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GMA Network
12-08-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
Over half of Europe and Mediterranean basin hit by drought since April
A cow drinks the last remaining water as livestock wait for emergency water supplies amid a severe drought that has dried up Suva Planina mountain's main springs, near the town of Bela Palanka, Serbia August 12, 2025. REUTERS/ Djordje Kojadinovic PARIS — More than half (52 percent) of Europe and the Mediterranean basin was hit by drought in July for the fourth consecutive month, according to an AFP analysis of European Drought Observatory (EDO) data. Drought levels in the region are the highest on record for the month of July since data collection began in 2012, exceeding the 2012-2024 average by 21 percent. Monthly records have been broken every month this year. The Drought Observatory Indicator determined by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service uses satellite imagery to measure three parameters: precipitation or rainfall, soil moisture and the state of vegetation. Findings are then categorized into one of three levels of drought: watch, warning and alert—the last level signaling that vegetation is developing abnormally. Eastern Europe and the Balkans are particularly affected, with a high amount of soil under alert in multiple countries. In Hungary, the percentage of soil under alert increased from nine percent in June to 56 percent in July. In Kosovo, it went from six percent to 43 percent, and in Bosnia-Herzegovina from one percent to 23 percent. Multiple heatwaves have swept the Balkans since the start of the summer and a record number of wildfires have broken out. Some are caused by poorly managed and illegal dumpsites bursting into flames under the scorching sun, smothering towns and cities with toxic smoke. Further east, Turkey has been hit by a prolonged drought affecting more than 60 percent of soil since March, leading to thousands of fires this summer. On August 8, wildfires in the west of the country forced authorities to suspend shipping in the busy Dardanelles Strait and evacuate three villages. In Western Europe, the situation is more mixed. In France, 68 percent of soil was affected by drought in July, up from 44 percent in June. France experienced one of its largest wildfires in history last week when flames tore through 13,000 hectares (more than 32,000 acres) of the southern Aude department, killing one person and injuring several others. The country is now facing its second heatwave of the summer. In the United Kingdom, which had its driest spring in more than 50 years, drought levels improved in July although more than two-thirds of the country remains in water deficit. In the south, Spain and Portugal remain relatively spared with low drought rates (seven percent and five percent respectively). — Agence France-Presse
The Star
12-08-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Drought stalks Serbia, harming livestock
A drone view shows a herd of cattle searching for water amid a severe drought that has dried up Suva Planina mountain's main springs, near the town of Bela Palanka, Serbia August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic SUVA PLANINA, Serbia (Reuters) -A prolonged drought and sweltering heat are taking their toll on villagers, livestock and crops in the mountains of southeastern Serbia, with animals starting to die. Lack of rainfall since May has caused water shortages, wildfires and disruption to agriculture across the Western Balkans, also comprised of Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, At Serbia's Suva Planina (Dry Mountain), owners who take their cows and horses for summer grazing said the springs dried up too early this year. "There's not a drop of water ... animals are starting to die," said Ljubisa Petkovic, a herder from the nearby municipality of Gadzin Han. Around 1,000 thirsty cows and horses milled round a few watering holes and springs, sipping sparse and dirty water from puddles. Temperatures in Serbia on Tuesday stood at around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) with several wildfires burning. In late July, local authorities, alerted by cattle owners, drove water trucks up the Suva Planina pastures, filled a pond, and pledged to send more. Nikola Manojlovic, 35, said he hoped for more state water supplies and warned that villages in the valley were also suffering from the drought. "Corn has dried up ... we've had no running water in the village for three months now and we have no water here," Manojlovic said. Meteorologists say Serbia may have a spell of rainy weather later this month, but it may not be enough to replenish the small rivers, lakes and creeks needed for the cattle to drink. (Reporting by Branko Filipovicc; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Straits Times
12-08-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
Drought stalks Serbia, harming livestock
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A drone view shows a herd of cattle searching for water amid a severe drought that has dried up Suva Planina mountain's main springs, near the town of Bela Palanka, Serbia August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic SUVA PLANINA, Serbia - A prolonged drought and sweltering heat are taking their toll on villagers, livestock and crops in the mountains of southeastern Serbia, with animals starting to die. Lack of rainfall since May has caused water shortages, wildfires and disruption to agriculture across the Western Balkans, also comprised of Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, At Serbia's Suva Planina (Dry Mountain), owners who take their cows and horses for summer grazing said the springs dried up too early this year. "There's not a drop of water ... animals are starting to die," said Ljubisa Petkovic, a herder from the nearby municipality of Gadzin Han. Around 1,000 thirsty cows and horses milled round a few watering holes and springs, sipping sparse and dirty water from puddles. Temperatures in Serbia on Tuesday stood at around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) with several wildfires burning. In late July, local authorities, alerted by cattle owners, drove water trucks up the Suva Planina pastures, filled a pond, and pledged to send more. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore Power switchboard failure led to disruption in NEL, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Singapore NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT resume service after hours-long power fault Business Ninja Van cuts 12% of Singapore workforce after 2 rounds of layoffs in 2024 Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies of heart attack, says daughter Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, and boost frequency to other places Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court Nikola Manojlovic, 35, said he hoped for more state water supplies and warned that villages in the valley were also suffering from the drought. "Corn has dried up ... we've had no running water in the village for three months now and we have no water here," Manojlovic said. Meteorologists say Serbia may have a spell of rainy weather later this month, but it may not be enough to replenish the small rivers, lakes and creeks needed for the cattle to drink. REUTERS
The Star
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Serbia's students, opposition rally to demand snap elections
A drone view shows Serbian students and other demonstrators participating in an anti-government protest demanding snap elections at the Slavija square, in Belgrade, Serbia, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic BELGRADE (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of students and anti-corruption protesters rallied in Belgrade on Saturday, demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. Police deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Vucic's backers from across the country gathered in a counter-protest. Months of protests across the country, including university shutdowns, have rattled Vucic, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. The student protest is set to last until 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) at Slavija Square and Nemanjina Avenue, where most of the government offices are located. The protesters, who want the government to heed their demands by the end of the protest, have pledged non-violence. Vucic has previously refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats. On Saturday, Vucic said unspecified "foreign powers" were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained, but warned that violence will not be tolerated. 'The country will be defended, and thugs will face justice,' he told reporters in Belgrade. Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said she came to support students. "The institutions have been usurped and ... there is a lot of corruption. Elections are the solution, but I don't think he (Vucic) will want to go peacefully," she told Reuters. In the days ahead of the protest, police arrested about a dozen anti-government activists, charging them with undermining the constitution and terrorism. All denied the charges. Protests by students, opposition, teachers, workers and farmers began last December after 16 people died on November 1 in a Novi Sad railway station roof collapse. Protesters blame corruption for the disaster. The Belgrade rally coincides with St. Vitus Day, venerated by most Serbs, which marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo with Ottoman Turks. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic and Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Jane Merriman)
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Kremlin says Russia is not holding gas supply talks with Europe or the US
FILE PHOTO: A gas station attendant refuels a gas station supplies, at a Serbian oil company NIS gas station, which is controlled by the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft in Belgrade, Serbia, January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic/File Photo Kremlin says Russia is not holding gas supply talks with Europe or the US MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia is not holding talks with Europe or the United States about Russian gas supplies via Ukraine. Russian gas supplies to Europe have collapsed since the start of the military conflict in Ukraine in February 2022 and blasts at the subsea Nord Stream pipelines. Gas exports to Europe from Russia via Ukraine also fell from the start of this year when a transit deal expired and Ukraine refused to extend it because of the war in Ukraine. A source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters this month that the U.S. demanded that the U.S. government's International Development Finance Corporation take control of a natural gas pipeline from Russian energy giant Gazprom across Ukraine to Europe as part of broader peace talks. Russia's only remaining gas route to Europe is TurkStream via the Black Sea to Turkey and further to southern and central Europe. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no talks with the U.S. and Europe about more Russian gas supplies. "No, there are no (talks)... The point was that this is a commercial story. There is a gas seller, there are potential buyers of gas," he said on a daily conference call with reporters. "If the buyers show interest, if the transit route works, then, of course, the seller will be ready to discuss all of this. Nobody denies or rejects anything." On Wednesday, in an interview with French magazine Le Point, Peskov said that Gazprom was ready to resume supplies. "Gazprom will surely debate it. We are ready to trade our gas and we know that there are certain countries in Europe that want to keep buying it from us. Everything will be settled commercially," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
