Published on 13/10/2026 – 11:23 GMT+2•Updated 11:23 The leaders of Germany, Italy and Belgium have called for a mechanism to halt new EU legislation deemed excessively burdensome for businesses, as part of a broader push to strengthen the bloc’s economic competitiveness. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister…

The European Security Council would fast-track traditional EU bureaucratic gridlock during security emergencies. Under the proposal, it would rely on what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called a “counter-hybrid playbook” to address grey-zone hostile actions. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In her 2026 State of the Union address, she explicitly said…

Published on 13/10/2026 – 8:01 GMT+2•Updated 8:20 Maria Tadeo reports from the Warsaw Security Forum, where NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, has warned Russia that the alliance is ready to deter any attack, and where Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders say Moscow is not serious about an energy…

A major fire has devastated the Marché des Enfants Rouges in central Paris, destroying the historic covered market in the early hours of Monday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Located in the Marais district in the capital’s 3rd arrondissement, the market dates back to 1615 and is the oldest covered food market in…

Ukrainian strikes on Russian technology giant Yandex’s data centres have been followed by a dramatic decline in automated online activity, raising questions about whether the attacks may also have disrupted Moscow’s influence operations abroad. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The sudden drop fuelled speculation in Europe and the United States about just how…

Published on 13/10/2026 – 5:15 GMT+2 US President Donald Trump has continued insisting on Monday that an energy ceasefire is indeed in place between Ukraine and Russia, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that Moscow struck his country’s energy sites. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “Well, they agreed,” Trump told reporters as he…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 14:42 GMT+2 Ukraine’s parliament passed a law strengthening minority rights on Monday, easing years of tensions with Hungary and paving the way for Kyiv to advance its EU accession talks. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The legislation, approved by 266 of the 450 deputies in the Verkhovna Rada, strengthens…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 15:00 GMT+2 The Greek island of Agios Efstratios, colloquially known as Ai Stratis, is betting big on renewable energy. Located in the north-eastern Aegean Sea, this small volcanic island with just 250 residents literally runs on the sun and wind. Previously, the island depended entirely on…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 15:21 GMT+2•Updated 15:23 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has vowed to end the United Kingdom’s asylum system for up to five years if the hard-right party gets into power. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Speaking at a press conference in Kent in southeastern England on Monday, Farage renewed his…

Published on 12/10/2026 – 16:19 GMT+2 Hundreds of French supermarkets belonging to the Intermarché and Coopérative U chains have fallen victim to a cyberattack targeting their refrigeration systems, the two retail giants said on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Around 150 to 200 Intermarché stores were hit, along with nearly 100 Coopérative…