Ukraine: Hopes for peace on life support, Security Council hears

This article is published in association with United Nations. A glimmer of hope for peace in Ukraine has been overshadowed by a devastating new wave of Russian attacks, UN officials told the Security Council on Thursday, warning of soaring civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis that could derail a diplomatic end to the war. “The […]

EU Member States endorse €150 billion SAFE defence loan instrument to boost European defence capabilities

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission welcomes today’s agreement in the Council of the EU on the Security for Action for Europe (SAFE) Instrument. As proposed in the ReArm Europe Plan / Readiness 2030, the Commission will raise up to €150 billion on the capital markets, providing […]

Top marks for Lebanon schools project helping marginalised kids

This article is published in association with United Nations. An inclusive education programme in Lebanon is getting top marks from teachers and students, especially children with disabilities who are often the most marginalised. According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 300,000 children with disabilities in Lebanon today, although data is limited. To help them access learning opportunities, […]

UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ human rights crisis in Myanmar as violence and economic collapse deepen

This article is published in association with United Nations. Myanmar’s spiralling human rights crisis – fuelled by relentless military violence, systemic impunity and economic collapse – has left civilians caught in the crossfire of an increasingly brutal conflict, according to a new report by the UN human rights office (OHCHR). Published ahead of the Human Rights Council’s […]

Haiti: Displaced children face sexual violence risk

This article is published in association with United Nations. Armed violence and insecurity in Haiti have exposed already vulnerable children to sexual violence and exploitation, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Wednesday. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gang violence has permeated the capital Port-au-Prince and expanded […]

Urgent action needed to ‘pull Yemen back from the brink of catastrophe’

This article is published in association with United Nations. Noor, a 16-month-old toddler, is from the Lahj governorate in the southwest corner of Yemen. A UN-partner volunteer diagnosed her with severe malnutrition – and her story became headline news when the UN relief chief recounted it to the Security Council during an impassioned briefing last week. […]

Gaza: Aid trucks still waiting for Israeli green light inside enclave

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN aid workers said on Wednesday that they are still waiting for permission from Israel to distribute five trucks worth of lifesaving relief that was allowed into Gaza at the start of the week, after an 11-week blockade. Existing supplies of basic necessities have been running dangerously […]

AI threatens one in four jobs – but transformation, not replacement, is the real risk

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

This article is published in association with United Nations. Women and clerical workers face the highest risk of their roles being radically transformed by Artificial Intelligence, prompting calls for inclusive policy responses.  One in four jobs worldwide is potentially exposed to what’s known as Generative Artificial Intelligence – or Generative AI (GenAI) – according to a new […]

Commission proposes to facilitate the application of the safe third country concept

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 Commission. Today, the Commission proposes rules that will facilitate Member States’ application of the safe third country concept. This will accelerate asylum processes and reduce pressure on asylum systems, while preserving the legal safeguards for applicants and ensuring respect of fundamental rights. The safe third […]

Nearly €1 billion awarded to boost development of renewable hydrogen

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission announced the selection of 15 renewable hydrogen production projects for public fundingacross the European Economic Area (EEA).The projects, located across five countries, are expected to produce nearly 2.2 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen over ten years, avoiding more than 15 million […]

Ethiopia Unveils Strategic Initiative to Green Its Financial System and Drive Sustainable Investment

New green financing model launched in Serbia

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The Greening Financial Systems Programme was officially launched in Ethiopia today by Ethiopian and international partners at the Ethiopia Finance Forum. This transformative initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of Ethiopia’s financial sector to climate change by embedding climate risk into regulatory frameworks, advancing climate-related disclosures, […]

Portugal: EIB provides €300 million loan to support the rehabilitation of state-funded schools

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €300 million financing agreement with Portugal to co-finance the School Restoration and Rehabilitation Programme, which aims to modernise hundreds of state-funded schools across the country. The agreement was signed by the Portuguese Treasury and Public Debt Management Agency (IGCP). […]

European agriculture faces growing climate risks that EU can help counter, new study finds

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Union agricultural sector loses more than €28 billion a year, on average, as a result of adverse weather such as droughts and the EU can do more to reduce such business risks, including by expanding farm insurance, according to a groundbreaking new study. The analysis, […]

EBRD invests €50 million in first bond issuance by Bulgaria’s EEEC

This article is brought to you in association with EBRD. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting Bulgaria’s green transition by investing €50 million in the €500 million senior secured bond issuance by the country’s Eastern European Electric Company B.V. (EEEC). The issuance represents the first publicly listed, euro-denominated, benchmark-sized bond by a […]

Civilians killed in drone strike in eastern Ukraine: UN rights monitors

This article is published in association with United Nations. A drone strike in eastern Ukraine on Saturday could possibly be the deadliest in recent weeks, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country, HRMMU, has said. At least nine people were killed and seven injured when a Russian drone struck a minibus near the town […]

Being a Woman: A Risk Factor for Many Diseases

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Lucía Barriuso López, a last year medical student from Burgos city, Spain. 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 […]

Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege

This article is published in association with United Nations. Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas, demanding an end to Israel’s blockade. Updating journalists in Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Dr. […]

Over 60 per cent of the Arab world still outside the banking system

This article is published in association with United Nations. Between 2016 and 2024, the number of Egyptians with a bank account – which experts say is essential for financial inclusion – tripled, from 17.1 million to over 51 million. Even more impressively, the number of Egyptian women with an account increased by 260 per cent, though […]

Metsola calls to “re-launch Europe as a global power”

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. In a keynote speech at the event “Europe at the crossroads” on Tuesday, Parliament President Metsola outlined her vision for a smarter, stronger and safer Europe. The President argued that “the time of hypothetical crossroads is over. There is only one path left: forward […]

Climate change takes increasingly extreme toll on African countries

This article is published in association with United Nations. Devastating floods in South Sudan in recent months left thousands of herders without their most precious possessions: goats, cows and cattle. The animals are central to people’s lives and age-old customs including marriage and cultural traditions. All risk being swept away or scorched by the ravages of […]

EBRD downgrades Türkiye forecast for 2025

This article is brought to you in association with EBRD. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects Türkiye’s economy to grow by 2.8 per cent in 2025, downgraded from its February 2025 forecast due to lower domestic and external demand and tighter-than-expected monetary policy. The Bank expects the Turkish economy to then grow by […]

EBRD cuts growth forecasts amid surging trade policy uncertainty

This article is brought to you in association with EBRD. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has lowered its regional economic forecast for 2025 by 0.2 percentage points relative to its February 2025 projections. According to the Bank’s Regional Economic Prospects report published today, economies in which the EBRD invests are now projected to […]

Commission amends State aid rules to provide public access to justice in environmental matters

Germany: €500 million for flood protection and climate adaptation

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has adopted today amendments to its State aid rules to provide public access to justice in environmental matters in relation to EU State aid decisions. For that purpose, the Commission revised rules which allow non-governmental organisations (‘NGOs’)  to request a Commission […]

Spain: EIB provides Heura Foods with €20 million in financing to develop innovative and sustainable plant-based food products

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €20 million loan with Spanish startup Heura Foods to support the development and marketing of innovative, sustainable and healthy food products that are fully plant-based. Heura is a bioeconomy pioneer and innovator in the plant-based foods sector with headquarters […]

EU and Japan reinforce tech and digital partnership

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 EU and Japan held their third Digital Partnership Council today in Tokyo to reinforce tech and digital cooperation between the EU and Japan. The Council was co-chaired by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, alongside Masaaki Taira, Minister for […]

Gaza: UN agencies reject Israeli plan to use aid as ‘bait’

This article is published in association with United Nations. Israel’s plan to take control of relief assistance in Gaza would put civilian lives in danger and cause mass displacement while using aid as “bait”, UN humanitarians said on Friday. UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder insisted that the Israeli proposal to create a handful of […]

€8 million in EU aid for 2,400 dismissed workers in Belgium

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Employees affected by the bankruptcy of Belgian automotive company Van Hool will benefit from an EU aid package worth €8 million. On Tuesday, Parliament approved Belgium’s request for support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) by 598 votes in favour, 48 against […]

EU to fully end its dependency on Russian energy

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The EU will end its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phasing out Russian nuclear energy, while ensuring stable energy supplies and prices across the Union. The REPowerEU Roadmap, presented today by the European Commission, paves the […]

Funding crisis increases danger and risks for refugees

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned on Friday that a worsening funding crisis is placing refugees – who cannot return home due to war or persecution – in increasing danger. With humanitarian resources running dry, critical support for millions of forcibly displaced people is under threat. UNHCR said […]

The Commission adopts positive preliminary assessment of €58 million to Luxembourg under NextGenerationEU

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission issued a positive preliminary assessment of Luxembourg’s second payment request for €58 million under NextGenerationEU, the centrepiece of Europe’s recovery efforts to build a greener, more digital and competitive Union. The Commission preliminarily concluded that Luxembourg has fulfilled the milestones and targets required for this second […]

EU welcomes final ruling of Arbitration Tribunal on EU-UK sandeel dispute

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission welcomes the final ruling by the Arbitration Tribunal, established under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to settle the EU-UK sandeel dispute, which agreed with the EU’s interpretation of several key issues. The Arbitration Tribunal’s ruling provides clarity on the […]

Finland: Helsinki to get new tramline and a depot with €400 million EIB package

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €400 million financing package to help the Finnish capital Helsinki build a tramline to three suburbs, construct a new tram and bus depot, purchase new trams, and add pathways for cyclists and pedestrians. The EIB support involves loans […]

12 Member States request activation of the national escape clause in a coordinated move to boost defence spending

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. To date, 12 Member States have submitted a request in writing to the Commission to activate the national escape clause under the Stability and Growth Pact, as part of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 package presented in March 2025. These are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, […]

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