How Kazakhstan's summer festivals are making it Central Asia's creative hub
From ancient nomadic traditions to contemporary music festivals, Kazakhstan is transforming destinations across the country into stages for massive cultural events.
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Grand Voyager | Exploring Edinburgh and Scotland
Scotland is a land of ancient castles, proud traditions and famous stories. In this episode of Grand Voyager, Lilly Douse journeys through a country steeped in history.
Bulgarian childcare scheme helps parents back to work by hiring jobseekers
An EU-backed Bulgarian scheme solves two problems at once: finding trusted childcare for working parents, and jobs for the unemployed.
UN chief Guterres to convene new talks on ending Cyprus' decades-long conflict
"I do not want any more failed five-party meetings," said the UN Secretary-General, noting that any new 5+1 meeting requires progress on confidence-building measures, the methodology and the substance of the Cyprus question.
Thousands in Spain return home but new heatwave raises wildfire fears
Spain and France are both braced for the start of the fourth heatwave so far this summer and some fires have continued to burn.
As the West mulls slowing AI down, will China follow suit or pull ahead?
Employees at OpenAI, Anthropic and other top labs want Washington to help pace the AI race. China has spent the year closing the gap, building a rival governance body and betting on open-source models instead.
Gaza residents flee before Israeli strike hits mosque area
Israeli strikes hit Gaza City and Deir al-Balah after an evacuation warning, with footage showing explosions, flames and smoke rising into the night sky.
"He politicises his stance": X, a turning point in Bernard Arnault's communication
The LVMH chief has joined X to hit back at Le Monde after its lengthy probe into his empire and private life, breaking with the media shyness that long defined Bernard Arnault.
Evacuees return in Spain and French wildfires stabilise, though heatwave keeps authorities on alert
The wildfires that swept across Spain and France are among the largest the two countries have experienced in recent history.
'Hands off our game': EU slams FIFA for selling a stake in the World Cup
EU Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef backs the European Football Association in criticising the plan, which involves Trump’s affinal relative Joshua Kushner, while European countries are reportedly weighing a boycott.
Who started the fire? Inside Europe's arson intelligence gap
Europe has built advanced systems to detect wildfires and coordinate emergency response. Still, there is no common picture of who starts deliberate fires or why, as arson remains a fragmented national matter.
Spain mints second star: the coin marking 2026 World Cup triumph
Spain's Royal Mint is issuing a 5-euro silver coin to commemorate the world title won on 19 July in New Jersey, as part of the official 2026 World Cup numismatic programme.
Spain mints coin for second star: the piece that crowns 2026 World Cup champions
Spain's Royal Mint will issue a 5‑euro silver coin honouring the world title won on 19 July in New Jersey, within the official numismatic programme for the 2026 World Cup.
Nobu to launch new hotel, restaurant and residences in Portugal’s Algarve region
With its second destination in Portugal, the Nobu hospitality brand will introduce a new hotel, restaurant and residential offerings at the Monte Rei resort in the eastern Algarve region. The first guests are expected to be welcomed in 2029.
Iraq eyes supplying Turkey with 1 million oil barrels a day amid Hormuz crisis
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi visited Ankara for his first talks with Erdoğan since taking office, offering to supply Turkey with 1 million barrels of oil per day as Ankara seeks to reduce its dependence on disrupted Gulf routes.
BMW plans to cut around 8,000 jobs in major cost-saving drive
The German carmaker has agreed a voluntary redundancy programme targeting administrative and development roles, while ruling out compulsory redundancies and cuts to production jobs, according to media reports.
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky dies aged 50
He had a hit with Nightfall, which featured on the Drive soundtrack and at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
DP World opens its first multi-client warehousing facility in Saudi Arabia
DP World has started operations at its first multi-client third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse in Saudi Arabia, expanding integrated warehousing and distribution capacity for businesses serving the Kingdom's growing consumer and industrial sectors. Located in Riyadh's Al
Navas del Rey residents return after Spain wildfire evacuation
Residents returned to Navas del Rey after Spain's wildfires, finding burned homes and scorched gardens as firefighters continued battling nearby blazes.
DJ Kavinsky, known for his track 'Nightcall', found dead at his Paris home
A key figure of the French touch house scene, Kavinsky wrote "Nightcall", the track made famous by the film 'Drive', performed at the Paris 2024 Olympic closing ceremony alongside Angèle and Phoenix.
Porsche profit jumps 34% despite China slump and falling sales
Porsche maintained its full-year guidance as cost-cutting and stronger 911 sales lifted profit, despite a 32% fall in Chinese deliveries and plans to eliminate thousands of jobs by 2035.
Syria hunts down suspects in March coastal attacks, dismantles IS cells in Aleppo
Security forces lured a militia commander accused of leading one of the March 2025 assault units into an ambush near Jableh, killing him and a second suspect in an exchange of fire. IS cells were separately dismantled in Aleppo and al-Bab.
Latest news bulletin | July 29th, 2026 – Midday
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this July 29th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
These are the most welcoming cities for tourists in Europe
In the global ranking, nine cities on the continent made the top 20 and it was an Asian city-state which claimed the top spot.
Major wildfire breaks out on Greek island Paros as villages evacuated
The wildfire reignited overnight and spread across southern Paros. 66 firefighters and seven aircraft are operating, while fresh reinforcements are reaching the island ahead of stronger winds forecast for Wednesday.
Dramatic California beach rescue after powerful waves hit Santa Cruz
A 16-year-old California lifeguard rescued a 10-year-old boy from powerful waves at Santa Cruz's Seabright State Beach in a dramatic ocean rescue.
The EU wants firms to get faster access to innovation from research labs
A new voluntary charter aims to help startups and SMEs test their products at Europe's cutting-edge laboratories and pilot facilities — cutting the time it takes to bring innovations to market.
South Korean chipmaker SK hynix reports 1,242% profit surge on booming AI demand
Despite record second-quarter profits fuelled by AI demand, SK hynix shares plunged as investors questioned whether the boom can last amid Middle East tensions.
Drone footage shows Mount Etna cable car above volcanic landscape
Sicily's Etna cable car carries visitors up Europe's active volcano while engineers manage risks from eruptions, gases and harsh conditions.
Russia issues international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Durov
Durov, who holds French and UAE passports and has lived outside Russia for years, called the case politically motivated. The Kremlin frequently targets its political enemies on charges of supporting "terrorism" or "extremism".
Czechia, Iceland and Spain among Europe’s top trending destinations for 2026, new data reveals
A new survey by Amadeus Travel Intelligence and UN Tourism reveals the European destinations that travellers are keen to explore, the markets fuelling demand and the regions expanding air connectivity.
EU and Seychelles renew agreement granting EU fishing vessels access to Seychelles' waters
On 27 July, the European Union and Seychelles signed a new protocol to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement granting EU vessels access to Seychelles' waters for a period of four years to fish up to 55,000 tonnes of tuna and other migratory species per year. Under the
Wisconsin tornado leaves homes damaged and streets covered in debris
Residents in Menasha, Wisconsin, survey tornado damage as crews assess destroyed homes, fallen trees and damaged power lines after the storm.
Despite high inflation, Fed expected to hold rates steady for now
The US Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates on Wednesday, although investors were pricing in a 32% chance of an increase on Tuesday night, with analysts describing the decision as the most uncertain in years.
Rocking the Iron Curtain: How Queen’s 1986 Budapest concert cracked the Soviet Bloc
On 27 July 1986, a concert by British rock band Queen in Budapest symbolically tore down the Iron Curtain. A crowd of 80,000 filled the People's Stadium to feel the first wave of freedom. The band's official photographer Denis O'Regan recalls that night in an exclusive
Commission publishes new guidance to support businesses' implementation of the Cyber Resilience Act
Manufacturers, developers and businesses of all sizes across the EU now have new guidance on how to apply the Cyber Resilience Act. This will help them prepare for mandatory cybersecurity requirements and reporting obligations. The new Commission guidance explains how these
Parisian spot with five-step seasonal menu was just named the best new cocktail bar in the world
De Vie in the French capital’s Montorgueil quarter was praised for its innovative concoctions having opened last year.
The people building AI are asking governments to 'decelerate' the industry after models broke loose
Employees from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta AI signed the petition following a major autonomous AI hacking scandal.
Israeli protesters march in Tel Aviv against West Bank settler violence
Israeli protesters marched in Tel Aviv against settler violence in the occupied West Bank as police blocked their route and confronted demonstrators.
Commission greenlights Belgium's fifth payment request for €225 million under NextGenerationEU
On 27 July, the European Commission positively assessed Belgium's fifth payment request for €225 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this
Japan earthquake shakes Kumamoto newsroom as staff shelter under desks
Footage shows newsroom staff taking cover as a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto in southwestern Japan, killing 13 people.
The EU sends planes and firefighters as wildfires ravage France and Spain
The EU has deployed assistance to both France and Spain under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as ongoing wildfires have triggered one of the biggest evacuation operations in Europe, displacing more than 300,000 people in France and Spain. In France, the EU has deployed seven
Wildfires: Europe on track for worst year on record as burned area reaches size of Luxembourg
While Madrid braces for "difficult hours ahead", Portugal puts municipalities on maximum wildfire alert. Which countries have suffered the worst damage so far?
Solidarity Lanes: Latest figures – June 2026
In the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU, together with Ukraine and Moldova launched the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes in May 2022, establishing new transport routes to keep Ukraine’s imports and exports flowing via rail, road and inland waterways. Today,
EU wildfire strategy falls short as southern Europe faces another devastating fire season
The European Commission’s wildfire strategy, presented in March, has fallen short as Spain and France face large-scale evacuations and thousands of hectares have already burned. Meanwhile, EU countries have stalled progress on key forest-management rules.
UEFA issues angry response to FIFA boss Infantino's plan to sell World Cup stakes to investors
The new initiative is the second time Infantino has attempted to privatise football assets, with the first being in 2018 where the FIFA chief proposed a multi-billion dollar project to create more global competitions, funded by private investors.
Sixth-generation wildfires: why they are more dangerous and how to fight them
Fires like those burning for a week in France and Spain are so intense they often make direct firefighting impossible, marking a new pattern driven by climate change that calls for a tailored response.
Sixth-generation wildfires multiply: why they are more dangerous and how to fight them
Fires like those raging for a week in France and Spain are so intense that direct firefighting is often impossible, a new climate-driven pattern requiring a specific response.
Skip the usual stays: These five hidden gem hotels deserve a spot on your holiday shortlist
Five properties feature in La Liste’s Discovery Gem Hotel Awards for 2026 – including two in Europe.
Industrial chicken farms are fuelling the spread of diarrhoea-causing bacteria, study finds
Industrial chicken farms are boosting the spread of gastroenteritis-causing bacteria, as the global chicken population has surged to roughly 31 billion birds, new research shows.