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Euronews: A balesetet az okozhatta, hogy levált egy tartálykocsi szivattyúja az elosztórendszer tankolása közben. Tűzoltók, az üzemeltető, rendőrök és a környék lakói is a sérültek között vannak. A Róma délkeleti negyedében, Prenestino-Centocellében, a Via dei Gordianin található töltőállomáson két detonáció is bekövetkezett, a második volt a nagyobb. A robaj az egész fővárosban hallható volt. A Rai tudósítója szerint két ember életveszélyes állapotban vittek kórházba.

Unsere Fussballfrauen versetzten die Schweiz ins EM-Fieber, trotz der Niederlage freut sich Zappalot schon auf das nächste Spiel am Sonntag. P.S. Nadine Riesen soll unbedingt viel Ghackets mit Hörnli vor dem nächsten Spiel essen.

Written by Jurgita Lekaviciute with Oona Lagercrantz.

Initiatives to restore European primary forests and thereby reverse centuries of decline are gaining traction. Such restoration could deliver significant ecological, environmental, climate-related and socio-cultural benefits, ranging from biodiversity conservation, water regulation and climate mitigation, to ecotourism and renewed human relationships with nature. However, a number of challenges and trade-offs need to be addressed, including the lack of primary forest mapping, concerns over human exclusion and potential economic losses.

The Białowieża Forest, located on the border between Poland and Belarus, began growing after the last ice age. It is home to 59 mammal species, 250 bird species, 13 amphibian species and over 12 000 invertebrate species. It also hosts Europe’s largest bison population. It is Europe’s single major ‘primary forest’ and embodies the continent’s natural heritage. However, like the vast majority of Europe’s original forests, Białowieża has been significantly altered, despite conservation efforts dating back to the 16th century. Disturbance rates have seen a significant increase over the past 40 years.

European Union (EU) law, aligning with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), defines a primary forest as a ‘naturally regenerated forest of native tree species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed’. Terms describing forests as ‘primeval’, ‘virgin’ and ‘old-growth’ are often used interchangeably with the term ‘primary’, with each having a slightly different meaning. Current data on European primary forests typically cover old-growth forests, defined as ‘late-successional forests, which contain structures and species which distinguishes them from forests of younger age classes’, such as deadwood. Mapped primary forests total just 3.2 million hectares (less than 3 % of the EU’s total forest area), with around 90 % concentrated in Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, and Romania. However, there is a significant mapping gap: approximately 4.4 million hectares – an area larger than the Netherlands – remain unmapped.

Due to the very small amount of primary forests in Europe, merely protecting them may not suffice to meet biodiversity targets. Therefore, initiatives to restore primary forests in Europe have gained traction, connected to rewilding efforts. For instance, French botanist Francis Hallé, known for his work on tropical forests, has proposed developing a new primary forest on a lowland cross-border area of around 70 000 hectares – roughly the size of the island of Menorca. Hallé and others want to connect existing wilderness areas that are large enough to sustain megafauna and leave them undisturbed until they recover their original characteristics. However, restoring primary forests is a slow process: approximately 800 years if starting from an existing forest and 1 000 years from bare soil.

Potential impacts and developments

Restoring primary forests in Europe would generate wide-ranging positive ecological, environmental and socio-economic impacts. Primary forests, even when small in size, support biodiversity by providing a home to a broad range of endangered plant and animal species. At a time when only a quarter (27 %) of species protected under EU law have good conservation status, primary forest restoration can help prevent species loss. Primary forests also deliver a range of ecosystem services to humans: they maintain groundwater levels, reduce flood risk and improve soil quality. In primary forests, fallen leaves and organic matter decompose naturally, enriching soil fertility and preventing soil degradation. Primary forests also help mitigate climate change, as they absorb and store significantly higher levels of carbon than newer forests. Moreover, they are more resilient to environmental change, help reduce wildfire risks and mitigate heat waves through their cooling effect.

Restoring primary forests could also create new opportunities for tourism, recreation, and spiritual and aesthetic experiences, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for Europeans. Such restoration projects represent a paradigm shift in human interaction with nature, moving away from strict management towards a ‘free evolution‘ of ecosystems. The effort to restore primary forests has the potential to provide profound meaning for individuals across generations, akin to the construction of cathedrals in Europe centuries ago, highlighting society’s imperative to look towards the future.

A point of contention is the role of humans in primary forests. A key criticism against primary forest restoration is that it reinforces an artificial separation between humans and nature. The question of how an ‘undisturbed’ forest will be defined and enforced needs to be answered. In proposals such as the one by Francis Hallé, humans are allowed to visit but not alter the forest in any way, including by treading on the forest floor. These restrictions could have negative effects on cultural and recreational activities typically associated with forests, such as berry and mushroom picking and walking.

Economic trade-offs also need to be addressed. Restoring primary forests comes with significant opportunity costs for forest business owners, as managed forest areas would need to be set aside, resulting in lost wood product incomes. Farmers and forest owners near primary forests could experience decreased crop or livestock production, leading to economic losses due to natural disturbances like wildfires or insect infestations. These issues highlight the necessity of establishing buffer zones around primary forests and providing for compensation schemes for affected landowners.

In addition, restoring primary forests would require resources to monitor and strictly protect existing primary forests and areas designated for restoration. To achieve this, technology – including artificial intelligence, drones, satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies, such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which uses lasers to create 3D models of the Earth’s surface – will be indispensable. Remote sensing technologies can play a crucial role in mapping primary and old-growth forests, especially in inaccessible areas, by providing efficient, large-scale and less labour-intensive biodiversity data.

Anticipatory policymaking

The EU’s network of protected areas, Natura 2000, plays a pivotal role in conserving existing primary and old-growth forests. About 93 % of the mapped primary and old-growth forests are part of the Natura 2000 network, and 87 % are strictly protected. However, these figures should be interpreted cautiously due to mapping gaps. The EU biodiversity strategy to 2030, part of the European Green Deal, aims to protect 30 % of the EU’s land and 30 % of its sea areas, with 10 % under strict protection – including all remaining primary and old-growth forests. The goal is to prevent logging and preserve their ecosystem services. Under the EU forest strategy to 2030, the European Commission released guidelines in March 2023 to enhance the protection of these vital ecosystems. The guidelines assist national authorities in identifying, mapping, monitoring and strictly protecting remaining primary and old-growth forests, providing identification criteria and suggested timelines for conservation efforts.

The proposed forest monitoring law, which is currently being discussed in the European Parliament, seeks to implement an EU-wide integrated forest monitoring framework to improve data-sharing on the state of forests in the EU. If adopted, it would require all Member States to map and share the location of their primary forests by 1 January 2028.

The EU Nature Restoration Law, enacted in August 2024, aims to restore at least 20 % of the EU’s land by 2030, as well as all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. This law provides a legal framework for measures to restore degraded forest ecosystems that go beyond the restoration of forest habitats protected under the EU Habitats Directive.

Finally, the EU Climate Law sets a binding 2050 climate neutrality target and a 55 % emissions cut by 2030, indirectly supporting the protection of primary forests as vital carbon sinks.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘What if Europe restored its primary forests?‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Ein Tag am Wasser ist fast wie eine Woche Ferien. In der Schweiz gibt es Flüsse und Seen in Hülle und Fülle. Für tolle Ausflüge haben wir die Qual der Wahl.

Ein tragischer Unfall erschüttert Portugal: Die Brüder Diogo Jota und André Silva sind tödlich verunglückt. Journalist Paulo Pinto erinnert sich an den bescheidenen Charakter des Liverpool-Stars und die tiefe Trauer in ihrer Heimatstadt Gondomar.

Le cannabis pourrait bientôt être légalisé en Suisse. Un essai pilote à Lausanne sert de modèle pour répondre à la violence croissante liée à la drogue.

Nach einem spektakulären Sprung über das Berggasthaus Aescher hat ein Basejumper Ärger am Hals. Die Regierung des Kantons Appenzell Innerrhoden hat ihn angezeigt.

In Basel wurden die Löhne von Chefärzten publik gemacht – wie bereits im Kanton Bern. Die Politik fordert zunehmend mehr Transparenz von den Spitzenmedizinern.

Face à des signaux préoccupants concernant la sécurité d’un médicament largement utilisé contre les troubles digestifs, l’Agence Nationale des Produits Pharmaceutiques (ANPP) renforce les mesures […]

L’article Ce médicament prescrit aux enfants pourrait être « dangereux » : l’ANPP alerte est apparu en premier sur .

Sasha Luccioni, chercheuse chevronnée dans le domaine de l'intelligence artificielle éthique, propose quatre questions clés à se poser lors de l'utilisation de l'IA.

À l’occasion du 63e anniversaire de l’indépendance de l’Algérie, Tebboune a adressé ce vendredi 5 juillet un message solennel à la nation, empreint de fierté, […]

L’article 5 juillet : Tebboune rend hommage aux martyrs et appelle à l’unité nationale est apparu en premier sur .

Les éléments de la Police républicaine de Kaboua dans la commune de Savè ont interpellé, mercredi 02 juillet 2025, trois individus pour vol à la roulotte.

Démantèlement d'un réseau de voleurs sur les camions en circulation, au cours d'une opération dénommée « Épervier ». Les membres du réseau sont spécialisés en vol dans les véhicules en mouvement selon la Police République. Trois individus ont été interpellés suite à une plainte d'un usager. Dans la nuit du mardi 1er au mercredi 02 juillet 2025, des membres du réseau ont volé une moto sur un camion en circulation à hauteur du village Gogoro. Le camion a quitté Cotonou en direction de Kandi.

La police a interpellé deux des malfrats en pleine circulation avec la moto volée à hauteur du village Okounfo. Au total, trois présumés voleurs ont été arrêtés. Ils résident tous à Kokoro dans l'arrondissement de Challa-Ogoï, commune de Ouèssè. Ils répondront de leurs actes devant la justice.

A.A.A

La Police républicaine a mis fin aux activités d'un réseau spécialisé dans le vol de tricycles et de motos dans la commune de Bohicon.

Dans la nuit du 1er au 2 juillet 2025, un tricycle a été volé au domicile d'un cultivateur à Samionkpa, arrondissement d'Avlamè.

Alerté par les aboiements de ses chiens, la victime a fait appel à des riverains.

Les voleurs ont été repérés à la sortie du village. Pris de panique, ceux-ci ont abandonné le tricycle et laissé tomber un téléphone portable.

La fouille de la zone a permis l'interpellation d'un premier suspect, retrouvé avec une moto de marque BAJAJ. Interrogé au commissariat, ce dernier a reconnu les faits. Il a également révélé l'identité de quatre complices.

Deux d'entre eux ont été arrêtés peu après.

Selon la police, les premières investigations ont également permis d'identifier des receleurs.

Une vidéo retrouvée dans le téléphone abandonné montre une moto POWERED 200 immatriculée 2CJ 5678 RB. Elle aurait été filmée le 27 juin 2025 dans un lieu encore inconnu.

Ces éléments confirment l'implication du groupe dans d'autres vols récents, a précisé la même source.

La Police poursuit les enquêtes.
M. M.

This week gave us cause to appraise the position of media within the Schuman environs. It's a debate that representatives of the Fourth Estate are always up for.

Pedro Sánchez, Ursula Von der Leyen, António Guterres, from left to right, at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. Credit: Dati Bendo/European Union

By Michael Galant
NEW YORK, Jul 4 2025 (IPS)

UN Member States adopted the ‘Compromiso de Sevilla’ at the Fourth Financing for Development Forum (FfD4) which concluded July 3– the culmination of months of contentious negotiations that pitted wealthy nations against the developing world in competing visions for reform of the global economic architecture.

The wide-ranging outcome document will be met with both fanfare — from the host countries and UN officials keen to portray the process as a success — and criticism — from civil society groups lamenting the watering down of material commitments into so many toothless words. But buried in its 38 pages is a single paragraph that quietly plants the seed for a more transformative agenda:

We will establish a platform for borrower countries with support from existing institutions, and a UN entity serving as its secretariat. The platform may be used to discuss technical issues, share information and experiences in addressing debt challenges, increase access to technical assistance and capacity building in debt management, coordinate approaches, and strengthen borrower countries’ voices in the global debt architecture.

Uniting borrowing countries has long been a dream of those concerned with the imbalance of power in the global financial system. Creditors are organized into collectives like the Paris Club, they argue; so too should debtors work together to build collective negotiating power, underwritten by the threat of a coordinated default.

With two thirds of low-income and a quarter of middle-income countries in or near debt distress, a common negotiating front could not only obtain better terms of restructuring during times of crisis, but also bolster demands for lasting reforms of a failing system that keeps countries trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and underdevelopment.

This is easier said than done.

Developing countries, and the economic elites that typically govern them, are dependent on international finance, and reluctant to do anything that might spook financial markets. Simultaneously overcoming these fears in multiple countries, each with their own contexts and interests, is a tall order.

The FFD document thus conspicuously avoids the language of a “debtors’ club” or any threat of collective negotiation or default, leading instead with more neutral modes of cooperation like information-sharing and capacity-building. But even tentative steps toward cooperation can have a meaningful impact. Indeed, they have before.

In June 1984, eleven Latin American countries met in Cartagena, Colombia to coordinate their responses to the debt crisis that had by then roiled the region for two years. The resulting Cartagena Consensus was clear that it was not a “debtors’ club,” but a forum for collaboration. The group would meet five times in the years that would follow, developing common positions on the source of the crisis and the terms of its resolution.

The Cartagena Consensus is often held up as a cautionary tale for debtors considering coordination. The Group never became a fully realized “debtors’ club” capable of collective negotiation, and petered out before the crisis was resolved as creditors peeled away desperate debtors with sweetheart deals.

But even the tacit threat that a club could be in formation bore fruit. Principles developed collectively shaped early deals, the concessions from which bolstered the positions of subsequent negotiators, and less confrontational governments benefitted from gains won by the more radical.

As scholar Diana Tussie wrote at the time: “a significant improvement in the cost of the negotiated credit was achieved, spreads were reduced, rescheduling fees were drastically reduced, the cost of the loan was reduced, and the amortization period increased significantly.”

Rhetorically, the Consensus helped recast the crisis as a political one, rooted in global financial inequities and exogenous factors like rising interest rates in advanced economies, rather than a purely technocratic or moralistic question of responsible spending.

Today’s multilateral commitment to form a borrowers’ platform has advantages that Cartagena did not. While the developing world is facing a generalized debt crisis, it is not in the acute situation that beset the Cartagena Consensus, and so has an opportunity to gradually build its infrastructure under less desperate conditions.

The borrowers’ platform is to operate with UN support and a wider range of global participants. And the emergence of major new bilateral creditors, though not without its own challenges, may strengthen debtors’ negotiating hands.

Of course, the global debt challenge cannot be reduced to a zero-sum restructuring negotiation. Substantive reforms are needed to address the many faults in the debt system, from ongoing legislative efforts to combat creditor holdouts in Albany, to the establishment of a permanent multilateral sovereign debt workout mechanism — a top priority of debt relief advocates.

Yet these efforts have repeatedly been blocked by the intransigence of creditors. Movement toward reform will only be strengthened by the coordination of the countries that stand to benefit most.

A promise to establish a borrowers’ platform is far from a fully realized debtors’ club, and farther still from a panacea to the Global South’s ongoing debt crisis. But in a document short on transformative ambition, it is a concrete step toward the rebalancing of unequal power relations — and a sign that debtor countries will not submit themselves to creditor inaction forever.

Michael Galant is Senior Research and Outreach Associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (cepr.net) in Washington, DC.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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There will be no state funerals until April 2026 - unless the president decides to make an exception.

No one is denying the climate crisis. Yet a go-it-alone strategy won’t save the planet. It will only destroy what remains of the European economy and the unprecedented prosperity the continent once enjoyed.

Un nouveau fait divers d’une extrême violence a secoué l’opinion publique algérienne. Une vidéo devenue virale sur les réseaux sociaux ce jeudi montre un homme […]

L’article Scène insoutenable à Mostaganem : un enfant battu par son père, la vidéo fait scandale est apparu en premier sur .

Une étude révèle un potentiel d’engagement féminin insoupçonné dans les forces armées. Le manque d’information constitue un frein majeur à leur incorporation.

Au mois de mai 2025, l’indice général des prix à la consommation (IPC) a enregistré une baisse de -2,7 % à l’échelle nationale par rapport […]

L’article ONS : Les prix des produits alimentaires en net recul en mai 2025 est apparu en premier sur .