Author: staff

Momentum is building behind a third term for conservative European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, a prospect set to disrupt an informal agreement among centrist political forces and to put the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) on the back foot. The Maltese politician from the European People’s Party (EPP), who is currently serving her second term as president, is clearly the frontrunner, despite not having announced whether she will seek another mandate. This scenario is concerning for the centre-left S&D group, which should be entitled to the presidency in the second half of the legislature but lacks the political clout to push…

Published on 07/08/2026 – 10:43 GMT+2 Sri Lanka deployed troops to its main maximum-security prison in Colombo and two other jails on Friday, following unsuccessful breakout attempts in which three inmates were killed and 23 wounded, a government minister said. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said an inmate was killed and 10 others wounded after guards thwarted an attempt by about 40 convicts to escape from Colombo’s maximum-security Welikada Prison on Thursday night. Sri Lankan jails have been hit by a spate of unrest in recent weeks, with 10 guards and 23 inmates killed in two separate riots at two…

Experienced travellers are prioritising bucket list experiences, quieter destinations and slow itineraries, a new survey has revealed. According to the latest Global Rescue Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey, 68% of travellers say they are more interested in once-in-a-lifetime experiences than they were a year ago. Only 29% of those surveyed reported no change in their desire for “YOLO” (you only live once) travel, with 3% saying they are less interested (we do not want to be friends with these people). On the flip side, plenty of folks are embracing “JOMO”, aka the joy of missing out, with 66% of those…

Published on 07/08/2026 – 10:36 GMT+2 TikTok star Sydney Towle, who shared her experience of living with a rare, aggressive form of cancer, has died at the age of 26. The American social media influencer was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma at just 23, a rare bile duct cancer that rarely affects people her age. She spent the last three years chronicling her daily life as a young person living with cancer and raising awareness. Her TikTok and Instagram videos garnered millions of views over the course of her health journey. The news of Towle’s death was announced on her…

Published on 07/08/2026 – 10:35 GMT+2 Russia is considering staging a false-flag attack against critical infrastructure in the Baltics using Ukrainian drones in an attempt to discredit Kyiv and weaken NATO’s backing for Ukraine, Lithuania’s defence minister, Robertas Kaunas, has warned. “We are talking about a potential false-flag operation where a fake Ukrainian drone could be used,” he said during a press briefing. “That’s the most realistic current scenario.” For such an attack, parts of Ukrainian drones that were launched against military and energy targets inside Russia could be used. Ukraine has repeatedly launched long-range drone attacks against targets inside…

Officials and members of Berlin’s LGBTQ community have unveiled a rainbow-coloured bench and planted a maple tree in Tiergarten park to honour the victims of a car ramming attack during the city’s Christopher Street Day parade. The footage shows the group unveiling the bench before planting the tree together. The memorial comes after the attack at one of Europe’s largest Pride events, which killed one woman and injured 29 others. The rainbow bench and maple tree now stand together in the park as a permanent tribute to those affected.

Are you dreaming of an island escape? You don’t have to venture beyond Europe. From Sardinia’s turquoise coves to Greece’s whitewashed villages, Europe is home to some of the world’s most spectacular island retreats. And with the island hotel scene only gaining momentum, there’s never been a better time to visit. In recent months, a wave of new openings have already welcomed guests including Zannier Hotels’ Zannier Île de Bendor in France, Mykonos’ first Four Seasons hotel, and the Mamula Island by Banyan Tree in Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor. This momentum is showing no sign of slowing down with more…

Published on 07/08/2026 – 9:59 GMT+2 “His Story Continues…” stated the caption at the end of this year’s Michael. And continue it shall, as Lionsgate is working on the sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic. According to Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson, the studio is hoping to begin production later this year or early 2027 with a release date planned for the end of next year or the first half of 2028. “We have a number of sequences, particularly some big musical sequences, that were shot previously, that are almost sure to be incorporated,” Fogelson said on yesterday’s…

Its purpose will be to determine how the country would respond to a paralyzing electricity outage of the kind that hit Spain and Portugal in April 2025, or a major cyberattack targeting the power grid as Poland experienced last year — an act of sabotage Brussels has attributed to Russian intelligence services. The simulation will test “the country’s ability to respond,” said one person familiar with preparations for the exercise, adding that it is intended to assess the time needed to restore power and the country’s ability to ensure the continuity of essential services. The exercise was formally confirmed during…

Published on 07/08/2026 – 9:29 GMT+2•Updated 9:31 Belarus’ opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned Minsk’s decision to designate Euronews’ news coverage on its website as “extremist” content on Friday, describing it as a “shameful” attempt by Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s government to cut Belarusians off from its factual and independent reporting. “Lukashenka’s regime has branded Euronews, a leading European news platform, ‘extremist’ for bringing the truth to millions of Belarusians,” she wrote in a post on X. “This attacks media freedom and turns viewers into targets of repression,” she added, urging the broadcaster to “stay strong” and underlining that: “your work matters.” Earlier…