Author: Press Room

Updated: 12/06/2026 – 14:08 GMT+2 European economic conditions “have worsened,” International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said, as the IMF is now “downgrading” its growth projections and “uplifting” its inflation forecasts. Georgieva recommends that the EU invest “together” and “wisely”. … More

Protests have been growing in Albania against a planned resort development backed by Jared Kushner, with thousands taking to the streets of Tirana on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and his investment firm Affinity Partners have been in negotiations to open an estimated $4 billion luxury resort in a protected area on Albania’s Adriatic coast. But protesters have pushed back at the plans, arguing it would damage the local environment. Some are also calling for Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign over the issue. Here’s everything you need to know about the protests.…

Published on 12/06/2026 – 15:00 GMT+2 At 46, Josef Quehenberger describes himself as a proud farmer. A former sales representative, fifteen years ago he decided to take over his family farm in Abtenau, a market town near Salzburg. He breeds sheep, cows and turkey. He produces pellets for gardening from sheep wool. He even directly delivers organic turkey meat to his clients. Work is hard but rewarding, he says.“I’m the tenth generation on my farm, and the farm has run through epidemics, two world wars, coronavirus and the Nazis. So it has survived a lot,” he says. “I am happy…

A major reform of European migration rules aimed at hardening border procedures and overhauling the asylum process comes into force on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “For the first time we have a comprehensive European system,” said Magnus Brunner, the European Union’s migration chief, adding that the reform would hand EU nations more control over their borders. Here are the main features of the new initiative: Beefed-up border screenings Migrants irregularly entering the European Union will undergo identity and security checks in a process lasting up to seven days. Identity documents and biometric readings of their faces and fingerprints will be recorded…

Published on 12/06/2026 – 17:30 GMT+2 A Belgian driver was convicted of murdering seven people on Friday by ploughing his car into a carnival procession while filming himself at the wheel. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Paolo Falzone, 38, is due to be sentenced next week over the fatal March 2022 crash in the southern town of La Louvière. He faces up to 30 years in jail. Prosecutors said the tragedy happened when Falzone, who had previous speeding and drink driving offences, raced his BMW at 170 kilometres per hour through a 50-kilometre zone on the town’s outskirts. They said he was driving…

Pope Leo XIV left the Canary Islands for Rome on Friday in a Falcon plane offered by Spanish King Felipe VI after his original aircraft suffered a technical glitch, according to reporters at the scene. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The flight took off just after 6:00 pm and is expected to arrive in Rome at around 11:00 pm. The pope wrapped up a week-long visit to Spain on Friday. The pontiff’s departure from Tenerife was delayed earlier on Friday by a technical problem with the plane which led him to disembark, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Spain’s King Felipe…

Published on 12/06/2026 – 19:15 GMT+2•Updated 19:29 The 27 countries of the European Union have reached an agreement to open the first cluster of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, building on the momentum created after Hungary lifted its two-year veto last week. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The breakthrough was achieved on Friday evening by ambassadors in Brussels, who endorsed a common position to go ahead with the next phase of negotiations. The position comes with a rule-of-law roadmap and an action plan on minority rights, the main bone of contention between Budapest and Kyiv. The action plan was amended to reflect…

For the first time, Poles were able to see the most advanced fighter jets, which in the coming years will become one of the pillars of the country’s military aviation. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Three fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, nicknamed “Husarz,” performed a ceremonial flypast over Poland’s largest cities as part of the “Welcome to Poland” operation. The event preceded the official ceremony to induct the jets into the Polish Armed Forces at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask. ‘Welcome to Poland’ The fighters took off in the morning from the base in Łask and began their demonstration flight, intended to give…

Published on 12/06/2026 – 15:49 GMT+2•Updated 17:20 The US is planning to withdraw access to deep strike capabilities for NATO allies as part of its wider plan to pull out of Europe’s security architecture. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Trump administration informed NATO allies last year it would cut military assets available to Europe even during times of war or invasion, but until now, the details of exactly how the Pentagon intends to scale back access to such assets were unclear. According to sources, everything linked to deep strike capabilities will be cut, Euronews has learned. Specifically, this includes US long-range bombers…

In 2025, Brussels launched its first-ever common borrowing programme for defence. One year on, EU policymakers are already planning a second edition of the flagship financing tool — with a push to shift from loans to grants — although several key questions about its future remain unresolved. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) allows EU countries to borrow low-interest loans to finance defence spending outside the EU fiscal stability framework via the so-called national escape clause. The programme has been running for about a year. Recent hybrid threats on the eastern flank — notably drone incursions — are…