Author: staff

The European Space Agency (ESA) has begun signing the first contracts for its European Launcher Challenge (ELC), a programme designed to help Europe stop relying on foreign launchers to put satellites into orbit. Among the companies selected is PLD Space, the Elche-based firm that in 2023 launched its MIURA 1 demonstrator rocket on a suborbital flight. The contract, worth 158.9 million euros and financed mainly by Spain with German support, positions the company as one of the central players in the future European launcher ecosystem. The agreement is split into two components. The first aims to consolidate the commercial MIURA…

The Villena Treasure, one of the most valuable collections of metalwork from the Bronze Age in Europe, was stolen in the early hours of this morning from MUVI, the museum in this town in Alicante. Dated to around 1000 BC, the hoard consists mainly of gold pieces. In barely four minutes, burglars slipped past the security in the small hours of the Villena Museum (MUVI) and made off with part of its star attraction: the Villena Treasure, a collection of gold, silver, iron and amber objects from the Bronze Age. They also stole three crowns of the Virgin and Child…

A second public affairs executive at a major trade body said their mid-term presence had been subject to a big debate in the office, but the Burnham bounce meant that “what looked like a bit of a gamble has turned into a good bet.” “We’ve definitely pared back our presence at the opposition conferences, as much because we can’t justify the time out of the office as much as the cost of going,” that lobbyist said. One public affairs company with event space in the Liverpool secure zone at Labour conference is charging between £10,000 and £15,000 to host a…

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. Maskína, a polling and market research company, says its survey of voting intentions for the high-stakes referendum put the “Yes” camp ahead on 51.3% and “No” on 48.7%. Previous polls have consistently shown a lead for the pro-accession camp, but also a steady closing of the gap. In earlier surveys commissioned by the Icelandic news outlet Vísir, Maskína put the “Yes” lead…

Footage filmed by the Nepal Red Cross shows floodwaters surging through Nepal’s Rasuwa district on 26 August, after an ice and rock avalanche blocked a tributary near the border with Tibet. The natural dam later burst, sending a torrent of water and debris down the Trishuli valley. The disaster began at around 8:40 a.m., according to authorities, with particularly severe destruction reported around Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syabrubesi. Roads, bridges, markets and hydropower facilities were damaged or swept away. At least 157 people were killed and hundreds remained missing as rescue teams continued their search on 27 August. Security personnel, hydropower…

The idea of one bourse for the whole Nordic region has resurfaced. Reports on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the discussions, said industry alliance Nordic Compass is studying options including the consolidation of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland’s national exchanges, as well as the harmonisation of their regulatory frameworks. Nordic Compass told Euronews it is analysing a range of possibilities but that the work remains preliminary. “Nordic Compass’ Capital Markets Track is working to improve opportunities to raise capital to support competitiveness across all stages, from start-up, venture, growth and scale-up to IPOs, as well as the ecosystem for Nordic…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 12:49 GMT+2•Updated 13:07 Apple is unveiling its latest iPhone model on 9 September, widely expected to be a foldable phone going by the name ‘iPhone Ultra’. It is the tech giant’s first foray into the foldable phone market, with the new model equipped with two screens: an internal 19.8-centimetre screen that can be opened like a book and a 13.5-centimetre display on the outside for more typical smartphone usage. The device will also have four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside and one front selfie camera. The iPhone Ultra is also expected…

Catching a train from London to mainland Europe could soon become a lot more straightforward. A new analysis by Politico suggests high-speed services between London St Pancras and destinations including Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam could depart as often as every 15 minutes by the end of the decade, as Eurostar faces growing competition from the likes of Virgin Trains and Italy’s Trenitalia. Currently, there are around 25 daily round trips made by Eurostar, but it’s hoped that figure will rise to 55 by the end of the 2020s, which is an equivalent of four departures every hour. Since its launch…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 12:14 GMT+2 Adriana Majdzińska, an artist and professor at the Gdańsk Academy of Fine Arts, runs an art atelier called WL4 at the shipyard together with her husband, sculptor and ceramicist Dr. Czesław Podleśny. She hopes this will help preserve the site’s cultural and historical legacy. Podleśny himself creates his human-shaped sculptures from rusting ship parts. “WL4 is a group of independent artists not affiliated with any institution, for whom art is the paramount value. Our circle includes both established artists and those just beginning their creative journey, working across different fields of art. Our diversity…

Meta’s reported removals of scams and fraud on its platforms in the EU “show that scams are not a marginal phenomenon occurring outside the platform’s main operating model,” but rather one of “the largest and most persistent forms of abuse within the Meta ecosystem,” the deputy PM wrote. Polish authorities and cybersecurity teams have notified Meta multiple times, but the company still doesn’t ensure “an effective and adequate response to scam advertisements,” Gawkowski wrote. A cybersecurity team within Poland’s National Research Institute reported 122 advertisements to Meta as fraudulent and only 13 percent were removed, he said. The deputy PM…