Helena Smith

Seventeen-year-old Irish student Alex McKee died after being electrocuted while picking up a showerhead in an outdoor bathroom at a family holiday home on the Greek island of Kimolos. Police are investigating a possible fault in the water heater or wiring and whether the fusebox lacked a safety device. The incident has prompted calls for stricter electrical checks at seasonal tourist accommodation, while McKee's family plans to press charges. Kimolos mayor Konstantinos Vendouris, who reportedly signed the property's electrical certificate in 2024, is also under scrutiny.

Greek authorities have accused Afghan boxer Sharif Ahmadzai of intentionally killing Scottish charity worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, whose body was found in a suitcase in an abandoned Athens building. Ahmadzai admits moving the body and withdrawing €10,000 using Ross’s cards but denies murder. Investigators are examining her final hours, possible theft, sexual assault or a confrontation as potential motives, while forensic tests seek to establish the cause of death. Ahmadzai’s wife, Alaina Hall, reportedly alerted police after becoming suspicious, and Greek police worked with UK and Scottish agencies to identify him through CCTV and banking evidence.

Greek authorities arrested a 26-year-old Afghan national in connection with the death of Scottish charity worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens on 18 July. Police allege that the suspect placed and transported the body, used Ross’s credit cards to withdraw money and confessed after investigators analyzed CCTV and other digital evidence. The suspect faces charges including intentional homicide, robbery and illegal weapons possession. The cause of Ross’s death remains unknown because decomposition made the initial postmortem inconclusive, and toxicological and tissue tests are underway. Greek authorities worked with the UK’s National Crime Agency and Police Scotland, while friends paid tribute to Ross as a compassionate aid worker.

Two firefighting helicopters collided west of Athens during gale-force winds while battling fires advancing toward the capital, killing a Dane and a Greek crew member aboard one aircraft and rescuing the two-person crew of the other. More than 100 homes were destroyed near Porto Germeno, over 500 firefighters were deployed, and communities across Greece faced mass evacuations. France continued fighting major blazes in Gironde and Var after hundreds of thousands were evacuated, while fires in Spain were brought closer to containment. Extreme heat, drought and unusually strong winds have intensified the crisis, with scientific analysis finding that human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of the extreme fire conditions.

Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old Briton with longstanding links to Greece, was found dead inside a suitcase in an abandoned lot in Athens on 18 July. Greek police have assigned more than 60 homicide investigators to reconstruct her movements after her last known contact with friends on 15 July. Her cause of death remains unclear, DNA from the suitcase has not identified a suspect, and investigators have been unable to locate the American friends she planned to meet. Ross’s phone was reportedly used to send messages to her father after her likely death, leading police to suspect deliberate efforts to delay her being reported missing. Toxicology and further forensic tests are being fast-tracked.

Greek authorities identified a body found in a suitcase at a derelict building in Athens as 38-year-old British woman Elizabeth Jane Ross, who was born in Scotland and had been staying in the city with friends. Ross was last seen on 15 July, and her body was discovered 11 days later by a homeless man. Police are treating the death as a criminal act, examining CCTV, flight records and hotel bookings, while Interpol and US authorities have assisted with identification. A postmortem reportedly found no evidence of a struggle or visible injuries, and the UK Foreign Office is providing consular support to Ross’s family.

Mount Olympus has been unanimously added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List as a mixed cultural and natural site after a 12-year campaign. The designation was celebrated in Greece for its potential to strengthen environmental and biodiversity protection. UNESCO also inscribed Normandy’s five D-Day beaches and Pointe du Hoc, recognizing their historical importance while highlighting threats from tourism, climate change, rising sea levels and nearby development. Sites in Japan and South Sudan were also approved, bringing the list to 1,248 sites across 170 countries.

Greece is seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for Mount Olympus, citing its exceptional cultural, mythological and environmental importance. The World Heritage Committee is due to consider the nomination in Busan, although advisory bodies have reportedly requested more information and the bid may be referred back to Greece. Supporters say designation could bring funding, expertise and stronger safeguards as visitor numbers approach 500,000 annually, while officials warn that overtourism, forest fires intensified by climate change and inadequate infrastructure threaten the mountain’s carrying capacity.

A Serbian passenger, Ljubisa Karović, recounts surviving a mid‑flight emergency on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany after a window shattered and he was partially sucked out of the aircraft before losing consciousness. Passengers, including his wife, intervened to pull him back as objects flew through the cabin. His lawyer disputes Ryanair’s claims that crew members responded appropriately, asserting that passengers provided the primary assistance. Ryanair maintains that staff followed safety protocols and aided Karović after the aircraft descended to a safe altitude. Karović, recovering from injuries and wearing a neck brace, expresses gratitude to be alive and urges passengers always to wear seatbelts, while also indicating he expects compensation.

Hungary’s Fidesz party says prosecutors raided its offices and seized its communications system and databases, describing the action as an unprecedented attempt by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s Tisza government to disable the opposition. Prosecutors said the searches were part of an investigation into alleged misappropriation and other offences involving the National Cultural Fund, while providing few details. The live blog also reports Marine Le Pen’s condemnation of the raid, worsening living conditions in Russian-occupied Crimea following Ukrainian strikes, new Russian restrictions on shipping in the Sea of Azov, a rare Russian naval live-fire exercise near the UK, rising civilian casualties in Ukraine, unrest in Italy and the challenges facing new UK prime minister Andy Burnham in resetting relations with the EU.

Dua Lipa expressed support for ongoing mass protests in Albania opposing a €1.6bn resort project backed by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, calling the civic action inspiring and raising concerns about the government’s decision to amend environmental protections without public consultation. The development, which includes construction on Sazan Island and the Zvërnec peninsula, has drawn criticism from conservation groups and warnings from EU officials that Albania’s accession prospects could be threatened. Prime minister Edi Rama continues to support the project as a major economic opportunity, while conservation leaders say environmental damage has already occurred and accountability is needed.

Floating sea barriers are being installed in bays around the Gulf of Euboea to shield swimmers from toxic pufferfish whose spread is linked to warming Mediterranean waters. Local authorities, prompted by rising concerns after previous jellyfish surges and new public health warnings, are deploying several kilometres of tightly knit nets while the national government launches a bounty programme to reduce the invasive species. Fishers and scientists are divided over the effectiveness and necessity of the measures, with some warning that climate-driven migration makes long-term control unrealistic and others arguing the threat is overstated.

European parliament members warned that Albania’s EU accession process could be jeopardised by government support for a €1.4bn luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner that would develop protected coastline. Dutch MEP Tineke Strik said the plans violate EU environmental rules and risk undermining accession negotiations, especially on environmental benchmarks. The project has sparked mass protests, known as the flamingo revolution, calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation. MEPs urged an immediate halt to construction and criticised damage already done to protected areas, while expressing concern over corruption allegations and the Albanian government’s dismissive stance toward EU standards. Public support for EU membership remains overwhelming, but parliamentarians questioned whether the government is taking citizens’ and EU institutions’ concerns seriously.

A severe heatwave continued across Europe, breaking temperature records in Germany and Denmark and producing an unprecedented warm night in Slovakia. Extreme heat disrupted roads, railways and flights, while authorities issued red or high-level alerts across central and eastern Europe. Five people died in water-related incidents in the UK. In Italy, the Po River was drying out, raising fears for farmers, while Swiss glaciers faced exceptionally early seasonal ice loss. Scientists attributed the severity and likelihood of the heatwave to human-caused climate change, and activists criticized continued reliance on fossil fuels.

A fourth toddler has died in France after being found suffering from hyperthermia in a car, while French authorities reported at least 55 drownings during the heatwave. Scientists described the event as Europe’s most severe and widespread heatwave on record, with nearly half of the continent’s 850 largest cities facing unprecedented heat stress and about 150 million people experiencing temperatures above 35C. Britain broke its June temperature record for a third consecutive day, prompting prolonged red and amber heat alerts, hospital critical incidents, school closures, transport warnings, power-supply concerns and a major wildfire. Paris hospitals and emergency services reported severe strain, leading to restrictions and postponements of public events. The heat is forecast to shift toward central and eastern Europe, with record temperatures already reported in Germany and further risks to transport, festivals and public health. Experts attributed the increasing frequency and intensity of such events to fossil-fuel-driven climate change.

Ukraine intensified long-range attacks on Russian targets, with nearly 60 drones reportedly intercepted near Moscow and more than 300 across Russia, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine would increasingly bring the war to Russia. Russian strikes killed members of a family in Ukraine’s Sumy region, and Ukrainian attacks disrupted fuel supplies and transport links to occupied Crimea. The live coverage also reports a record European heatwave, protests in Albania against a Jared Kushner-backed resort, uncertainty over a planned EU-UK summit following Keir Starmer’s resignation plans, a Czech public-media strike over government funding reforms, Hungary’s proposed removal of its president, and worsening historical tensions between Ukraine and Poland.

Protests over plans for a Jared Kushner- and Ivanka Trump-backed luxury resort on Albania’s Sazan Island and the nearby Zvërnec peninsula have grown into a broader revolt against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government and the country’s political establishment. Demonstrators say the development threatens protected wetlands, wildlife and public access, while also symbolizing corruption, inequality and opaque decision-making. Rama defends the €1.4bn investment as essential to tourism, jobs and Albania’s EU ambitions, and supporters argue that it could modernize the region. The European Parliament has urged a halt to construction in protected areas, while EU officials warn that environmental-law reforms are necessary for accession talks to advance. Despite the mounting opposition and environmental concerns, Rama has refused to abandon the project.

Thousands protested in Tirana against a proposed $1.6bn luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, with demonstrations expected to spread to southern Albania. Conservationists say construction has begun in and around protected coastal habitats, including Sazan island, wetlands and areas sheltering Mediterranean monk seals and endangered birds. They accuse the government of failing to provide transparency, permits or public consultation and demand that construction equipment and fencing be removed. Prime Minister Edi Rama argues the project will attract investment, create jobs and support Albania’s transformation into a high-end tourism destination, insisting it will not be halted. The developer, Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, has promised responsible environmental management. Albania’s anti-corruption prosecutors have opened an inquiry into legislative changes affecting protected areas, while the controversy has intensified broader public discontent with Rama’s government.

Elam, Cyprus’s anti-immigrant and strongly anti-Turkish far-right party, doubled its parliamentary representation to eight seats after winning 10.9% of the vote, becoming the legislature’s third-largest force. New anti-corruption and direct-democracy groups also entered parliament, while EDEK failed to cross the threshold. Established parties performed better than expected, with Disy retaining its seats and emerging as the poll’s frontrunner. Elam’s gains may increase its leverage over President Nikos Christodoulides, particularly on migration and a potential 2028 re-election bid, despite warnings from European centre-right figures about cooperation with the party.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson urged more alliance members to increase financial and military support for Ukraine, arguing that contributions are concentrated among a small group of countries. Rutte suggested the United States may soon announce further adjustments to its European military commitments, while insisting that NATO deterrence would remain intact and that any attack on an ally would receive a devastating response. The live coverage also reported Russian threats and disinformation targeting the Baltic states amid repeated drone alerts, European calls to strengthen eastern-flank air defences, and warnings that Ukraine must avoid unintended incidents. Germany proposed associate EU membership for Ukraine as a bridge toward full accession and a possible security guarantee. Other developments included Hungary's proposed eight-year limit on prime ministers, Russia-Belarus nuclear drills, and Greek demands for an apology over a Ukrainian-made explosive sea drone found near Lefkada.

A Norwegian appeals court unanimously blocked Greece’s extradition request for Tommy Olsen, founder of the Aegean Boat Report, ruling that his activities documenting alleged migrant pushbacks, communicating with refugees and assisting asylum procedures were lawful under Norwegian law and protected by freedom-of-expression rights. Norway’s prosecution authorities will not appeal. Greece had accused Olsen of running a criminal smuggling organization, but rights groups said the case misused anti-smuggling laws to intimidate migrant-support networks. Greece’s arrest warrant remains in force, and Olsen is expected to be tried in absentia.