Author: Press Room

Updated: 25/06/2026 – 12:15 GMT+2 Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy believes Israel’s campaign is “creating the urgency and opportunity” for Lebanon to confront Hezbollah. Levy said that if Lebanon is “capable of dismantling Hezbollah”, it could mark the beginning of “a beautiful peace between Israel and Lebanon. … More

Ukraine has received €3.2 billion as the first disbursement under the European Union’s €90 billion support loan, Ursula von der Leyen has announced. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The €3.2 billion will help cover Kyiv’s budgetary gaps and guarantee financial stability. A second disbursement dedicated to drone production and worth about €6 billion is expected to be unveiled in the coming days. The news comes as Ukraine enjoys renewed momentum on the battlefield against Russian troops and Moscow’s war machine shows growing strain. “Today, we are transferring the first tranche under this loan, dear Yulia (Svyrydenko), it is exactly €3.2 billion in macro-financial…

After two years of negotiations, the EU has reached a landmark agreement on the new Child Sexual Abuse Directive, setting much stricter rules against predators. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT One of the most significant measures allows victims of child rape and other serious offences to formally file a complaint against their alleged assailant until they turn 50, in all EU member states. It aims to remove what’s been called a cruel geographical “lottery” by giving all victims across the EU at least 32 years to file charges after reaching the age of 18. That’s particularly relevant for countries with shorter limitation periods,…

As diplomatic tensions between Poland and Ukraine show few signs of abating, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s absence from Gdansk could become the conference’s most significant political signal. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Ukraine’s president will skip the two-day “Ukraine Recovery Conference” in Gdansk, a high-level gathering on the post-war reconstruction of his country amid a deepening rift with Warsaw over the naming of a military unit after the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Relations between Ukraine and Poland are now facing their deepest crisis in years, driven by a sharp resurgence of what is viewed in both countries as one of the most…

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…