Author: staff
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland — The mood at the Icelandic ‘no’ camp’s election-night gathering is buoyant. Even before the first results come in, they are already confident of winning the referendum on resuming accession talks with Brussels. “We’re going to win,” says Salma Björk Önnudóttir, one of the managers of the No campaign. She would ultimately be proven right. When the first partial results are announced, cheers and chants erupt. The official result — confirmed around 9:30 a.m. local time on Sunday morning — had been in the air for hours. By a narrow margin of 52.8 percent to 47.2 percent, Icelanders…
Iceland says “Nei”. In a closely watched referendum that came down to the wire, the Nordic country rejected the reopening of accession negotiations with the European Union. A “yes” would have restarted the process that was abandoned in 2015. Back then, Reykjavík managed to close 11 chapters of the long-winded process. The wealthy nation was all but guaranteed to become a frontrunner in the race. But Icelanders instead chose to maintain what they have: a closely aligned partnership with the 27-strong bloc that is one step short of full-fledged membership. Here are the four takeaways. Fish trumps it all For…
Icelanders gathered in Reykjavik to follow the results of a referendum on whether to restart European Union accession talks, with both supporters and opponents celebrating as the vote count progressed. Footage shows “Yes” campaign supporters cheering and dancing as early results gave them an initial lead. Foreign Minister Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir was also seen greeting supporters. On the opposing side, “No” campaign supporters gathered to watch the results, cheering and celebrating as the final outcome became clearer. The proposal was ultimately rejected, with 52.8% voting against restarting EU negotiations and 47.2% in favour, according to Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV. Reykjavik…
Iceland has said no to reopening negotiations on joining the European Union, and the blow is a painful one. By a narrow margin of 52.8% to 47.2%, Icelandic voters rejected the idea of restarting the accession process that was put on hold in 2013. While the referendum was not a direct vote on EU membership itself, Icelanders have essentially closed the door, at least for the foreseeable future, depriving the bloc of a promising potential new member with a relatively easy path to joining. And even though Iceland is already deeply integrated with the EU through the European Economic Area…
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond in this Euronews news bulletin. In just a few minutes, our newsroom brings you the latest news and breaking news across world affairs, business, politics, culture, entertainment and travel, with the context you need to make sense of a fast-moving day. Reported with the independence and the European perspective that define Euronews, this regular round-up gives you a clear and reliable overview of the stories shaping our world right now, wherever you are watching from.
The Ministry of Defense also said Moscow had “(carried) out coordinated strikes” against an industrial facility in Kyiv. A Russian attack launched on Friday against a warehouse in Myla near the Ukrainian capital reportedly killed 38 people, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X Sunday, with 20 injured and four people missing since the attack. The warehouse attack resulted in fires that damaged at least 50 residential homes. “In total, this week alone, the Russians have launched nearly 2,000 strike drones, more than 1,600 aerial bombs, and 31 missiles of various types,” Zelenskyy added. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have also said…
Published on 30/08/2026 – 11:58 GMT+2 Russia’s defence ministry says it is preparing large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, framing the move as retaliation for Kyiv’s attacks on Russian territory, as the death toll from a Russian strike on an ammunition depot near the Ukrainian capital climbed to 38. “The Russian Armed Forces have begun preparations for massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in response to what Moscow describes as ongoing attacks by the Kyiv regime on Russia’s civilian infrastructure and fuel and energy facilities,” the defence ministry in Moscow said on Telegram. The warning revives fears of a repeat…
Polling in the run-up to the vote showed the North Atlantic nation almost evenly split. The government, led by Social Democratic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, promised to hold a referendum after coming into power at the end of 2024. Iceland first started talks to join the EU in 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis that devastated its financial sector. These were largely inconclusive before being definitively called off in 2015, with arguments over fishing quotas contributing to the collapse of the negotiations. This time around, the euro proved to be a key issue, with proponents of restarting talks…
Published on 30/08/2026 – 8:55 GMT+2 One person was killed and five others injured, some seriously, after shots were fired at an event attended by around 3,500 people in the Swiss town of Aarau in the early hours of Sunday, Aargau cantonal police said in a post on X. Aarau is located around 40 kilometres west of Zurich. The incident occurred at around 3 am during a rave. Witnesses said they initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks. Around ten shots can be heard in a video published by the Swiss newspaper “Blick”, which was reportedly recorded near the scene. Police…
Can you not go five minutes without checking your phone? Do you open Instagram “just for a second” and find that half an hour later you are still there? Do you wake up during the night and the first thing you do is check your notifications? Or do you keep scrolling through bad news even though you know perfectly well it is making you anxious? Welcome to the age of new digital addictions. Experts stress that the point is not to demonise smartphones, social networks or video games. The digital world is now part of our lives and can bring…