Author: staff
EU governments and the European Parliament struck a provisional deal on May 7th to amend the AI Act, the landmark legislation that entered into force in August 2024. The deal delays tough rules on high-risk AI systems covering biometrics, critical infrastructure, law enforcement, and employment decisions by 16 months. Enforcement is now pushed to December 2027. Supporters call it pragmatic relief for businesses struggling to compete with the US and China. Critics say it hands a victory to Big Tech at the expense of workers and fundamental rights. But the deal also adds something: a total ban on nudification apps,…
Published on 20/05/2026 – 18:05 GMT+2 Hamas is “the principal obstacle” to moving to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, the Board of Peace initiative created by US President Donald Trump said in its first report to the UN Security Council. In its findings, the group, established by Trump in January to oversee the end of fighting in Gaza and its reconstruction following the deadly Israel-Hamas war, criticised repeated ceasefire violations. “At this stage, the principal obstacle to full implementation remains Hamas’ refusal to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control and permit a genuine civilian transition in Gaza,” a…
Tensions have been rising between Italy and Israel in the past few months. Meloni recently suspended a defense cooperation agreement between the two countries after the Israeli Defense Forces fired warning shots at an Italian peacekeeping convoy outside Beirut, Lebanon. She had previously condemned Israel for preventing Catholic leaders from celebrating a private Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday and criticized its conduct in Lebanon in a speech to parliament in early April. On Wednesday, France’s foreign affairs minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said he would summon Israel’s envoy “to express our…
Published on 20/05/2026 – 7:53 GMT+2•Updated 13:43 Also on today’s show: Explainer by Jakub Janas: Putin visits Xi Jinping — what does it mean for Europe? Interviews with Sir Chris Bryant, UK Minister of State for Trade, Colonel Martin L. O’Donnell, Chief of Public Affairs at NATO SHAPE, and Bernd Lange, Member of the European Parliament and chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee. When and where to watch Europe Today? You can join Euronews’ chief anchor Méabh Mc Mahon and our EU editor Maria Tadeo live on TV and Euronews’ website and digital platforms every weekday. Our new format…
By Esmira Aliyeva & Toby Gregory Published on 20/05/2026 – 20:18 GMT+2 “No country has ever fully developed without urbanising,” World Bank Senior Economist Mark Roberts told Euronews at the World Urban Forum in Baku, in direct response to governments that treat urban growth as an issue to be managed rather than progress to be guided. Roberts said the scale of investment required, particularly in Africa, was beyond any single actor. “When it comes to urban infrastructure, the financing needs are tremendous for Africa in particular, as well as all the very fast-urbanising regions,” he said. “No one agency, donor organisation or the…
LONDON — A by-election in which Keir Starmer’s rival Andy Burnham could win a parliamentary seat will be held on June 18. Greater Manchester Mayor Burnham needs to become an MP if he is to challenge Starmer for the leadership of Britain’s ruling Labour Party. He said in a weekend interview he wants to “campaign to change Labour” in Makerfield. The by-election was triggered after former minister Josh Simons stood down as a Labour MP to create a path for Burnham to return to Westminster. Wigan Council published the notice of election confirming the date on Wednesday. Burnham has already been…
The global race for critical raw materials is no longer about mineral access, but about power, the head of the European Commission’s department for international partnerships, Koen Doens, said on Wednesday, amid the bloc’s high dependence on China. The senior Commission official’s remarks come as the European Union is struggling to diversify its supply of critical raw materials, deemed crucial for the development of clean technologies. EU auditors have recently warned that the bloc risks undermining a successful energy transition while remaining highly dependent on China. “Power will rest in the hands of those that control extraction, refining, processing, transport…
Activists staged a protest outside the UN headquarters in Geneva as the World Health Assembly met, using giant balloon figures of WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Bill Gates to criticise the new pandemic treaty talks. The CitizenGo group has framed the treaty as a threat to sovereignty, while the WHO says the draft text does not give it authority to impose lockdowns, vaccine mandates or border rules on member states. The dispute has become a familiar clash over trust in public health policy.
The resignation “has nothing to do with the relationship with Lena,” Eickhout told POLITICO via a spokesperson. The spokesperson declined to give further details. In a statement on Wednesday, the Greens group said it respected and understood Eickhout’s decision to quit. “We take any allegations of breaches of the code of conduct very seriously,” the group said. “A professional, open working environment for everyone is essential and our group has acted accordingly. We will continue to work on building a culture of respect, trust and openness in the workplace.” It added: “We understand the impact of this announcement and we…
The EU seems to be acting upon its promises to tighten border control. Fewer migrants are entering the EU than a few years ago, while repatriation orders are on the rise. This is according to newly released Eurostat data, which reflects what appears to be a medium-term trend, rather than a temporary turn. Since 2022, the number of new migrants entering the EU has consistently decreased, from 5.4 million to 4.5 million in 2024 (-24%). In 2025, the number of asylum seekers granted protection status also shrank, reaching 361,000, the lowest level since 2019. EU says it will have the…