Author: staff

Mélenchon qualifying for the two-candidate runoff next year is seen as a nightmare scenario by most of France’s political center-right and center-left, because polling predicts he would lose heavily to the far right. The Odoxa poll showed the leader of France Unbowed winning 16 percent of the vote in the first round, up from 12 percent in a similar poll conducted last month. The poll placed him virtually level with Philippe, who slipped to 17 percent from 21 percent. Mélenchon was also the most popular left-wing politician among left-wing voters, ahead of rivals such as former President François Hollande and…

The question of whether the European Union should engage in direct talks with Russia to bring the war in Ukraine to an end continues to split member states, as Estonia warns that the diplomatic outreach would amount to becoming a “neutral mediator” expected to provide Moscow with sanctions relief and appease its maximalist demands. Until now, the talks have been led by the US, which has cut all financial and military assistance to Ukraine and eased sanctions on Russian oil. “We know that Russia is desperately working to bring Europe into talks because Putin needs to win time, and his…

The accident happened in the Seodaemun district during a safety inspection after workers detected a 2 centimetre subsidence in the structure and suspended construction operations. Fire officials said debris and concrete slabs suddenly gave way, crushing workers below. Images from the scene showed twisted steel beams hanging over damaged vehicles while police sealed off surrounding roads in the capital. Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said the inspection had started at 14:00 local time shortly before the collapse occurred. The overpass, built in 1966, had been under demolition since August 2025 because of safety concerns linked to its ageing structure.…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 14:47 GMT+2 BP has sacked its chairman Albert Manifold with immediate effect, citing unacceptable governance and conduct issues in the latest blow to a company that has struggled to stabilise its leadership for years. The board said it had been “surprised and disappointed” to learn of the issues and had taken “decisive action,” without elaborating on the specifics. His sudden departure prolongs a period of severe leadership turmoil at BP, coming at a moment when the company was supposed to be turning itself around from years of poor performance. London-listed shares fell as much as 9%…

The diplomatic engagement comes at a crucial moment after Russia executed a massive attack on Kyiv over the weekend and threatened further “consistent and systemic strikes.” The Russian foreign ministry urged diplomats and foreign citizens to leave the city “as soon as possible,” while the EU’s ambassador to Ukraine rejected the demand, saying, “We stay in Kyiv. We stay with Ukraine.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Friday that America would backtrack from Ukraine peace talks it was leading, saying they “were not fruitful, unfortunately” and adding, “If someone else would like to handle it, they should.” European officials…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 14:35 GMT+2 The two French children found abandoned last week in southern Portugal by their mother and her partner will soon be heading to France, according to a statement from the Setúbal District Court to which Euronews had access. According to the document, French authorities have decided, under the terms of judicial co-operation, to place Zacharie and Barthélemy in the care of the social services in the Alsace region while they assess the suitability of other family members, particularly their father, to look after them. Following this decision, the Portuguese court decided to return the children…

France has witnessed its hottest May day on record, as it braces for even more exceptional heat. The country’s weather agency Météo France declared yesterday that new monthly highs have been logged at 352 weather stations, mainly in the west, with the highest temperature of 37.1°C registered near Hossegor, close to Biarritz. Climate scientists say the ‘unprecedented’ event has a one in 1,000 chance of happening at this time of the year, based on records dating back to 1979. Forecasters warn the country will continue to swelter in the coming days due to being trapped under a “highly anomalous and…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 13:23 GMT+2•Updated 13:25 Italy’s most famous carmaker pulled back the curtain on the Ferrari Luce on Monday, its first fully electric car and at €550,000, one of the most expensive EVs on the market. Ferrari chairman John Elkann considered it worthy of a visit to the Quirinale on Tuesday, where he presented the car to Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Social media was not impressed. In the days since the unveiling, the Luce — Italian for “light,” and designed in collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive — was being compared online to a Nissan Leaf…

The summer holidays are on the horizon and soon enough we’ll all be complaining of the hottest temperatures since records began and the noticeable scarcity of air conditioning. But alongside the heat comes another headache: the rising costs of travel. With soaring jet fuel fears, thousands of flights being cut and airlines quietly passing additional costs onto passengers, many of us will not be forced to think how, and where, we’ll spend our holidays this year. So, are Europeans abandoning travel plans altogether, or simply learning how to do so slightly differently? The Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI)’s annual Travel Trends…

“The EU is not going anywhere,” said Katarína Mathernová, the EU ambassador to Ukraine. “We are staying in Kyiv.” Mathernová added that “threats against diplomats” were a “sign of desperation” from Russia. A spokesperson for France’s Foreign Ministry similarly told France Info that it would be “out of the question to evacuate” its staff from Kyiv. In a statement, Poland’s Foreign Ministry condemned Russia’s warning, saying that any attacks on its embassy would be “treated as hostile acts.” A German Foreign Office official told POLITICO on Tuesday that Russia’s threat to foreign nationals “shows that Russia remains committed to escalation.”…