Author: Press Room
The EU’s migration policy has increasingly centred on the controversial notion of using “return hubs” to externalise irregular migrants to third countries, as enshrined in the recently adopted Return Regulation. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “We need to set up repatriation centres in third countries, as well as other innovative solutions outside Europe. We are working hard on this,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen wrote in a joint statement earlier this month. Nineteen EU countries are convinced this is an “innovative solution” to pursue for migration management, as made clear in a joint letter sent to EU…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 12:46 GMT+2 State actors have been attempting to hack into EU officials’ Signal and WhatsApp accounts, according to a confidential European Commission presentation obtained by Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The presentation, prepared by the Interinstitutional Cybersecurity Board – a body set up in January 2024 to ensure EU institutions comply with the bloc’s cybersecurity rules – provides an updated overview of the threat landscape facing Brussels over the past year. In an unprecedented admission, first reported by Politico, the EU body acknowledged for the first time that state-sponsored actors have engaged in “spearphishing”, a highly targeted cyberattack…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 12:53 GMT+2 Poland is set to receive four Airbus A330 MRTT tanker and transport aircraft by 2030 under a joint procurement programme with Spain worth an estimated €5.4 billion. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Spanish government approved the framework agreement at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, clearing the way for the two countries to jointly acquire at least seven aircraft, according to Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. “Most importantly, by 2030 Poland will receive four aircraft,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said on X, adding that the next step would be the signing of the final contract. The…
The Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain are among the top ten countries worst hit by additional fossil-fuel import costs caused by disruption in the Middle East, according to a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Across the 170 countries examined, 134 paid more for diesel than markets had anticipated before the war, CREA’s report reveals. The Netherlands recorded an estimated €11.5 billion in additional costs between March and August 2026, followed by Italy at €12.7bn, France at €10.8bn and Spain at €8.8bn. Together, the four EU economies absorbed almost €41bn in extra…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 14:21 GMT+2 The Romanian Senate approved on Wednesday the country’s so-called integrity law, including a controversial amendment that will remove liberal leader Dominic Fritz from office as mayor of Timișoara. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The bill was passed with 109 votes in favour and 19 against. Only senators from Fritz’s Save Romania Union (USR) party opposed it, despite the European People’s Party (EPP) raising concerns that it could undermine Romanian democracy. The law is a milestone under Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and its adoption before the 31 August deadline is instrumental to unlock €770 million in…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:05 GMT+2 CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow on Tuesday sparked speculation about the trip’s sudden nature and what message Washington considered important enough for the US spy chief to deliver in person. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his hours-long visit, but said he did not meet Vladimir Putin. “No meetings with Putin were planned,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin was briefed on the outcome of the discussions, according to the Kremlin. Neither Washington nor Moscow have disclosed what was discussed, leaving the purpose…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:11 GMT+2•Updated 16:02 Belgian potato farmers are warning that this year’s crop could be too small to make the country’s famous fries after extreme weather hit harvests. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In Amay, near the eastern city of Liège, farmer Mathieu Comijn is pulling Bintje potatoes from parched soil that are barely the size of ping-pong balls. “You can see the soil is extremely dry,” Comijn said. “Normally, they should be at least four times this size. At the moment we can’t make fries with these potatoes.” Heavy rain and storms at the end of spring weakened the…
By Harry Bligh with AFP Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:17 GMT+2 Europe’s second longest river, the Danube, has experienced record low levels after hot weather leading to drought across the continent. The lack of water has exposed some remarkable finds. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In northern Bulgaria, volunteers have been searching a dried-up river bank near the city of Ruse after a mammoth jawbone and tusk fragments were discovered last month. The latest search found fossilised oysters which are thought to date back around 60 to 65 million years. The mammoth discovery has led to a surge of people wanting to join in the search…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:28 GMT+2 British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is planning a visit to New York in September, where he is expected to press US President Donald Trump for further support for Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT World leaders are scheduled to meet in the city next month for the United Nations General Assembly, with military aid for Kyiv set to be high on the agenda. In an interview with Bloomberg earlier this week, Burnham said he was “looking forward to going to New York in September.” “I’ve not fully confirmed the details yet, but it’s likely I will go,…
Published on 26/08/2026 – 16:35 GMT+2 Prince Harry and his family have arrived back in the UK just days after announcing their intention to move, according to reports in British media. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Duke of Sussex, Meghan, and their two children – Archie and Lilibet – are thought to have landed in Birmingham on Wednesday after taking a private flight from California, per the reports. The couple had left the UK for the Golden State in 2020 after announcing that they would be stepping back from their roles in the Royal Family amid a bitter family feud. Reports say…