Author: staff
By Giovanni Kessler Chairman of the Scientific Committee of Hermes – Center for European Studies Published on 30/07/2026 – 16:43 GMT+2 On 9 July, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) announced that two international organizations based in Spain had been dismantled over the manufacture, distribution and trafficking of counterfeit tobacco. Authorities seized more than 20 million cigarettes, nearly 40 tonnes of tobacco, manufacturing equipment, cash, firearms and 18 vehicles. Fifty people were arrested following searches across six Spanish provinces. The operation deserves recognition. Having served as OLAF’s Director-General from 2011 to 2017, I know the importance of timely intelligence, close co-operation between…
Drone footage shows large wildfires burning across Spain’s Castellon province. Other scenes show Civil Guard officers helping elderly residents evacuate from a care home in Zamora as advancing flames threaten nearby communities. Spain is battling several major wildfires. Around 10,000 people remain under orders to leave Castellon, where the blaze is burning out of control. Emergency crews have focused on protecting homes and moving residents to safety, as fast-moving flames make it too dangerous to attack the fire directly. Authorities say the intensity of Spain’s largest recorded wildfire has forced crews to adapt their tactics, prioritising evacuations and property protection…
Microsoft shares surged by as much as 10% in pre-market trading on Thursday after the technology giant forecast stronger-than-expected revenue and accelerating growth at its Azure cloud business, offering fresh evidence that its vast investment in artificial intelligence is paying off. The company expects revenue of between $89.85bn (€78.5bn) and $90.95bn (€79.5bn) in the July-September quarter, representing growth of 16% to 17%. It also forecast that Azure revenue would grow by approximately 45% in constant currency, up from 43% in the quarter just ended. The upbeat outlook followed better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results. Revenue rose 18% year-on-year to $90bn (€78.7bn) in…
Turns out Brussels’ penchant for what is often perceived as overregulation is having a ripple effect well beyond the EU. Nearly half of the companies referencing the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act in their governance disclosures are not based in the EU at all, according to new research, suggesting Brussels is beginning to set a global standard for AI governance even before the bloc’s toughest rules take full effect. The analysis, published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation using data from its AI Company Data Initiative (AICDI), draws on more than 100,000 data points collected from 2,973 companies worldwide. It found that…
By Lutz Faupel Published on 30/07/2026 – 16:07 GMT+2•Updated 16:30 Persistent heat is causing water levels in the Danube to drop in many places, bringing relics from the past to light. Near Prahovo in Serbia, numerous wrecks of German warships become visible every year; some of them are to be salvaged in the coming years, others have already been hauled ashore. Earlier this week, the magazine “Fokus” was the first to report on this. Witnesses to the advance of the Red Army The story of the wrecks begins more than 80 years ago, towards the end of the Second World War.…
The first-ever case of an artificial intelligence agent going rogue coincides with the EU’s major new powers to regulate AI. But Europe’s leverage may be limited by the U.S.-China two-way race for AI supremacy. Jul 27 6 mins read
By Indrabati Lahiri with AP Published on 30/07/2026 – 13:36 GMT+2•Updated 15:51 The Bank of England kept its key interest rate on hold at 3.75% for the fifth time this year on Thursday after a bigger-than-expected drop in the inflation rate last month gave policymakers breathing space to assess the fallout from renewed fighting in Iran. Interest rates are currently at their lowest level since January 2023, with analysts having expected the BoE to keep rates steady despite a fall in inflation in June. Although inflation has been easing, renewed hostilities between Iran and the US in the Middle East have fuelled concerns…
Published on 30/07/2026 – 15:12 GMT+2•Updated 15:49 FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed creating a new commercial subsidiary that would allow private investors to buy minority stakes in the business generated by the World Cup and FIFA’s other competitions. The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would put FIFA’s commercial and event operations under a separate company while FIFA retained majority control. FIFA says the plan could unlock more than $10 billion (€8.7bn) for football development. But Europe’s members, led by UEFA, have reacted furiously, saying “the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade”, while also complaining about…
Published on 30/07/2026 – 15:37 GMT+2 The full shortlist for the Mercury Prize 2026 has been unveiled, and it’s a thrillingly diverse set of nominees to compete for the prestigious album award. Among this year’s nominees are JADE, Nia Archives, Suede, Olivia Dean, RAYE, Florence + The Machine and Paul McCartney, who scores his first ever nomination this year for his album ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’. The 84-year-old ex-Beatle joins folk music pioneer Martin Carthy as the joint oldest ever Mercury Prize nominee, as Carthy was also 84 when he was nominated last year for his album ‘Transform Me…
“Inflation has fallen faster than we’ve expected, but the conflict in the Middle East continues to mean high and volatility energy prices,” said BoE Governor Andrew Bailey. In the U.K. and EU, the U.S.-Iran temporary ceasefire brought hopes to policymakers that the impact of the conflict could be short-lived, with signs of resilience in the economy, amid lower services and food inflation, slowing wage growth and a soft labor market. The European Central Bank was the first major central bank to raise rates in June in a bid to ensure price stability, but held in its July meeting after eurozone…