Symbolic imageRomania sinks barges in the Danube to cool Cernavoda reactor
Romania finished blowing up four barges in the Danube overnight to lift water levels at the Cernavoda nuclear plant. Drought and heat are fuelling fires from Spain to Albania.
The controlled sinking on the Bala branch began on Friday afternoon and took about seven hours, two days later than planned after loading problems, strong currents and administrative procedures, the Serbian daily Politika reported citing Digi24. It should steer more of the flow toward Cernavoda and secure cooling for the plant's second reactor, which is still running normally. Politika quotes experts expecting the first effects on Monday and a minimum level of minus 228 centimetres near the plant.
Nazi wrecks emerge from the riverbed
The Guardian reports dozens of second world war ships scuttled by the German military in September 1944 have surfaced; Serbia left most in place because of the explosives aboard.
Fires from Huelva to Kruja
The fire near Niebla in Huelva has affected more than 4,000 hectares, Serbia declared an emergency over 1,500 hectares burning in Deliblatska Pescara, and Albania counted 23 fires in 24 hours.
French farmers demand billions
FNSEA chief Arnaud Rousseau called on Saturday for a 'shock of reactivity' and billions of euros in aid; the rival Coordination rurale calls Wednesday's government plan too light.
Other opinions
Politika, close to the Serbian state, frames the barge operation and the Balkan fires as technical emergencies; The Guardian and Le Monde name human-caused climate change.