\n<\/p>\n
Sam Jones<\/span><\/p>\n Officers from Catalonia\u2019s<\/strong> regional police force, the Mossos d\u2019Esquadra<\/strong>, are investigating the deaths of the two men<\/strong> whose bodies were found on Tuesday by firefighters tackling the blaze near the town of Cosc\u00f3 in Lleida<\/strong> province.<\/p>\n <\/span>In this photo released by Agents Rurals de Catalunya, uncontrolled fire rages across the grasslands in the Segarra region, in the rural province of Lleida, Spain.<\/span> Photograph: Agents Rurals de Catalunya\/AP<\/p>\n According to the Catalan interior minister, N\u00faria Parlon<\/strong>, the two victims were farm workers who had been trapped by the flames as they tried to reach their vehicles.<\/strong><\/p>\n In a statement, the regional fire department said the wildfire had shown \u201cextremely violent and erratic behaviour due to the influence of the nearby storms\u201d<\/strong>, adding that the arrival of rain had helped bring the blaze under control.<\/p>\n \u201cLike yesterday, today is going to be complicated with regard to the risk of forest fires,\u201d the service said on Wednesday morning. \u201cThe arrival of the storms that have been forecast for this afternoon could make extinguishing the fires more complicated. Take extreme care and call [the emergency services] if you see a column of smoke or fire.\u201d<\/p>\n The regional president, Salvador Illa<\/strong>, has echoed the warning, telling people that such fires can spread far more quickly than you might think.<\/p>\n \u201cThese fires aren\u2019t like the ones we used to have,\u201d he said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you find out how they evolve, you get goosebumps. There are really dangerous fires. <\/em><\/p>\n People see them in the distance and say, \u2018I\u2019ve got time\u2019. No, you don\u2019t. You\u2019ve got no time at all because fire moves very quickly.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>People dive into the Rhine River in Basel, Switzerland.<\/span> Photograph: Miguel Medina\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/span>A display indicates the temperature of 38 degrees Celsius in the centre of Berlin, Germany.<\/span> Photograph: Odd Andersen\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/span>A child plays with floating soap bubbles at the Royal Castle Square in Warsaw, Poland.<\/span> Photograph: Xinhua\/Shutterstock<\/span>A person walks holding an umbrella to protect from the sun in front of the Colosseum on a hot summer day in Rome, Italy.<\/span> Photograph: Tiziana Fabi\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/span>A man cools off his horse with water during a heatwave in Seville, Spain.<\/span> Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Germany<\/strong> accused Russia<\/strong> of using the online media outlet Red<\/strong> to sow discontent in German society as part of a disinformation campaign waged alongside its war in Ukraine<\/strong>, the foreign ministry in Berlin said, as reported by Reuters.<\/p>\n <\/span>Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul and Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha pay tribute to victims, who were killed during Russian drone and missile strikes in Ukraine.<\/span> Photograph: Press Service of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine\/Reuters<\/p>\n \u201cRed presents itself as a revolutionary platform for independent journalists. However, it has close links with the Russian state media outlet RT<\/strong>,\u201d a spokesperson for the foreign ministry told reporters in Berlin.<\/p>\n \u201cToday we can confirm that Red is being used by Russia specifically to manipulate information,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n Red is run by Turkish media company AFA Medya, which together with its founder Huseyin Dogru is already the subject of EU sanctions targeting Russia and is accused of \u201cundermining the democratic political process\u201d in Germany.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Lorenzo Tondo<\/span><\/p>\n Italy\u2019s record-breaking heatwave<\/strong> is beginning to take a serious toll on the country\u2019s agriculture<\/strong>, scorching fruit and vegetables, affecting livestock, and deepening a growing drought crisis in the south.<\/p>\n According to Coldiretti, Italy\u2019s largest farmers\u2019 association, early signs of damage are already being reported from north to south: from blistered melons in Tuscany<\/strong> to milk shortages in Lombardy<\/strong> and water rationing in Sicily<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In the northern region of Lombardy, which accounts for nearly half of Italy\u2019s milk output, dairy farms are reporting a 10% drop in production, with some areas seeing losses of up to 15%. That equates to 1.8 million fewer litres of milk each day, Coldiretti warns. Farmers have been forced to install fans and cooling sprays inside barns<\/strong> to help cows cope with the extreme heat, while adjusting feed with added minerals and potassium.<\/p>\n In Piedmont, the heat has accelerated ripening<\/strong> by up to two weeks for key crops such as wheat, barley, tomatoes and grapes. Growers in the province of Turin are using protective nets to shield fruit from sun damage, amid a rise in infestations of Popillia japonica, a Japanese beetle<\/strong> that poses a growing threat to vineyards and orchards.<\/p>\n <\/span>There have been a rise in infestations of Popillia japonica<\/span> Photograph: Creative Touch Imaging Ltd\/NurPhoto\/REX\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n In the central and southern regions, the toll is mounting. In Tuscany\u2019s Maremma countryside, hundreds of kilos of melons have been effectively \u201ccooked\u201d on the vine<\/strong>, rendering them unsellable. Concerns are growing for watermelons, peaches, plums, tomatoes and aubergines, as relentless heat and dry soils accelerate stress.<\/p>\n Umbria has already seen spring crops like sunflowers and maize suffer<\/strong> under prolonged heat. In Molise, some dairy farms have recorded production losses of up to 30%. In Sardinia\u2019s Nurra region, irrigation for forage crops like alfalfa has been suspended<\/strong> due to water shortages \u2014 leaving livestock farmers scrambling for alternatives.<\/p>\n Puglia is seeing declines not just in milk, but also in egg and honey production. The collapse in oats and barley yields \u2014 essential feed for animals \u2014 has added further strain.<\/p>\n Yet it is the south\u2019s drought that looms largest. National reservoirs are running 164 million cubic metres below capacity. In western Sicily, water supply to farms is intermittent at best, and milk yields are falling. Vineyards in the Trapani region are on alert for outbreaks of downy mildew<\/strong>, a disease triggered by a mix of humidity and heat.<\/p>\n While the south bakes, the north faces its own extremes. In the Aosta Valley, Coldiretti reports a string of night-time hailstorms<\/strong>, as well as landslides and mudflows caused by unstable weather patterns.<\/p>\n Italy\u2019s farmers, already on the frontlines of climate volatility, are bracing for what could be a devastating summer season.<\/p>\n ShareLorenzo Tondo<\/span><\/p>\n A 70-year-old lorry driver<\/strong> has been found dead inside his vehicle in northern Italy, <\/strong>with at least three fatalities linked to the ongoing heatwave.<\/p>\n The man was discovered shortly after 6.30am on Wednesday, parked at a motorway rest area between Sirmione<\/strong> and Peschiera del Garda<\/strong>, in the province of Brescia. Emergency services<\/strong> arrived at the scene, including fire crews, medical responders and officers from the Padova Sud motorway police unit, but were unable to revive him.<\/p>\n Initial reports suggest the man died of a sudden illness, and while the exact cause has yet to be confirmed, doctors believe the extreme heat may have been a contributing factor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Earlier, there were separate reports about a 47-year-old construction worker who collapsed and died near Bologna while working in extreme heat, and of a woman in Sicily.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.53 EDT<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s view<\/em><\/p>\n At times like now, with dangerously high temperatures in several European countries, the urgent need for adaptation to an increasingly unstable climate is clearer than ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/span>A woman carries an umbrella during a heatwave, in Seville, Spain.<\/span> Photograph: Claudia Greco\/Reuters<\/p>\n Could the current dangerous heat help to refocus minds<\/strong>? Portugal and Spain both recorded new records at the weekend, with temperatures over 46C. This week, scientists at a conference in Exeter are gathering to discuss climate tipping points. Generally this term refers to the passing of dangerous limits \u2013 such as melted ice sheets \u2013 after which catastrophe becomes much harder to prevent. But Prof Timothy Lenton points out that it can also be used positively. Two examples are the accelerating uptake of solar power and electric vehicles.<\/p>\n As well as supporting people to cope with the heat, and promoting adaptations of various kinds (for example, in building and urban design), European leaders should use current conditions to remind the public how much is at stake, and reinforce the importance of ambitious, achievable targets.<\/strong><\/p>\n Climate despair is deadly, but the anxiety produced by recognition of the risks can be harnessed to positive effect. As well as a problem to be dealt with, the heatwave could be viewed as a teachable moment \u2013 when the public becomes more receptive to the pressing case for change.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Angelique Chrisafis<\/span><\/p>\n in Paris<\/em><\/p>\n Over in France<\/strong>, the heatwave has sparked a political row over air-conditioning.<\/strong><\/p>\n As most of France sweltered in the heat, the far-right leader, Marine Le Pen<\/strong> seized a canvassing opportunity ahead of the 2027 presidential election, announcing she would put in place a \u201cgrand plan for air conditioning\u201d for the nation if she won power.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/span>French far-right leader and member of parliament Marine Le Pen attends a debate and vote on a motion of no-confidence against the French government last night.<\/span> Photograph: Tom Nicholson\/Reuters<\/p>\n In parliament, Le Pen, an MP for the Pas-de-Calais in northern France, said \u201cair conditioning saves lives\u201d. She said there was a problem in France if public services \u201care unable to function because of a lack of air-conditioning, unlike dozens of countries across the world.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Eric Ciotti<\/strong>, a Le Pen ally, put down a bill in parliament this week calling for \u201cobligatory air conditioning\u201d for key public spaces.<\/p>\n France has a comparatively low number of public spaces and private homes with air-conditioning<\/strong>, compared to neighbouring countries such as Italy. In 2020, 25% of French homes had air-conditioning, compared to 14% in 2016, according to the national environment agency, Ademe. More homes in the south of France have air-conditioning with comparatively few in the Paris area or the east of France.<\/p>\n The government attacked the far-right as ignorant and \u201cincompetent\u201d for suggesting air-conditioning was a solution to the climate crisis.<\/strong> The environment minister, Agn\u00e8s Pannier-Runacher<\/strong>, said air-conditioned spaces in care homes for elderly people had been obligatory in France for 20 years. She said that, although vulnerable people should be protected from the heat, air conditioning \u201cmust not be installed everywhere\u201d because it generated a rise in temperatures outside and was \u201cthe wrong answer\u201d.<\/p>\n The Green leader, Marine Tondelier<\/strong>, attacked Le Pen for an environmental policy limited to \u201cbuying air-conditioning units\u201d. Tondelier said there had to be progress made on green spaces in cities and proper insulation of buildings.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Sam Jones<\/span><\/p>\n Officers from Catalonia\u2019s<\/strong> regional police force, the Mossos d\u2019Esquadra<\/strong>, are investigating the deaths of the two men<\/strong> whose bodies were found on Tuesday by firefighters tackling the blaze near the town of Cosc\u00f3 in Lleida<\/strong> province.<\/p>\n <\/span>In this photo released by Agents Rurals de Catalunya, uncontrolled fire rages across the grasslands in the Segarra region, in the rural province of Lleida, Spain.<\/span> Photograph: Agents Rurals de Catalunya\/AP<\/p>\n According to the Catalan interior minister, N\u00faria Parlon<\/strong>, the two victims were farm workers who had been trapped by the flames as they tried to reach their vehicles.<\/strong><\/p>\n In a statement, the regional fire department said the wildfire had shown \u201cextremely violent and erratic behaviour due to the influence of the nearby storms\u201d<\/strong>, adding that the arrival of rain had helped bring the blaze under control.<\/p>\n \u201cLike yesterday, today is going to be complicated with regard to the risk of forest fires,\u201d the service said on Wednesday morning. \u201cThe arrival of the storms that have been forecast for this afternoon could make extinguishing the fires more complicated. Take extreme care and call [the emergency services] if you see a column of smoke or fire.\u201d<\/p>\n The regional president, Salvador Illa<\/strong>, has echoed the warning, telling people that such fires can spread far more quickly than you might think.<\/p>\n \u201cThese fires aren\u2019t like the ones we used to have,\u201d he said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you find out how they evolve, you get goosebumps. There are really dangerous fires. <\/em><\/p>\n People see them in the distance and say, \u2018I\u2019ve got time\u2019. No, you don\u2019t. You\u2019ve got no time at all because fire moves very quickly.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n ShareJakub Krupa<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s go back to Sam Jones<\/strong> in Madrid for the latest on the Catalan wildfire deaths (11:41).<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n In other high stake talks,<\/strong> EU trade chief Maro\u0161<\/strong> \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d<\/strong> will be in Washington today in another attempt to strike a tariff deal with the US before the 9 July deadline next week.<\/p>\n <\/span>European\u00a0Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and for Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, Maro\u0161 \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d, addresses a press conference in Belgium.<\/span> Photograph: Olivier Hoslet\/EPA<\/p>\n Our Brussels correspondent Jennifer Rankin <\/strong>takes a look at the EU\u2019s longest-serving commissioner, who has built up a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy fixer.<\/p>\n Separately, the Guardian\u2019s Lisa O\u2019Carroll <\/strong>reported that <\/strong>EU member states have been advised there could be four options emanating from this week crunch talks between \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d and US trade representative Jamieson Greer<\/strong> over tariffs.<\/p>\n One option is no deal<\/strong> but another more likely scenario of the three remaining is a deal in which both signs are aligned \u201cin broad brush strokes\u201d<\/strong> but centre, like the UK\u2019s deal, on a limited number of sectors such as cars and steel.<\/p>\n This would leave the threat of future tariffs on other sectors open, risking new crises emerging without warning during the remainder of the Trump term.<\/p>\n A third option is a delay<\/strong>, extending talks beyond 9 July. This carries the risk of Donald Trump\u2019s<\/strong> threatened 50% unilateral tariffs being imposed on all imports from the EU from 10 July.<\/p>\n And a fourth option is an \u201cimbalanced deal\u201d, the type that would favour the US,<\/strong> something Emmanuel Macron last week said he would not accept.<\/p>\n Details of the negotiations were not shared in the 45 minute briefing given by Ursula<\/strong> von der Leyen\u2019s<\/strong> head of cabinet Bjoern<\/strong> Siebart<\/strong> and Sabine<\/strong> Weyand<\/strong>, director general of the trade commission, best known in the UK as Michel Barnier\u2019s right hand woman during Brexit negotiations.<\/p>\n EU ambassadors gave also been warned that the 10% blanket tariff may remain but that if they cannot secure a reduction then they will try and extract duty free exemptions in some sectors.<\/p>\n A delegation headed by trade adviser Thomas<\/strong> Baert<\/strong> flew to Washington on Monday for technical talks with \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d joining them tomorrow for talks with trade representative Jamieson<\/strong> Greer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n He is likely to return to brief member states on Thursday with a possible further of ambassadors meeting on Friday ahead of next week\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n In other news, French president Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone with Russian president Vladimir Putin last night<\/strong> in their first direct conversation in more than two years, French media reported.<\/p>\n <\/span>Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron.<\/span> Photograph: Olga Maltseva\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n AFP said Macron urged Putin to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine<\/strong>, but Russia\u2019s leader hit back by blaming the West for the conflict.<\/p>\n The \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace said in its readout that Macron \u201cemphasised France\u2019s unwavering support for Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity\u201d<\/strong> and \u201ccalled for the establishment, as soon as possible, of a ceasefire and the launch of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia for a solid and lasting settlement of the conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n A Kremlin statement reported by AFP said Putin reminded Macron that \u201cthe Ukrainian conflict is a direct consequence of the policy of western states\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n The two leaders also spoke about Iran to \u201ccoordinate their efforts\u201d agreeing to \u201cspeak soon in order to follow up together on this issue,\u201d the agency reported.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, the Kremlin claimed the call was organised after a request by Macron<\/strong>, and praised the talks as \u201cvery substantive,\u201d lasting over two hours.<\/p>\n \u00c9lys\u00e9e said the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy <\/strong>was told about the call in advance.<\/p>\n A German government spokesperson later confirmed they had also been told about the conversation, while adding that German chancellor Friedrich Merz <\/strong>had no plans to hold a similar phone call with Putin.<\/p>\n The call was welcomed by the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n<\/strong>, who repeatedly criticised the EU\u2019s policy on Russia and called for more engagement with Moscow.<\/p>\n On his social media, he said:<\/p>\n Finally!!!<\/strong> There is no solution to the Russia-Ukraine war on the battlefield. The key is negotiation. We need diplomats, not generals!<\/em><\/p>\n The call took place just hours before the US said it was halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much<\/strong>, officials said Tuesday, a setback for the country as it tries to fend off escalating attacks from Russia.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Deborah Cole<\/span><\/p>\n in Berlin<\/em><\/p>\n Temperatures are expected to surge close to the 40-degree Celsius mark across much of Germany on Wednesday<\/strong>, and could break the all-time record for Germany of 41.2 degrees<\/strong>, set in July 2019.<\/p>\n <\/span>People shelter from the sun with umbrellas and hats as they visit the Brandenburg Gate on a hot summer day, as a heatwave hits Berlin, Germany.<\/span> Photograph: Lisi Niesner\/Reuters<\/p>\n Drought-like conditions led more than 40 districts to restrict water use<\/strong>, including for farmers and gardeners, in addition to dozens of municipalities calling on citizens to conserve water.<\/p>\n In Brandenburg<\/strong> state surrounding Berlin<\/strong>, two forest fires broke out on Tuesday, with high temperatures and munitions in the soil complicating the work of firefighters, who by the evening had the situation under control.<\/p>\n The Bild tabloid splashed \u201cBaking oven Germany\u201d<\/strong> and interviewed people working outside in the stifling heat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe feedings in the enclosures alone leave us in the blazing sun for two hours,\u201d said Julian Heck<\/strong>, tending to the sea lions at Cologne<\/strong> zoo with his colleague Andreas H\u00f6lscher.<\/strong><\/p>\n The animals themselves were faring better<\/strong>, H\u00f6lscher said. \u201cThey like to lie in the sun in the morning. Afterwards they can cool off in the cold fountain water.\u201d<\/p>\n Nurse Babette Jacobus<\/strong> at a hospital in Berlin\u2019s Marzahn<\/strong> district said she wore a cooling vest similar to a jersey, held under a faucet and then wrung out, to cope with her strenuous tasks of moving patients in and out of bed. \u201cYou quickly start sweating – especially in this heat. The vest is lightweight and comfortable but doesn\u2019t get you wet.\u201d<\/p>\n The hospital itself introduced climate coping measures four years ago<\/strong> including greening the facade, covering the windows externally with foil and hanging cooling curtains in patients\u2019 rooms.<\/p>\n Municipal authorities across the country were scrambling to help the most vulnerable, racing to set up \u201ccool-down rooms\u201d for the public and hotlines for the elderly and ill.<\/strong><\/p>\n The association of cities and towns has called for another five billion euros annually from states and the federal government to cope with the impact of ever-more-frequent heatwaves.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The European Union has just unveiled its plan to reduce the EU\u2019s net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2024<\/strong>, when compared with 1990 levels.<\/p>\n You can follow the European Commission\u2019s press conference announcing the details of the plan here.<\/p>\n The commission said the target \u201cwill give certainty<\/strong> to investors, innovation, strengthen industrial leadership of our businesses, and increase Europe\u2019s energy security.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDefining the 2040 climate target now will enable the EU to put in place the necessary policies and investments <\/strong>to ensure that the transition to climate neutrality goes hand in hand with a strong and stable economy, competitive industry and future-proof jobs<\/strong> in Europe,\u201d it argued.<\/p>\n But in a hope to soften the blow for some of Europe\u2019s key domestic industries, the plan includes \u201cgreater flexibilities<\/strong> across sectors to help achieve targets in a cost-effective and socially fair way,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Despite some backlash against green policies, the EU insisted that its latest Eurobarometer polling, published last week, showed \u201cstrong citizens support for EU climate action<\/strong>, providing a solid mandate to stay the course of the EU\u2019s clean transition agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n We will bring you more on this during the day.<\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.57 EDT<\/p>\n Sam Jones<\/span><\/p>\nEuropean heatwave continues – in pictures<\/h2>\n
Germany says Russia using media platform Red to sow discontent, disinformation alongside Ukraine war<\/h2>\n
Fruit and vegetables scorched in the fields amid Italian heatwave<\/h2>\n
Leaders should remind the public why ambitious targets matter – The Guardian’s view<\/h2>\n
Heatwave in France sparks political row over air-conditioning<\/h2>\n
Police investigating two deaths in Catalan wildfire<\/h2>\n
EU trade chief goes to Washington for tariff talks with US<\/h2>\n
Macron speaks with Putin on Ukraine, Middle East in first direct call in over two years<\/h2>\n
Germany could break all-time record temperature as heatwave hits<\/h2>\n
European Commission proposes 2040 climate target with ‘flexibilities’ for industries<\/h2>\n
Three dead in Spain as extreme temperatures continue<\/h2>\n