Author: staff

Sikorski called for restricting Russian diplomats’ freedom of movement to the countries where they are accredited, limiting the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens, requiring biometric passes for Russians entering the EU, and capping the number of Russian diplomats stationed within the bloc. “We still have far too many Russian diplomats throughout the European Union. We estimate there are over 2,000, and we estimate that at least 40 percent of them are performing tasks that are inconsistent with their diplomatic status. They work for agencies that also carry out terrorist activities in our countries,” he said. “Therefore, in solidarity…

Published on 03/09/2026 – 12:09 GMT+2 Russia is “actively” preparing sabotage operations against Denmark, particularly its defence industry, Danish intelligence agency PET told the AFP news agency on Thursday. “The Russian intelligence services are actively preparing acts of sabotage targeting the defence industry in Denmark,” Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) said in a statement to AFP. They are recruiting “ordinary Danes” on social media to take photos that can be used in planning acts of sabotage, it said. Emil Graesholm, PET head of counterintelligence at the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, told newspaper Berlingske in an interview on Thursday…

Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond in this Euronews news bulletin. In just a few minutes, our newsroom brings you the latest news and breaking news across world affairs, business, politics, culture, entertainment and travel, with the context you need to make sense of a fast-moving day. Reported with the independence and the European perspective that define Euronews, this regular round-up gives you a clear and reliable overview of the stories shaping our world right now, wherever you are watching from.

Portugal’s automotive sector has seen a strong recovery, with sales accelerating in August and 17,209 motor vehicles registered, 11.3% more than in the same month in 2025. According to data released by ACAP – Associação Automóvel de Portugal (source in Portuguese), between January and August 2026 a total of 197,632 new vehicles were put on the road, representing growth of 10.3% compared with the same period a year earlier. Up to August, registrations of light passenger vehicles totalled 169,323 units, a rise of 9.5% on the same period in 2025. In monthly terms, 14,086 new light passenger cars were registered,…

“The recovery of the German economy is continuing,” said Timo Wollmershäuser, ifo’s head of economic forecasts. He pointed to signs of improvement, particularly in the crisis-hit industrial sector. The forecast is more optimistic than an assessment by Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, who said in an interview published by Le Monde on Wednesday that Germany was on track to grow by around 1 percent this year — twice the Bundesbank’s June forecast of 0.5 percent. Ifo also raised its 2027 growth forecast by 0.4 percentage points. The revisions reflect updated historical data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office and a more positive…

Published on 03/09/2026 – 10:36 GMT+2•Updated 10:45 Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced on Wednesday that he would step down from his political post after it emerged that the government had used European Union funding to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine from companies with no previous track record of producing the weapons. Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Wednesday that the government struck a deal in 2024 to acquire artillery shells for Ukraine, paying €70 million upfront from the EU’s European Peace Facility to fund the purchase. The companies involved, however, had never previously sold a single artillery shell. Estonia…

Published on 03/09/2026 – 8:31 GMT+2•Updated 8:37 Nicaragua’s ruling elite tightened its grip on power this week after the country’s National Assembly voted to bar opposition parties from future elections, a move US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denounced as the final collapse of the country’s democratic pretences. The reform, passed unanimously in a special outdoor legislative session on Tuesday, will formally exclude from office any opposition figures deemed to have taken part in planning or carrying out a coup. It also extends the presidential term from six to seven years, along with the terms of other elected officials…

Published on 03/09/2026 – 11:15 GMT+2 China has urged France to halt its recently implemented law targeting ultra-fast fashion, describing the measure as discriminatory. The underlying law, which took effect on Tuesday, raises the contribution paid by producers of qualifying clothing, footwear and household linen sold through ultra-fast-fashion business models by between €0.25 and €12 per item in 2026, with the maximum rising to €20 from 2030. The legislation affects major e-commerce platforms including Shein, Temu and AliExpress. “China urges France to immediately halt the implementation of the anti-ultra-fast-fashion law,” commerce ministry spokeswoman Huang Ling told a news conference on…

Starmer stood down from the House of Commons this week, saying he wanted to devote more attention to international affairs. He quit as prime minister earlier this year after losing support in his own party, and has been succeeded by Andy Burnham. No date has yet been set for the contest. Polanski will still need to be selected by local Green Party members. That selection is expected to take place next week. In a taste of his campaign pitch, Polanski said “voters will have someone who will always fight their corner — never scared of big donors or the party…

In a civil defence shelter cut into rock, behind doors designed to withstand a nuclear or biological attack, two Finnish conscripts wearing hazmat suits and breathing masks are measuring radiation levels as they take part in an exercise to turn a cave into a place of safety for thousands of people. Inside, in what is normally a sports hall, hundreds of people are sleeping overnight on camp beds. More than 2,000 people including volunteers and students are taking part in the biggest civil defence exercise in Europe since the end of World War II. In the scenario, critical infrastructure in…