Author: staff

A question of sovereignty The key theme looming over the Icelandic referendum is sovereignty. But it’s an issue that cuts two ways, and polls suggest the referendum is on a knife-edge. A Gallup poll in mid-August gave the “Yes” camp a wafer-thin advantage, with 51.5 percent support. While “Yes” campaigners like Eggertsson stress the regional implications of threats to Greenland’s sovereignty, the “No” camp argues the EU could impinge on Icelandic sovereignty, particularly within the politically crucial spheres of fisheries and farming policy. Indeed, it was fisheries quotas that were key to scuppering Iceland’s previous bid to join the EU,…

A statue of Homer, the Greek epic poet who is credited with the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey,” circa 850 B.C. | Hulton Archive/Getty Images The initial signs are that Greece is indeed enjoying an Odyssey surge. Data from easyJet holidays in early August revealed a spike, with overall bookings to the Greek mainland and island breaks rising 18 percent week-on-week. Unforgettable Greece, a tour operator, told Travel Weekly that bookings to Greece increased 76 percent year-on-year. The company launched 22 new thematic itineraries linking Athens, Corfu and Ithaca. The film has also sparked renewed interest in Homer’s classics, with a…

Published on 24/08/2026 – 22:42 GMT+2 Saudi Arabia will invest €6 billion into building three theme parks close to Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday. Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sealed the deal for the project during an official visit to the French capital, where they also discussed “major economic and strategic issues” as well as key regional matters, per the Élysée. In a post on X, Macron hailed the “extraordinary announcement,” saying the parks would become a “new global destination” and would create 22,000 jobs. The parks are set to be constructed in Cergy-Pontoise…

Speaking in front of St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv to mark the 35th anniversary of the nation’s independence, Burnham said: “This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war.” He vowed that “despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country we will continue our support for Ukraine.”   Turning up the temperature Germany’s Merz is facing fresh criticism of his stance from within his own parliamentary group, from his coalition partner, and from the opposition. “It’s a clear sign that both countries are no longer waiting for Germany…

Is Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s gamble paying off? Eight months before France’s presidential election, the La France Insoumise leader appears increasingly well placed to play a leading role. According to the latest Toluna-Harris Interactive poll for M6 and RTL, Mélenchon would qualify for the second-round run-off in three of the five scenarios tested. France elects its president in two rounds, with the top two candidates in the first round going head-to-head in a run-off. However, in a scenario in which former president François Hollande stands, the poll predicts Mélenchon would finish two percentage points behind Édouard Philippe. The LFI candidate is currently…

PARIS — Saudi Arabia will spend €6 billion to build a massive entertainment complex boasting three theme parks near Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said. Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed an agreement formalizing the deal to build what the French leader called “a new global destination” at the Elysée Palace on Monday. It is expected to create 22,000 jobs, Macron said. The massive project, which Macron said will also include hotels, catering facilities and housing for young workers and students, is being built on the former site of Mirapolis, a massive theme park that has been…

Giorgia Meloni was one of the main political sponsors of a policy of “returns” for irregular migrants. Now, as a growing number of EU countries push Rome to take back migrants who entered the bloc through Italy, she is getting a taste of her own medicine. On Sunday, Ireland became the latest in a growing number of member states to call on Italy, as a country of first entry into the EU, to take back asylum seekers. It joins Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands. The requests stem from the new EU Pact on Asylum and Migration, which…

Published on 24/08/2026 – 17:04 GMT+2•Updated 17:08 US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US would double tariffs on Canadian vehicles from 2027 as he accused Ottawa of “ripping off the United States of America for years.” In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote: “On January First, 2027, Tariffs on all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel, will be increased to 50%.” Current US tariff rates on automobiles stand at 25% for non-US content. The threats come amid a growing trade war between the two neighbours that hit a flash point…

PARIS — Mirapolis, c’est désormais signé. Près d’un mois après les révélations de POLITICO sur le projet de résurrection de l’ancien parc d’attractions des Yvelines grâce à des capitaux saoudiens, l’Elysée et Riyad ont signé lundi un accord actant ce méga-investissement, lors de la visite à Paris du prince héritier Mohammed ben Salmane. L’investissement prévisionnel s’élève à 6 milliards d’euros et prévoit la création de 22 000 emplois, selon les éléments communiqués par l’Elysée à l’issue de la cérémonie de signature. Il comprend le développement de trois parcs à thème et de loisirs, accompagnés de services d’hébergement et de restauration,…

Published on 24/08/2026 – 16:01 GMT+2•Updated 16:22 Hungary is on track to fulfil all criteria needed to unlock €10 billion in EU recovery funds by the end-of-August deadline, Euronews understands from conversations with Commission and Budapest officials this week. Meeting all milestones would clear the way for Hungary to access billions in EU cash, delivering a political win for the new government. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who won a landslide victory in April’s election, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule, campaigned on a promise to unlock Hungary’s suspended EU funds. In May, Magyar and European Commission President Ursula von der…