Author: Press Room

Published on 08/05/2026 – 16:34 GMT+2 The European Commission has cleared Hungarian Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of allegations linked to a reported spying network that targeted Commission staff, closing an internal investigation without finding evidence of individual wrongdoing. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The announcement came a day before Hungary’s incoming Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, is due to take office following his landslide election victory last month. The decision means Várhelyi can remain in his role as EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. In October, several media outlets reported that Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels had run a network of…

Published on 08/05/2026 – 15:33 GMT+2 German MEP Bernd Lange (S&D), the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the EU-US trade deal, defended on Friday the EU legislative process aimed at implementing the agreement, pushing back against US criticism that Europe is moving too slowly. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The comments came after US President Donald Trump gave the EU until 4 July to cut tariffs on US goods to zero, as agreed under the deal signed last year in Turnberry with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning otherwise of new tariffs on European products. Washington has stepped up pressure on…

Published on 08/05/2026 – 13:22 GMT+2•Updated 13:23 The European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned Europe’s aviation sector on Friday that potential shortages of domestic aviation fuel could force airports and airlines to adapt to a different type of fuel across regions — a scenario that would require heightened safety measures. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The warning followed alerts from European airlines that fuel shortages could take place within weeks if disruptions in the Middle East persist. In response, the EU is considering contingency plans, such as importing more jet fuel from the United States, which uses a different fuel specification from…

Published on 08/05/2026 – 12:13 GMT+2 China denounced convictions of two men in the United Kingdom for spying on Hong Kong dissidents as a “political farce” on Friday, accusing the country of “erroneous practices.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT A London jury found the pair, a retired Hong Kong policeman and a former UK Border Force official, guilty on Thursday of assisting a foreign intelligence service following a weeks-long trial. The high-profile case exposed how ex-police superintendent Bill Yuen, 65, and 40-year-old Peter Wai conducted “shadow policing” operations on British soil targeting Hong Kong dissidents and exiled pro-democracy protesters. Asked about the two…

Published on 08/05/2026 – 10:08 GMT+2 Partial results on Friday from local elections in England showed big losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s governing Labour Party and gains for the hard-right Reform UK. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The votes are widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he was elected less than two years ago. Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas in England’s north that were once solid Labour turf. The picture will change throughout Friday as results come in from the majority of local councils, including…

Published on 08/05/2026 – 10:25 GMT+2 It was a bold move by Giorgia Meloni. This week, the Italian Prime Minister posted an AI-generated image of herself in underwear, a picture that had already been circulating on social media. It was intended as a warning: if this can happen to a head of government, it can happen to anyone. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT However, the European Union has already been working to tackle deep fakes. So what exactly is changing? On Thursday, the EU reached a deal to ban so-called “nudification” apps — the tools used to create non-consensual sexually explicit images and…

On 8 May 1945, Nazi Germany’s armed forces – the Wehrmacht – surrendered unconditionally, marking the end of World War II in Europe. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Eighty-one years later, a development that at first seems paradoxical is becoming increasingly visible: growing numbers of descendants of Holocaust survivors from Israel, the US and across the world are now applying for German citizenship. Many had already begun the process before, but the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 have once again changed the reasons driving many of these applications. At the same time, applicants continue to face significant bureaucratic hurdles, such…

Published on 08/05/2026 – 7:54 GMT+2•Updated 8:12 On today’s show hosted by Mared Gwyn: ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Top story: Euronews’ Stefan Grobe on the stalled EU–US trade deal and rising tensions over tariffs, with Trump issuing an ultimatum overnight. Interviews with Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Nadim Gemayel, Lebanese Member of Parliament, and Wopke Hoekstra, EU Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth. Explainer by Jakub Janas: The EU’s plan to simplify AI rules and ban “nudification” apps to protect citizens. When and where to watch Europe Today? You can join Euronews’ chief anchor Méabh Mc Mahon and…

Across Europe, pride rarely comes from a single source, and the strength of Europeans’ pride varies even more from country to country. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Arts and culture, history, food, and politics were among the themes mentioned by respondents in nine EU member states, out of 25 countries, in a Pew Research Centre study asking what makes people proud of their homeland. Where is pride in arts and culture most common? When it comes to pride in cultural heritage, including customs and traditions, national symbols, art and architecture, Italy stands out. About four in 10 Italians say they are proud of…

France’s right-wing TV channel, CNews, suffered a blow live on air after political commentators ridiculed Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France’s National Assembly, for allegedly featuring on the cover of tabloid magazine “Closer” on 4 May. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT However, the magazine cover was actually AI-generated. The cover depicts politician Braun-Pivet alongside Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, former minister of education under ex-socialist President François Hollande, besides a title which reads “For them, it’s not a crisis!” “It’s a way for her to say, ‘Look, I’m a bit left-leaning; look, I’m friends with Najat Vallaud-Belkacem’—that’s what it means to Yaël Braun-Pivet,” said one political commentator…