A number of countries in Southern and Western Europe have seen a sharp rise in temperatures to nearly 40 degrees, leading to widespread warnings, transportation disruptions, and strain on infrastructure and ecosystems, according to Reuters.
Spain, France, and Italy have been the hardest-hit countries due to the heat wave in Europe, where air temperatures are approaching 40 degrees. The extreme weather conditions have led to the issuance of elevated danger alerts, disruptions to transportation—particularly rail service—and increased strain on infrastructure and emergency services.
“The heat surge on June 21—the day of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and typically the start of the three hottest months of the year—has raised concerns about the early and prolonged onset of extreme conditions,” the report states.
In Spain, the AEMET weather service issued red and orange warnings, forecasting temperatures of 39–40 degrees across most of the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca. The heat is expected to last at least until midweek.
In France, due to overheating of the infrastructure, the railway operator SNCF canceled 71 intercity trains. A total of 3,500 employees have been deployed for monitoring and emergency response, with an additional 2,000 staff members on standby.
“The spike in temperatures is caused by a mass of hot air moving northward from the Sahara, intensified by a strong anticyclonic system known as the ‘African anticyclone.’ Meteorologists note that this system creates a so-called ‘heat dome,’ which traps hot air over Western and Central Europe and allows temperatures to rise day after day,” the agency’s report states.
In Germany, where temperatures reached 38 degrees, thunderstorms and power outages were reported during mass events in Berlin.
Meanwhile, in Belgium, wildlife centers are reporting an overload of injured animals, mainly young birds, with about 150 having been brought in over the past few days.
PJSC “Zhytomyrmoloko” plans to sell 100% of the corporate rights to its subsidiary, the “Novograd-Volynsky Cheese Plant,” to PJSC “Favorit Company”—owned by the family of former People’s Deputy Boryslav Rosenblat—for 47 million hryvnias.
The matter will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of Zhytomyrmoloko shareholders on July 3, according to the company’s filing with the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC).
According to the agenda, shareholders will also consider increasing the state-owned enterprise’s authorized capital by 80.1 million UAH prior to the sale, which could be achieved by offsetting the debt of the “Novograd-Volynsky Cheese Plant” to “KOMO Ukraine” LLC, the claim rights to which the LLC will previously assign to “Zhytomyrmolok.”
According to the draft resolution, the cheese plant’s authorized capital is planned to be increased to 80.37 million UAH from 0.23 million UAH.
In addition, the meeting will consider the issue of the free-of-charge transfer to the cheese plant of real estate owned by “Zhytomyrmolok,” specifically production buildings with a total area of 22.6 thousand square meters and wastewater treatment facilities in the village of Natalivka, Zhytomyr Oblast.
The agenda also includes a proposal to terminate the mortgage and pledge agreements concluded with Ukreximbank to secure the loan obligations of the “KOMO” Group.
PJSC “Zhytomyrmoloko” is part of the “KOMO” group of companies, one of the largest cheese producers in Ukraine. State Enterprise “Novograd-Volynskyi Cheese Plant” is a production asset of the group.
According to data from YouControl, the state enterprise had no net revenue from product sales in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. Its net loss for the past year amounted to 3.12 million UAH, and its current liabilities as of March 31 of this year totaled 84.24 million UAH.
According to information in the NSSMC disclosure system, 94.9755% of Zhytomyrmoloko’s shares are owned by the Cypriot company WMG West Milk Limited. According to information in the NSSMC’s disclosure system, its beneficial owners are Sofia and Roman—the children of Igor Yeremeyev, a lawmaker who died in 2015—each holding 23.75%, and Mykhailo Romaniv, who holds 47.04%.
According to information on its website, the “Favorit” Group of Companies is a vertically integrated holding company founded in 1994. It encompasses the dairy, construction, hospitality, and service sectors. As noted on the website, the dairy business is a strategic focus of the group and is represented by the Galiivka Butter Plant, located in the village of Galiivka, 75 km from Zhytomyr. The plant produces 50 types of dairy products across 7 categories: butter, soft cheeses, condensed milk, skim milk powder, sweet cream spread, milk-based cheese products, and milk-based condensed products. Its stated production capacity is 1,000 metric tons per year.
According to data from YouControl, Favorit Company’s revenue grew by 7.1% last year to 28.08 million UAH, and its net profit amounted to 5.29 million UAH, compared to a net loss of 5.12 million UAH the previous year.
According to information in the NSSMC’s disclosure system, the owners of “Favorit Company” are Borislav Rosenblat (16%), Zhanna Rosenblat (34%), and Olena Rosenblat (50%).
dairy industry, Favorit Company, Novograd-Volynskyi Cheese Plant, Житомирмолоко, КОМО
Renovation of the border crossing points on the border with Moldova in the Odesa region—“Starokozache–Tudora,” “Dolynske–Cishmikiu,” “Lesne–Seits,” and “Maloyaroslavets 1–Cadir-Lunga,” according to a statement by Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Minister of Community Development Oleksiy Kuleba.
“The infrastructure at these sites has been upgraded; new modular structures, backup power sources, modern lighting, and utility networks have been installed; pedestrian zones have been developed; and working conditions for border and customs services have been improved,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. In addition, construction of a modern service area near the “Reni–Giurgiulești” border crossing on the Odesa–Reni highway has been completed.
“The site is designed to accommodate 46 trucks and 13 passenger cars. Comfortable rest areas for drivers have been created here, along with lighting, water supply, sewage systems, and barrier-free infrastructure,” Kuleba noted.
He thanked Ukraine’s international partners and the European Union for their support in implementing these projects as part of the “Roads of Solidarity” initiative.
The Administrative Council of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEDB) has approved two applications from Ukraine totaling 140 million euros to support housing programs; these funds will be used to provide housing for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories and war veterans, according to the bank’s website.
A loan of 80 million euros will be allocated to support the “Housing for IDPs” component of the “eRecovery” program. In the first phase, this support will be directed toward IDPs who have left the temporarily occupied territories and have combatant status, as well as individuals with war-related disabilities. The funds will be disbursed in two tranches: Ukraine expects to receive the first 40 million euros as early as September 2026, with another 40 million euros to follow in 2027. Securing these funds will provide additional financing for approximately 2,000 housing vouchers to help people purchase their own homes.
“We have an existing mechanism to support people who have lost their homes in the temporarily occupied territories. The first phase of the program demonstrated high demand and tangible results—thousands of families have already purchased new homes using housing vouchers. Therefore, it is extremely important that Ukraine has received support for the program’s continued funding. “I am grateful to the Council of Europe Development Bank and personally to its President, Carlo Monticelli, for their support,” said Oleksiy Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine’s Recovery and Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.
An additional 60 million euros in loans from the Council of Europe Development Bank will be allocated to a program providing housing for war veterans. The funds will be used to finance long-term, preferential mortgage loans. The program will be implemented in cooperation with government agencies and administered by the State Fund for the Promotion of Youth Housing Construction.
It is expected that this will enable the issuance of approximately 1,500 loans, of which more than 1,100 will be financed directly from the loan proceeds, and another 450 or more through a revolving financing mechanism.
The decisions adopted were also the result of agreements reached during the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine held in Rome in 2025. At that time, Oleksiy Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine’s Recovery and Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, approached Carlo Monticelli, President of the Council of Europe Development Bank, with a proposal to support the first phase of the housing program for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the temporarily occupied territories, as well as to consider launching a separate housing support program for veterans.
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer may resign as head of government following what he claims are failures on immigration policy and energy issues.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He has suffered a major defeat on two very important issues—IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (THE OPENING OF OIL FIELDS IN THE NORTH SEA!). I wish him all the best!” Trump said in a post published on the social media platform Truth Social.
As previously reported, Reuters noted that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to announce his resignation on Monday and intends to present a clear timeline for his departure.
Visitors to the Acropolis of Athens can now see the west side of the Parthenon in its most complete form in around 220 years, following the completion of one of the key stages in the restoration of the ancient temple.
Restorers have installed two new marble blocks in the gaps in the western pediment. It is this side of the Parthenon that visitors see first upon entering the site.
The Greek Ministry of Culture stated that the completion of the work restores the architectural unity of the west pediment and allows the temple’s proportions and geometric precision to be seen once again. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni described the Parthenon’s renewed appearance as “truly impressive”.
The work was carried out by the Acropolis Restoration Service. According to Greek media reports, this was one of the most complex restoration operations in recent years: specialists had to join the surviving ancient fragments with new marble, precisely cut the blocks, hoist them into place and install them within the monument’s structure without disrupting the building’s historical fabric.
The project is funded through European programmes and forms part of the long-term restoration of the Acropolis, which began in 1975. Restorers are using marble from the Pentelicus area – the same source from which material was taken for the construction of the Parthenon in antiquity.
The Parthenon remains the main symbol of Athens and one of Europe’s most visited monuments. According to the AP, the Acropolis attracted around 4.6 million visitors last year. For Greece, it is not only a cultural asset but also a tourist attraction: restoring the temple’s appearance enhances Athens’ appeal as a destination for cultural tourism.
The Parthenon was built between 447 and 432 BC on the Acropolis of Athens and is dedicated to the goddess Athena. The temple is considered one of the principal monuments of classical ancient Greek architecture. In antiquity, it was adorned with sculptural compositions, friezes, metopes and pediments, many of which depicted mythological scenes and formed part of a unified artistic ensemble.
Throughout its history, the Parthenon has changed its function on numerous occasions: it was an ancient temple, a Christian church, a mosque, and during the period of Ottoman rule it was also used as a gunpowder store. In 1687, during the war between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, a shell struck the temple, causing an explosion that severely damaged the building.
Another severe blow to the monument’s integrity came in the early 19th century, when the British diplomat Lord Elgin removed a significant portion of the Parthenon’s sculptural decoration to the United Kingdom. These fragments, known as the Parthenon Marbles or the Elgin Marbles, have been housed in the British Museum since 1816.
For decades, Greece has been seeking the return of the sculptures, arguing that their removal compromised the integrity of the monument and deprived the Parthenon of part of its historical and artistic significance. The British Museum insists that the collection was acquired lawfully under the Ottoman administration of the time; however, Athens maintains that no genuine authorisation existed for the removal of key elements of the temple.
This is precisely why the current restoration of the west pediment has not only architectural but also symbolic significance. Greece is demonstrating that it continues to restore the Parthenon as a single monument of world culture, despite the fact that a significant part of its sculptural heritage still remains outside the country.
In 2024, a representative of the Turkish Ministry of Culture stated that there was no document bearing the sultan’s seal in the Ottoman archives that would confirm the lawful sale or authorisation for the removal of the Parthenon sculptures by Lord Elgin. This strengthened Greece’s position in the dispute with the British Museum.
