehicle. As the war takes its toll on Ukraine’s military resources there will also be a £50m package to help repair equipment and a new military rehabilitation centre will be established. Mr Sunak said countries were “stepping up our formal arrangements to protect Ukraine for the long term”. Wednesday will also see the first meeting of the new Nato-Ukraine Council. Western nations continued to pledge arms and monetary support to Ukraine’s fight against Russia. President Emmanuel Macron said France would begin supplying long-range cruise missiles, following a similar announcement by Britain. With a range of 250km (155 miles), the missiles nearly triple Ukraine’s previous capabilities, allowing forces to hit Russian troops and supplies deep behind the front lines. Defence secretary Ben Wallace said Ukraine has already “successfully” used the UK missiles, known as Storm Shadow. Germany, too, announced new aid worth €700m (£600m), including two Patriot air defence missile launchers, and more tanks and fighting vehicles. A coalition of 11 nations will also start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark, and a training centre will be set up in Romania. The summit was also buoyed by the prospect of Sweden joining as its newest member after Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan abruptly dropped his objections to the move, while pushing to revive talks for Turkey to join the European Union. Finland also attended the summit as a member for the first time after its own entry into the alliance in April. Moscow, which has disingenuously cited Nato’s eastern expansion as a factor in its decision to invade Ukraine, said Europe would be the first to face “catastrophic consequences” should the war escalate. “Potentially, this issue [of Ukraine joining Nato] is very dangerous for European security... and therefore those who will make the decision must be aware of this,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary G7 allies set to announce security package for Ukraine at Vilnius Nato summit Biden blames busy schedule for skipping Nato leadership dinner Ukraine still has conditions to meet before it can join Nato, leaders say

The French village of Le Vernet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence has been struck by tragedy following the disappearance of a young boy. Émile, aged two-and-a-half, was playing in the garden of his grandparent's house when he vanished on Saturday afternoon. Since then, a desperate search has been underway to try and find the missing toddler. But this isn't the first time that the sleepy village has been struck by tragedy. Locals speaking to the media have said they are worried their village may be "cursed" as a result of the unfortunate tragedies which have taken place over the last 15 years. Speaking to La Montagne, Christian Mollet said: "The village has been hit by this type of tragedy three times. "There was the murder of Jeannette in 2008, the manager of the Moulin café killed by a customer in 2008; the crash of the company Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa in 2015 with 150 people on board; and then there is this disappearance..." Jeanette and Café du Moulin In 2008, the peace of the village was shattered when Jeanette, the owner of Café du Moulin, was murdered by a customer. At the time of the death, the mayor at the time François Balique told Provence that "the village will have a hard time recovering from it". Jeanette Grosos was regarded as a "local institution", according to Gilles Thezan speaking to L'yonne Relublicaine. She came to a tragic end after a customer, who was well-known in the village, savagely beat her to death. According to local reports, the man who attacked her was known as the "simpleton" of the village. Airwing disaster Years later in March 2015, another tragedy struck when Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 crashed into the Alps. Evidence obtained from the cockpit flight record and other information showed how co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 28, brought down the Airbus intentionally. The flight took off from Barcelona Airport and was heading for Duesseldorf, Germany, with 150 people on board - which is also around the same size population as Le Vernet. At around 9.30, the captain told the co-pilot he was leaving the cockpit and asked him to take over radio communications. As soon as he left, the co-pilot altered the flight monitoring system to send the aircraft into descent and within 10 minutes the plane had plummeted into a mountain at 430mph - killing everybody onboard instantly. In the last few minutes of the black box recording, there is the sound of banging on the door as staff tried to enter the cockpit and also the sound of the terrified passengers screaming. It was revealed later that the suicidal co-pilot was asked to seek psychiatric treatment just two weeks before the disaster. Examination of his computer showed that he had researched suicide methods in the months before the disaster. The co-pilot was allowed to fly because of a "waiver” following a previous episode of depression in 2008-9. A report said he knew that this waiver would be revoked – removing his licence – if he reported his psychiatric problems to his employer. A commemorative plaque remains in Le Vernet for the tragedy. Émile The toddler's grandparents were getting him ready for the day when suddenly they noticed he had vanished. The two-year-old’s disappearance has sent shockwaves through the community, with locals describing Le Vernet as “safe” and “quiet.” “It’s a quiet little hamlet, you feel safe there, much more than in the city”, one resident told La Provence of the search. “We all know each other here, I don’t think that a foreign person who would have gone up to the top of the village would have gone unnoticed”, another added. On Monday, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence prefect Marc Chappuis announced that from Tuesday morning, the village would be closed to non-residents. “Nearly 800 people took turns almost without interruption for two days to try to find the child, within a radius of 5 km around the place where he was last seen”, Mr Chappuis told reporters, praising the “neighbours, hikers, walkers, hunters from the surrounding communes” who “showed an exceptional outpouring of solidarity.” “We don’t need new arrivals of reinforcements”, he added. When asked whether the village is cursed, François Balique, the current first magistrate, said: “No, you can’t say that. It’s the coincidences of life.” The search for the toddler continues. Read More Missing French toddler – latest: Police give update as helicopter teams use mother’s voice recording in search Desperate search for French toddler who vanished on holiday with grandparents European heatwave Cerberus brings searing temperatures as Italy could hit 48C Nato refuses to offer Ukraine timeframe on joining, after Zelensky hits out at delays Why are we so obsessed with world leaders’ heights? European heatwave Cerberus brings searing temperatures as Italy could hit 48C

NATO advanced its plans for enlargement in response to Russian aggression, firming up the prospects for Ukraine’s future

US president Joe Biden was in the UK this week to meet with prime minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street and with King Charles III at Windsor Castle, keen to reaffirm that the “special relationship” between America and Britain remains as “rock-solid” as ever before jetting out to the latest Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The meetings also served to underline the difference in height between the men, with Mr Biden standing 6 feet (ft) tall and unavoidably towering over both His Majesty and Mr Sunak, who measure 5ft 8 inches and 5ft 6 respectively. The Democrat is of fairly average height for an American president, however, as there have been 13 occupants of the White House taller than him, including his former boss Barack Obama (6ft 1 ½) as well as John F Kennedy (6ft 1), Ronald Reagan (6ft 1), George Washington (6ft 1 ½), FDR (6ft 2), Bill Clinton (6ft 2 ½) and Donald Trump (6ft 3). The tallest man to hold the post was Abraham Lincoln, who measured 6ft 4 even without his signature stovepipe hat, which must have posed a persistent danger to the light fixtures during his time in the Oval Office . Mr Sunak’s relatively short stature was last in evidence when he posed for a photograph with Westminster’s tallest MP, Daniel Kawczynski, a 6ft 9 heap of Conservative. During his time as chancellor in March 2021, Mr Sunak posed for another picture in which he rather artfully positioned himself at the top of the stairs of No 11 brandishing the famous red Budget box, which forced his fellow Treasury ministers to line the steps below him, making them look far smaller. For the record, this is how the PM compares with his predecessors: Liz Truss (2022-22) – 5ft 5¼ Boris Johnson (2019-22) – 5ft 9 Theresa May (2016-19) – 5ft 6 David Cameron (2010-16) – 6ft ½ Gordon Brown (2007-10) – 5ft 11 Tony Blair (1997-2007) – 6ft Sir John Major (1990-97) – 5ft 11 Baroness Margaret Thatcher (1979-90) – 5ft 5 James Callaghan (1976-79) – 6ft 1 Sir Harold Wilson (1964-70, then 1974-76) – 5ft 8 Sir Edward Heath (1970-74) – 6ft Sir Alec Douglas-Home (1963-64) – 6ft Harold Macmillan (1957-63) – 6ft Sir Anthony Eden (1955-57) – 5ft 11 Winston Churchill (1940-45, then 1951-55) – 5ft 6 Clement Atlee – 5ft 7 Mr Sunak’s height makes him 1.96 inches shorter than the average adult man in Britain, according to the Office for National Statistics, which appears to be of greater concern when it comes to politicians than for the rest of us, particularly in America. But that does not seem to be the case in every country. France, for one, has remained admirably unflustered by the prospect of short statesmen, from Napoleon Bonaparte (5ft 5½) to Emmanuel Macron (5ft 8) by way of Nicolas Sarkozy (5ft 5) and Francois Hollande (5ft 7). Elsewhere, Angela Merkel and the late Silvio Berlusconi were both 5ft 5, President Lula of Brazil triumphed over Jair Bolsonaro at the polls last year despite being 5ft 4 to his opponent’s 6ft 1 and both Russia and Ukraine are currently led by men of just 5ft 7 in the shape of Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. Bonaparte has, of course, lent his name – however reluctantly – to the “Napoleon complex”, a pop-psychological label commonly handed out to anyone thought to be overcompensating for their lack of height by behaving in an excessively assertive or domineering manner, which would certainly go some way towards explaining certain contemporary political figures like Mr Putin. In Spain, where the 6ft 6 King Felipe VI constantly requires press photographers to take a step backwards when he is gladhanding guests at official occasions, Jorge Francisco Santiago – a professor of politics at Madrid’s Camilo Jose Cela University – assured El Pais that there is no meaningful correlation between “centimetres and political success… because the vast majority of citizens understand that political competence, honesty, empathy or even charisma do not depend on something as superficial as height”. However, he acknowledged that there are “ingrained social perceptions or false generalisations” that tend “to associate height with virility, or attribute ambition, aggressiveness or cunning to short men” of which political advisers are aware and have to bear in mind on the campaign trail and during TV debates as they assess every detail in order to give their candidate the best possible chance of success. Professor Santiago advised readers of the newspaper to look out for low angles in campaign videos and on posters and for candidates wearing tight shirts or shorter ties as dead giveaways of efforts being made to conceal their height. He also warned taller candidates, citing 2004 US presidential candidate John Kerry as an example, not to stoop out of deference to a shorter opponent but to shamelessly make the most of the advantage they have, even if it is all only a matter of perception. Mr Kerry’s “unconscious gesture of humility hurt him, because it made him look uncomfortable in his own skin,” Professor Santiago observed. Ultimately, what damages candidates most appears to be their betraying that they themselves are preoccupied with the issue, as was the case with Mr Sarkozy or, more recently, with Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis, who has already been ridiculed by Mr Trump for wearing heeled cowboy boots to appear taller. Writing about the “significance” of Mr Sunak’s stature when he took office last year, one GQ columnist wrote that the PM’s preference for trick photography tactics, presumably to project a greater aura of authority, meant that he had “betrayed short men”. “The reason Rishi has killed the era of the short king isn’t because he’s short and awful – although he is both. It’s because he has refused to own it,” said Imogen West-Knights. “Short men should be outraged at Sunak, who has spent his whole time in the political limelight trying desperately to distance himself from their ranks.” In Vilnius, he will run into world leaders of a range of sizes, from outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte (6ft 4), Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, both 6ft 2, to German chancellor Olaf Scholz (5ft 7) and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni (5ft 4). Mr Sunak should perhaps be thankful that Serbia is not yet a member of the alliance, given that its absence means he will not have to peer blinking upwards at the 6ft 6 frame of that country’s president, Aleksandar Vucic. Read More Zelensky hits out at lack of Vilnius summit timetable for Ukraine to join Nato How tall is Joe Biden? Heights of world leaders ranked as Nato gathers for summit What is Nato and why was it formed? Budget 2022: Hunt says UK in recession as he announces huge tax rises Jeremy Hunt increases energy windfall tax in budget Jeremy Hunt freezes tax allowances and hits 45p rate payers