Author: Press Room
Published on 16/09/2026 – 12:00 GMT+2•Updated 19:44 Earlier today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took the floor in Strasbourg for her annual State of the European Union address, with Europe facing mounting pressure on security, competitiveness, migration and its relationship with the United States. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT What did she promise — and what can she actually deliver? From Ukraine and European defence to the economy, migration and the EU’s response to a rapidly changing world, the speech came at a crucial moment for the Union. After the address, our debate show The Ring will put von der Leyen’s…
Published on 16/09/2026 – 13:52 GMT+2•Updated 19:56 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Wednesday that she was “horrified by the images” of covincted war criminal Ratko Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade earlier this month, but stopped short of announcing any punitive measures against Serbia. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “The glorification of war criminals simply has no place in the European Union,” von der Leyen said during her annual State of the European Union speech. She refrained from directly criticising Serbia despite calls for firmer action from the bloc. Mladić, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia”, died in…
Published on 16/09/2026 – 13:54 GMT+2•Updated 13:55 Kyiv is ready for an energy ceasefire with Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that Russia has yet to make the same commitment. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In an interview with CBS, Zelenskyy said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised the possibility during their recent visit to Kyiv. He said Ukraine agreed, on condition that Russia also stops all attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure**.** “We never attack first. Our tactic is to respond where we can because Putin doesn’t respect and won’t even think of negotiating with weaklings,” Zelenskyy said. “When Steve…
By Kamuran Samar & AFP Published on 16/09/2026 – 18:09 GMT+2 An English village of around 350 people has voted overwhelmingly to “secede” from the United Kingdom in a symbolic referendum held in protest against plans to house asylum seekers at a nearby former military site. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In Piddington, near Oxford, 285 of the 312 ballots counted backed the call for the village to seek self-determination. The referendum has no legal standing, but residents celebrated the result by putting up a sign declaring the area the “Principality of Piddington”. The vote was organised by the parish council and was inspired partly by…
The European Union is increasingly worried about whether nations will actually implement existing climate targets as it prepares for the United Nations’ climate summit, COP31, according to a Council document seen by Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “(The Council highlights with concern) that current ambition and implementation remain insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C,” read the draft Council conclusions dated 14 September, referring to the Paris Agreement. Similar concerns were recently shared by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which warned the world is set to cross the 1.5°C global warming threshold, but can still limit, adapt to and return from higher…
Published on 16/09/2026 – 15:48 GMT+2 Ottawa and Brussels are in talks for Canada to join the Erasmus+ exchange programme, which would let students from both sides study at each other’s universities. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT EU-Canada relations have rarely been closer, as Prime Minister Mark Carney has sought to build a tighter relationship with the European bloc following the aggressive trade agenda and erratic foreign policy of the second Trump administration. On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited Canada to become the first “associate member” of the EU, an unprecedented arrangement short of full membership, which remains off…
Published on 16/09/2026 – 14:28 GMT+2•Updated 14:38 Belarus has released 25 political prisoners in exchange for the US lifting sanctions put on two Belarusian companies, in a deal was brokered by US envoy John Coale who was in the capital Minsk. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Coale announced the release of prisoners, describing it as “As a sign of goodwill”, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. He indicated further talks could lead to “a further release of individuals and additional sanctions relief”. The US and many other Western countries imposed sanctions on Belarus after it allowed Russia to use its territory to…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT With this iconic Charles Dickens quote, Ursula von der Leyen began her one-hour-long State of the Union speech in Strasbourg, laying out solutions to cope with the “exceptional” challenges and the “incredible” change that Europe is undergoing. “In this world, Europe has chosen to forge its own path. And a stronger, independent Europe is now emerging,” she told lawmakers. “Europe is there for Europeans. And that in the cold fragility of today’s world, only Europe can provide true sovereignty to Europeans.” Here are the five takeaways…
The European Commission President is “very slow” to make the necessary decisions on the current challenges facing the European Union (EU), Charles Michel, who headed the European Council during von der Leyen’s first term as Commission chief from 2019 to 2024, said. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT His comments came ahead of von der Leyen’s highly anticipated annual State of the European Union address before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, in which she outlined her vision and priorities for the coming year. Michel, however, was focused on her failure to fulfil the promises made in previous years. “I’m observing that, today,…
By Alessio Dell’Anna & video by Maud Zaba Published on 16/09/2026 – 11:34 GMT+2 European homes and businesses appear to be getting safer. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The number of break-ins across the EU has dropped by more than a third in just a decade (35%), falling to 1.2 million from to 2014 to 2024, according to new Eurostat data. These figures cover both residential and business premises, yet despite the good news, Europe continues to be a battleground between intruders and private citizens and business owners, with many countries having a significant rate of burglaries relative to their populations. Austria faces a huge wave…