World

Magyar to meet von der Leyen as Hungary races to access cash

Published on 29/04/2026 – 7:40 GMT+2•Updated 12:10 Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar is set to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday as he seeks to unlock billions of euros in suspended EU funding quickly. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Magyar will hold what sources describe as “informal…

How engaged are young Europeans in online civic and political life?

Young Europeans seem to be more politically active than their older counterparts. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In 2025, nearly one in four Europeans aged 16 to 29 said they engaged in civic or political issues online, according to the latest Eurostat figures. This includes expressing their opinions on civic or political issues,…

Brussels eases aid rules to counter Iran war fuel crisis

The European Union will ease its strict state aid rules to help fuel-dependent sectors cope with surging energy prices and other economic effects of the crisis in the Middle East, the European Commission announced on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The emergency, short-term measures will allow national governments to subsidise up to…

Second US ambassador to Ukraine steps down in less than one year

Published on 29/04/2026 – 17:38 GMT+2•Updated 17:39 Acting US ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis is to step down in June and retire from diplomatic service, the US State Department announced on Wednesday, amid reports that the decision might stem from Washington’s approach to Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Davis has been the…

Spain’s PM led plot to rig contracts, defendant in graft case claims

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez headed a criminal organisation that rigged public contracts and illegally funded his Socialist party, a defendant in a trial that has threatened the government told a court on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The trial of Sánchez’s former right-hand man, José Luis Ábalos, is just one of…

Magyar says EU money to arrive in Hungary ‘soon’ after Brussels trip

Published on 29/04/2026 – 19:25 GMT+2•Updated 19:33 Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar said EU funds could soon be released to Hungary following a series of high-level meetings in Brussels on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Magyar met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in their first direct talks since his election victory…

China pushes EU to scrap ‘Made in Europe’ law or face retaliation

Published on 29/04/2026 – 19:52 GMT+2•Updated 19:57 China has called on EU member states to revise the bloc’s proposed “Made in Europe” legislation, according to Suo Peng, trade and economy minister at China’s mission in Brussels. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The European Union is currently debating the draft, which was unveiled by…

Europol taskforce nets 280 arrests as ‘violence for hire’ spreads

Published on 29/04/2026 – 18:54 GMT+2 An international taskforce formed to crack down on “violence for hire” has led to 280 arrests in its first year, the European Union’s police agency Europol said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The arrests underscore a trend across the continent of criminals hiring people, many…

Parliament lets new parent MEPs delegate votes – if they are women

Published on 29/04/2026 – 17:47 GMT+2 Women MEPs will be allowed to delegate their vote to a colleague before and after childbirth, thanks to a new measure aimed at strengthening work-life balance – despite claims that it runs against the European Parliament’s gender equality policy. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The changes, adopted…

Ukraine formally asks Israel to seize ship with grain stolen by Russia

Ukraine has formally asked Israel to arrest a cargo ship carrying what Kyiv says is stolen Ukrainian grain, escalating a diplomatic row between the two countries after Israeli authorities allowed a previous vessel with similar cargo to unload unchallenged at the port of Haifa. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Panama-flagged bulk-carrier Panormitis,…