Author: staff
Excitement was building across Mexico City on Thursday as fans gathered ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Supporters dressed in Mexico’s green jerseys lined up outside Mexico City Stadium, formerly known as the Azteca Stadium, while thousands headed to fan zones in the capital to watch the tournament kick off. Many fans were confident Mexico would begin its campaign with a win against South Africa. Some arrived carrying flags, banners and lucky charms, while others celebrated the return of the World Cup atmosphere to the country. Not everyone, however, was able to secure a seat…
By moving first, the ECB has positioned itself as the most hawkish of the world’s major central banks. But whether that is remembered as leadership or as a replay of the ECB’s ill-fated 2011 rate hikes will depend less on events in Frankfurt than on developments in the Middle East. The decision drew praise from economists including Ifo President Clemens Fuest, who said raising rates was “the right step at this point” given high inflation and little hope of a de-escalation in the conflict with Iran. ZEW economist Friedrich Heinemann also applauded the ECB’s move. “Faced with the trade-off between…
Published on 11/06/2026 – 16:15 GMT+2 The French, German and British ambassadors to Russia held talks in the foreign ministry in Moscow on Thursday, several days after a London summit with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The UK hosted Zelenskyy and the leaders of France and Germany earlier this week, supporting Kyiv’s call for direct talks with Russia to end more than four years of war. The envoys met with Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Galuzin. “We just had a good discussion and we will release a statement later today,” France’s envoy Nicolas de Riviere told reporters outside the ministry. But…
In Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca and Saude neighbourhoods, residents have transformed entire streets into open-air murals in support of Brazil’s national team. Walls, kerbs and street corners are painted green and yellow as fans rally behind the dream of a sixth World Cup title. The tradition is both a celebration and a ritual. In Rio, decorating streets ahead of major tournaments has long brought neighbours together, and this year’s murals continue that custom. The aim is simple: to prepare the city for the football and keep hopes alive as Brazil chases another World Cup crown.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday evening with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, launching a sprawling tournament of 48 teams that will last nearly six weeks. The extravaganza hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada is the biggest World Cup in history, stretching until the final in New Jersey on 19 July. It is projected to generate a record-breaking $13 billion (€11 billion) in total revenue. The official opening ceremony lit up the Estadio Azteca stadium before the kickoff with Colombian superstar Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy…
By Euronews Culture Published on 11/06/2026 – 20:07 GMT+2 American clothes designer Ralph Lauren and the US Postal Service have unveiled a new set of stamps to honour the United States 250th birthday this year. The collection depicts various images of America and were taken from Ralph Lauren’s archive and from visuals that have inspired him. Many stamp collectors and fans dressed up in red, white and blue for the occasion at the James A. Farley Post Office in midtown, New York. The celebration was attended by several postal dignitaries as well as the Lauren family and US media personality Katie…
The French document, which POLITICO has confirmed the contents of, follows long-running criticism from national capitals and EU officials who complain that EU diplomacy is too slow-moving, institutionally dysfunctional and victim of an escalating turf war between the EEAS and the Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen. The paper was an internal document not approved by the French foreign minister or his aides and does not reflect an official French position, said an EU diplomat. It was first reported by the Financial Times and Reuters. It points to three options for reforming the EEAS, including bringing it entirely under…
Published on 11/06/2026 – 19:36 GMT+2 After two years of strong performance driven by a shift to a war economy, Russia’s economic situation is weakening, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told Euronews. And although the IMF raised its forecast for Russia’s 2026 growth in its April outlook from 0.8% to 1.1%, Georgieva told Euronews this did not reflect the full picture of the economic weakening. “The higher oil prices do give a breather to Russia,” Georgieva said, arguing the hike cannot offset the bigger hit to Russia’s economy. “They have depleted their buffers dramatically,” Georgieva said. The oil price windfall…
The technocratic government is “a front formula to exempt the Social Democratic Party from the responsibility it has for the situation it has reached,” party leader Ilie Bolojan said. The Social Democratic Party initiated the May no-confidence vote, teaming up with the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians. Now, Tomac faces a difficult path to form a government before the June 14 deadline. Romanian media report that Dan is considering re-forming the collapsed coalition if Tomac fails, but a political breakthrough looks far away. “Today, the stake is not who gives lessons to whom. The stake is whether we…
By Gavin Blackburn & Euronews Published on 11/06/2026 – 17:42 GMT+2•Updated 18:48 Three people, including two children, were killed on Thursday after a car crashed into a group on a school cycling trip, Dutch authorities said. Four children have been seriously injured and rushed to hospital, authorities in the southern province of Zeeland said. The accident happened near the village of Vogelwaarde, close to the Belgian border. “A passenger car collided with a group of 14 cycling children and two supervisors during their school camp,” authorities said in a statement. The age of the children is not immediately known. This is a developing…