Author: Press Room
Hello and good morning. Angela Skujins penning your Thursday dispatch, with some hot news. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT We just heard that after marathon talks EU ambassadors early Thursday morning approved the EU’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The previous hold out? As my colleague Jorge Liboreiro reports, maritime heavyweight Greece previously clung to its veto due to issues regarding a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and its transport. We expect further reporting from Jorge today regarding the play-by-play of how this deal finally got done. But before we go there, Latvian leader Andris Kulbergs said in exclusive comments…
Wildfires continued to spread across parts of France, Spain and Italy on Wednesday, forcing thousands of people from their homes amid soaring temperatures. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In southwestern France’s Gironde department, more than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight due to a blaze that’s ravaged more than 2,000 hectares in the region, local authorities said. The fire broke out in the town of Saumos on Wednesday and has advanced southwest towards the areas of Le Porge and Lège Cap-Ferret. As of Thursday morning, 500 firefighters are tackling the blaze, with aerial reinforcements on the way. Two firefighters were killed while tackling flames…
It’s a long and winding road to 2050. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Last week, the EU launched an infringement procedure against all members for failing to fully transpose the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), also called the Green Homes Directive, into law. The deadline to do so was 29 May 2026. Brussels planned to put the bloc on a common trajectory towards net-zero emissions by the first half of the century with a mandatory modernisation of buildings, Europe’s largest energy consumer. The opening of the infringement procedure, which means that each member state has been sent a letter of formal warning…
Lawmakers agreed to update air passenger rights on 15 June after thirteen years of negotiations. The deal adds new protections, including banning the no-show clause and clarifying compensation and reimbursement, and maintains current protections for flight disruptions. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT For two decades, airlines have avoided paying, leaving €3.2 billionunclaimed. Airlines contested claims and refused compensation. Consumer groups noted lengthy procedures, unclear policies, and confusing websites. Rights enforcement became a frustration for passengers. This gap allowed claims agencies to create a new business model, exposing the failure of EU rules to protect travellers effectively. “This failure has driven the growth of…
Published on 22/07/2026 – 18:42 GMT+2 The former chief executive of UK water company Southern Water has been charged with conspiring to “manipulate” water quality tests, British authorities said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Matthew Wright, who previously led the company supplying water and wastewater services to millions of people across southern England, is accused alongside three others of conspiring to defraud the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat between 2012 and 2017. Prosecutors allege the defendants deliberately manipulated wastewater flows before mandatory water quality tests to influence the results. The charges were made public on Wednesday after the High Court…
Gianni Infantino would not have a clear path to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations, even with Donald Trump’s backing. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT According to a report from The New York Post, the US President sees FIFA’s boss as a “respected” potential candidate, with a “special ability to bring people together” demonstrated by the success of the 2026 World Cup. But in any event, his endorsement alone would not be enough to push to the world’s most powerful diplomatic job a person who is not even a career diplomat. Neither Trump nor Infantino have confirmed a candidacy, which,…
The EU is supposed to grow again, but there is still some disagreement about how. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is sticking to his proposal for an associate EU membership status for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkan countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Critics complain that this would be a “waiting room” or a form of second-class membership. Gunther Krichbaum counters that they have apparently not yet understood the model. For the Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office, this is about a clear commitment. He explains: “Why should we…
Ash still covered the streets of Cotignac on Wednesday morning after a wildfire that broke out the previous afternoon tore through the medieval cliffside village in the heart of Provence, destroying nearly 60 homes and burning thousands of hectares across five communes overnight. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The fire started in a field near the village of Pontevès on Tuesday and spread rapidly northward, driven by wind and drought, before reaching Cotignac during the night. By dawn it had burned through the nearby communes, bringing in more than 900 firefighters with reinforcements from across southern France, including Marseille’s naval pompiers. Four people…
By Tamsin Paternoster & Baptiste Goudier Published on 22/07/2026 – 12:13 GMT+2 Europe’s new biometric border system has prompted warnings of longer queues and disruption from countries and airport operators as millions of non-EU travellers face the first summer adapting to new checks at the bloc’s external borders. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Particular attention has been given to Britons, who are among the largest groups of non-EU visitors to the bloc during the summer months. However, for the most part, the reports of delays are not dissuading British adults from carrying out their travel plans, according to a new YouGov survey. Among Britons planning to…
Hungary’s Prosecutor General has resigned, bowing to pressure from Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who is seeking to remove key officials appointed under Viktor Orbán. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a statement, Gábor Bálint Nagy said he was stepping down to safeguard the integrity and independence of the prosecutor office, condemning what he described as political pressure placed upon it. “The prosecution service must not become an instrument in the struggles of political actors, nor can it be a stage for day-to-day political interests or power games,” Nagy said, adding that he no longer wished to be part of a conflict “built on…