Author: Press Room

As an aside, you might notice a new look and feel to our newsletter from today. Good news: you can now also read Europe Today every morning in French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT But first, some breaking news: Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said that two more ships have been hit by drones in the Black Sea, one of which sank. Ukraine has blamed previous such attacks on Russia, accusing Moscow of seeking to choke off Kyiv’s vital maritime export route. More. Ukraine under fire: There is little sign of the surprise energy truce announced on…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 16:19 GMT+2 Hundreds of French supermarkets belonging to the Intermarché and Coopérative U chains have fallen victim to a cyberattack targeting their refrigeration systems, the two retail giants said on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Around 150 to 200 Intermarché stores were hit, along with nearly 100 Coopérative U outlets, they added. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the cyberattack, which is also thought to have affected other major chains. BFM TV reported that France’s largest supermarket chain, E. Leclerc, had also been targeted, with the hackers managing to trigger the defrost cycle on its refrigeration systems. Contacted by…

Published on 13/10/2026 – 5:15 GMT+2 US President Donald Trump has continued insisting on Monday that an energy ceasefire is indeed in place between Ukraine and Russia, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that Moscow struck his country’s energy sites. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “Well, they agreed,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for Ohio. “Because I said, ‘You agree.’ That’s why they agreed. ” Because I said they agree,” he added. When pressed about the attacks by Russia, Trump said, “Well, I’d have to look at it and see, because there’s been violations on both sides.” Drone strike…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 18:30 GMT+2•Updated 18:49 British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK’s relationship with Brussels needs to change as he spoke to parliament ahead of next month’s UK-EU summit. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Burnham told MPs that “sticking with the current status quo is not good enough for Britain” and that a conversation over future relations must be had “if we are serious about promoting growth, controlling immigration, upholding our values and security.” “Worse, it would be a major dereliction of duty” for the government to “turn away” from exploring options for a closer relationship with the European Union,…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 21:51 GMT+2•Updated 21:59 French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that the French navy had intercepted and boarded an oil tanker suspected of being involved in illegal fuel-trafficking activities. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The operation took place 450 nautical miles south of the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, according to Macron. “Our French Navy boarded the oil tanker DF Peak, which is suspected of sailing under a false flag and of being involved in illicit fuel-trafficking activities,” he wrote in a post on social media, whilst also sharing video footage appearing to show troops rappelling down…

Construction of a high-speed rail line (LAV) linking Lisbon and Porto began in Portugal on Monday, with work starting on the first section between Porto-Campanhã and Oiã, in the district of Aveiro. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Once completed, the line will enable passengers to travel between the two cities in 1 hour and 15 minutes. According to the government, the high-speed project is a key part of the country’s national airport strategy, supporting the new Lisbon airport, and will also help strengthen rail links with Spain. The government says the project will help set up a roughly three-hour journey between Lisbon and…

Ceuta made its presence felt at Spain’s National Day parade without a single one of its soldiers setting foot on Madrid’s Paseo del Prado. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT No troops from the autonomous city took part this year, as the Spanish Ministry of Defence has kept its forces deployed there following the crisis that erupted in July, when tens of thousands of migrants crossed into the territory from Morocco. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who presided over the ceremony in Madrid, will travel to Ceuta on Tuesday. The parade took place against a tense political backdrop, after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro…

The EU’s Red Sea naval mission is struggling to attract reinforcements, with only the Netherlands and Belgium offering one extra vessel each, while the Houthis escalate their attacks on Riyadh. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Italy has been driving the push to bolster Aspides, the EU naval operation launched in February 2024 to secure navigation in the Red Sea. But little extra capacity has materialised, and the security situation has worsened. “We need at least ten ships, and we are not there. But today we also heard from a few member states that the discussion is ongoing,” EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 19:59 GMT+2•Updated 20:03 Investigators in France used DNA evidence and vehicle tracking to help recover two paintings worth millions of euros that were stolen from a Renoir museum last month. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Four men have been handed preliminary charges after the impressionist artist’s “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” and “Young Woman at the Well” works were taken from the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French riviera in a daring September heist. The suspects are believed to have gained entry to the museum after sawing through a fence using an electric saw. They then cut clips…

Europe is once again trying to save face after US President Donald Trump blindsided the continent by striking a tailored deal with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to release thousands of tonnes of diesel that had until now been sanctioned. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The news alarmed Ukraine and its European allies, who have long been wary of Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy and his understanding of what a just and lasting peace means. Tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic have never fully receded since February last year, when Trump unexpectedly called Putin and launched negotiations to end the war without consulting…