Author: staff
Published on 29/06/2026 – 9:58 GMT+2 The week starts with problems for those travelling by train. Renfe has been forced to cancel a total of 320 services this Monday 29 June due to the strike called by the Railway Union (SF), a walkout that comes just as many workers are starting their summer holidays. Despite the strike, the minimum services set by the Ministry of Transport will keep much of the operation running. On high-speed and long-distance routes, 262 trains will run, equivalent to 73% of normal services. On regional services, 420 trains will be maintained, 65% of the usual…
Still feeling wiped out from last week’s heatwave? Thankfully the forecast ahead looks cooler – both temperature and event-wise. There are breathtaking new exhibitions from the likes of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, a retrospective of Arnaldo Pomodoro’s spherical wonders, and the continued resurgence of millennial rom coms through a Legally Blonde prequel. And if you’re still feeling a bit warm, a trip to an air conditioned cinema is never a bad idea – although tense new comedy The Invite might still make you sweat. Whatever you decide to do, stay hydrated – and keep scrolling to read more about what’s…
After an Iranian projectile struck a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the U.S. military on Saturday said it had struck Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelaying capabilities. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after fresh American strikes in southern Iran. The exchange of strikes prompted new threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump warned that if Tehran abandoned the agreement, “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” and said the United States…
Until now, goods valued under €150 could enter the bloc without paying customs duties under the so-called “de minimis” exemption. Chinese platforms exploited this by shipping billions of low-value parcels directly to European consumers from China, avoiding up to 12% in import duties and bypassing many regulatory checks. The EU now receives more than two billion of these packages every year, with authorities estimating that up to 65% are undervalued or incorrectly declared. The system helped companies like SHEIN to grow fast while undercutting European retailers. For consumers, the loophole meant ultra-cheap prices and fast delivery, but also growing concerns…
Emergency teams with rescue dogs are continuing the search for any remaining survivors of powerful twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela, where the death toll has surpassed 1,450 and nearly 200 buildings have completely collapsed. A man and his teen son were found alive under the rubble on Sunday by French and American rescue teams in Caraballeda, a town about 40 kilometres north of Caracas. The rescue offered a glimmer of hope in an ongoing tragedy that has shaken a country already mired in an economic crisis, but tens of thousands of people were still reported missing and the critical 72-hour…
No trip to Finland would be complete without a visit to a sauna – and now those travelling to Helsinki can book in for a visit to an island entirely dedicated to the bathing ritual. Saunasaari, which opened on 26 June, has several separate saunas, including a large traditional smoke sauna, the only one of its kind in the Finnish capital. The island is also home to two traditional Finnish wood-fired hot tubs, aka “palju”, which sit next to the water so you can enjoy the views over the capital. The positioning is ideal for those looking to combine their…
Already, the review has become intensely political. As soon as U.S. and Israeli bombs fell on Iran and oil and gas prices skyrocketed, a gang of 10 EU member countries — led by Poland, Italy, Czechia and Austria — released a letter characterizing the ETS as a plague on household energy bills, a business killer and a constrictive mandate for European decarbonization. Since then, other countries have piled in. On the moderate side, France, Germany, Spain and others are now also arguing the ETS requires reform so the private sector can catch its financial breath amid market uncertainty. But Sweden,…
Hello, it’s Mared Gwyn writing from Brussels, where temperatures are slowly easing off as the heatwave which has gripped Europe in recent days moves eastwards. In store for you this morning: the still sizzling debate on whether Europe needs to bet big on air con to deal with climbing temperatures, the latest on the brewing trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels, and more. Stars, Stripes, VIPs and Protests: But first, a flavour of the United States’ independence day bash hosted by the US embassy in Brussels’ Cinquantenaire Park last night. Spotted among the thousands of VIPs in attendance were Belgian…
A company can say almost anything about itself. Its website can claim growth, its sales team can promise stability, its brochure can radiate confidence. What a company cannot do is rewrite the record of what it has actually filed, and when. That record — its filing history — is the one part of a business’s public story it does not get to spin, which is exactly why it tells you more about a company’s health than anything the company would choose to tell you itself. Reading it is a quiet skill. The headline documents matter, but so does their timing,…
Thousands of people gathered at Brussels’ Cinquantenaire Park as the US Embassy in Belgium celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence with its “Freedom 250” event. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and several US ambassadors joined the festivities, which featured military ceremonies, a commemorative cake, live music, a drone show and fireworks. While officials highlighted the longstanding ties between Belgium and the United States, some attendees voiced concerns about the current US administration, citing disagreements over foreign policy and domestic issues despite celebrating the historic milestone.