Competitiveness and innovation are at the core of Ursula von der Leyen’s second mandate as chief of the European Commission. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Recent developments, such as proposals for new business-friendly legal frameworks like the 28th regime and repeated calls for deregulation, have raised concern among some observers, who argue that…

Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near Crete disembarked on Friday in the Greek island, according to reports. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Escorted by Greek coast guards, some 175 activists were taken in four buses to a town whose name was…

Croatia signed a deal with the United States on Wednesday to boost the expansion of gas pipelines and energy infrastructure throughout the Balkans, a step that could bind the country to long-term reliance on fossil fuels and threaten the EU’s energy and climate objectives. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The agreement, signed in…

US President Trump has continued his tirade against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who heads the government one of America’s most important allies, telling him to “spend more time ending the war in Russia/Ukraine,” rather than commenting on the Iran war. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time…

Published on 30/04/2026 – 18:01 GMT+2 A French teen is facing mischief and public nuisance charges in Singapore after posting a video on social media of himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and then putting it back. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, was charged…

Spain’s migration policy is “almost like a state policy”, focused on integration, coexistence and recognising the positive contribution of migrants, the country’s migration minister Elma Saiz told Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT While much of Europe is hardening its stance on migration, Spain, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s leadership, is taking a…

Published on 30/04/2026 – 16:23 GMT+2 The Belgian government will partner with the French energy giant to revive nuclear power in its energy mix as soaring electricity prices, driven by ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty in the Middle East, have already pushed the country’s inflation to…

European leaders seem to be acting upon their promises to spend more on defence. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Following US pressure, which saw President Donald Trump lambast NATO allies for not reaching defence spending targets, the continent’s investments in 2025 grew by 14% — more than all other continents — to reach…

Belgium plans to take control of all nuclear power plants in the country from French energy group Engie, in an effort to secure control of its own energy supplies. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Negotiations between the Belgian government and the energy giant have now begun, with Belgium seeking to take over all…

Published on 30/04/2026 – 12:03 GMT+2 Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “For the first time in the Index’s 25-year history, more than half the world’s countries now fall into the ‘difficult’ or…