Several MEPs and social media users have falsely claimed that “claqueurs” were brought in to support Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel, as she received the European Order of Merit award at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 19 May. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT This newly created prize aims to honour individuals who…

Portugal’s National Republican Guard arrested 41-year-old French national Marine Rousseau alongside a 55-year-old man earlier this week after two young boys were found abandoned by the side of a main road. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT According to the police force, the pair are “suspected of committing the crimes of domestic violence and…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa signed on Friday a revamped trade deal with Mexico as part of the EU’s efforts to expand its influence in Latin America, shortly after the Mercosur pact entered into force. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The deal was signed at…

Published on 22/05/2026 – 13:58 GMT+2 The European Union is considering the use of “existing flexibilities” within its fiscal framework as part of its response to the energy crisis, European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis told journalists on Friday following a euro area finance ministers’ meeting in Cyprus. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT…

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy been invited to attend the annual NATO summit in Ankara in July, the alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “I invited him already,” Rutte said at a press conference following a foreign ministers meeting in Sweden. “He will be there.” Zelenskyy’s invitation…

Granting “associate membership” to Ukraine risks leaving the country in limbo that could make it lose momentum to complete the path to a full membership status, said Helen McEntee, Ireland’s foreign minister. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The remarks come in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s unprecedented plan to create a tailor-made…

Published on 22/05/2026 – 18:31 GMT+2 EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné called for EU businesses to diversify their suppliers on Friday as trade tensions with China ramp up. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The comments come as Beijing has made repeated threats towards the EU in recent weeks, while Brussels seeks to strengthen…

The European Union will not immediately attempt to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, despite the new Hungarian government’s readiness to lift the country’s long-standing opposition. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Kirill, a highly controversial figure with both religious and political influence, has been accused of spreading revisionist…

Published on 22/05/2026 – 15:00 GMT+2•Updated 15:02 Italian police reportedly shut down a movie wrap party attended by Hollywood stars and rock and roll icon Mick Jagger on the island of Stromboli earlier this week due to a local rule banning music on Wednesdays. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The celebrities had gathered…

Gustav Hasselskog, CEO of the Swedish company Candela he founded in 2014, steps aboard a futuristic vessel at dock in Stockholm’s Frihamnen harbour. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Low and sleek, the Candela P12 pulling away from the quay has more in common with an aircraft fuselage than a traditional commuter ferry. “We…