Joanna Gill

Rights campaigners are warning that a raft of new policies from European governments aimed at deterring migration from Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries may shut out or even criminalise refugees.

Amid significant gains by far-right parties in the European Parliament in a June ballot, more countries across the continent are imposing measures to address rising anti-immigration sentiments among voters.

Britain's new Labour government has said it will uphold a ban that stops trans and gender-diverse children from accessing puberty-blocking drugs, a contested treatment for children who wish to transition.

As more adolescents seek to medically transition around the world, parents, doctors and authorities are grappling with what treatment should be made available to them and at what age.

Rights activists say a possible far-right National Rally (RN) win in the second round of French parliamentary elections on Sunday could threaten progress on LGBTQ+ rights and fuel anti-LGBTQ+ violence.

Marine Le Pen's socially conservative RN party, which has spoken out against LGBTQ+ equality, made historic gains in the first round of the polls on June 30 and could well win a parliamentary majority.

Energy-hungry data centres may have to go nuclear to meet rising  demands for artificial intelligence (AI) if the world wants to keep its word and cut greenhouse-gas emissions, experts say.

With AI takeup growing at a clip, big tech - from Microsoft to Google - is looking at nuclear energy as a possible new power source of the vast storage units that power its products.

Home to animated heroes from Tintin to the Smurfs, Brussels is proud to display its cartoon heritage in mammoth murals that tower over the city's stately streets.

But all is not well in the self-declared capital of comics.

As Europe braces for summer wildfires, it is putting some 550 firefighters and 32 aircraft on standby and plans to spend 600 million euros ($644 million) on water-bombing planes, but experts warn the money could be better spent on prevention.

Last year's wildfire season in Europe was among the worst this century, the European Commission said. Fires burnt through more than half a million hectares, led to mass evacuations and killed at least 20 people in Greece.

Four days of voting in Europe have shifted the political centre to the right, with far-right parties on track to win just under a quarter of seats in the European Parliament.

While centrist parties remain in the majority, human rights advocates fear that a right-leaning parliament could stall or even roll back progress in certain areas.

Europe's progress towards LGBTQ+ equality could take a hit if radical right-wing parties make big gains in the June 6-9 European Parliament election, rights campaigners say.

Polls predict gains by nationalist and eurosceptic parties that have spoken out against LGBTQ+ equality, in some cases reversing previous measures and advocating instead for "traditional" family values.

From protest to power: a generation of climate activists who grew up under Greta is coming of age and running for high office to win the change that eluded them on the streets.

Inspired by school-strike leader Greta Thunberg, 20-something eco-warriors - with campaigns launched from Paris to Prague - are swapping banners for ballots in their war on climate change.

Legislation on "foreign agents" including a divisive bill passed by Georgia's parliament this week is an urgent issue for LGBTQ+ groups, who fear they will be among the first to be targeted, Europe's top human rights watchdog has warned.

The bill approved by lawmakers on Tuesday would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, imposing onerous disclosure requirements and fines for violations.