Author: staff
Published on 25/03/2026 – 17:46 GMT+1 Hungary was kept waiting for approval for a large defense spending plan financed by EU money, making it the only member state to not benefit from cheap loans to rearm. The European Commission said Wednesday it had approved requests by France and the Czech Republic, the last two pending plans out of the 19 member states who applied for the cheap financing programme known as SAFE. Hungary remains the odd one out. The low-interest rate scheme was introduced last year by Brussels and is designed to bolster defence industries and military readiness across the…
Published on 25/03/2026 – 17:22 GMT+1 Libyan authorities have released a video and photos showing a tow rope attached to the damaged Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz, which has been adrift for the past three weeks in the Mediterranean Sea following a suspected attack by a maritime drone. The vessel, which caught on fire after a reported series of explosions on 3 March, has been associated with Russia’s “shadow fleet” of cargo ships carrying fossil fuels in violation of international sanctions imposed over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The Libyan Coast Guard said the tanker carrying liquefied…
Having a gap in enforcement would have “immediate and severe” consequences including “reduced detection, fewer reports to law enforcement, and greater impunity for perpetrators,” the commissioners said in their letter. “As lawmakers, we have a duty to act.” The controversy shows how political tricky the issue of online child protection is in Europe. On one side, child rights groups and security authorities have pushed for stricter policing of online spaces. On the other, privacy rights activists have warned it opens the door to mass surveillance of online communication on the other. The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) is leading a…
Denmark’s King Frederik X tasked outgoing Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen with leading talks to form a new government on Wednesday, after her Social Democrats scraped through a general election without securing a majority. Danes are braced for a weeks-long coalition-building process as Frederiksen seeks to consolidate power in the deeply splintered parliament after Tuesday’s vote. A left-wing bloc of five parties, including Frederiksen’s Social Democrats, won 84 seats, while the right-wing and far-right claimed 77. With neither side securing a majority, veteran politician Lars Løkke Rasmussen has emerged as kingmaker, with his Moderates securing 14 seats. After meeting with all…
Waffle lovers around the world have been given extra incentive, if needed, to indulge in the sugary goodness of a delicious waffle, and they have the Swedes to thank for this! International Waffle Day celebrated on 25 March originated in the Scandinavian country. The Feast of Annunciation, also on 25 March, is an important religious occasion amongst Christians because it marks when the archangel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary and told her she was to be the mother of Jesus Christ. The religious day is also known as “Our Lady’s Day,” which in Swedish is “vårfrudagen.” When said aloud, this…
A Whitehall official, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, acknowledged “an increasing demand on defense that spreads far beyond the Middle East,” but insisted that the Ministry of Defence is able to focus on both theaters at the same time. British naval capabilities have also come under scrutiny following the return of minehunter HMS Middleton from Bahrain just as strikes on Iran began, and the U.K.’s ambitions to lead efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy’s resources have been steadily depleted over decades, with the number of warships and frigates falling steadily since 1945…
With the US–Israeli war in Iran now entering its third week, Europe finds itself stuck on the sidelines. From the need to protect ships carrying crucial crude oil and liquified natural gas from Iranian strikes, to staying out of a war initiated that is already spilling over into the wider region, with attacks on critical infrastructure in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, determining a course of action has been difficult. It follows last week’s European Council Summit, which saw leaders call for de-escalation in the region, protection of civilians and infrastructure, as well as increased efforts and maritime…
Updated: 25/03/2026 – 18:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this March 25th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
Published on 25/03/2026 – 16:50 GMT+1 Social media platform X is pausing the rollout of a new policy for paying creators, which would have taken effect starting this Thursday. The new rules would have placed more emphasis on engagement from local audiences in a creator’s region or country to determine the revenue a creator generates. It was intended to discourage creators from posting about the United States or Japan — countries with the largest number of users on the platform — and effectively “gaming” the system to attract more attention to their posts, according to X’s head of product, Nikita…
The announcement is the latest escalation in a dispute between Budapest and Kyiv that saw Orbán blocking the EU’s loan to Ukraine, while accusing the other side of stalling on the pipeline repairs. This comes at a moment when global energy prices are rising due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, though Orbán stressed his country’s gas remains among the cheapest in Europe. “To break the oil blockade and ensure Hungary’s secure energy supply, action is now needed. We will gradually halt gas shipments from Hungary to Ukraine and store the remaining gas domestically,” Orbán explained. But Ukraine disagrees. “If…