Author: staff
“We hope that the Committee of Independent Eminent Persons will exercise the legally required neutrality, even though people with clear political affiliations … have been appointed,” said Alexander Sell, vice president of the Europe of Sovereign Nations, and the president of its foundation. The ESN is the European home of the Alternative for Germany party. “In a true democracy, party representatives should not be involved in decisions regarding the funding of their political rivals,” Sell said. In July, the European Parliament green-lighted the process to deregister and defund ESN after the authority alleged breaches of EU values, including anti-immigration, antisemitic…
Published on 30/09/2026 – 14:17 GMT+2 The Bulgarian parliament passed a law on Wednesday aiming to better protect journalists, activists and others from abusive lawsuits designed to censor or intimidate critics. In doing so, Bulgaria has gone beyond the minimum European Union requirement in a bid to protect the media in a country where the freedom of the press has come under sustained pressure. Known as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP), the use of legal action is intended to silence or financially bankrupt reporters, whistleblowers and rights groups, rather than win the case outright. Most SLAPPs are for defamation…
An adult male green sea turtle named Jurassic returned to the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday after months of treatment at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Florida. Found stranded and lethargic last month, he had been suffering from abnormal buoyancy linked to gas in his gastrointestinal tract. After recovering, Jurassic was carried to the beach by staff and volunteers and released into the ocean, while dozens of spectators watched and cheered. A satellite tracker will allow researchers to follow his movements in the wild.
By Una Hajdari with AFP Published on 30/09/2026 – 13:51 GMT+2 The EU put forward plans for a new bloc-wide communication system on Wednesday that would allow police, firefighters and other national emergency services to better coordinate during cross-border crises. Currently, first responders across the 27-country European Union mostly rely on radio to communicate, but secure channels normally stop working at national borders, hampering international operations, Brussels says. “When crisis strikes, our first responders must be able to communicate instantly across agencies, across borders, across Europe,” said the EU’s commissioner for internal affairs Magnus Brunner. The proposed “EU Critical Communication System” would see…
Animasyros, one of Europe’s major animation festivals, recently wrapped up its 19th consecutive year of celebrations in Ermoupoli, flying the flag for the Greece’s biggest International Animation Festival. Beyond the seven competition sections (International, Student, K.ID.S, AnimaPride, National Competition, TV & Commissioned Films and Feature Films), this year’s edition included a special focus on Irish animation, a theme marking 200 years of Ermoupoli, educational workshops, parallel events, international collaborations and the Market, which has now become a key reference point for the entire industry in the Eastern Mediterranean. Vassilis Karamitssanis, President of the Animasyros International Festival, spoke to Euronews about…
Kriti Legend at Kulevi with BSP’s first shipment of Libyan crude oil, 30 August 2026. / via Black Sea Petroleum Europe’s need for diverse fuel supplies Europe continues to import fuels used in transport and industry. According to Eurostat, EU net imports in 2024 amounted to 15.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent for gasoil and diesel and 11 million for jet fuel. Both are included in the Kulevi Oil Refinery’s expansion plans. For Kulevi, the opportunity is to supply EU markets alongside Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, drawing on non-Russian crude and the Black Sea’s shipping connections. The European Commission’s assessment…
Ukraine is already using its new interceptor technology in combat and is now racing to scale up production before the hardest part of the winter, according to Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Budanov told Euronews in an exclusive interview that the technology is intercepting Russian jet-powered drones in most cases, but that producing it on a large enough scale remains the main challenge. The technology could also become available to countries that have already established drone partnerships with Ukraine under agreements known as “Drone Deals.” Ukraine has signed such agreements with a growing number…
Nearly 8,000 firefighters marched through Paris on Tuesday to demand more resources, staff and better working conditions. Protesters carried banners and placards, set off firecrackers and smoke flares, and marched towards Place de la Bastille. Some displayed a coffin bearing the inscription “Death by fire” as unions called for concrete action from the government. Firefighters said they were frustrated by staffing levels, funding shortages and what they see as a lack of action to address their concerns.
Published on 30/09/2026 – 13:11 GMT+2 Britain’s economy grew more than initially estimated in the second quarter, revised data from the country’s statistics agency, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed on Wednesday, offering a boost to Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of next month’s annual budget update. The UK’s quarterly GDP growth came in at 0.5% in the second quarter, revised up slightly from the 0.4% reported previously. The figure still marked a slowdown from the 0.6% expansion recorded in the first quarter. The upward revision was mainly driven by stronger figures for professional, scientific and technical services, following…
Published on 30/09/2026 – 12:22 GMT+2 Minecraft is no longer just a game you can play – soon, it’ll be somewhere you can actually stay. A new Minecraft World Hotel is set to open near London in 2027, giving fans the chance to sleep inside the world of the best-selling video game of all time. The 69-room hotel will form part of Chessington World of Adventures’ new Minecraft-themed area, complete with a Nether-inspired roller coaster, immersive dining and plenty of pixelated details. The announcement comes just as the trend for gaming-themed travel is at its peak. Gaming-themed travel is becoming…