Author: Press Room
By Eduard Wolter Published on 26/06/2026 – 19:56 GMT+2 The German side gets off to a fortunate start. In the second minute, a throw-in from Raum finds its way via Pavlovic and Wirtz to Sané, who fires into the bottom left corner. For most observers, though, it is an illegal goal, as Pavlović raises his leg very high when controlling the ball and catches his opponent, Pedro Vite, on the head. While Vite lies on the ground in obvious pain, the referee, Tori Penso of the USA, allows the goal to stand. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In the ninth minute, Ecuador’s Nilson Angulo…
Published on 26/06/2026 – 18:22 GMT+2 Organised crime in the EU evolves rapidly, becomes increasingly sophisticated, transnational and resilient, the EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol, stressed on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT A staggering 731 criminal networks have been identified as operating within the EU, with over 400,000 members from 118 nationalities. Their main business areas are drug trafficking, followed by fraud and online fraud. The EU’s law enforcement agency highlights, in particular, the rise in cybercrime. “All crime is nurtured online, is accelerated by AI and technology,” Jürgen Ebner, Acting Executive Director of Europol, said Friday during a press conference in…
Published on 26/06/2026 – 17:53 GMT+2 European governments are trying to resuscitate a temporary regime allowing messaging services to scan for child sexual abuse material, but the move risks complicating efforts to adopt a long-term legal framework. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT EU ambassadors agreed on Friday to move ahead with a temporary extension of the legal framework that allows platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger to take measures to identify users suspected of sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The move, proposed by the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU, would be unprecedented, as the European Parliament already voted against…
European Union energy ministers have secured a greater role in planning Europe’s future electricity system after launching an intense political campaign against the European Commission’s proposal seeking more control over the bloc’s power grid. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Two politically sensitive issues in the bloc’s plan to revamp the electric grid were discussed by energy ministers in Luxembourg on 26 June: a new centralised planning scenario for future grid investments and a sweeping effort to accelerate permitting procedures for clean power projects, which typically take 5 to 10 years to be approved. While Europe excels at producing clean power, it struggles to…
Published on 26/06/2026 – 11:48 GMT+2 A deadly heatwave is straining hospitals, transport systems and public services across Europe, as authorities from France to Poland warn that the continent is struggling to cope with days of punishing temperatures. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT At least 101 million Europeans have endured temperatures above 35C, according to AFP, with several hundred people thought to have died, including a three-year-old found dead in a car in Paris and people who drowned while trying to cool off. The heat has hit health systems particularly hard. In France, emergency rooms have reported a fourfold increase in heat-related visits,…
Published on 26/06/2026 – 13:38 GMT+2•Updated 13:39 The deadly rampage at the Magdeburg Christmas market on 20 December 2024 shocked the whole of Germany. The perpetrator Taleb al Abdulmohsen was arrested at the scene and on Friday was sentenced to life imprisonment. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The 51-year-old was found guilty of six counts of murder and 338 counts of attempted murder, as well as causing grievous bodily harm. He was ordered to be detained for the purpose of preventing reoffending. During the trial, Abdulmohsen admitted to driving the BMW X3 compact SUV through the crowd but denied deliberately running people over.…
The assessment by the Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Carlo Buontempo, on the current heatwave hitting Europe is clear. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “There’s a clear need to develop strategies to cope with these extremes (as) they have the potential to kill us,” Buontempo warned. He made the comments on Euronews’ flagship morning programme Europe Today on Friday — a day where extreme weather warnings have been issued for France, Belgium, Germany and Britain, following half-a-week of soaring temperatures sizzling capitals and citizens. These increased temperatures are “a natural consequence of the fact that the world is warming up”, Buontempo…
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he approved a plan for Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) to launch a 40-day operation aimed at pressuring Russia to end the war. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Zelenskyy’s announcement comes after his meeting with SBU chief Major General Yevhenii Khmara, who reported on Kyiv’s “plan for long-range sanctions, medium-range sanctions, and the results achieved by the SBU,” Zelenskyy said on X. “For several months in a row, the SBU has demonstrated the highest performance in defending Ukraine’s positions on the front lines through the use of various types of drones,” Zelensky said on Thursday evening. What is…
European anti-fraud investigators have helped uncover a large-scale scheme that illegally exported 4,200 tonnes of textile waste from Italy to Turkey, exposing what authorities describe as a profitable operation designed to evade environmental laws and recycling costs. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The investigation, led by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in cooperation with Italy’s Carabinieri and Turkish customs authorities, focused on textile waste containing high levels of acrylic fibres. Because these synthetic materials persist in the environment for up to 200 years and require more sophisticated recycling processes, they are subject to strict and costly disposal rules. Investigators found that shipments had…
Published on 26/06/2026 – 10:36 GMT+2 The European Commission proposed excluding military-age Ukrainian men from the EU’s temporary protection scheme while extending the program until March 2028, in a move intended to bolster Kyiv’s armed forces. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The measure followed pressure from several EU member states to tighten temporary protection rules, citing integration challenges and Ukraine’s need for additional military personnel. It was also backed by Kyiv, which, under martial law, bars most men aged 23 and older from leaving the country. “Our proposal takes into account Ukraine’s evolving defence needs,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner said. Despite…