Author: staff
The Visegrád group may be staging a comeback. With new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar seeking to reset ties with its neighbours, the main political alliance of Central European nations that once punched well above its weight in European politics could be poised for a second act. The Visegrád Four (V4), which brought together Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and Hungary, was established in the aftermath of the collapse of communism. The group wielded considerable influence within the European Union after all four members joined the bloc in 2004, and surged to the forefront of European politics during the 2015 migration crisis.…
Published on 20/05/2026 – 15:00 GMT+2•Updated 15:03 The Open Society Foundations (OSF), founded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, have pledged $300 million (€259 million) over the next five years to defend democratic institutions and advance economic security in the United States. The commitment comes amid escalating political pressure on non-profit organisations and charitable funders from the US administration. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, conservative allies and lawmakers have intensified scrutiny of progressive non-profits. Allies in Congress have requested that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate organisations they accuse of supporting illegal immigration, climate programmes…
Twenty years after lifting the World Cup trophy as Italy’s captain, superstar Fabio Cannavaro is now back at the world’s most important tournament, guiding Uzbekistan towards its first appearance on football’s biggest stage. “It’s the first time we are going to the World Cup, it’s the first time I am coaching in this kind of tournament,” Cannavaro told Euronews in an exclusive interview. “I saw many players with great ambition. They want to learn, improve, work hard and of course we have nothing to lose.” For the Central Asian country of some 36 million, qualifying for the tournament marked a…
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday: “There is still no reliable confirmation. The only thing we are hearing is that this is embedded in a decision to reduce the number of American brigades in Europe by one.” He added that it was still “completely unclear” when this would happen and if this would “remain limited to the decision concerning Poland, in full or in part, and to what extent troops stationed in Germany will be affected.” Rutte said the withdrawals were “not having an impact on NATO’s defense plans,” echoing a similar claim by the alliance’s top commander, U.S.…
The UK’s Minister of State for Trade, Chris Bryant, has suggested his government is closing in on a deal on steel with the EU that would see both sides avoid punitive trade restrictions introduced to shield domestic industries from oversupply. It comes as the Labour-led UK government pushes on with its economic “reset” with the European bloc, despite an impending leadership challenge that has left Prime Minister Keir Starmer grappling with his biggest political crisis since his landslide victory in 2024. Speaking to Euronews’ Europe Today from Strasbourg on Tuesday, Bryant said the UK was in “very productive conversations” with…
Thousands of fans filled Alexander I Battenberg Square in Sofia on Tuesday to celebrate Dara following Bulgaria’s first-ever victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Images showed the singer performing her winning song “Bangaranga” as crowds waved Bulgarian flags and cheered. The city organised a large-scale celebration featuring multiple stages, a red carpet and live television coverage. Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev presented Dara with the symbolic key to the city during the event. Dara won Eurovision in Vienna with 516 points and later said she hoped the victory would help unite people through music.
Published on 20/05/2026 – 14:05 GMT+2 Scientists have proposed building extremely stable lasers in the Moon’s darkest craters to help future spacecraft navigate and keep time more accurately, according to a new study. Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in the United States, proposed in a peer-reviewed study placing a small silicon device inside one of the Moon’s permanently shadowed craters to stabilise laser light. Once stabilised, the laser could be used as a timing and navigation signal for future lunar missions. Scientists say it could help spacecraft land safely, support a…
The impact is already showing. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international food commodity prices, rose for a third consecutive month in April, driven by high energy costs and disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. The shock will unfold in stages, the agency said: energy, then fertilizer, then seeds, then lower yields, then commodity prices and finally food inflation reaching shoppers. Poorer countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America — where many people already struggle to afford enough food — are most exposed because they traditionally buy nitrogen fertilizer from the Middle East. The warning lands…
In a new attempt to put the West under economic pressure, Iran is floating the idea of imposing “access fees” on undersea internet cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could further strain global trade following the passage’s blockage. The plan was first laid out by Iran’s news agency Tasnim, which is linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Questions have arisen over who exactly would have to pay such tariffs, and which kinds of services would be targeted. From a logistical point of view, firms operating cables under the Strait would be forced to pay an…
By Euronews Persian Published on 20/05/2026 – 13:02 GMT+2•Updated 13:18 Iran’s government said on Tuesday it could not say when the country’s 82-day internet blackout would end, as new data showed the shutdown has cost the economy more than $1 billion and a tiered access system has emerged that critics say gives internet to officials and professionals while cutting off ordinary citizens. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, responding to questions about when international internet access would be restored, said the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian opposed restrictions on internet use but could not provide a timeline. “With the mandate the president has…