Author: staff
Because of the unusual procedure, voting in Strasbourg was confused and chaotic. One member told Parliament Vice President Sophie Wilmès: “We don’t know what we are voting on.” The vote means member countries must now decide whether to accept the Parliament’s changes. If they do not, and propose a different version, the law will go to a dreaded “conciliation” procedure. That procedure was used earlier this year to pass a long-stalled law on air passengers’ rights but, other than that, has not been used since 2013. The continuation of negotiations means tech companies remain without a legal basis to voluntarily…
By Kirsten Ripper & Euronews Published on 09/07/2026 – 14:20 GMT+2 On Tuesday, the weather service WetterOnline was already reporting air in southern Germany that feels as if it has come from a hairdryer, with temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees. And while further south in Europe, for example in France, forest fires are already raging, the risk of wildfires is also increasing in southern Germany due to the dry gusty winds. Because it has not rained properly in many places for a long time and the brief thunderstorms have brought little relief, many forests and fields have dried out. An omega high…
The options paper was requested by the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, following a meeting with foreign ministers in Luxembourg last month. The Commission has already presented suggestions for possible trade restrictions and sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers, but these have so far not found the support required from member countries. Suspending a trade agreement with Israel in its entirety or sanctioning individual politicians would require unanimous support from all 27 EU countries, and Czechia has vowed to veto any such move. While goods from Israeli West Bank settlements are in theory excluded from preferential trade arrangements for export to…
Published on 09/07/2026 – 13:47 GMT+2 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will donate a pistol given by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to a military museum in the Belgian capital once it is brought to Brussels. European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill said that von der Leyen expressed her “thanks” to the Turkish leader for the present given at the end of the annual NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday. “The firearm will be securely transported and stored, and once decommissioned, it is the intention of the president to donate the firearm to a military museum,” he…
Known for dramatic silhouettes and theatrical designs, Robert Wun presented a collection titled ‘Childsplay’, inspired by the simplicity and imagination of childhood. The designer said he wanted to explore the beauty of uncomplicated ideas through couture. The show featured sculptural gowns, detailed tailoring and handcrafted pieces, reflecting Wun’s distinctive approach to fashion. After the presentation, the designer joined guests and celebrities including Cardi B to pose for photos in the French capital.
Published on 09/07/2026 – 12:35 GMT+2 The European Parliament confirmed its negotiating position on the digital euro with a vote in Strasbourg on Thursday. EU lawmakers are now ready to begin negotiations with member state governments on how the digital euro will work. The digital euro would be an electronic form of central bank money, issued and backed by the European Central Bank (ECB). It is intended to complement cash and existing banking services, rather than replace them. Consumers would be able to hold digital euros in a dedicated wallet, subject to a holding limit yet to be determined. The…
Bardella has hardly left Le Pen’s side since an appeals court on Tuesday upheld her guilty verdict for embezzling European Parliament funds and sentenced her to a year of house arrest — but, in a twist, shaved enough time off a lower court’s electoral ban that she’ll be able to run for president in 2027. Le Pen and Bardella visited the mid-sized town of La Flèche on Wednesday, where they shook hands, took selfies and answered questions about their joint campaign. Le Pen was all smiles and fielded most of the questions, while Bardella, more stone-faced, appeared to be adjusting…
“I think there’s a recognition he and his team will focus on domestic politics first,” said one U.S. official, granted anonymity like others in this piece to speak candidly. “It doesn’t feel like a ‘I must jet across to D.C. immediately’ tactic is imminent.” Senior observers — including Starmer himself — have warned that Burnham’s purported wish to focus on his domestic agenda above all else is not sustainable. “My own reflection is that you can’t divorce the international from the domestic,” Starmer said Wednesday, speaking from the NATO summit. Burnham sought to address this head-on in an op-ed in…
Updated: 09/07/2026 – 11:38 GMT+2 Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR representative in Brussels, believes it is key for the EU to ensure “nobody is returning to a possible situation of harm” when implementing the recently approved Pact on Migration and Asylum. … More
By Roselyne Min with AP Published on 09/07/2026 – 11:07 GMT+2 Three months after their record-breaking flight around the Moon, the Artemis II astronauts were reunited with their Orion spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States, on Wednesday. Launched atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket in April, Artemis II was the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft and the first mission to send humans towards the Moon in more than 50 years. The last time the four astronauts saw the launch pad, the towering rocket had stood on it. “It’s a lonely place without that rocket on it,” said Reid…