Kanada dalyvaus kitų metų „Eurovizijos“ dainų konkurse, trečiadienį paskelbė organizatoriai.

Socialdemokratų kandidatas į kultūros ministrus Lukas Alsys sako, kad pasibaigus kultūros sezonui Vokietijoje turėtų būti numatytas tęstinis finansavimas tolesnėms tarpvalstybinėms iniciatyvoms.

Ukraine denies involvement in the case which may have serious implications for its relationship with Germany.

Yorgen Fenech denies any involvement in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.

Official documents show the US president made billions of dollars as he returned to the White House.

Lloyds says it remains committed to the town of Halifax and very little will change for customers.

Forty-four members of the European Parliament are urging FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reverse his decision to allow Russian athletes to play at this year’s inaugural U-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan. They argue that Russia should not be readmitted to FIFA competitions until it enters peace negotiations with Ukraine, ceases fire and agrees to return children kidnapped from Ukrainian territories. In a letter obtained by POLITICO, the lawmakers criticize global football body FIFA for ignoring what they described as “around 20,000 Ukrainian children … forcibly kidnapped and separated from their families by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s regime.” “We urge FIFA to stand on the side of peace and not appease the aggressor – Russia,” the letter reads. After Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in 2022, FIFA banned Russia from participating in all of its football competitions. FIFA lifted the blanket ban for youth competitions in 2023, but Russian teams have not played in its U-17 World Cups since. FIFA announced last week its first U-15 World Cup, in which boys and girls will compete this October in Azerbaijan. At the time, the organization announced that the competition would be open to “all FIFA member associations,” opening the door to Russia’s participation. Infantino said in February that FIFA should lift its ban on Russia, saying that bans “create more hatred.” The European lawmakers argue that allowing Russia to participate could lead other member countries to boycott the competition, a stance they call “very understandable.” They argue that this would “distort FIFA sporting events, where the principle that the best team wins will no longer prevail.” Ukraine’s football federation has previously said it would not participate in competitions with Russia. In March of 2022, Russia appealed the FIFA ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The body dismissed Russia’s claim. Russia’s gradual return to other sports has triggered outrage in Ukraine and been denounced by the EU.

BRUSSELS — A Hungarian spy ring operated out of the country’s embassy in Brussels and its work intensified in 2015, according to a European Commission document seen by POLITICO. The document, dated April this year, summarizes the findings of an investigation by Piotr Serafin, the anti-fraud commissioner who was tasked with looking into allegations that Hungarian intelligence officers stationed at the country’s permanent representation in Brussels attempted to recruit officials from EU institutions in the mid-2010s. From 2013 to 2016, Hungarian spy agencies sent several officials to work at the permanent representation, Serafin’s investigation found. “The activities of those intelligence officers in Brussels were initially discreet but gradually became much more overt from 2015 onwards,” the document says. As a result of the increased activity, the spy ring’s existence became “known among circles of European Hungarian officials, which apparently hampered the efficacy of their efforts,” the document says. “To the best of our understanding, these activities stopped in 2016.” In 2015, Olivér Várhelyi became the country’s EU ambassador and headed up the office. Várhelyi is now the commissioner for health and animal welfare. He started working at the permanent representation in 2011. When press reports last year first alleged that the embassy was allegedly hosting a spy ring, Várhelyi told Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that he was “not aware” of the alleged Hungarian efforts. He doubled down in January this year when quizzed on the scandal by EU lawmakers. Várhelyi said he hadn’t been approached by intelligence services to pass on secret information. “Have I been approached by the Hungarian or any other services? No, I have not,” he told MEPs in a European Parliament committee meeting. Várhelyi did not respond to a request for comment. Serafin’s investigation also failed to single out any individual responsible. “On the basis of the information gathered during the investigation, and with the limited tools currently available to the Commission, it is not possible to attribute individual responsibility or involvement beyond that of the intelligence officers themselves,” the document says. The document, which was sent to MEPs, said the Commission was “not aware” of any “serious” security breaches. Nevertheless, it does detail some of its findings — and confirms for the first time the spy ring’s existence, as well as its targeting of EU officials. “The intelligence officers used their official position to fulfil a specific mission that appears to have gone beyond the tasks that are usually associated with those of diplomats in the Permanent Representation,” it said. “This involved, in particular, approaching Commission officials of Hungarian nationality and attempting to collect detailed information from them regarding work within the Commission on topics of specific interest to the Hungarian government,” it continued. The Hungarian permanent representation did not respond to a request for comment. The European Commission redirected POLITICO to a comment made by spokesperson Balazs Ujvari when the executive announced the closure of the probe back in April: “The Commission has concluded that no serious security breach could be identified in relation to the allegations appearing in the media.”

An Israeli drone strike near a Gaza hospital and fuel station kills at least three people, reports Wafa news agency.

As frustration with the government disaster response grows, everyday citizens are organising to distribute aid.

Franco-German tank maker said it would wait for ‘more favourable market conditions’

Call on the opening day of Dublin’s EU presidency adds to pressure over Aughinish Alumina smelter

EU prosecutors said Tuesday they were conducting searches in France and other countries into alleged misappropriation of EU funds by a defunct far-right group in the European parliament, Identity and Democracy. The ID group contained MEPs from a range of Eurosceptic parties including France's National Rally (RN), Italy's League and the Alternative for Germany. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating reports from Dublin.

The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes rose to 2,295 an official said on Wednesday as interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of mourning for the victims.

South African police said Wednesday that nationwide anti-immigration protests held the previous day were "mostly peaceful", despite isolated incidents of looting and criminal activity.

A  Catholic splinter group consecrated four bishops on Wednesday, despite a direct appeal from Pope Leo to call it off.