Author: Press Room
A 43-year-old Swiss man was arrested on Monday on “strong suspicion” of being behind a rare deadly gun attack at a rave in Switzerland. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Gunfire erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning as an annual rave was winding down at the racecourse in Aarau, capital of Switzerland’s northern Aargau canton. The attack triggered an international manhunt for the shooter, who left an Italian woman dead and wounded five others, some seriously. “A 43-year-old Swiss man was apprehended shortly before 1:00 am Monday,” Aargau police said in a statement. “The man was subsequently arrested on strong suspicion of…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 15:10 GMT+2 EU forces intercepted and boarded a suspected Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Mediterranean on Sunday, according to the bloc’s top diplomat. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a post on X, Kaja Kallas said troops from the EU’s Operation Irini boarded the MV Sun tanker for “flag verification,” following suspicions that the vessel was sailing under a false flag in breach of international maritime law. “Illegal oil sales from shadow fleet ships are a critical lifeline for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and we’ll continue to cut them off,” she wrote, adding that it was the…
Brussels had hoped it could attract wealthier nations into its orbit by positioning itself as a pillar of defence and security in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Icelandic voters proved it wrong. After the Icelandic government announced a referendum on whether to resume negotiations for joining the bloc, EU officials hailed the move as a sign the Union was shifting from being seen purely as a market to a fully fledged political actor. As a result, security considerations were expected to override the historic reluctance of wealthier Nordic nations to join the Union. “In a world where we…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 17:12 GMT+2•Updated 17:19 Germany and France have floated a joint plan to bring High Representative Kaja Kallas under the direct supervision of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as part of an overhaul of the European Union’s foreign policy. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The plan is set to be discussed on Wednesday during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland. Kallas will chair the session. The Franco-German project aims to address one of the bloc’s most persistent weaknesses in external action: institutional cacophony. Under the complex design of the Treaty of Lisbon, the High…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 22:47 GMT+2 The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday that an individual accused of spying for a third country — a Canadian national of Chinese origin — would remain in pre-trial detention. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Belgian Indictments Chamber rejected the woman’s appeal during a closed-door hearing and extended her pre-trial detention by one month, a spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office told Euronews. Belgian authorities announced in July that they had arrested an individual accused of spying for a third country and belonging to a criminal organisation, ordering that she remain behind bars ahead of…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 22:22 GMT+2 Former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur has died at the age of 97, his family told the AFP news agency. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT A private mass service is now planned for Balladur, who died in Paris on Monday, the family said, without giving further details. Balladur served as PM from March 1993 to May 1995 under the presidency of Francois Mitterrand, in the so-called “second cohabitation” government. French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to Balladur on social media following the news of his death, calling him a “demanding, level-headed, and devoted public servant” who…
By Etienne Paponaud & euronews Published on 31/08/2026 – 20:55 GMT+2 This week, 3,000 young people are starting France’s new national service programme, a voluntary military scheme that replaces the country’s now-scrapped Universal National Service. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The volunteers have signed up for a 10-month stint, where they will learn discipline, drill, military songs and weapons handling. They will begin their service with five weeks of basic military training before joining a unit in the army, air force or navy. As well as receiving accommodation, food and clothing, participants will be paid €800 per month. Members of this first cohort were selected based…
Nearly a week after CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s secret trip to Moscow fuelled fears that Russia could be preparing to test NATO, European officials are pushing back against suggestions that a conventional attack might be imminent. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT From Finland and Romania to the Baltic states, governments say there is no evidence Moscow is preparing for a direct confrontation with NATO – even as they continue strengthening their defences and warn of a growing Russian threat. Officials across NATO’s eastern flank argue that preparing for Russian aggression is not the same as expecting it. John Hardie, deputy director of the…
Prosecutors in Poland have launched a terrorism investigation into a fire at a drone factory in the city of Skarżysko-Kamienna. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a statement, prosecutors said the fire, which broke out at a WB Electronics factory, was started deliberately “by planting an explosive device containing flammable materials.” CCTV footage had reportedly captured an unidentified person in a balaclava who allegedly entered the premises after climbing a fence. A backpack and a sweatshirt were also found near the site. WB Electronics is the largest private arms company in Poland. Its reconnaissance and attack drones are used by the Ukrainian armed…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 18:52 GMT+2 Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has said the European Union is facing a leadership crisis and needs to make crucial decisions about its future not only to survive, but to win. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Magyar made the remarks at the Bled Strategic Forum, where he spoke alongside Slovenia’s Janez Janša, Croatia’s Andrej Plenković and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš about regional cooperation and competitiveness. “There is a lack of political leadership, to be honest, in the European Union,” Magyar said, pointing to the EU’s bureaucracy, which he said stifled action. “I was told by a…