Deadly bombing of Iran primary school ‘a grave violation of humanitarian law’: UNESCO

Iran attacksThis article is published in association with United Nations. The UN education agency, UNESCO, says that the bombing of a primary school during the US and Israeli military attacks on Iran on Saturday constitutes a grave violation of humanitarian law. The missiles reportedly destroyed a girl’s primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing around 150 and […]

Attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes ‘undermine international peace and security’

© UNRCO Iran Tehran, the capital of Iran.This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the heads of UN agencies have condemned Saturday’s joint Israeli and US attacks on Iran and the Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel and the Gulf Regions. The attack on Iran reportedly targeted military sites as well as the leadership of the Iranian […]

Human Rights Council hears of ongoing risk of further genocidal violence in Sudan

© IOM/Muse Mohammed An IOM staff member talks to a family in South Sudan. (file)This article is published in association with United Nations. Nearly three years of war in Sudan have been marked by killings, rape and other violations, with risk of genocidal violence spreading, the UN Human Rights Council heard on Thursday.  The brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was the focus of debate as the Geneva-based […]

World News in Brief: Russian strikes on Ukraine condemned, migrant deaths update, devastating floods in southern Brazil

© UNOCHA/Serhii Morozov A bombed shopping centre lies in ruins in Odesa.This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN on Thursday condemned the latest attacks against civilians in Ukraine by Russian forces, reiterating that they always constitute a violation of international law “and must stop immediately.”  Briefing reporters in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said any strike against civilians anywhere – or any […]

ProtectEU: Commission presents new counterterrorism agenda

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 presented a new agenda to prevent and counter terrorism, setting out the way forward to reinforce Europe’s collective response to evolving terrorist and violent extremist threats. The EU has strengthened its response to terrorism and violent extremism over the past […]

The EU needs to establish a clear vision for the future of its energy system

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. n opinion adopted at the EESC’s February plenary session points out that the European Union will only be able to secure a stable, low-carbon and affordable energy supply by adopting a comprehensive forward-looking approach that prioritises the security of the electricity […]

Commission proposes EU-wide rules against the trafficking of illicit firearms

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 presented a proposal for a directive to combat firearms trafficking and other firearms-related offences in the EU. This is the first legislative initiative to be adopted under the European Internal Security Strategy, ProtectEU. Illicit firearms pose a serious threat to […]

Global Health Priorities for 2026: A Call from the Next Generation

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Cecilia Petio, a medical student at the University of Bologna, Italy, and an active member of SISM Italy (Segretariato Italiano Studenti in Medicina), the Italian National Member Organization of IFMSA. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. […]

Palestine: UN rights chief highlights suffering, atrocity crimes ‘that remain unpunished

© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour A woman holds a child as a storm approaches Khan Younis in Gaza.This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday highlighted the “human-made disaster” across the Occupied Palestinian Territory stemming from Israel’s disregard for human rights norms and serious violations also committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. Citing a new report from his office (OHCHR) covering the […]

Central African Republic enters ‘decisive’ phase after landmark elections

© MINUSCA/Myriam Asmani A voter in Central African Republic displays her ID at a polling station during the December 2025 elections.This article is published in association with United Nations. Fresh from holding the most extensive elections in its history, the Central African Republic (CAR) is entering what the UN’s top envoy in the country describes as a “decisive period” in consolidating fragile peace gains, even as security challenges persist and disarmament efforts continue. Briefing the Security […]

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 […]

World News in Brief: Arab economies rise, rights experts call for police reform in India, Ukraine school closures, Myanmar airstrikes

© ILO/Elisa Oddone Workers install solar panels in Beirut, Lebanon.This article is published in association with United Nations. A new UN report forecasts that the Arab region is seeing a gradual economic recovery despite continuing geopolitical uncertainties. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on Wednesday reported that regional growth is projected to pick up from 2.9 per cent last year to 3.7 per cent […]

Simplified rules for small “mid-cap” companies  

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. New laws seek to boost the competitiveness of EU so-called small “mid-cap” (SMC) enterprises as they grown beyond SME status with targeted measures. On Wednesday, three EP committees voted to endorse proposals introducing the concept of small mid-cap enterprises (SMCs) and extending to them […]

Commission welcomes the political agreement for a broader European Globalisation Adjustment Fund supporting workers

Commission releases €3.7 million to support 836 dismissed workers in Austria and BelgiumThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached by the European Parliament and EU Member States on its proposal to strengthen the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF). The EGF is an EU solidarity instrument for workers who have lost their job due to […]

EU and UK agree to cooperate closely on competition matters

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 and the United Kingdom signed the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement. The agreement sets a new and clear framework for cooperation on competition matters between, on the one side, the Commission and EU Member State competition authorities, and, on the other […]

Not the Future, the Present: Young Voices Shaping Global Health in 2026

Ángela Soria Pitarch was born on March 28, 2003. She is currently a fifth-year medical student at the University of Valencia.This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Ángela Soria Pitarch was born on March 28, 2003. She is currently a fifth-year medical student at the University of Valencia. 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 […]

Commission invites comments on draft new State aid General Block Exemption Regulation

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 today launched a public consultation on the draft of a simpler and more streamlined General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). The new version will align the GBER with current social, market and technological conditions. The Commission invites Member States and all other interested parties […]

‘Roam Like at Home’: Commission proposes to open negotiations to extend EU Roaming to the Western Balkans

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 open negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to integrate them into the EU’s ‘Roam Like at Home’ regime. Once the agreements are finalised with each of the partners and once they have each […]

Ukraine: ‘Use every diplomatic tool to end this war’, top UN official tells Security Council

MEPs approve “enhanced cooperation” for €90 biThis article is published in association with United Nations. The international community must “use every diplomatic tool” to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday as Russia’s full-scale invasion entered a fifth year. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, delivered remarks on behalf of […]

‘I dream of a safe life’: Gaza’s children share the future they want

© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour People in Gaza wait to receive a hot meal.This article is published in association with United Nations. Children in Gaza are voicing their demands for the future through a UN-run initiative that seeks to amplify their voices and restore the “fundamentals of childhood”. Through expressing their hopes for peace in art, poetry and models that they have made from rubble created by the war, thousands […]

G7 leaders’ statement on the war in Ukraine

Ukraine’s women at breaking point after four years of war as attacks on energy, healthcare continue – UN humanitariansThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. On the fourth anniversary of the Russian further invasion of Ukraine in 2022, we, the leaders of the G7, reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence. We express our continued […]

Ukraine wakes to more violence as Russia’s invasion enters fifth year

© UNOCHA Many rural areas of Ukraine have been blasted by shelling and drone strikes. The country is also one of the most mined in the world, top UN aid officials warn.This article is published in association with United Nations. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday. “Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another […]

2026: Six Global Health Fights Worth Showing Up For

2026: Six Global Health Fights Worth Showing Up ForThis article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Amina Rama, a second-year medical student from Albania. 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 […]

EESC continues to push for a solution to Europe’s housing crisis

MEPs adopt proposals to tackle Europe’s housing crisis Following the presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan by the European Commission last December, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has gathered together all relevant stakeholders at European, national and local level to take stock of the ongoing housing emergency and discuss the way ahead. The Committee aims to tackle speculation, address investment […]

Austria: aluminium maker AMAG receives €75 million EIB loan for cutting-edge research and development

Austria: aluminium maker AMAG receives €75 million EIB loan for cutting-edge research and developmentThis article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending AMAG Austria Metall AG, Austria’s leading aluminium producer, €75 million for technological advances in research, development and manufacturing. AMAG will use the EIB loan to develop cutting-edge aluminium products and to promote the digitalisation and environmental sustainability of manufacturing processes at the company’s […]

Ukrainian kindergarten in Lviv oblast reopens following EU-funded upgrade to improve energy efficiency

Commission registers European Citizens' Initiative on phasing out EU imports from Russia and BelarusThis article is published in association with European Investment Bank. As Ukraine marks four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, continues to support the restoration of essential social infrastructure, helping communities maintain basic services. Today, the Bilochka kindergarten in the village of Verkhnia […]

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 are holding 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. This text will be updated regularly as the hearings take […]

Ukraine: Parliament marks four years of Russia’s war with extraordinary session 

Ukraine: Parliament marks four years of Russia’s war with extraordinary session This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. On Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address MEPs at an extraordinary plenary session, four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The sitting will start at 10.15. Following President Zelenskyy’s address via remote connection from Kyiv, MEPs will discuss the latest developments in […]

EU–US trade legislation: legislative work on hold following US Supreme Court ruling 

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 Parliament. Bernd Lange, chair of Parliament’s International Trade Committee and standing rapporteur for the US, issued the following statement. Following a meeting of the committee’s shadow rapporteurs (i.e. political group representatives), Bernd Lange (S&D, DE) said: “The ruling by the Supreme Court of the United […]

Myriad fragments, one tragedy: How four years of war changed Ukraine

© UNICEF/Ian Dobronosov A mother and her daughter walk past a heavily damaged industrial building in Kyiv following an overnight attack, as firefighters continue to spray water at the remains.This article is published in association with United Nations. Although fighting had been raging in the east of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, most in the country did not believe all-out war would occur. With the full-scale invasion now reaching the four-year mark, many Ukrainians cannot believe it has gone on for so […]

Ukraine: $588 million recovery cost over the next 10 years

Ukraine: $588 million recovery cost over the next 10 yearswith United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine will cost almost $588 million over the next decade, or nearly three times the estimated GDP in 2025, as housing, energy and other critical sectors continue to come under fire from Russian forces.  The finding comes in the updated joint Rapid Damage and […]
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