Balkans

A heatwave affecting central and eastern Europe has led to record temperatures in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans, while Ukraine implemented power outages due to grid strain. Romania experienced a violent storm following its heatwave, highlighting the region's extreme weather challenges.

Italy and the Balkans experienced a record-breaking heat wave causing hundreds of excess deaths and disrupting daily life across Europe for over a week, with concerns about wildfire spread.

A deadly heatwave that broke temperature records in western Europe has shifted east to scorch Hungary, Romania, and the Balkans. Budapest is expected to exceed 40°C (104F), with Belgrade and Bucharest reaching 38°C and 37°C, respectively. Red extreme heat warnings are in effect for Poland, Hungary, and Romania.

Germany provisionally recorded its highest temperature at 41.3C near Saarbrücken. A heatwave spreading eastward is affecting central and eastern Europe, including Poland and the Balkans, while the UK experiences a break from the extreme heat.

Severe thunderstorms caused destruction across the Balkans, with Slovenia experiencing 65mph wind gusts and 23mm of rain. France faced an atypical heatwave in its north and west, while heavy rain and strong winds battered the region.

A Guardian investigation reveals that AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, an obscure company linked to Donald Trump, is close to securing $1bn in Balkans energy contracts for a pipeline project. The project aims to replace Russian gas supplies with U.S.-shipped fossil gas in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A $1bn energy contract in the Balkans is poised to go to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, a company linked to Donald Trump, according to a Guardian investigation. The project involves building a pipeline to transport US fossil gas to replace Russian supplies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Trump-linked investors plan to invest $1.8 billion in Bosnia, but the region faces risks of geopolitical tensions and potential conflict as world powers compete for influence. Concerns are rising over border-redrawing efforts and the fragility of peace in the Balkans.