Author: Press Room

The prospect of engaging directly with Russia to end its war on Ukraine has once again faded as foreign affairs ministers of the European Union gather in Cyprus amid Moscow’s explicit threats to hit diplomatic missions in Kyiv. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The idea of direct talks, which has been on and off the political agenda since January, gained momentum earlier this month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, frustrated by the White House’s heavy focus on the Middle East, asked Europeans to speak with “one common voice” and appoint a designated envoy. The plea led to various names, such as Finnish President…

Published on 27/05/2026 – 17:18 GMT+2 Former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will face a crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court from 30 November, the presiding judge said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013-2018 during his so-called “war on drugs.” The 81-year-old will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world’s worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Prosecutors had sought the 30…

Published on 27/05/2026 – 16:47 GMT+2 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United States to provide more ammunition for its Patriot air defence systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles, according to a document reviewed by the AFP news agency on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The appeal underscores Ukraine’s almost total reliance on its Western allies to down Russian missile barrages, despite having pioneered a system for intercepting long-range drones that is the envy of some of the world’s most advanced militaries. The request comes just days after one of the worst combined missile and drone attacks launched against Kyiv since…

Published on 27/05/2026 – 15:41 GMT+2•Updated 15:53 European countries have roundly rejected Russia’s threat against diplomats based in Kyiv and confirmed their representations would continue to operate without interruption. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Germany, France, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and the European Commission are among those that have summoned Russia’s ambassadors to convey their outrage after the Kremlin published a notification urging foreign citizens and diplomatic staff to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible” ahead of fresh air strikes. “Through its actions, Russia demonstrates daily its cynicism and contempt for international law,” the French Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said on Wednesday.…

Published on 27/05/2026 – 13:26 GMT+2 Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Wednesday there was “no reason” to withdraw support for his predecessor Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is under investigation for corruption, following the publication of new details about the case. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “I think there is no sufficient reason, there is no reason to change that position,” Sánchez told a Rome news conference after a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. The Socialist premier, in office since 2018, reiterated his “full cooperation with the judiciary” and respect for the presumption of innocence. Zapatero, who governed…

Published on 27/05/2026 – 12:56 GMT+2 A map shared widely online has been used to falsely claim that the Andes strain of the hantavirus is spreading rapidly across Europe and North America. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The pictures are screenshots of a map from HantavirusMap.com, which have spread on X and TikTok in the aftermath of a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. Social media users are claiming that the red and orange markers on the map show confirmed hantavirus cases across the world, particularly in Europe and North America. This is, however, misleading. The screenshots from the website do…

In 2025, just under half of internet users across 20 EU countries encountered online messages they considered hostile and degrading towards specific groups or individuals, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The highest shares were recorded in Ireland, Hungary, Finland and Slovakia, while the lowest shares were in Latvia, Greece, Germany and Lithuania. The messages targeted a wide range of groups and individuals. Most people saw hostile content aimed at others for their political or social views, racial and ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or religion and beliefs. Hostile messages also targeted people based on sex, disability, age,…

Officers from the Spanish Civil Guard’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) have raided Spain’s ruling Socialist Party’s (PSOE) national headquarters to carry out a search ordered by a judge in connection with a sealed section of the Leire Díez case. Díez, the party’s former “fixer,” is currently under investigation for influence peddling. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Civil Guard has been at the Ferraz street building since early this morning as part of a special operation focusing on a separate and secret aspect of the case, which is also said to involve Vicente Fernández, the former president of the State Company for Industrial…

Updated: 27/05/2026 – 9:01 GMT+2 Heatwaves have become “much more common” and are affecting all Europe, not just the south, Carlo Buontempo, from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, says. He warns that climate change is making these events “last longer” and increasing their “intensity”. … More

Published on 27/05/2026 – 7:57 GMT+2•Updated 8:33 Also on today’s show: ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Interviews with Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Benjamin Haddad, French Minister for European Affairs. Euronews’ Rafael Salido reports live from Madrid on a corruption case in Spain involving Spanish PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Euronews’ Fay Doulgkeri reports from Athens on Alexis Tsipras’ new political party as the former Greek prime minister eyes coming back to power. Interview with Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, on heatwaves across Europe. When and where to watch Europe Today? You can join…