World

Which EU countries fight pay gaps? Transparency rules split the bloc

Starting in June 2026, employers across the EU must publish salary ranges in job ads, stop asking about candidates’ pay history, and allow workers to request pay data on colleagues doing equivalent work. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT That’s the promise of the Pay Transparency Directive. However, most member states missed the June…

German authorities carry out raids over alleged Russian gas sabotage

Published on 24/06/2026 – 19:24 GMT+2 German authorities on Wednesday carried out raids in Berlin and Frankfurt as part of an investigation into a suspected attempt to sabotage Germany’s gas supply. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said police searched the premises of a Russian suspect and another person not…

Will the UK rejoin the European Union? MEPs debate Brexit on The Ring

Published on 24/06/2026 – 20:30 GMT+2 Ten years after the UK voted to exit the European Union, the debate over Brexit’s legacy is far from over. MEPs Barry Andrews (Renew Europe) and Sander Smit (European Conservatives & Reformists) go head-to-head on whether Brexit has strengthened or weakened Europe—and whether Britain…

Europe’s five largest military powers meet ahead of key NATO summit

France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Polish PM Donald Tusk met in Berlin on Wednesday for an E5 summit hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The E5 format was launched in 2024 to bring together the defence ministers of…

London police to scale up use of drones and live facial recognition

Published on 24/06/2026 – 18:01 GMT+2 The commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police force has announced plans to scale up the use of drones and facial recognition technology across the capital. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a speech on Wednesday, Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley warned that crime was “evolving at speed” and…

Do EU citizens want the bloc to limit its reliance on foreign tech?

Around 80% of Europe’s digital infrastructure and technology comes from outside the EU. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The digital market is dominated by US giants such as Google, Microsoft and Apple, and Chinese conglomerates such as Alibaba and TikTok-owner ByteDance. Yet most EU citizens want European-controlled digital infrastructure, with respondents in Sweden…

Meloni-Trump spat: What do the polls say about Meloni’s popularity?

A public row between Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump has prompted debate about how she’s seen among Italians, after Trump claimed that she had repeatedly asked him for a photo during the summit. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT According to Trump, Meloni “begged” for the picture in an…

Heatwave and wildfire alerts, power cuts in Finistère: France swelters

Published on 24/06/2026 – 12:17 GMT+2 A historic heatwave continues to grip France. On Wednesday 24 June, residents woke to record temperatures once again: 29°C in La Rochelle, 26°C in Dieppe and 27°C in Paris — all by 5am. Fifty-eight départements are on red alert and 31 on orange alert.…

Twelve EU countries seek extra funds to cope with energy transition

Twelve European Union countries are asking the European Commission to preserve and expand a key fund for lower-income countries investing in the energy transition beyond 2030, arguing that without it, the bloc’s economic competitiveness and energy security may slow down. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a letter addressed to Climate Action Commissioner…