ADVERTISEMENTThe Spanish parliament is considering penalising those who disrupt its press conferences, a week after journalists staged a walkout from a press briefing which descended into chaos after a far-right activist disrupted the session.Bertrand Ndongo, a political activist and online influencer, refused to cede the floor during a press conference…

By Gavin Blackburn with AP Published on 20/05/2025 – 16:52 GMT+2•Updated 16:54ADVERTISEMENTThe UK government has said it is suspending free trade negotiations with Israel and has introduced new sanctions on settlements in the West Bank as it ramps up its criticism of the ongoing operation in Gaza.Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the…

ADVERTISEMENTEuropean leaders have been quick to congratulate centrist Nicusor Dan on Sunday’s dramatic victory in Romania’s presidential election over his hard-right rival George Simion.Dan won 53.6% of the vote, ahead of Simion, who during the campaign portrayed his movement as championing nationalist values and conservative policies similar to those of US…

ADVERTISEMENTThe European Commission this month pledged a new package of €500 million for the period 2025-2027, part of which will be specifically earmarked for research projects with industrial applications.President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc needs to “stand for science” in a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, adding…

ADVERTISEMENTA new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) quantifies the worldwide value of counterfeit goods at over €416 billion, roughly 2.3% of global imports.The EU is a primary target: nearly €99 billion worth of its imports, or 4.7%, are fake.Remarkably, 20 of the world’s top 25…

ADVERTISEMENTBrazil has halted all poultry exports to the EU, the European Commission confirmed on Monday, after the country notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of a bird flu outbreak.Brazil notified WOAH that it suspended its status ‘free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)’ after bird flu was detected…

ADVERTISEMENTRepresentatives of Brazil’s indigenous peoples travelled to Brussels to set out concerns with the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries at recent meetings with MEPs and European Commission officials. A key issue is the likely expansion of agriculture and livestock farming in the lands inhabited by native…

ADVERTISEMENTRussian authorities have banned Amnesty International, making involvement with the international human rights group illegal, the Russian Prosecutor General’s office said on Monday.Branded an “undesirable organisation” – a designation that criminalises involvement or support of such groups — the international NGO is the latest target of the Kremlin’s crackdown on…

ADVERTISEMENTThe European Union should “renew and intensify” its diplomatic engagement with countries that still maintain close ties with Russia in a bid to increase the pressure on the Kremlin to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, a group of 14 member states has said in a joint letter to…

ADVERTISEMENTBrussels and London on Monday agreed new deals on fishing, energy, youth mobility and defence following marathon talks that concluded just a few hours before the first-ever EU-UK summit was to be held.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council chief Antonio Costa…