Author: staff

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said American and Iranian representatives had held talks at the United Nations. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading at $98.41 a barrel in the morning in Europe. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate cost $95.21 a barrel for next month delivery. Brent has repeatedly risen above $100 since the Middle East war began in February. The three-hour meeting was “very good” and “very productive”, Trump told reporters during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said another meeting was planned soon. His comments came hours after he told the…

As the summer sun has now set, Google searches for “October holiday” have skyrocketed, reaching 80,000 in the past month and marking a 28% month-on-month increase. But where might these searches lead travellers to? Villa holiday company Solmar Villas analysed 105 destinations to find where delivers best on great weather – including the likelihood of rain, alongside affordable flight fares across October and November. In its study of the best destinations for autumn sun in Europe, Cyprus dominates the top of the list. The Mediterranean island takes the top four spots, thanks to its sunny weather, which usually sits between…

That final comment will please Starmer, who welcomed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Britain after Trump berated him in the Oval Office. But it also shows how far his relationship with Trump fell after his initial attempts to please the president in early 2025. Burnham had the benefit of a fresh start, and ahead of his first meeting with Trump, British officials insisted he would take a less fawning approach than his predecessor. He could afford to do so, they said, because Trump’s presidency is almost at the midway point and there is less to lose. Yet there were similarities…

Published on 23/09/2026 – 7:00 GMT+2 The European Commission will not extend its November 1 deadline for phasing out Chinese-made power inverters from EU-funded energy projects, despite calls from investors and the renewable energy industry for more time. Industry groups and institutional investors had hoped Brussels would delay the deadline amid concerns over the availability and cost of alternatives. But EU officials told Euronews the Commission intends to stick to its timetable. From November 1, projects connected or due to be connected to the EU electricity grid will have to exclude high-risk suppliers or progressively switch to inverters from suppliers…

The Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on the planet, has been transformed in appearance after intense rainfall in northern Chile. Vast swathes of usually parched ground have been carpeted with purple and white flowers in a natural phenomenon known as the “desierto florido”, or “flowering desert”. Beneath the soil of Atacama, seeds and bulbs from around 200 different species lie dormant for long periods, waiting for the conditions they need to germinate. The rainfall linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon has enabled many of them to bloom. The result has transformed parts of the desert landscape and…

Europe is facing a serious housing crisis and young people are feeling the strain. While many dream of owning their own home, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Younger generations in Europe have lower homeownership rates than earlier generations, according to the OECD. So, how have homeownership rates changed across generations? Why is homeownership falling among young Europeans? And in which countries are young people struggling the most? According to the ‘Mapping trends and gaps in household wealth across OECD countries’ report, younger generations in Europe are finding it increasingly difficult to reach the same homeownership levels as…

Today’s episode was recorded in front of an audience at our Brussels Playbook Live event. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart spotlight Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Ursula von der Leyen’s new senior adviser for the Clean Transition. They discuss what her appointment says about the Commission president’s approach to energy — and her relationship with Commissioner Teresa Ribera. Next, Norway is concerned that it is lobbying the EU too late to have a real effect on policy. And that’s a problem because, while Oslo isn’t an EU member, it still ends up adopting a large number of EU…

Published on 22/09/2026 – 8:41 GMT+2•Updated 11:53 Latvia has opposed the removal of Uzbek-Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the European Union’s sanctions list, blocking a compromise deal favoured by France. Instead, it has proposed a two-week extension of the restrictions to continue deliberations until the country goes to the polls on 3 October, diplomats said. “As long as Russia continues the war, Europe’s pressure must become stronger, not more convenient for the Kremlin,” Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs saidin a video published on Monday just before midnight. France has linked Usmanov’s removal to the release of two French nationals currently…

Published on 23/09/2026 – 5:54 GMT+2 Visions for the future of AI are playing out at the United Nations as world leaders talk about the threat — or promise — of artificial intelligence. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres kicked off the parade of world leaders speaking at the General Assembly by calling for more oversight of AI, warning in vivid if not ominous terms of what could go wrong. “Let us resolve that life-and-death decisions must never be surrendered to machines. Killer robots must have no place in our future,” Guterres said in his farewell address to world leaders. He also…

Während Deutschland nach rechts blickt, eskaliert in der Berliner Linken ein handfester Konflikt um israelfeindliche und antisemitische Tendenzen. Cedric Looks erklärt, welchen Einfluss das radikale Umfeld des Neuköllner Abgeordneten Ferat Koça in der Landespartei wirklich hat. Friedrich Merz stiftet mit Aussagen zu langen Wartezeiten auf Arzttermine für Verwirrung. Plant die Union plötzlich eine Bürgerversicherung für alle? Im 200-Sekunden-Interview stellt die CDU-Generalsekretärin Franziska Hoppermann klar, was wirklich hinter den Plänen steckt und wie die Partei das Gesundheitssystem umbauen will, ohne die private Krankenversicherung anzutasten. Hans von der Burchard berichtet vom Treffen zwischen Donald Trump und Wolodymyr Selenskyj, bei dem plötzlich versöhnliche…