Author: Press Room

Rescuers in Germany abandoned an elaborate operation on Thursday to save a sick humpback whale that has been repeatedly stranded off the Baltic Sea coast and has stirred up attention across the country for weeks. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The whale, which has been nicknamed Timmy by local media, is lying in shallow waters near the eastern German town of Wismar and has barely moved for days. Many fear it may soon die. Experts came up with a sophisticated plan to use air cushions to lift the animal onto a tarp, which will be secured to two pontoons and attached to a…

Published on 16/04/2026 – 21:14 GMT+2 The Russian Defence Ministry has published a list of European manufacturers that allgedly produce drones for Ukraine, saying such joint ventures constitute a “step towards escalation.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The ministry also said that such collaboration risks “increasingly dragging European countries into war,” while one Russian official called the manufacturers potential military targets. The Russian Defence Ministry says that in late March, the leadership of a number of EU countries decided to increase the production and supply of drones to Ukraine for use in strikes on Russian territory and to expand the financing of enterprises…

Staff at immigration offices across Spain cancelled plans to strike after a deal was reached with the government that took into account their concerns about an uptick in workload following an amnesty programme for undocumented migrants, the union group CCOO said on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Unions representing immigration officers cancelled the walkout that was due to start next week after securing a 10-18% pay rise and a pledge to fill 700 vacant positions, union leader César Pérez said. Union leaders had warned that an already stretched system would struggle to cope with the increased volume of applications after Spain’s government…

Pope Leo XIV criticised the “tyrants” ransacking the world on Thursday, on a high-security visit to a “bloodstained” region of Cameroon following a war of words with US President Donald Trump. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Since his landmark four-nation African tour started earlier this week, the pope has abandoned his previous restraint in speaking out in favour of world peace, particularly after Trump lashed out against his criticism of the Iran war. “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Leo…

Berlin wants to show its best side this summer and is calling on tourists to do their bit. That, at least, is the basic idea behind the “BerlinPay” scheme. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Anyone who takes part, for example by collecting rubbish or supporting social projects, receives benefits in return at museums, participating restaurants or Berlin experiences. Sustainable behaviour by travellers is meant to be visibly rewarded. The concept itself is not new; the original idea comes from Copenhagen. BerlinPay: picking up litter for Berlin’s summer The city of Berlin is still looking for suitable partners, because the rewards need to be…

No country can “prohibit the freedom of navigation” on international waterways, the chief of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, told Euronews amid an ongoing standoff between Washington and Tehran over the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Asked about the US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports, which began this week, Dominguez told Euronews there is “no international law agreement that allows any country to prohibit the freedom of navigation on straits used for international navigation,” calling for rapid de-escalation in the conflict gripping the Middle East to reinstate shipping transit. The US is relying…

Poland’s Minister of Finance Andrzej Domański addressed the issue of cash storage by Poles in case of possible digital crises, in an interview with Polsat News. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The immediate impetus for this discussion was the recommendations of, among others, Estonia’s central bank, which recommended that citizens keep a stockpile of cash in their homes sufficient for up to a week of daily expenditure. The reason for this is the growing risks associated with possible payment system failures, cyberattacks or power cuts. Experts emphasise that in the event of a major disruption to the financial infrastructure, cash may be the…

For more than two months, a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia has remained stalled on the political table. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT First vetoed by Hungary and Slovakia over an unrelated dispute with Ukraine involving the Druzhba pipeline, and later challenged by the energy turmoil unleashed by the US war on Iran, the proposed sanctions, which include a full ban on maritime services for Russian oil tankers, are still waiting for a resolution. But recent developments in Budapest and Washington have suddenly improved the odds, raising hopes in Brussels that the 20th package could soon be unblocked. The crushing…

Europe has “maybe six weeks or so of jet fuel left,” the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the global repercussions of what he called “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced,” stemming from the cut-off of oil, gas and other vital supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. “In the past there was a (music) group called Dire Straits. It’s a dire strait now and it is going…

Defence contractor Rheinmetall has been awarded a major contract to manufacture combat drones for the German armed forces in a deal approved by the Bundestag Budget Committee on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT New combat drones are planned in particular for use as part of the so-called Lithuania Brigade. The unit consists of around 5,000 soldiers who guarantee the defence and security of NATO’s eastern flank at Lithuanian bases until the end of 2027, as threats from Russia persist following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The framework agreement provides for a possible total volume of up to €2.4 billion,…