News Europe

Belgian Prime Minister De Wever lashed out at plans for a reparations loan in a strongly worded letter to Ursula von der Leyen, calling it dangerous and wrong. European officials are seriously considering a bridge loan as clock ticks for the December summit. Belgian resistance is seen as entrenched.

Viktor Orbán says he has secured guarantees for long-term energy supplies from Russia during his meeting with Vladimir Putin as he bucks the European consensus on the invasion of Ukraine.

Two sanctioned oil tankers, the Kairos and the Virat, have caught fire in the Black Sea a few dozen nautical miles off the Turkish coast. Their crews are safe as the causes of the explosions are being investigated.

In an interview with Euronews, EU Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen calls upon investors, authorities and market players to work together to find a solution for an emergency impacting more and more EU citizens.

Nature-based products such as biofuels and bioplastics will be looked to as drivers of green growth under a recently announced bioeconomy strategy, but critics are wary of overexploitation.

Greater participation by women in the investment landscape could boost EU GDP by €600 billion by 2040.

Drone interception technology made in Europe is world-class. The Baltic states in particular, are skilled in drone technology. What is the reason for this success story? A Euronews report from Estonia and Latvia.

Viral posts allege that underwear designed to protect women from sexual assault has gone on sale in Europe, and use the claims as a pretext to spread xenophobic rhetoric.

The EU's housing commissioner told Euronews that the European Commission will address the housing crisis by considering investments, energy, social, and internal market policies, as well as state aid rules.

Hopes to secure a reparations loan for Ukraine have been dashed after the Belgian prime minister blasted the proposal as "fundamentally wrong" and called on the EU to raise fresh debt instead of touching the Russian assets.

The school expects federal funds will start flowing within days and be fully restored within 30 days.

A large part of Airbus’s global fleet was grounded after the European airplane maker discovered a technical malfunction linked to solar radiation in its A320 family of aircraft. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced on Friday evening that it was temporarily pausing flights on certain Airbus planes after a JetBlue flight from Florida to […]

The number has skyrocketed in recent weeks and includes at least 20 judges appointed by Trump himself.

Drawing the top stories around the globe.

The top aide's firing will fuel opposition calls for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bring in a national unity government in Kyiv.

Officials in Tehran are urging football chief Gianni Infantino to step in.

EU leaders say they don't expect the Hungarian prime minister's trip to Moscow to bring peace to Ukraine.

France's Education Minister is looking at outlawing phones in all schools starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

The two countries have been at loggerheads over the Future Combat Air System.

An "American offensive" has cowed the European Commission and some EU capitals, French president complains.

The ban is set to come in February and any exemptions will have to be signed off by the Home Office.

The issue is thought to affect 6,000 planes, which will need to undergo an urgent software update or have computers replaced.

About 540 men were due to be sent to Crowborough army training camp and 300 men to Cameron Barracks in Inverness.

It recommends that only men with a confirmed genetic risk of prostate cancer should be screened for the disease.

The Conservatives say she was overly gloomy about the public finances as a "smokescreen" to raise tax.

The chancellor says those who only receive the state pension won't have to pay income tax before 2030.

Women in business can't complain about how little they make for fear of looking greedy, an academic says.

The change in policy comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote to President Emmanuel Macron.

Jacob from Merseyside is set to meet Santa one last time after an 'amazing' response to his mum's plea.

Residents had appeared in a BBC Panorama programme and were in dispute with a holiday park company.

New modelling shows that if programme coverage falls by half, an additional 1.1 million children could acquire HIV and 820,000 more could die of AIDS-related causes by 2040 – pushing the total toll among children to three million infections and 1.8 million deaths. Even maintaining current service levels would still result in 1.9 million new […]

New modelling shows that if programme coverage falls by half, an additional 1.1 million children could acquire HIV and 820,000 more could die of AIDS-related causes by 2040 – pushing the total toll among children to three million infections and 1.8 million deaths. Even maintaining current service levels would still result in 1.9 million new […]

New modeling shows that if program coverage is halved, an additional 1.1 million children could contract HIV and 820,000 more could die from AIDS-related causes by 2040, bringing the total toll among children to three million infections and 1.8 million deaths. Even maintaining current service levels would still result in 1.9 million new infections and […]

Officials say global outbreaks are accelerating as millions of children remain underimmunized after years of COVID-19 disruptions linked to the pandemic. “Measles remains one of the most contagious respiratory viruses,“, said Dr. Kate O’Brien, WHODirector of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. “One person can infect up to 18 others. Many people think that measles is not […]

Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said journalists in Geneva that voting was expected to begin on December 28, in what he described as a poll controlled by the military and conducted in an environment “riddled with threats and violence” and actively repressed political participation. Many major political parties have been […]

Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, told reporters in Geneva that voting is expected to begin on 28 December, in what he described as a military-controlled ballot conducted in an environment “rife with threats and violence” and actively suppressed political participation. Many major political parties have been excluded and more […]

The office said people in the region migrate “not by choice, but by necessity,” driven by systemic deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights in their countries. Poverty, unemployment, weak public services and climate stress are eroding livelihoods and leaving millions with no alternative but to leave. “Migration should be a choice and not a […]

The shooting occurred on Thursday in Jenin and was apparently caught on film by a TV channel, OHCHR Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva. He said an internal review was announced following the incident, but statements made by a senior Israeli official sought to absolve security forces of responsibility, “raising serious concerns about the credibility of any future review or investigation conducted by any […]

UN agencies say conditions are deteriorating further in North Darfur and neighboring Kordofan, while independent human rights experts warned on Thursday that the collapse of protections following the city’s fall has significantly increased the risks facing women and children. Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of El Fasher – the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur […]

The shooting occurred Thursday in Jenin and was apparently filmed by a television channel, OHCHR Spokesperson Jérémy Laurence said journalists in Geneva. He said an internal investigation had been announced following the incident, but that statements made by a senior Israeli official sought to absolve the security forces of any responsibility, “raising serious concerns about […]

Catholic and Orthodox Church leaders call for end to religious divisions in Iznik, formerly Nicea, where the foundation of modern Christian doctrine was established.

Ionut Mosteanu said he was resigning over concerns that debates over his education were distracting the government from its mission.

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region.

Varna's opposition mayor Blagomir Kotsev – whose arrest in July on corruption charges sparked angry demonstrations – has been released after supporters raised the hefty bail sum in hours.

The promise of quick money is drawing more and more people into online gambling, yet EU lawmakers and regulators have done little to intervene.

Elsewhere, Polish president slams ECJ over foreign gay marriage ruling; Slovak PM alleged to have misused tax office to gather information on family of opposition leader; and Czech president refuses to accept cabinet nomination of Motorist chairman Turek.

There are hundreds of illegal landfills across Kosovo, and even legal sites are a threat to lives and the land due to a lack of investment.

In the second of her monthly despatches from the United States capital, Jovana Djurovic looks at the shifting sands of US policy towards the Balkans - the Bosnian Serbs in particular.

Intrusive, outdated and sometimes harmful procedures during childbirth remain routine in Croatian hospitals, where standards of care vary wildly and veer from WHO recommendations.

At a catwalk show in Varazdin, the local community came together to celebrate diversity, courage and the year-round inclusion of people with disabilities.

More airlines around the world announced delayed or cancelled flights Saturday following an Airbus alert that up to 6,000 A320 aircraft may require upgrades.

If you're set to make more travel a new year's resolution in 2026, you're in luck as there will be a whole host of new routes to and from Spain next year.

If you're already planning ahead to 2026, here are all the official public holidays and some key tips to help you maximise the amount of time you take off from work.

Spain’s Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda has given her support to the Canary government's proposal of limiting the purchase of homes on the islands by non-resident foreigners.

Cities across Spain have slowly been introducing Low Emission Zones over the last few years, but not all places have them fully implemented yet. Here's a list of the Spanish cities and towns which have to have new ZBEs in 2026.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honoured Nazi war victims in Guernica on Friday, becoming the first German leader to visit the Spanish town where hundreds of civilians were killed in 1937.

Although Spain is famed for being warm and sunny, Spaniards have plenty of expressions and proverbs to refer to cold and rainy weather (with the odd swearword chucked in, of course).

We've all been there, out walking the streets of Spain when we feel the urge to go, but there are no public toilets to be found, so is acceptable to use the bathroom in an establishment without buying anything?

Spanish lawmakers on Thursday rejected the minority left-wing government's spending and deficit plans, moving one of the world's most dynamic developed economies closer to another year without a new budget.

If you've acquired Spanish citizenship but end up living in a country other than Spain, you may be rightfully wondering if time spent outside of the country, or certain actions while overseas, can result in you losing your nationality.

SAFE aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of the European Union and assist member states in addressing critical shortfalls, as well as jointly purchasing defense products. The program will provide long-term low-interest loans to help member states acquire urgently needed military equipment.

The RUP demand "a differentiated European strategy" and specific measures "that are essential to restore and strengthen."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised on Friday, during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, to continue importing Russian hydrocarbons that Hungary still depends on, once again defying the European Union on the matter.

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the importance of frozen Russian assets as a lever to end the war in Ukraine during their meeting in Berlin.

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Hadja Lahbib has once again condemned the lack of access for humanitarian aid to Gaza during a working visit to Egypt.

The EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in its Europe House, organized interactive workshops for European Robotics Week in collaboration with schools across BiH to bring students closer to robotics, coding, and STEM skills through creative and practical activities.

The Advocate General sides with Denmark in the proposal for a decision on state aid for the Fehmarn Belt.

Brussels – The European Union (EU) today called for the release of all detainees in Guinea-Bissau and the swift return of the country to constitutional order, following the military coup […]

The Netherlands is still spending too much, the European Commission judges. The cabinet must take measures in its budget to comply with the agreements of the European Growth and Stability Pact, the Commission states in its autumn forecast for 2025 presented on Tuesday.

A majority of EU member states have agreed to a legislative proposal aimed at combating online sexual abuse of children. It is a law that requires tech companies to prevent the distribution of child pornography images.

Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – After a Ukrainian naval drone attack severely damaged a mooring at its Black Sea terminal, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which handles more than 1% of the world’s oil, announced on Saturday that it had … Read more

Continue reading CPC halts oil exports after major drone attack damage at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

The Feast Day of the French Community, celebrated annually on September 27th, is a special occasion deeply rooted in the history and culture of Belgium’s French-speaking population. Also called the Day of the French Community or French Community Day, this … Read more

Continue reading Understanding the Feast Day of the French Community: History and Celebrations in Belgium at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Chișinău (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Following a fresh drone incursion, Moldova, which borders Ukraine, closed its airspace for roughly an hour overnight, the country’s defence ministry announced on Saturday.

Since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the tiny nation that … Read more

Continue reading Moldova reports fresh drone breach, shuts airspace briefly at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Sydney (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, married his partner Jodie Haydon in Canberra during a private ceremony, becoming the first Australian leader to marry while in office.

As reported by The Guardian, the ceremony was … Read more

Continue reading Australian PM Anthony Albanese weds partner Jodie Haydon in private ceremony at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Ukraine’s aspiration to join the European Union (EU) has dominated political discourse in recent years, especially in light of geopolitical events that have shaped Eastern Europe. The question of whether Ukraine is part of the European Union is nuanced. As … Read more

Continue reading Ukraine’s Road to EU Membership: Current Status and Future Prospects at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Greece (Brussels Morning) Russia’s long-term objectives in Ukraine, as articulated by President Vladimir Putin and echoed by Moscow’s ideological establishment, go far beyond battlefield gains. At the heart of the Kremlin’s strategic vision lies a bid to reshape Ukraine’s political, cultural and geopolitical orientation, if … Read more

Continue reading What is Putin’s vision for Ukraine? at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Lommel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The 2026 Motocross World Championship begins March 7–8, 2026, in Bariloche, Argentina, with the Argentine GP, features 20 Grands Prix, including Flanders in Lommel on August 2, 2026, and ends September 20, 202,6 in Australia.… Read more

Continue reading Motocross World Championship starts in Patagonia to Lommel at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ostend’s multi-year plan tackles a €10 million revenue shortfall from vacant homes. Measures include reducing the vehicle fleet, cutting Wi-Fi, improving department coordination, and investing €200 million, says Mayor John Crombez.

As VRT News reported, … Read more

Continue reading Ostend multi-year plan restores Thermae Palace, cuts Wi-Fi & saves 10M at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Ypres (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Starting March next year, Ypres will create a city‐wide cycling zone. €60.97 million is planned over 6 years, including a new pool (opening 1 July 2027), St. Peter’s social centre, Vlamertinge redevelopment, Grote Markt closure, … Read more

Continue reading Ypres invests €60M for bicycle zone & Grote Markt traffic control at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Bilzen-Hoeselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Lanaken-Maasmechelen, Bilzen-Hoeselt-Riemst, and Voeren police zones, with 340 officers, form a joint venture to boost fraud investigations and local policing efficiency, says Chief Dirk Claes.

As VRT News reported, the police zones of Lanaken-Maasmechelen, Bilzen-Hoeselt-Riemst… Read more

Continue reading 3 police zones merge to boost fraud control and local safety at The Brussels Morning Newspaper.

Aegean Airlines said on Saturday that its flight schedule is operating normally after the carrier completed a mandatory software rollback on several Airbus A320-family aircraft, following an alert issued by the European planemaker late Friday.

The process for the financial completion of the transaction for the concession of Egnatia Odos is in its final stretch after a long eight years.

After nearly two years of closure, the Vallianeio Megaron – the historic headquarters of the National Library of Greece in the heart of Athens – is preparing to reopen its doors to the public.

Attica is facing its most severe persistent drought in decades, according to new correspondence in which the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP) warns the Environment Ministry and the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY) that the region must be declared in a state of emergency.

Delayed HIV diagnoses remain a “silent threat,” hindering timely access to antiretroviral therapy and raising the risk of AIDS, according to an ECDC report.

Turkey will not be joining the European Union’s new €150 billion defense loan mechanism, SAFE (Security Action for Europe), as it will fail to meet the November 30 deadline, despite strong backing from key member states such as Germany.

Ecumenical Partiarch Bartholomew will welcome Pope Leo XIV on Saturday at the Ecumenical Partiarchate in Phanar, Istanbul.

The procedure of the rent refund to beneficiaries started on Friday and will be completed on Monday, as the Ministry of National Economy and Finance will complete the crediting of the rent refund amounts to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

Heavy rain, hail and lightning from Storm Adel swept across Greece on Friday, striking Athens and several regions with early-morning downpours.

A small recovery in housing loans is recorded by the Bank of Greece’s data for October, which is mainly attributed to the strengthening of disbursements through the “My Home II” program.

The Réparons l’excision unit in Montreuil, near Paris, is an experimental project that takes a comprehensive and holistic approach to the issue of female genital mutilation. It is estimated that around 600,000 women and girls in Europe are currently living with the consequences of genital mutilation, and this is often only the first episode in a chain of violence.

Europe is racing to protect children online. The continent is torn between banning certain content, implementing age verification and addressing privacy risks, while also holding platforms accountable. Amid rising harm and political pressure, experts insist that digital literacy and shared responsibility must prevail.

Considered extinct until twenty years ago, the northern bald ibis is being painstakingly reintroduced into the Alps, partly with EU funding and know-how. But the project is facing obstacles in the form of overhead electricity lines and – an Italian speciality – poaching.

Fraud scandals in France expose widespread misuse of wine-competition medals, from counterfeit Champagne to misleading exports. Whistleblowers and judges warn that weak controls and commercial incentives leave consumers unprotected.

The appropriation of ancestral knowledge has a name: biopiracy. In this report, we examine the emblematic case of sacha inchi, also known as “peanuts” or “Inca gold”, in the Peruvian Amazon – a seed highly prized by cosmetics manufacturers in Europe and Asia.

Belgium’s refusal to seize Russia’s frozen billions to help Ukraine is framed as prudence. In reality, it shields profit over principle — and risks turning Europe’s financial heart into a refuge for aggression.

Several voices in Europe are questioning or seeking to rewrite the 1951 Refugee Convention. Are we testing the limits of our humanity in our fear of migration? Here is an overview of the ongoing debates.

Ankara’s latest initiative with the Party of Kurdish Workers (PKK) offers little more than symbolic gestures. With global eyes on Gaza and Ukraine, Turkey’s half-measures risk deepening Kurdish disillusion—and regional instability.

S&P Global Ratings reports that Uzbekistan’s Fergana Region maintains strong liquidity, supported by central government loans, though access to external financing remains limited and long-term debt capacity is constrained.

S&P Global Ratings projects that Uzbekistan’s Fergana Region will sustain a balanced budget through 2027, following a 2024 surplus and despite potential revenue volatility from central government policy changes.

Direct investments from Switzerland into Kazakhstan increased by 34.2% in the first half of 2025, reaching $568 million.

S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Uzbekistan’s Fergana Region to ‘BB-’, citing stronger national reforms and solid regional finances, marking a notable boost to the country’s subnational credit profile.