This article is published in association with United Nations. El Niño is putting millions of lives at risk in eastern and southern Africa but the UN is ensuring that communities are better prepared to deal with its impact. The story from a human perspective A farmer in Zambia who hasn’t seen a maize harvest. A mother […]The climate pattern putting millions at risk: El Niño explained
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. El Niño is putting millions of lives at risk in eastern and southern Africa but the UN is ensuring that communities are better prepared to deal with its impact. The story from a human perspective A farmer in Zambia who hasn’t seen a maize harvest. A mother […]European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee delegation concludes mission to China
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. In Beijing and Shanghai, MEPs discussed the geopolitical implications of EU-China ties, while reaffirming the EU’s principled stance and commitment to dialogue. A delegation of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by its Chair David McAllister, concluded a three-day mission to China […]Commission greenlights Belgium’s fifth payment request for €225 million under NextGenerationEU
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission positively assessed Belgium’s fifth payment request for €225 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this payment request, in the areas of clean and digital transition, […]Commission seeks feedback on proposed amendments to regional State aid guidelines
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has launched a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on its proposal to amend the Guidelines on regional State aid to keep them up-to-date. The proposed amendments The guidelines set out the legal framework governing the granting of State aid for regional development […]Commission endorses Malta’s €60 million Social Climate Plan to support vulnerable households and small companies in the clean transition
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today endorsed Malta’s Social Climate Plan – the fourth national plan adopted under the Social Climate Fund using revenues from carbon pricing to ensure a fair and inclusive clean transition. Malta’s plan will mobilise €60.6 million until 2032, including €45.4 million from the European Union. The Social Climate […]Japan officially joins Horizon Europe
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. As of today, Japan is officially associated to Horizon Europe. Home to 123 million people, Japan is the most populous country associated to the programme, adding one of the world’s most advanced research and innovation ecosystems to Europe’s network of scientific cooperation. The agreement allows […]Commission disburses another €3.47 billion to Ukraine for drones, missiles, air defence and fighter jets
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today disbursed €3.47 billion to Ukraine, under the defence window of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The funding is provided in response to Ukraine’s urgent military needs, as it continues to require capability support to defend itself against Russia’s war […]EU launches AI Gigafactories call to boost Europe’s computing capacity and unlock more than €30 billion in investment
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The EU today launched a call for tenders to establish up to seven AI Gigafactories across Europe, as part of its latest major push to accelerate Europe’s technological sovereignty and ambition of becoming the AI Continent. Led by industry and supported by up to €10 […]Wildfires: Prevention is the best defence, UN says
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. The wildfires burning across Europe and North America highlight the urgent need for action now – as climate change, land-use pressures and human activity make severe fires more likely in the future. The warning comes from the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) which said that more than 434,000 hectares […]Middle East crisis: Humanitarian fallout ‘worsening by the day’
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
The humanitarian toll is mounting as fighting continues in the Middle East beyond strikes and counterstrikes between the US and Iran, the UN aid coordination office OCHA warned on Thursday, with civilians increasingly at risk and essential infrastructure disrupted in several countries across the region. “The humanitarian consequences of the Middle East escalation are worsening […]Commission seeks feedback on proposed amendments to regional State aid guidelines
July 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has launched a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on its proposal to amend the Guidelines on regional State aid to keep them up-to-date. The proposed amendments The guidelines set out the legal framework governing the granting of State […]Commission endorses Malta’s €60 million Social Climate Plan to support vulnerable households and small companies in the clean transition
July 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today endorsed Malta’s Social Climate Plan – the fourth national plan adopted under the Social Climate Fund using revenues from carbon pricing to ensure a fair and inclusive clean transition. Malta’s plan will mobilise €60.6 million until 2032, including €45.4 million […]Forced online scams: IOM warns trafficking networks are booming
July 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. A job advert can hide a criminal network, and a single click can lead to a nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of people are trafficked every year on the promise of legitimate work abroad, only to be held captive and forced into online scam operations. The UN International […]Climate alarm ‘blaring from every direction’
July 29, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Climate-driven disasters are reaching “nightmare proportions” due to humanity’s “addiction” to fossil fuels, a top UN official warned on Tuesday. “The climate alarm is blaring from every direction,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell in a statement. “With the mercury set to soar again this […]Commission proposes more than €410,000 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support dismissed car industry workers in Finland
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €410,310 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 235 workers dismissed by Valmet Automotive in Finland. Valmet Automotive is a contract manufacturer for the car industry, dependent on fixed-term contracts with major […]Commission approves €149 million Swedish State aid for agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved a €149 million (SEK 1.6 billion) State aid scheme for agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices due to the Middle East crisis. The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework […]Commission preliminary finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act for failing to ensure safe accounts for minors
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission sent TikTok preliminary findings indicating that TikTok accounts of minors do not meet the safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA). On TikTok, minors can choose to set their account as ‘public’. This means that any user, including […]EU adopts 21st package of sanctions against Russia
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission welcomes the adoption by EU Member States of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The package further restricts Russia’s ability to fund its illegal war and to carry out attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia’s economy is […]Syria’s hopes for renewal hinge on rebuilding trust, lives and livelihoods
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. A country long known as a meeting point of civilizations, Syria stands once again at a crossroads. Across Syria, the scars of war remain etched into communities that have endured years of violence, displacement and loss. Yet amid the devastation, hopes are also taking root, hopes for […]75 years later, the promise to protect refugees faces its greatest test
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has launched a global campaign urging governments, organizations and individuals to renew their commitment to protecting people forced to flee war, violence and persecution. The initiative, called The Promise, comes at a time when […]Syria’s hopes for renewal hinge on rebuilding trust, lives and livelihoods
July 27, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. A country long known as a meeting point of civilizations, Syria stands once again at a crossroads. Across Syria, the scars of war remain etched into communities that have endured years of violence, displacement and loss. Yet amid the devastation, hopes are also taking root, hopes for […]Stranded seafarers remain trapped as Hormuz shipping stalls
July 24, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. As the Iran-US war continues, the key question remains unanswered about how shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will be managed in future – although the UN has reiterated that charging tolls for safe passage runs contrary to international law. Addressing the UN Security Council on Thursday, […]Climate Change, Food Insecurity, and Anemia Risk in Women of Reproductive Age: A Socio-Environmental Perspective
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Valéria Cerqueira Pinto, a medical student. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European […]Housing – The EU needs a bolder strategy for construction
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee. The EESC continues to push for an end to Europe’s housing crisis. In a new opinion, it argues that, to achieve more affordable housing, the EU needs a number of urgent measures, including: a better strategy for land use and rural […]Deadly Afghanistan floods kill at least 26 as aid agencies race to reach survivors
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Flash floods have killed at least 26 people across eastern Afghanistan, including 23 in the mountainous province of Nuristan, where homes, markets and roads were swept away and search teams continued looking for people reported missing. The flooding, triggered by heavy rainfall on 20 July, also claimed […]Commission greenlights Sweden’s payment request for €1.47 billion under NextGenerationEU
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission positively assessed Sweden’s second payment request for €1.47 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments included in this payment request, which aim to support the green transition, a better functioning of the labour and housing markets, as well as […]Commission fines Google €890 million for breaches of the Digital Markets Act
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission took two decisions finding non-compliance by Google with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for self-preferencing its own services on Google Search, and for putting in place restrictions on businesses to direct consumers to alternative, often cheaper, purchase channels on Google […]Nicaragua continues to weaken political freedoms, UN warns
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday condemned new threats from Nicaragua’s co-president Daniel Ortega to hinder civil rights and prevent dissenting individuals and groups from participating in elections. Mr. Ortega said on Sunday that the country would no longer hold elections, which were scheduled […]From lithium to nickel: How the UN is helping countries make the most of critical minerals
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. The world’s shift to clean energy is driving huge demand for critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper. Digging them out of the ground may be the most straightforward part of the process. Around the world, the United Nations is helping countries make sure these […]Commission approves Paramount’s acquisition of Warner, subject to conditions
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition by Paramount Skydance Corporation (‘Paramount‘) of Warner Bros. Discovery (‘Warner‘). The approval is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments offered by Paramount. Paramount and Warner are both active in the […]World News in Brief: Aid for Ukraine, drone attacks in Sudan, DR Congo deaths, neurological disorders in the Americas
July 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. UN partners launched the Winter Response Plan to help 2.1 million people in Ukraine survive another cold season as the country grapples with the on-going Russian invasion. Tweet URL The UN’s office in Ukraine announced on Wednesday that its partners are seeking $358.4 million to provide heating assistance, shelter […]Commission opens in-depth investigation into proposed merger between Saipem and Subsea7
July 22, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed merger between Saipem and Subsea7 to become “Saipem7”. The Commission is concerned that the proposed concentration may significantly impact effective competition in some offshore engineering and construction […]Commission concludes eligibility checks for two European Citizens’ Initiatives on digital identity and age-verification, and on migration and asylum
July 22, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission concluded the eligibility checks for the registration requests of two European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs) entitled: ‘Stop Killing The Internet: No Digital ID & No Age Verification‘ and ‘Save Europe Act‘. The Commission registered the initiative ‘Stop Killing The Internet: No […]
