Author: staff

The Villena Treasure, one of the most valuable Bronze Age goldwork collections in Europe, was stolen in the early hours of this morning from the Villena Museum (MUVI) in Alicante. In barely four minutes, intruders slipped past the museum’s night-time security and made off with much of its main draw: 59 pieces of gold, silver, iron and amber, dated to the Late Bronze Age. They also stole three crowns of the Virgin and Child held by the museum. The Civil Guard and local police are investigating the theft, which, according to initial evidence, appears to have been carried out in…

The Commission has proposed a budget of almost €2 trillion. Germany and five allies — Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden — are calling for cuts of several hundred billion euros. Italy and Spain are leading a separate group seeking a larger budget. The size of the budget will determine how much money the EU can put behind von der Leyen’s economic agenda, including investment in strategic industries, energy and artificial intelligence — sectors she says are essential to reducing Europe’s dependence. “With over €450 billion from the European Competitiveness Fund and the Horizon Europe program, we will support…

Police arrested the head of the Polish Olympic Committee on Thursday on suspicion that he took bribes from a crypto trader in return for sponsorship deals, officials said. Radosław Piesiewicz, who is considered close to Poland’s nationalist right, is suspected of receiving kickbacks from Zondacrypto, which the government accuses of having links to nationalist opposition groups, organised crime and Russian intelligence services. “Radosław Piesiewicz has been arrested,” Poland’s Sports Minister Jakub Rudnicki confirmed in a post on X. “Such a person should never have been president of the Polish Olympic Committee…Piesiewicz has discredited Polish Olympics,” he added. Interior Minister Marcin…

With just over two months to go before the US’s midterm elections, Democrats face a problem that goes beyond the familiar question of how to beat President Donald Trump: they are still arguing over what the Democratic Party should actually stand for. The divide between progressives and moderates has been visible throughout this year’s primary season. But in recent weeks, it has become harder to dismiss as an internal family quarrel. Progressive insurgents have scored a series of significant victories, while establishment Democrats have responded with growing anxiety about whether candidates identified with the left can win in November –…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 14:39 GMT+2 Ask Google’s AI what to do if you are alone with a Norwegian, and it might suggest making conversation. Ask about a Somali, and it could tell you to call the police. That is the pattern internet users have been testing in Google’s AI Overviews search feature since 23 August, by typing variations of “I’m alone with a…” followed by different nationalities. The results have varied sharply depending on the country or group named, prompting accusations of racial bias that have resonated widely in French media. According to testing reported by Futurism and HuffPost,…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 14:58 GMT+2 Although there is still almost a year to go, the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027 is already driving up prices in some of the destinations that will offer the best views. Accommodation bookings have multiplied in provinces such as Cádiz, Málaga, Granada and Almería, and prices have risen along with them. The eclipse will be visible from much of Spain, but only in Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla will it be possible to see the Moon completely cover the Sun. In Tarifa, one of the most sought-after spots, total darkness will last 4…

One of the most talked about literary releases of the week, nay the year, is “Life of M”, the new novel by critically acclaimed and award-winning British author Rachel Cusk. Known for her novels “The Lucky Ones”, the Outline Trilogy (“Outline”, “Transit” and “Kudos”), “Second Place”, as well as the Goldsmiths Prize-winning book “Parade”, Cusk’s name isn’t one you’d expect to be associated with headline-grabbing controversy or gossip. Still, here we are and all anyone can talk about is the buzz around “Life of M” – specifically: Is the titular M a fictionalised version of Natalie Portman? The novel, billed…

Lescure was speaking at a high-profile gathering of business leaders organized by French business lobby Medef, where he said his government was working on providing “stability” in the upcoming months, with no tax increases and an effort to further tighten the administration’s belt. He also confirmed that the government was looking into a partial pension freeze in an effort to keep the deficit under control. The government is facing a new harrowing budget season, with a deadlock parliament and opposition parties unlikely to cooperate as the 2027 presidential election campaign swings into full gear. Leftist candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has already…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 14:10 GMT+2 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that if negotiations to reduce the record-high trade deficit with China did not produce a breakthrough, the EU should make use of all its trade defence mechanisms. Tensions have remained high between Brussels and Beijing since the talks were launched last June. Over the summer, China moved to ban Chinese firms from participating in EU antitrust probes, while the Commission has continued opening trade defence investigations into the suspected dumping of Chinese products into the European market. “Dialogue with China remains necessary. But it…

Published on 27/08/2026 – 11:59 GMT+2 Long queues stretched for kilometres outside petrol stations in Tehran and other Iranian cities in the early hours of Thursday as a daily fuel shortfall collided with a surge in panic buying, and government officials simultaneously confirmed that petrol prices will rise, without specifying when or by how much. Videos posted on social media showed lines of vehicles forming in the capital and nearby city of Karaj around midnight on Wednesday and lasting into the early hours, with several stations closing before demand could be met. Officials attributed the surge to rumours of shortages,…