Author: staff
The announcement is the latest escalation in a dispute between Budapest and Kyiv that saw Orbán blocking the EU’s loan to Ukraine, while accusing the other side of stalling on the pipeline repairs. This comes at a moment when global energy prices are rising due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, though Orbán stressed his country’s gas remains among the cheapest in Europe. “To break the oil blockade and ensure Hungary’s secure energy supply, action is now needed. We will gradually halt gas shipments from Hungary to Ukraine and store the remaining gas domestically,” Orbán explained. But Ukraine disagrees. “If…
Published on 25/03/2026 – 15:31 GMT+1 Reports regarding Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó allegedly disclosing the closed-door ministerial-level discussion in the European Council to Moscow are “greatly concerning,” European Commission’s spokesperson said, and Hungary is “expected to provide the clarifications.” One security official stated that Moscow has basically been “behind the table” of every EU meeting for years. The Commission wants answers, but others are not so shocked. Poland’s Premier Donald Tusk admitted to long-standing suspicions, revealing that he strictly limits what he says aloud during these talks. Budapest is not hiding its connections. Szijjártó has visited Moscow 16 times…
La candidature de Rome a été moins bien accueillie, mais des représentants du Parti populaire européen (PPE, la grande formation de centre droit) ont tout de même voté pour elle afin d’éviter que Lille ne l’emporte dès la phase de groupe, selon deux responsables. Bien que le PPE dirige 18 des 27 gouvernements de l’UE et dispose de 14 des 51 eurodéputés de la commission du Marché intérieur du Parlement européen qui ont pris part au vote, il n’a pas réussi à hisser sa candidate favorite — Varsovie — au tour final. L’Europe de l’Est une nouvelle fois écartée Une…
Published on 25/03/2026 – 15:39 GMT+1 Lille will host the European Custom Authority, a new decentralised agency tasked with supporting and coordinating national customs administrations across the bloc. The decision was made on Wednesday in Brussels, after EU lawmakers from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU voted on the matter in three rounds. “France is one of Europe’s leading customs nations, [considering] one in three parcels entering the EU passes through French territory,” Dutch MEP Dirk Gotink, rapporteur on the customs reform, said in a press statement. “Lille’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe makes it…
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned on Wednesday that the Iran war represents a “far worse” scenario than the 2003 invasion of Iraq. “This is not the same scenario as the illegal war in Iraq. We are facing something far worse. Much worse. With a potential impact that is far broader and far deeper,” he told parliament. “This time, it’s an absurd and illegal war. A cruel one that sets us back from achieving our economic, social and environmental goals.” The socialist prime minister has refused Washington’s requests to use Madrid’s military bases to launch strikes against Iran, despite US…
Apple is not required to implement age checks under U.K. law, as the Online Safety Act does not apply to app stores or operating systems. Ofcom is conducting a report on whether to expand the act to include them, due in January 2027. Users who choose to update to the latest software, iOS 26.4 for iPhones and iPads, are prompted to verify their age, and can use credit cards linked to accounts as proof or undergo a process to scan ID. Apple may also use the length of time a user has held the account as proof of their age. The requirements have also been rolled out in South Korea.
A daytime drone strike hit the center of Lviv in western Ukraine, injuring several people and causing damage to historic buildings. Emergency services were deployed to the scene, where smoke and fire were seen rising from the affected area. Authorities said parts of the city’s historic center, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, were impacted, including buildings linked to the Bernardine Monastery complex. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze as residents gathered nearby. Other regions, including Donetsk and Vinnytsia, also reported damage and casualties following strikes.
By Una Hajdari with AFP Published on 25/03/2026 – 14:29 GMT+1 The European Central Bank will not be “paralysed by hesitation” in responding to the energy shock from the Middle East war, ECB chief Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday. The conflict, which began at the end of February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, has sent oil and gas prices surging due to the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf energy targets. Highlighting that the world was facing “profound uncertainty”, Lagarde insisted the ECB was well positioned to deal with the turmoil, with inflation currently close to its two-percent…
The ruling could have broader implications for scrutiny of EU decision-making, pointing to limits on the Commission’s ability to keep countries’ positions confidential. It also adds to a growing line of cases testing how far transparency rules stretch when institutions argue disclosure could disrupt internal deliberations. At EU level, country representatives and the Commission regularly authorize chemicals in private committee meetings through a procedure known as comitology — a system now likely to face fresh pressure in Brussels to open up, given its powerful yet often opaque role in shaping health and environmental rules. “Disclosure would unsettle the functioning of…
Published on 25/03/2026 – 13:38 GMT+1 Hungary will gradually halt gas exports to Ukraine until Kyiv resumes oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline. The move was announced on Wednesday by the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who added that the gas would be redirected to refill the country’s own storage instead of being supplied to Ukraine. “We will gradually stop gas supplies from Hungary to Ukraine, and we will store the remaining gas at home,” Orbán said in a social media video posted after a cabinet meeting.”As long as Ukraine does not supply oil, we will not supply gas from…