Author: Press Room

The European Union has condemned Belarus’ decision to designate Euronews as an “extremist” media organisation, saying it forms part of a “broader pattern of repression targeting independent media.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “It is an ongoing effort to restrict freedom of the press,” said Anitta Hipper, the EU’s spokesperson for foreign affairs and security. “The EU shares its solidarity with Euronews.” The comments follow a wave of support for Euronews following last week’s listing from Minsk, including from Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who described the move as a “shameful” attempt to curb press freedom. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola posted on…

Water levels on rivers across the Balkans have fallen to record lows, disrupting navigation and exposing large areas of riverbed in Croatia. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT On the Danube near Batina, in northeastern Croatia close to the Serbian border, large sandbanks have emerged as water levels have dropped. Some can now be crossed on foot. At a nearby measuring station, the Danube was at -158 centimetres on Sunday. The low water levels are also affecting river traffic. Near Šarengrad, several cargo ships have been unable to navigate the Danube. On the Drava River near Osijek, the receding water has exposed parts of…

Regions home to around 900 million people experienced their hottest July on record in 2026, including in the Sahel, Central America, France and Spain, according to AFP analysis of Copernicus data. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Some 33 countries recorded their hottest July since records began, according to a detailed analysis of billions of data points from Copernicus’s ERA5 climate model. Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July on record as climate change fuels an historic summer of heat, drought and wildfires across the region, the EU’s global warming monitor said Monday. 120 million Europeans hit Nearly 120 million Europeans live in regions where…

Published on 10/08/2026 – 9:45 GMT+2 A Ukrainian drone strike on the central Russian region of Tatarstan killed at least 12 people in one of Kyiv’s most deadly single attacks of the more than four year war. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “According to the latest information, 12 people have been killed and 39 wounded as a result of the drone attack,” on the city of Nizhnekamsk, the regional press service said in a statement on Monday. More than 1,000 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, with a population of 240,000, the city is an important oil refining hub, home to two refineries and…

Published on 10/08/2026 – 9:00 GMT+2 Summer is halfway through, but water restrictions are still in place across the bloc. This summer’s record-breaking temperatures are speeding up water evaporation from rivers and lakes, worsening drought conditions. But heat only accelerates a shortage that the EU has built up for decades. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Europe relies heavily on water. Electricity cooling uses 33 percent of Europe’s water, agriculture 31 percent, public supply 21 percent, and industry 14 percent, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) reports. To meet these needs, the EU extracts about 200,000 billion cubic metres of water annually, exceeding natural replenishment…

Published on 10/08/2026 – 8:00 GMT+2 Every summer shows the same warning signs: dropping water levels, parched soil, and emergency water restrictions. Each year, these problems grow more severe. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT 67 French departments are currently in crisis mode and subject to water restrictions. 20 are on high alert. The Danube River is at its lowest level since 1996, affecting agriculture, transportation and energy production in Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary and Romania. The Netherlands announced a water shortage as early as July, with houseboats stranded on dried-up rivers, while seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea declared drought…

Medical sources have confirmed that Ceuta University Hospital has treated over the past week at least five girls for suspected rape, none of them older than 14, and all whom had arrived in the city from Morocco amid last week’s influx of migrants into the Spanish north African exclave. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT One boy is also believed to be among those who suffered alleged sexual assault, medical sources said, noting that the real figure may be higher, as some victims have yet to file a complaint. So far, more than a dozen cases consistent with sexual assault have been treated. The…

Published on 09/08/2026 – 14:15 GMT+2 It could be one of the most significant resource discoveries in Poland’s history: about six kilometres from the Polish port city Świnoujście, and thus within sight of the German holiday island of Usedom, lies the Wolin East oilfield. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Initial estimates suggest the newly discovered field contains around 22 million tonnes of crude oil and some five billion cubic metres of commercially recoverable natural gas. The discovery stems from exploratory drilling carried out by Canadian company Central European Petroleum (CEP) in July last year at a depth of more than 2,500 metres. ‘Historic…

Published on 09/08/2026 – 14:45 GMT+2 The fire that broke out last Thursday in Niebla has forced the evacuation of the population centres of cities west of Sevilla: Berrocal, El Membrillo, El Pozuelo and Marigenta, according to Andalusia’s Forest Firefighting Service (INFOCA). The burnt area now exceeds 4,000 hectares, and around 400 people have been evacuated. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Overnight, 150 forest firefighters worked on the ground. Andalusia’s regional minister for the Presidency, Health and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, said that the Level 2 fire remains extremely complex 48 hours after it started, due to constant wind shifts and the spread of…

Michalis Damianos, Cyprus Minister for Energy, stresses that the Cypriot natural gas now being developed could start flowing to Europe as early as the spring of 2028, something that will help make the European continent more energy independent and also stabilise prices. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT He also referred to the latest developments regarding Cyprus’s electricity interconnection with Greece and the entry of the French company Meridiam, following the sustained interest shown by the French President Emmanuel Macron. Natural gas ‘as soon as March 2028’ European consumers can expect natural gas from an undersea field off Cyprus, which will help meet their…