Author: staff

“Our country will only escape this dystopia through elections,” Pasok leader Nikos Androulakis told the country’s parliament earlier this year. The government officials say a final decision will be made at the end of the summer. Greece takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2027, which means a government will need to be formed before then. It is likely that more than one electoral round will be needed to form a new administration. If New Democracy does ultimately choose early elections, they will probably be held after the prime minister’s speech at the Thessaloniki…

Published on 16/06/2026 – 16:03 GMT+2•Updated 16:04 The European Parliament voted on Tuesday to lift the immunity of the Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello, who is part of an investigation by Belgian prosecutors on alleged corruption and illicit lobbying by Chinese tech company Huawei. In the secret-ballot vote on Tuesday, 344 MEPs voted in favour of lifting his immunity, while 234 were against and 25 abstained. Martusciello, a member of the European People’s Party (EPP), is believed to have been the promoter of a letter signed by eight MEPs in 2021, urging the EU Commission not ban the use of foreign…

Humanoid robots took to the catwalk alongside human models at a unique AI fashion show in Seoul, South Korea, offering a glimpse of a future where technology and fashion increasingly overlap. The event, hosted by entertainment company Galaxy Corporation, featured robots dressed in designer outfits walking in front of an audience, performing dance routines and even taking part in a robot boxing match. Spectators watched and recorded the performances as robots and humans shared the stage. Organizers said the show was designed to explore a future in which people and robots coexist more closely in everyday life. Galaxy Corporation CEO…

LONDON — The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence is investigating reports that a Russian frigate fired shots at a British yacht in the English Channel. On Tuesday a U.K.-registered yacht alleged that a Russian navy frigate — the Admiral Grigorovich — fired warning shots south of the Isle of Wight, outside Britain’s territorial waters, defense officials said. No injuries or damage have been reported, and a military vessel dispatched from the U.K. has visited the yacht to gather details and check that those onboard are safe.

Published on 16/06/2026 – 17:37 GMT+2•Updated 18:50 Britain’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it was “investigating reports of an incident in the Channel,” as a UK defence source told the AFP news agency that a yacht had reported a Russian warship firing warning shots. The incident apparently took place about 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) south of the Isle of Wight just outside British waters, according to the source. Asked about the reported warning shots, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel.” The defence source said it was being treated…

A pride of rescued lions at a UK wildlife sanctuary has joined the World Cup conversation by making its own predictions for England’s group-stage campaign. As part of an enrichment activity, the big cats were presented with boxes decorated with the flags of England’s opponents — Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Keepers at the Big Cat Sanctuary interpreted whichever box the animals showed interest in as their prediction for the match outcome. Lioness sisters Amani and Lira appeared to favour England over Croatia, while male lion Rori also seemed to back the Three Lions against Ghana. The final prediction was less…

Published on 16/06/2026 – 18:09 GMT+2•Updated 18:18 The European Parliament has rejected cuts proposed in the draft EU long-term budget for the period 2028-2034, MEPs Carla Tavares and Siegfried Mureșan told journalists at a press conference on Tuesday. The Cypriot government, who is currently chairing the budget negotiations among the member states, presented a compromise text last week with cuts of €32.8 billion to the bloc’s overall budget. The cuts represent a compromise between countries that asked substantial cuts and others that asked for an increase of the budget for agriculture and regional funds. The divisions among co-legislators add further…

Updated: 16/06/2026 – 18:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this June 16th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More

Germany, a 12% shareholder in Commerzbank, has rejected the hostile public exchange offer (OPS) launched by UniCredit, opting to preserve the German bank’s independence and denouncing what it deems an “aggressive” approach by the Italian group. The decision was announced in a statement by the German Finance Agency (Finanzagentur), which manages the state’s stake in Commerzbank. Accepting the offer was already described as “economically out of the question”, the note said, since the bid does not include an adequate premium over Commerzbank’s current share price. The deal is politically sensitive in Germany, where the federal government remains the second-largest shareholder…

Published on 16/06/2026 – 17:21 GMT+2 Portuguese writer Lídia Jorge has been awarded the 2026 Austrian State Prize for European Literature. The announcement was made on Tuesday in a statement published on the official website of the country’s Ministry of Culture (source in Portuguese). The prize, first awarded in 1965, goes to the complete literary work of a European author whose writing has achieved significant international recognition and is available in German, through translations, the same press release explains. In its justification for the choice, the jury argues that “Lídia Jorge has for many years been one of the most…