Author: staff

Published on 18/06/2026 – 12:07 GMT+2•Updated 12:07 “If Putin does not want to end this war and wishes to continue it — we will not sit quietly, we will respond,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his comments on Ukraine’s strike on Moscow’s oil refinery on Thursday morning. “If Ukraine burns, so will Moscow,” Zelenskyy said. Ukraine’s president said Kyiv’s drone strike on the Moscow oil refinery is Kyiv’s response to Russia’s attack against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the most important historic and religious symbols of Ukraine. “We were at the Lavra, and I said we will prepare a…

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the ceremony shortly after the G7 summit, underlining France’s role in encouraging dialogue between the parties. The agreement takes immediate effect and launches a 60-day negotiation process, with a formal follow-up ceremony scheduled in Switzerland on 19 June. Officials said the initiative is designed to reduce regional tensions and support stability in global energy markets. The memorandum includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of a US naval blockade as initial confidence-building measures. Iran has also agreed to place its stockpile of enriched uranium under United Nations supervision, while broader issues…

Portugal drew 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup. The disappointing result made headlines not only in the domestic press but also internationally, with outlets taking aim at Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance on the pitch. The 41-year-old Portugal captain was hit by a barrage of criticism after a display that fell short of expectations at what is his sixth and, possibly, last World Cup. The newspaper The Independent described Ronaldo as “a statue” and said that Portugal had sacrificed “yet another World Cup to Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego”. The Telegraph, meanwhile, compared…

Published on 18/06/2026 – 10:39 GMT+2 Every business gets wrinkles eventually, so what do you do about them? That was the question at the heart of a lively Euronews event at VivaTech looking at longevity both in personal and professional life. The conversation turned personal pretty quickly, with Delphine Viguier, L’Oréal’s Chief Innovation and Prospective Officer, joking that “I have much more wrinkles than my business plan”. She said that when the signs of age do show up, either in your skin or in your strategy, the response is the same: change your habits. For her, that means oral supplements,…

Belém Tower, Pastéis de Belém, the Jerónimos Monastery, tram 28, St George’s Castle, or even the statue of Fernando Pessoa in Chiado, with which everyone wants to take a photo: all of them are Lisbon landmarks that are almost compulsory stops for anyone passing through the Portuguese capital, which is increasingly popular with travellers from all over the world. Yet they all share the same problem: tourists, lots of tourists. So many that at times it can be hard to move, the queues are long and you will struggle to feel you are in Portugal at all, as all around…

EU leaders will kick things off at 6 p.m. Thursday when they hear from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then, over dinner, leaders will discuss “global macroeconomic imbalances” — that’s a euphemism for the world’s overreliance on an increasingly hostile China. They’ll reconvene on Friday to negotiate the thorny matter of the EU’s €2 trillion long-term budget, amid a revolt from the countries that contribute the most cash. POLITICO will be covering events as they unfold on our live blog. As a primer, here’s what to keep an eye on … Beef with Beijing European…

Even as the United States and Iran appear to have forged a deal to stop their hostilities, the global shipping industry is cautious about resuming operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Sea mines, skyrocketing insurance premiums and a lack of confidence after prolonged military activity in the critical waterway will make the recovery effort as economic and political as operational. Shipping executives welcomed the peace framework unveiled by the US and Iran in Évian during the G7 summit, which is intended to fully reopen the strait over the course of 60 days. The agreement is due to be formally adopted…

Israel witnessed a large demonstration on 17 June as thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered outside Prison 10 at the Beit Lid military base near Netanya. Protesters opposed mandatory military enlistment and demanded the release of men detained for refusing to serve. The rally comes as Israel faces growing military demands across several fronts, making the question of conscription increasingly significant for the government, the armed forces and the wider public. Security forces deployed near the prison, including a water cannon vehicle, while demonstrators crowded the entrance of the detention facility. The dispute centres on long-standing exemptions granted to full-time religious…

Oil fell sharply in early trading after US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, put their names to an initial accord to halt hostilities, a move expected to restore the flow of crude through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping arteries. At the time of writing on Thursday morning, the front-month contract on WTI, the US benchmark, was down by 2.3% to $75 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international gauge, traded 2% lower at around $78 a barrel. Both remain above the roughly $70 level seen before the conflict, but they…

More than a decade after plans were first approved, one of London’s most iconic landmarks is finally set to welcome overnight guests. This autumn, the Grade I-listed Admiralty Arch on The Mall will open as the Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch, marking the arrival of the luxury hospitality brand’s long-awaited first hotel in the UK capital following an extensive restoration. Originally commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his late mother, Queen Victoria, Admiralty Arch was designed by Aston Webb, the architect behind the Buckingham Palace façade. Construction was completed in 1910 and it then served as government…