Good morning and welcome to Friday, I’m Mared Gwyn. We wrap up this week with another dispatch from Ireland as it takes on the six-month EU Council Presidency, and a look ahead to next week’s high-stakes NATO summit in Ankara.
The European Union (EU) has long presented itself as the world's foremost defender of democracy, the rule of law, and free elections. From Warsaw to Budapest, Brussels has demonstrated its willingness to withhold funding, launch legal proceedings, and impose political
Taylor Swift and her American football-player fiancé Travis Kelce have kicked off rumoured wedding celebrations at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Here’s what we know so far.
The Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross said its humanitarian warehouse in Kyiv had been destroyed in the strikes, with around €1.5 million worth of aid and equipment lost.
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv to mark 1,000 days since the 7 October 2023 attack, as former hostages and bereaved families addressed the crowd.
Ukraine observes a day of mourning after Russia's deadly strike on Kyiv as NATO allies prepare for next week's summit in Ankara. Ireland considers ending alumina exports to Russia while the EU investigates the Patriots political group.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia this month has reignited conversations about the nature of the EU’s role in the South Caucasus. At face value, the European Union continues to devote increasing attention to the region. In the
Dear President von der Leyen, Europe's airports and airlines fully recognise the vital role of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) in strengthening the security of the European Union's external borders. For years, our sectors have worked closely with the European Commission
Described as South Tyrol's only quality-time family resort, does Das Mühlwald live up to its promise? It certainly did, says Ruth Wright in her review, as the property ‘gave us space to be a family in all our loud, exhausted, unpredictable messiness’.
In Uzbekistan, EBRD-backed solar and battery projects are helping finance rising electricity demand. Grid upgrades and a first nuclear plant are also reshaping the country's future energy mix.
A new Governance AI study reveals that EU data protection rules are stalling AI adoption, leaving 11% of advanced LLM releases delayed or blocked in Europe compared to the US.
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this July 3rd, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
After a brutal heatwave killed 1,300 people in western Europe, the European Commission has pledged to step up climate adaptation efforts – but part of the burden was shifted to local and regional governments.
Drinking coffee — even decaf — is linked to lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver-related death, a new study has found.
Every spring, white storks fill the rooftops of Cigoc, a Croatian village so close with the birds that locals there see them as family.
While economic concerns grow, Europeans value the peaceful, protective and co-operative nature of the EU, and recognise the quality of life it enables, suggests a new poll. The results of the European Parliament’s latest Eurobarometer survey, published on Wednesday, “underline
Veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo gets another day on the World Cup stage after Croatia are denied a late equaliser by a huge VAR call.
The tremor hit at a depth of 120 kilometres, roughly 58 kilometres west of Tobelo in North Maluku province, and officials confirmed there is no tsunami threat.
Spain blanked Austria 3–0 in California with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header. They will meet Portugal, who edged Croatia 2–1 in Toronto thanks to a late Gonçalo Ramos header.
US President Donald Trump said it is "ridiculous" for the United States to continue its "one-sided" relationship with NATO.
Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş was arrested at Istanbul Airport on Thursday following a stand-up show posted to YouTube. The 32-year-old faces multiple probes, including "publicly insulting religious values" and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The phenomenon formed over a Lake Constance near the southern German city of Friedrichshafen.
Mikel Oyarzabal is perhaps not the biggest name in Spain's World Cup squad, but the one who has so far shone brightest.
The attack shocked the country on the Mediterranean coast, one of the world’s smallest sovereign states known for its high concentration of wealthy residents.
District of Columbia US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said David Hearn ripped up recently installed sealant on pool in “a deliberate act” that caused more than €875 in damage.
The honour comes a year after she was invited by the President of the Republic to speak on Portugal Day, following major awards in France and Austria.
The highest public floor is the 102nd, where there’s an observation deck. Going higher requires a key card, according to the court complaint.
A fire that broke out on Thursday in two ground-floor flats forced the preventive evacuation of 80 residents from two blocks in Valencia due to smoke; no injuries were reported, according to municipal sources.
As part of a separate operation into such offences, EU law enforcement agency Europol said the group of countries had identified 156 victims and perpetrators of drug-facilitated sexual assaults.
The Meteo-France weather agency said a new spell of elevated temperatures would hit the country next week, although they are not expected to be extreme like in June.
The earthquakes destroyed tens of thousands of buildings across northern Venezuela, killing more than 2,200 people, and leaving La Guaira state as the hardest-hit region in the country.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a significant economic and political support package to Armenia during her strategic visit to engage with the South Caucasus peace process and the new opportunities in the region formerly in Russia’s orbit.
Junta chief captain Ibrahim Traoré has pursued anti-Western policies since seizing power in a coup in September 2022, while critical voices are met with repression.
The scandal over alumina sales to Russia continues to dog Ireland as it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, but Dublin says it will not commit to sanctions until an internal investigation is concluded.
Launched in hundreds within just a few hours, attack drones play a key role in Russia’s aerial campaign against Ukraine. Moscow is now increasingly using jet-powered drones, which are much harder to intercept.
Patrouille de France flies over New York with Alpha Jets and coloured smoke during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
From midnight to 3 p.m. Thursday, 1,995 responders and hundreds of assets tackled rural fires on the mainland; Civil Protection reports 62 incidents. The Vouzela fire remains active in a “complex area”, worrying the authorities.
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this July 2nd, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
As member states negotiate a €2 trillion long-term budget, the European Commission is advocating for tangible proposals on new revenues, known as "own resources".
Around 600,000 followers of the Society of Saint Pius X, a Catholic sect, are affected.
Europe is investing in ever larger, cleaner container ships at a time when maritime sovereignty and supply-chain resilience have become strategic priorities.
A leaked European Commission document indicates that Hungary operated a diplomatic intelligence network targeting EU staff from 2012 to 2018, reviving scrutiny of Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi and calls for his resignation.
Tehran threatened a "forceful response" against vessels straying from its approved Hormuz routes, even as mediators said indirect US-Iran talks in Doha concluded with "positive progress". The next round of talks will wait until after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral, which
Caruana Galizia had exposed corruption at the highest level in the country, shining a spotlight on murky links between Malta's business and political elites.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has touted the benefits of immigration and the vast regularisation scheme for sectors such as construction that need to boost their workforce.
The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.
In this guide, we’re helping you discover the most affordable flight routes between Europe and Asia.
Cooling Europe's cities will require a combination of measures, with air conditioning serving as just one element of a broader climate adaptation strategy, one EU official said.
With thousands of jobs are at stake, EU car suppliers and manufacturers disagree over the local content requirement set by the European Commission in its Made in Europe bill.