Europe appears to be facing a growing mental health crisis, but the numbers tell a more complicated story. Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023, while Western Europe recorded some of the highest levels of disability linked to mental health.

On 9 July, large wildfires swept across the province of Almería, Spain. Aided by strong winds and dry vegetation, the fires spread through an area the size of around 10,000 football fields. At the same time, a forest fire raged through the forest of Fontainebleau, just south of Paris.

Delayed train, cancelled ferry, grounded flight: travel disruption is part of the summer season for many Europeans. The EU now wants to make passenger rights easier to use, with clearer refund rules, a standard compensation form, and stronger protections for travellers with reduced mobility.

In 2025, mishandled baggage cost airlines around the world over €5.5 billion. A single lost, damaged, or delayed bag costs an average of €228 in compensation payouts or extra operational activities – in Europe it reaches €259.

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Arctic sea ice has shrunk dramatically since the 1970s, weakening one of the planet’s most important cooling systems. Now, researchers and start-ups are testing ways to artificially thicken ice by pumping seawater onto the surface so it freezes.

The Netherlands has apologised to the Moluccan community for decades of neglect after thousands of former colonial soldiers and their families were brought to the country in 1951.

Europeans are worried about the future, but many still see the EU as a source of stability. The latest Eurobarometer shows strong support for EU membership, growing demand for unity on global challenges, and a clear focus on peace, security, and the cost of living.

Albania’s largest anti-establishment movement in decades began with a development project on Sazan island and has grown into a wider challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government.

Generative AI may feel immaterial, but its growth depends on a physical infrastructure of data centres, electricity grids, cooling systems, water, and land. The full environmental cost remains hard to measure because major AI companies disclose little.

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Far-right groups across Europe are increasingly using the language of women’s safety, motherhood, and family to push anti-immigration politics.

The recent heatwave has shown just how important green spaces are: viral heatmaps showed green spaces were as much as 20°C cooler than surrounding concrete spaces. Neighbourhoods with 30% tree canopy coverage could see 1.84% fewer premature heat-related deaths during the summer period.

Europe is spending more on defence than ever, but still struggles to turn that money into real collective power. The problem is fragmentation: different tanks, aircraft, supply chains, rules, approvals, and national industries competing instead of consolidating.

Europe is spending more on defence than ever, but still struggles to turn that money into real collective power. The problem is fragmentation: different tanks, aircraft, supply chains, rules, approvals, and national industries competing instead of consolidating.

Spain’s cheaper electricity shows the power of renewables: home-grown energy can shield households from fossil fuel shocks. But Europe’s clean energy transition now depends on its grids.

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This weekend, the Tour de France is kicking off in Spain. It may surprise you, but this is the 27th time the tour has kicked off outside of France. In fact, over 80% of all tours have crossed a border, most of them to Switzerland and Belgium.

Europe’s fighter jet dream was meant to reduce dependence on the US and prove that Europe could build defence systems together. Instead, FCAS collapsed over leadership disputes, national interests, and industrial rivalry.

Read the full story by Samuel Dempsey on our website: buff.ly/B1vHshn

Norway’s fjords may look untouched from above, but beneath the surface, salmon farming is leaving a growing mark. Waste from open-net farms is fuelling algae blooms, draining oxygen, and putting marine life under pressure.

Europe’s latest heatwave broke June temperature records across nearly half of the cities studied in 30 countries, with peaks above 40 degrees celcius in Germany and France.

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After two sleepless nights and countless showers, the heatwave has finally passed, at least in Brussels. Europe has always had hot summers, but rarely this hot.

Self-checkout machines, online dating, and watching television during dinner are just some of the modern developments that have caused us to speak less. A new study found that the number of words we speak each day is decreasing every year, with negative psychological and social effects.

The right to vote from abroad has become a European standard, with around 33 million EU citizens living outside of their home countries. But now, some countries are reducing voting options for citizens living abroad, especially when the diaspora tends to vote against the governing party.

Europe can no longer afford to treat war as a distant reality. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed how fragile freedom, democracy and security remain and how quickly perceived weakness can invite aggression.

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About 4.4% of adults in Europe own cryptocurrency, and their profile is clear: younger than average, more often male, and more financially active. This probably confirms your stereotype.

Belgium’s pension reform is reigniting concerns over the gender pension gap, as women who took career breaks for unpaid care work risk being penalised decades later.