Published on 27/08/2026 – 11:04 GMT+2 Iceland’s referendum on whether to restart EU accession negotiations is heading for a knife-edge result, the latest polls show, with the gap between “yes” and “no” narrowing sharply ahead of Saturday’s vote. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Maskína, a polling and market research company, says its survey…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 10:15 GMT+2 Norway’s 89-year-old King Harald is in an “extremely serious” condition after his health deteriorated while being treated in hospital for a blood disorder, the royal palace said on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “His Majesty the King’s health condition is extremely serious,” the palace said in…

Europe’s militaries are pouring money into the sea. EU defence expenditure rose to €418 billion in 2025, a 20 percent increase from the previous year, and is projected to reach €454 billion in 2026, equivalent to 2.4 percent of GDP. Maritime defence is one of the fastest-growing sectors. Production of…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 11:30 GMT+2 A second man has been arrested over a sword attack at a school in central Sweden that left a 17-year-old girl dead and three other students wounded, prosecutors said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The man is suspected of assisting murder and attempted murder over…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded tech billionaire Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of Ukraine’s most prestigious state honours, months after the SpaceX founder worked with Kyiv to block Russia’s illegal use of Starlink — a move that disrupted Moscow’s battlefield communications and helped slow the Russian advance. ADVERTISEMENT…

The Ionian Islands region was placed under a Code Red alert on Wednesday, as a very high risk of wildfires (Category 4) is forecast. The decision was taken by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Under the alert, the National Civil Protection Mechanism is fully activated,…

The EU’s migration policy has increasingly centred on the controversial notion of using “return hubs” to externalise irregular migrants to third countries, as enshrined in the recently adopted Return Regulation. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “We need to set up repatriation centres in third countries, as well as other innovative solutions outside Europe.…

The Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain are among the top ten countries worst hit by additional fossil-fuel import costs caused by disruption in the Middle East, according to a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Across the 170 countries examined, 134 paid…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 14:21 GMT+2 The Romanian Senate approved on Wednesday the country’s so-called integrity law, including a controversial amendment that will remove liberal leader Dominic Fritz from office as mayor of Timișoara. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The bill was passed with 109 votes in favour and 19 against. Only senators…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:05 GMT+2 CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow on Tuesday sparked speculation about the trip’s sudden nature and what message Washington considered important enough for the US spy chief to deliver in person. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe held talks with Russian…