Author: Press Room

Around 80% of Europe’s digital infrastructure and technology comes from outside the EU. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The digital market is dominated by US giants such as Google, Microsoft and Apple, and Chinese conglomerates such as Alibaba and TikTok-owner ByteDance. Yet most EU citizens want European-controlled digital infrastructure, with respondents in Sweden (94%), Finland (93%), and Denmark (92%) believing that the EU should prioritise these investments, according to the latest Eurobarometer report. At the same time, EU citizens overwhelmingly want to see a reduction in dependence on non-EU technologies from countries such as the US and China. This view is most prevalent…

Pedro Sánchez tells Congress: ‘I never knew of, nor would I have tolerated, any of these practices’ ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Spain’s prime minister appeared before the Congress of Deputies on Wednesday to address the wave of corruption cases surrounding his government, party and family. “I am fully aware that public debate has been flooded with judicial news,” Pedro Sánchez said at the opening of his address, after briefly reviewing the latest European Council meeting and before turning to the core of his speech: the court cases involving the PSOE, his partner Begoña Gómez, and his brother David Sánchez. “I do not…

Published on 24/06/2026 – 19:24 GMT+2 German authorities on Wednesday carried out raids in Berlin and Frankfurt as part of an investigation into a suspected attempt to sabotage Germany’s gas supply. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said police searched the premises of a Russian suspect and another person not under investigation in the German capital, as well as those of an unnamed business in Frankfurt am Main. The investigation is looking into the sale of Gazprom’s Berlin-based subsidiary Gazprom Germania, which took place around a month after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to…

Published on 24/06/2026 – 18:01 GMT+2 The commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police force has announced plans to scale up the use of drones and facial recognition technology across the capital. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a speech on Wednesday, Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley warned that crime was “evolving at speed” and that many criminals were now going digital. “They are using smarter, faster and more connected tools than ever before,” he said. To counter this growing threat, Rowley said forces must get on board with emerging technologies and called for reduced legislation before implementation. He singled out drones and facial recognition…

Published on 24/06/2026 – 16:45 GMT+2 Two workers for a Norwegian charity involved in demining efforts in Ukraine have been killed in a Russian strike, the charity has announced. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Oslo-based humanitarian organisation Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) said on Wednesday that it had received reports that two of its colleagues had been killed and several others were injured in an attack on Ukraine. The Kherson Regional State Administration said the strike targeted the Vysokopillia area of the Kherson region. “We are currently working to verify the details, and our thoughts are with those affected and their families,” the…

Published on 24/06/2026 – 16:02 GMT+2 The EU’s foreign policy branch on Wednesday announced appointments to three key posts, with signs of a strong emphasis on defence and cooperation with NATO as the pressure grows to reform the bloc’s diplomatic service. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Kajsa Ollongren has been appointed Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), a position left vacant following the departure of Belén Martínez Carbonell earlier this year. She is a former deputy prime minister, defence minister and interior minister of the Netherlands, and currently serves as the EU special representative for human rights. The post of…

France head coach Didier Deschamps will miss Les Bleus’ final group match against Norway on Friday after returning home following the death of his mother. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a statement on Tuesday, the French Football Federation (FFF) said: “The national coach had the pain, this morning, of learning of his mother’s death. He is returning to France to attend her funeral”. “In agreement with Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, who is at the France team’s base camp, Didier Deschamps has entrusted his assistant, Guy Stéphan, with responsibility for leading the squad until he returns,” the statement continued.…

Greece’s Supreme Court of Cassation, the Areios Pagos, has dismissed as inadmissible an appeal lodged by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), headed by Laura Kövesi. The decision, taken in a closed session, was backed by a large majority — 72 members voted to dismiss, with 10 against. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The appeal concerned a ruling by the 11-member Supreme Judicial Council for Civil and Criminal Justice to extend by two years the terms of office of three Greek European Delegated Prosecutors: Popi Papandreou, Charikleia Thanu and Dionysios Mouzakis. The EPPO had sought to have that ruling annulled, arguing that the…

Twelve European Union countries are asking the European Commission to preserve and expand a key fund for lower-income countries investing in the energy transition beyond 2030, arguing that without it, the bloc’s economic competitiveness and energy security may slow down. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a letter addressed to Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and seen by Euronews, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia argue that the Modernisation Fund remains a crucial instrument for EU countries facing substantial investment needs in the transition to cleaner energy systems. The Modernisation Fund has been financing…

Published on 24/06/2026 – 12:17 GMT+2 A historic heatwave continues to grip France. On Wednesday 24 June, residents woke to record temperatures once again: 29°C in La Rochelle, 26°C in Dieppe and 27°C in Paris — all by 5am. Fifty-eight départements are on red alert and 31 on orange alert. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Maximum temperatures remain exceptionally high across most of the western half of the country. Météo-France has warned that further records are likely to fall, “including all-time records for any month.” While daytime highs are changing little, overnight minimums continue to rise. Wildfire risk The combination of extreme heat…