UN weather agency warns of record ‘climate imbalance’ as planetary warming accelerates

© WMO/Ahnaf Ibne Nasir The sun sets on Kuakata beach in Bangladesh.This article is published in association with United Nations. All-time high greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere continue to drive heat records on land and sea, with long-lasting consequences for humanity, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Monday. Hot on the heels of a scorching decade, the UN’s weather agency has said that the planet’s […]

Commission approves French State aid scheme for production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a French scheme to support the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in line with the objectives of the EU Hydrogen Strategy and the Clean Industrial Deal. The scheme will also contribute to the […]

Forests are more than a resource: How Belarus protects its vital ecosystem

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Forests cover more than 40 per cent of Belarus. At the same time, the country recorded twice as many forest fires last year compared to the year before. Ahead of the International Day of Forests, observed on 21 March, deputy resident representative of the UN Development Programme […]

War in the Middle East: Iran nuclear facility hit as equivalent of ‘one classroom of children’ killed, wounded daily in Lebanon

© WFP/Arete/Ali Yunes A building in Beirut lies in ruins after airstrikes in Lebanon.This article is published in association with United Nations. More than 1,000 people have been killed and 2,584 injured in Lebanon since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, UN officials said Saturday. Key points “Recent escalation has killed or wounded the equivalent of one classroom of children every day,” said Ted Chaiban, deputy chief […]

Statement by Commissioner Tzitzikostas on the IMO decision on the Strait of Hormuz

Straits of OrmuzThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The EU welcomes the adoption of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Council decision, strongly condemning the threats and attacks by Iran against vessels which affect innocent civilian seafarers. The EU echoes IMO Council’s demands to cease any actions or threats aimed at closing, obstructing […]

Cyprus achieves record €372 million EIB Group financing in 2025, including new €125 million loan for public school modernisation

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. Record EIB Group activity in Cyprus in 2025 In 2025, the European Investment Bank Group achieved a historic level of activity in Cyprus, providing a total of €372 million in financing, of which €354 million were EIB loans and €18 million mobilised by the EIF. Overall, […]

Sweden: EIB launches first pre-IPO support to help European growth company access public markets

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed its first pre-IPO advisory agreement to help a European growth company prepare for access to public capital markets. The support is provided through the InvestEU Advisory Hub and aims to strengthen the ability of innovative European companies to grow […]

Deeper EU capital markets need stronger supervision and integration

This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee.This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee. In an opinion adopted at its March plenary session, the EESC calls for more ambitious reforms to integrate Europe’s capital markets and reinforce EU-level supervision, warning that persistent fragmentation is holding back investment, competitiveness and growth. Supporting the European Commission’s proposals […]

Cyprus Presidency debriefs European Parliament committees on priorities 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Ministers held a series of meetings in parliamentary committees to present the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council. Cyprus holds the presidency of the Council until the end of June 2026. Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee On 26 January, Minister of […]

World News in Brief: Yemen appeal, Middle East war roils Somalia, needs grow in Colombia

© UNICEF/Alaa Noman - YPN A mother holds her child near their home in the Al Adani neighbourhood of Al Hawtah, Yemen.This article is published in association with United Nations. UN aid teams in Yemen on Wednesday warned that the situation in the war-torn nation remains dire in a call for $2 billion in aid to deliver lifesaving assistance for 12 million people. This number includes women and children and comes after more than a decade of […]

The Basij Is Falling Apart: this Is What the End of the Islamic Republic Looks Like

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Ms. Sara Rahmati, an international relations graduate currently based in Berlin with an interest in Public International Law. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position on the issue. For forty-seven years, Iranians have […]

Croatia gets €536 million in EIB Group financing in 2025 with focus on small businesses, venture capital and cities

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s new financing in Croatia totalled €536 million last year on the back of support for technological advances by a range of Croation businesses. More than half of the 2025 amount was for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Mid-Caps and public entities […]

EIB commits €40 million to Speedinvest to empower Africa’s next tech champions and deepen Europe-African innovation ties

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. African technology startups will receive a financing boost through a €40 million commitment from EIB Global, the development arm of the European Investment Bank (EIB), to the first Africa-focused investment vehicle from leading European venture capital firm Speedinvest. The investment strengthens EU–Africa ties, supports digital transformation, […]

Commission adopts new State aid rules to boost the use of more sustainable ways of transport

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission adopted today the State aid Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines (LMT Guidelines) and the State aid Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER). These instruments support more sustainable transport modes for both passengers and freight and update the EU State aid framework for […]

Middle East war: Women in Lebanon forced to give birth on roadside

© Mousawat A mother and child displaced by the conflict in Lebanon receiving care at a clinic.This article is published in association with United Nations. As the UN Secretary-General touched down in Beirut on Friday in solidarity with the people of Lebanon, UN agencies highlighted the dangers for civilians and particularly pregnant women and migrant workers, amid ongoing airstrikes and rocket fire between Hezbollah fighters and Israel.  “There’s 11,600 pregnant women who […]

Venezuela’s repressive State apparatus ‘intact’ despite leadership change

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Venezuela’s repressive State apparatus remains operational despite the seizure of former President Nicolás Maduro by United States forces on 3 January, according to independent UN human rights investigators. “The structures that have sustained persecution for years have not been dismantled, nor have State policies been announced to […]

Stakeholders Push Forth Recommendations Before the European Commission Adopts the EHDS Regulation

This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee.This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Mr Enrique De La Cruz, a student researcher in the public health The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position on the issue. As the European Commission plans to adopt the European Health Data […]

Commission proposes €2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support 507 dismissed Liberty Steel workers in Belgium

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €2 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 507 workers dismissed after the bankruptcy of Liberty Steel Belgium. Liberty Steel production lines in Belgium came to a halt in December 2021 […]

Commission approves €1.1 billion French State aid scheme to support cleantech manufacturing capacity, in line with Clean Industrial Deal objectives

Commission announces winners of 2026 European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity AwardThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved a €1.1 billion French scheme to support strategic investments that add clean technology (cleantech) manufacturing capacity in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal. This measure will contribute to the transition towards a net-zero economy. The scheme […]

South Sudan: Funding gaps threaten nearly 2 million displaced people

© IOM/Muse Mohammed An IOM staff member talks to a family in South Sudan. (file)This article is published in association with United Nations. Funding shortfalls are putting the lives of more than 1.9 million displaced people in South Sudan at risk amid rising humanitarian needs, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.  The warning comes as the world’s youngest nation remains among the top displacement crises, with nearly 10 million people in need of humanitarian assistance including returnees fleeing the war in neighbouring Sudan.  IOM requires just over $131 million for […]

Time for EU legislation to define rape based on absence of consent, say MEPs 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The Commission should, MEPs say, propose EU legislation establishing a common definition of rape based on the concept of freely given, informed and revocable consent. The report, endorsed on Wednesday by the Committees on Civil Liberties and Women’s Rights with 75 votes for, 27 […]

Nexperia: Is the EU Abandoning Semiconductor Sovereignty? 

Nexperia: Is the EU Abandoning Semiconductor Sovereignty? This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Mr Sean Brown, a law graduate and a former economic development adviser who worked in Brussels for several years. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position on the issue. The Dutch government’s decision […]

European Commission statement on the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of the United States

Statement by the European Commission on the U.S. decision to impose travel restrictions on certain EU individualsThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission requests full clarity on the steps the United States intends to take following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).  The current situation is not conducive to delivering “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” transatlantic trade and investment, […]

Commission adopts proposals for the signing, provisional application and conclusion of EU-UK Agreement in respect of Gibraltar

Commission adopts proposals for the signing, provisional application and conclusion of EU-UK Agreement in respect of GibraltarThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has adopted its proposals for the signature and provisional application, as well as for the conclusion of an agreement in respect of Gibraltar between the European Union and the United Kingdom.  The EU-UK deal in respect of Gibraltar will complete the […]

Ukraine: UN aid convoy reaches frontlines in Dnipro

© UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov Workers secure plywood boards over the shattered windows of a residential building damaged by a missile strike in eastern Ukraine. (file)This article is published in association with United Nations. A UN humanitarian convoy reached frontline communities in Ukraine’s Dnipro region on Wednesday, delivering critical medical and hygiene supplies as fighting continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and infrastructure across the country. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that access to the town had been […]

How AI, gaming and virtual worlds are reshaping Holocaust remembrance

AI ‘moving at the speed of light’ warns Guterres, unveiling recommendations for UN expert panelThis article is published in association with United Nations. While new digital technologies are transforming how the Holocaust is remembered and taught, experts warn that sustainability, ethics and collaboration are now as important as creativity to keep a global memory alive of Nazi Germany’s genocide that killed six million Jewish people and millions of others during […]

Welcome to the ‘agrihood’ – the neighbourhood of the future?

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is published in association with United Nations. Towns and cities are home to more than half of the world’s population and responsible for around 70 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis, which is why urban planners in Brazil are leading a design revolution that could point the way to […]

Global health systems ‘at risk’ as funding cuts bite, warns WHO

WHO/P. Virot The flag of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) flies at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that cuts to international aid and persistent funding gaps are undermining the global health system. This is occurring as the risk from pandemics, drug-resistant infections and fragile health services are on the rise, said the WHO Director-General. Addressing […]

The Commission decides to refer Spain and Malta to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose the Delegated Directive as regards the adjustments of the size criteria for micro, small, medium-sized and large undertakings or groups

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission decided to refer Spain and Malta to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose the Delegated Directive as regards the adjustments of the size criteria for micro, small, medium-sized and large undertakings or groups (Delegated […]

Commission annual report on Single Market and competitiveness calls for joint action in light of unprecedented challenges

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission adopted the 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report, the sixth in an annual series, evaluating the functioning of the Single Market and assessing the conditions for businesses to innovate, grow, and compete while delivering sustainable prosperity for European citizens. […]

Commission registers European Citizens’ Initiative on phasing out EU imports from Russia and Belarus

Commission registers European Citizens' Initiative on phasing out EU imports from Russia and BelarusThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission has registered a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), entitled ‘Stop Funding Russia’s War: Phase Out Harmful and Useless Russian Imports into the EU’. The initiative invites the Commission “to propose firm, immediate measures to end the EU’s remaining import dependencies on […]

UN says Gaza crisis remains dire, children hardest hit

© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour Much of Gaza City is inhabitable.This article is published in association with United Nations. Despite a modest increase in humanitarian assistance, the situation in Gaza remains “dire”, with children among the hardest hit by shortages of shelter, basic services and education, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Briefing reporters in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described the situation as still “dire” […]

Commission opens proceedings to assist Google in complying with interoperability and online search data sharing obligations under the Digital Markets Act

Today, the European Commission has started two sets of specification proceedings to assist Google in complying with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (‘DMA'). The specification proceedings formalise the Commission's regulatory dialogue with Google on certain areas of its compliance with two DMA obligations. The first set of proceedings concerns Google's obligation under Article 6(7) of the DMA to provide third-party developers with free and effective interoperability with hardware and software features controlled by Google's Android operating system. Today's proceedings focus on features used by Google's own Artificial Intelligence (‘AI') services, such as Gemini. The Commission intends to specify how Google should grant third-party AI service providers equally effective access to the same features as those available to Google's own services. The aim is to ensure that third-party providers have an equal opportunity to innovate and compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape on smart mobile devices. The second set of proceedings concerns Google's obligation under Article 6(11) of the DMA to grant third-party providers of online search engines access to anonymised ranking, query, click and view data held by Google Search on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (‘FRAND') terms. These proceedings focus on the scope of data, the anonymisation method, the conditions of access, and the eligibility of AI chatbot providers to access the data. Effective compliance and access to a useful dataset will allow third-party providers of online search engines to optimise their services and offer users genuine alternatives to Google Search. Next steps The Commission will conclude the proceedings within six months of their opening. Within the upcoming three months the Commission will communicate its preliminary findings to Google setting out the draft measures it intends to impose on Google to effectively comply with the DMA. Non-confidential summaries of preliminary findings and the envisaged measures will be published to enable third parties to provide comments. These proceedings, which by their nature do not take a position on compliance with the DMA, are without prejudice to the powers of the Commission to adopt a decision finding non-compliance with any of the obligations laid down in the DMA by a gatekeeper, including the possibility to impose fines or periodic penalty payments. Background The DMA aims to ensure contestable and fair markets in the digital sector. It regulates gatekeepers, which are large digital platforms that provide an important gateway between business users and consumers, whose position can grant them the power to create a bottleneck in the digital economy. On 6 September 2023, the European Commission designated Google Inc.'s Google Search, Google Play, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Android operating system, Google Chrome, Google Shopping and its online advertising services as core platform services. Google has had to fully comply with all applicable DMA obligations in respect of the designated services since 7 March 2024. The Commission has published an annual report on the implementation of the DMA and the progress made towards achieving its objectives.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission has started two sets of specification proceedings to assist Google in complying with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (‘DMA’). The specification proceedings formalise the Commission’s regulatory dialogue with Google on certain areas of its compliance with two DMA […]
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