Author: staff
The US says it has attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel it said had tried to evade its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Tehran’s joint military command vowed to respond, throwing the fate of a fragile ceasefire into question days before it expires. The ship was the first to be intercepted by the US Navy since it began blockading Iranian ports last week in response to Tehran’s closure of the strategic waterway since the US-Israeli war on the country broke out on 28 February. Iran called the armed boarding of the cargo vessel constituted a…
Klement’s push for clarity over the scope of OLAF’s access comes ahead of an anticipated EU review later this year of rules governing the watchdog’s work, part of a broader revamp aimed at improving fraud prevention in Europe. It comes amid wider scrutiny of how EU institutions handle allegations of corruption and misconduct. The issue came into sharp focus during the 2022 corruption scandal known as Qatargate, a Belgian probe into alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to influence decision-making in the Parliament. OLAF investigators complained at the time of being blocked from accessing lawmakers’ offices and laptops. EU institutions…
Many of those who spoke to POLITICO described a lack of “curiosity” in the PM. “He just doesn’t ask questions, on policy, politics or apparently propriety either,” another former official said. Some ministers agree. A current government official described Starmer’s approach to interrogating policies and other decisions as “hear no evil, see no evil.” The official added: “You can’t claim to be this meticulous lawyer, this micro-manager, this mandarin and then not care for stuff like this.” Boris Johnson vibes One bizarre example of his passivity is that Starmer apparently does not even express a strong preference about how he…
I’ve spent years working on vaccination policy in Europe, and if there’s one thing we still underestimate, it’s this: the value of immunization does not begin and end with preventing acute infections in childhood. That is yesterday’s framing. In today’s Europe, immunization must be recognized not as a narrow public health tool, but as a strategic pillar of resilience. Sibilia Quilici, executive director, Vaccines Europe – via Vaccines Europe Europe faces overlapping pressures: aging populations, chronic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), climate-sensitive health threats, workforce shortages and constrained public finances. In this context, immunization is not just about preventing illness, it’s…
By Serge Duchêne Published on 19/04/2026 – 20:25 GMT+2 Ukraine’s interior minister announced on Sunday that two police officers had been suspended after a video was posted online showing them fleeing the scene of the shooting in Kyiv, which left six people dead. An armed man opened fire and took hostages in a supermarket in a residential district of the Ukrainian capital on Saturday, before being shot dead during an attempt to arrest him. In footage broadcast by Ukrainian media, a male and a female officer in uniform and yellow vests can be seen standing next to a person lying on…
“They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.,” he continued. “IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!”International law scholars have previously warned that strikes to civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime, though Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday appeared to defend the president’s threats. “Look, the president’s looking for maximum leverage, maximum negotiation, maximum leverage in these negotiations,” Wright told CNN’s “State of…
By Marina Stoimenova from Sofia Published on 19/04/2026 – 20:05 GMT+2 The early elections held in Bulgaria have left a result with a strong political impact in Europe. Former President Rumen Radev is emerging as the winner after prevailing in exit polls. Radev, a former fighter pilot, stepped down as Bulgaria’s president in January. He’s been considered friendly to Russia His coalition would have achieved around 37% of the votes, far ahead of the conservative GERB party, led by Boiko Borissov, which would remain at around 16%. The turnout of people voting is high, over 45%.
Rumen Radev, a Russia-aligned former president, looks on course to win Bulgaria’s election on Sunday, but will need to team up with other parties to form a governing majority. Radev’s newly created Progressive Bulgaria movement was on track to secure just under 40 percent of the vote, according to exit polls broadcast on television. The polling agency Market Links predicted his party would win 38.9 percent, while Alpha Research put him on 37.5 percent. That meant he had more than twice the support of any other party. This article is being updated.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Angola, an oil- and mineral-rich country in south-west Africa, marked the third leg of his tour of four African nations. On Saturday, after meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço, the Pope delivered his first address to Angola’s governing authorities, repeatedly referring to the country’s turbulent history, scarred by colonial plunder and civil war. “I wish to meet you in a spirit of peace and to affirm that your people possess treasures that can neither be bought nor stolen,” the Holy Father warned. “You know well that, all too often, people have looked – and continue…
Updated: 19/04/2026 – 18:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this April 19th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More