Author: staff
In 2025, inland demand in the EU for natural gas increased by 2.5% compared with 2024, according to the latest Eurostat figures. The largest increases in consumption across the bloc were recorded in Croatia (11.3%), Portugal (11.2%) and Slovenia (10.3%). In contrast, the largest drops were seen in Finland (17.7%), Sweden (9.7%) and Estonia (9.6%). Last year, Germany, Italy and France had the highest inland demand for natural gas. Gas is mainly used for power generation, household heating and industrial processes. For instance, around 30% of households in the EU are heated using gas. Inbalance in production Romania is the…
Microsoft said on Thursday it will raise the price of its Xbox video game consoles worldwide by between $100 and $150 from 1 August, blaming soaring storage and memory costs driven by AI-related demand. Editor’s note: Euro figures are approximate conversions based on today’s exchange rate and do not reflect official pricing from the companies. In the United States, the cheapest Xbox, the Series S, will increase to $500 (about €440) this summer, while the Series X will cost as much as $800 (about €705). The company has not yet released prices for Europe, where the Series X currently sells…
“If he gets a big, big bounce and the other parties decline, it will be very tempting for him, for example, if we’re 15 points ahead in October,” said this MP, who, like others in this article, was granted anonymity to speak frankly. “I can tell you though the mood among Labour MPs is that we very much do not want him to go for an early election.” Not another one Burnham’s backers are well aware he will face an onslaught of demands to give voters a say and criticism for having no mandate as soon as he walks into…
Thousands of supporters filled the streets of Abidjan after the Elephants secured their first-ever place in the knockout stage on the night of 25 June. A 2-0 victory over Curaçao, inspired by two goals from Nicolas Pépé, sealed qualification and triggered scenes of jubilation across the economic capital. Fans danced, waved national flags and praised head coach Emerse Faé as the team advanced beyond the group stage for the first time in four World Cup appearances. The result capped an impressive Group E campaign for Ivory Coast, who opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Ecuador before losing to…
Groups D, E and F played their third group stage fixtures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday. The six matches saw a total of eight – maybe nine – teams clinch crucial points to make it to the elimination rounds of this expanded version of the World Cup, featuring 48 teams. Here is an overview of how the matches went: Ivory Coast v Curacao Ivory Coast rejoiced as players dropped to their knees on the pitch for a team photo and they all pointed one finger toward the sky. Players…
Long prized for its wild coastline, vineyards and slower pace of life, Portugal’s Alentejo region is now emerging as one of Europe’s hotel hotspots. A string of luxury openings and boutique launches, as well as reopenings following refurbishments, across the likes of Comporta, Melides and Évora, is bringing a new range of exciting accommodations to the destination, while reinforcing its appeal as an alternative to Portugal’s busier tourist hubs. “These unique hotels – many of them at the luxury end of the market – are strengthening Alentejo’s position as an authentic and exclusive destination, with a strong vision for the…
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein will not face a fourth New York trial over the alleged rape of actress Jessica Mann. Prosecutors dropped the case on Thursday after his accuser said she could not bear to testify again. In May, Weinstein’s third trial over the allegation ended in a mistrial after the jury said it was deadlocked. The jury had been unable to reach a unanimous decision over whether Weinstein had raped Mann in 2013 in a New York hotel. Mann appeared to support Thursday’s decision, saying in a letter that prosecutor Nicole Blumberg read to the court: “After a…
That man, Markus Motschmann, knelt on one knee as he presented Reichardt with an application to join the AfD, addressing him as “Mein Führer,” according to the two people who were present. Motschmann denied using those words but confirmed the photograph is genuine. “It was meant to be funny,” Motschmann told POLITICO. “It’s absolutely ridiculous that this is being blown up again.” The revelation comes at a politically sensitive moment for the AfD ahead of two state elections in eastern Germany, where the party is leading in polls. Big victories in the September elections would further cement the AfD’s dominance…
A home is more affordable relative to local incomes in Paris and London than in Lisbon. Portugal has spent years marketing itself as one of Europe’s great success stories: sunshine, safety, a booming tourism industry and an enviable quality of life. But behind the postcard image lies one of the continent’s most stretched housing markets. A home in Lisbon now costs about 18.7 times a typical household’s annual income, according to the latest figures from data platform Numbeo. Among Europe’s major cities, only the Croatian coastal city of Split matches it. 10 cities with the highest price-to-income ratio in Europe…
The lagoon in front of me is quiet in the sunshine, save for the rustle of a tropical breeze and the putter of a boat engine making its way towards me. The latter has just departed a jetty on a strip of sand 200 metres away across the water. A low roaring suggests the waves beyond its swaying line of coconut palms are in fine form. You’d be forgiven for thinking I’m in the Caribbean. But this is the Côte d’Ivoire; a West African nation you might know best for its recent resurgence to World Cup football, and less for…