Deutsche Welle: DW.com - Europe

The Slovak village questioning its UNESCO status The picturesque village of Vlkolinec in Slovakia has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1993. Vlkolinec was recently in the headlines for wanting to be taken off the list. DW visited the village to find out why. EU civil protection mechanism: Coordinating Europe's firefighters French President Emmanuel Macron has activated the EU civil protection mechanism to help combat devastating wildfires. The system has become increasingly effective, yet it will reach its limits in the summer of 2026. Poland: Top court rejects recognizing EU same-sex marriages Poland's constitutional court has overturned plans to recognize same-sex marriages that took place in other EU member states. This defies an order from the EU's top court and could set up a clash on the matter. Berlin Pride attack: What we know so far On Saturday, a vehicle drove into a crowd near a Christopher Street Day celebration in what is being regarded as an attack on the LGBTQ+ community. The main suspect has since been confronted and shot dead. Berlin Pride: Latest in string of deadly vehicle attacks The attack at a Berlin Pride event is only the most recent incident on a long list where vehicles were used as weapons. The US, Canada, and China also saw similar attacks in recent years. Serbia's LGBTQ+ community faces 'epidemic of violence' Documented cases of violence against LGBTQ+ people in Serbia have never been higher. The attacks are part of a larger shift in society targeting marginalized people. Tour de France final stage shortened due to wildfires Security personnel assigned to the race have been redeployed to help contain major blazes near Bordeaux, reducing Sunday's final stage. Could 'mesh networks' help overcome authoritarians' internet blocks? In authoritarian countries, the state is often either monitoring online communications or has the ability to shut them down in a political crisis. But there are other ways that activists can keep in touch. Poland's main opposition collapses over far-right slide A power struggle within Poland's main opposition force has come to a head. But a move to expel former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki may greatly weaken the right-wing party's popularity. Trump threatens EU with tariff probe over Google, tech fines US President Donald Trump has said he will initiate a tariff investigation against the EU in response to fines against US tech companies. He cited the latest case that Google lost on Thursday, as well as others.