Poland’s wanted ex-minister confirms he fled to the US from Hungary. Poland’s former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted on several criminal charges in his home country, has fled Hungary to the United States, he confirmed on Sunday. Hungar… #Poland #ZbigniewZiobro #Justice #Hungary #Magyar

The EU approves new sanctions on Israeli settlers over West Bank violence. European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed new sanctions on Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians, as a change of government in Hungary ended months of… #EU #Israel #WestBank #Sanctions #Hungary #Magyar

Ewine van Dishoeck, astronomer: ‘We are the first generation who can bring the question of life on other planets from the realm of philosophy into real science’. The Dutch astrochemist visited Barcelona to take part in Cosmocaixa’s ‘Greats of Scien… #Space #Astronomy #Chemistry #Science #AlienLife

A portrait looted by Nazis was found in the home of a Dutch SS leader’s descendants. The painting is believed to have been plundered by high-ranking Nazi Hermann Goering during World War Two. It had belonged to Jewish art dealer Jacques Goud… #Art #Nazis #WW2 #Goudstikker #Painting #Netherlands

France confirms a hantavirus infection and isolates contact cases. France has confirmed that a passenger who was flown back to France Sunday from a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has tested positive and several other contact cases are being isolated… #Hantavirus #France #Health

Why Eurovision’s fallout over Israel may change the competition forever. While 35 countries are participating in the 2026 contest, broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have withdraw… #Eurovision #Israel #Boycott #TV #EurovisionSongContest #Europe #Politics #Music

On 3 December 1992, engineer Neil Papworth sent the world’s first SMS text message, to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis. While at the office Christmas party, Jarvis’ Orbitel 901 handset received the “Merry Christmas” SMS sent from a computer by test engineer Papworth. #FactOfTheDay #SMS #Tech

Where in Europe is tap water the most and least safe? Water purity varies across Europe, with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic having some of the most polluted groundwater on the continent. #Water #Europe #DrinkingWater #Groundwater #Environment

How the UK’s winner-takes-all voting system has turned on Labour and the Tories. Under the first-past-the-post electoral system, the candidate or candidates with the most votes in each seat are elected. It is used in the UK at general elections a… #UK #Politics #Elections #FPTP #UKPol #ReformUK

EU’s Kallas rejects Gerhard Schröder as Russia-Ukraine negotiator. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is unfit to represent Europe in any peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas sa… #WarInUkraine #GerhardSchroder #EU #Russia #Ukraine #KajaKallas #Putin

On this day in 330, Constantine I dedicates Byzantium as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. On this day in 1189, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and 100 000 crusaders depart for the Third Crusade. On this day in 1800, na… #OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

Vladimir Putin’s pared-back Victory Day parade felt very different this year. The BBC’s Russia editor reports from a Red Square with none of the military hardware which the Kremlin normally showcases to project power internationally. #Russia #VictoryDay #Putin #WarInUkraine

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency opens the door to using US jet fuel. The EASA has today cleared the way for the possible use of US jet fuel in the bloc, which is seeking ways to confront the threat of shortages due to the Middle East war. US ‘Je… #Aviation #Fuel #Europe #JetFuel #EASA

While tumbleweed is iconic in Westerns set in the Americas, the plant is originally from eastern Europe. The tumbleweed (or ‘Russian Thistle’) didn’t arrive in North America from Europe until the 1870’s, most likely with shipments of seeds. #FactOfTheDay #Tumbleweed #Westerns

‘A full-time job’: How a self-proclaimed Swiss king’s ‘empire’ is riling local authorities. Jonas Lauwiner was widely dismissed as an eccentric when he held a coronation and crowned himself king of Switzerland in 2019. Since then, he has used a loop… #Switzerland #Royalty #Monarchy #Europe #Law

Beyond the Biennale: Must-see satellite exhibitions in Venice. Some shows are already pegged as some of the most highly anticipated art happenings of the year. #VeniceBiennale #Art #Exhibition #Venice #Museum #Painting #Italy

Hantavirus ship: the first passengers begin disembarking in Spain. The hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius docked in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, where passengers will be evacuated on repatriation flights. Disembarkation will take pla… #Hantavirus #Tenerife #Spain #MVHondius #Health

Spain’s Bizum heads to the high street to take on Visa and Mastercard. Spain’s payment app is making its biggest move yet, bringing account-to-account payments to the physical till and raising the stakes for US c… #Banking #Bizum #Spain #Payments #Tech #EuropeanPaymentsInitiative #Visa #Mastercard

Putin says he thinks the Ukraine war is ‘coming to an end’. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday hinted that the Ukraine war could soon end, in response to a question about whether Western help to Ukraine went too far. Speaking to reporters after m… #Putin #WarInUkraine #Russia #Ukraine

On this day in 1904, Horch & Cie. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded, a predecessor of Audi AG. On this day in 1933, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings in Germany, including books by Albert Einstein, Bertolt Brecht, Sigmund Freud and Fran… #OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

How Africa helped forge French billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s empire of influence. Bolloré built his fortune through ports, railways and logistics networks across Africa. Decades later – despite corruption allegations and an upcoming cr… #VincentBollore #France #Africa #Media #Business #Politics

Europe seeks its own digital-payment systems to bypass US giants Visa and Mastercard. Visa and Mastercard are global card systems that intermediate payments between a cardholder’s bank and a merchant’s bank. They process over half of all card paym… #Visa #Mastercard #EU #Payments #ECB #DigitalEuro

Five pavilions to see at the Venice Biennale. With almost 100 national pavilions at this year’s art festival, these are the ones that you won’t want to miss. #VeniceBiennale #Art #Design #Venice #Italy

Infected, at sea: how the deadly hantavirus turned a dream cruise into tragedy. The world has watched the news of deaths and evacuations anxiously, and those still onboard MV Hondius face a wary reception in the Canary Islands. #Hantavirus #Spain #MVHondius #Netherlands #Health #WHO

The Mona Lisa was a relatively unknown work until it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by an Italian who felt it belonged in Italy. It took over a day before a visitor noticed its disappearance. The theft made it famous and it’s now the world’s most visited painting. #FactOfTheDay #MonaLisa #Art

Eurovision 2026: Politics collide with a blockbuster show. Controversy over Israel’s participation and boycotts unprecedented in scale are already weighing on the Eurovision Song Contest before it even kicks off in Vienna. #Eurovision #Politics #Boycott #Isreal #Music #Vienna

Missile startups are ‘the new wave’ in European defence. Europe’s need for increased missile capabilities is spurring a new set of startups, VCs say. #Deeptech #Defence #Startups #Europe #Missiles

Bulgaria’s new PM unveils his roadmap, balancing pro-European and pro-Russian interests. Rumen Radev, who was elected on April 19, secured broad parliamentary support on 8 May. While he reiterated his ambition for Bulgaria to be a ‘modern na… #Bulgaria #Politics #RumenRadev #EU #Russia #Ukraine

Moscow holds a scaled-back Victory Day parade as the Ukraine truce kicks in. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at an annual Victory Day parade on Red Square, which was this year drastically scaled down over fears of Ukrainian drone attacks. Putin sa… #Russia #VictoryDay #WarInUkraine #NATO

The Hantavirus ship nears Tenerife as residents voice safety fears. The Spanish government has authorised passengers from the MV Hondius to disembark at the port of Granadilla this weekend following an agreement with the World Health Organisati… #Hantavirus #MVHondius #Tenerife #Spain #Health #WHO

Why a weakened Starmer will worry the EU. After bruising local election losses, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing a renewed push for closer ties with the European Union — but Brussels worries that his political weakness could stall or derail any me… #KeirStarmer #EU #UK #Brexit #Politics

On this day in 1386, the Treaty of Windsor between Portugal and England is ratified, making it the world’s oldest diplomatic alliance still in force. On this day in 1873, the Vienna stock exchange crash (“Der Krach”) begins the Panic of 1873,… #OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

Europe’s electricity storage race: Who leads in battery capacity? Batteries are vital to using electricity from solar and wind efficiently. Battery capacities vary widely across European countries, with several planning significant expansion in… #Electricity #RenewableEnergy #Batteries #Europe

Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of breaching the Victory Day ceasefire. The two sides report responding to hundreds of drone attacks, just hours into a truce to cover celebrations of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. #Ukraine #Russia #WarInUkraine #VictoryDay #Ceasefire

Anchoring off Tenerife, small‑boat transfers and talks with 22 countries: the difficult return home for the hantavirus cruise passengers. Spain is negotiating with various nations over how to repatriate their citizens. Uncertainties remain over the arrival of the… #Hantavirus #MVHondius #Spain

Does the name of Hungary’s next PM really translate as Peter Hungarian? In short: yes. And although his party’s election victory a few weeks ago was truly unprecedented, Péter Magyar’s last name is not nearly as unique as it may sound to foreign ears.… #Hungary #Magyar #Naming #Surnames #History

Why Swedish schools are going unplugged. Nordic pupils are returning to books and pens. #Sweden #Education #Books #School #Children

The name of the famous German composer is Ludwig van Beethoven, not Ludwig von Beethoven. A ‘von’ might be expected with a German but Ludwig’s father was originally from Mechelen in present-day Belgium so their last name uses the Flemish ‘van’. #FactOfTheDay #Beethoven #Belgium #Germany

Happy centenary, David! Attenborough’s 100 most spectacular TV moments. He has been besieged by birds, had 120m crabs try to crawl up his trouser leg and stayed cool beside an erupting Icelandic volcano. As David Attenborough turns 100, we cel… #DavidAttenborough #TV #Animals #Wildlife #Science

After 20 rounds of sanctions, the EU sees cracks in Russia’s economy. Europeans are taking credit for the growing signs of strain in the Russian economy. Does that mean sanctions are working? It’s complicated. #Russia #Economy #EU #Sanctions #WarInUkraine

How sanctioned doctors keep practising across the French-Belgian border. Because they fail to consult European alerts on suspensions or removals, France and Belgium allow doctors with problematic pasts to practice in their neighbouring country.… #Healthcare #France #Belgium #Malpractice #IMI #EU

Elon Musk faces a criminal probe in France as prosecutors escalate X’s AI Investigation. French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk and his social platform X for child sexual abuse images on the plat… #ElonMusk #France #CSAM #Deepfakes #Disinformation #X #Grok #AI #Tech

The key terms to understand hantaviruses. The term “hantavirus” has suddenly entered daily conversation. This group of viruses is behind an unprecedented outbreak in scale on the MV Hondius cruise ship, infecting eight passengers and resulting in three deat… #Hantavirus #MVHondius #Health #Biology

On this day in 1429, Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans by the English, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War. On this day in 1899, Ernest Rutherford publishes his discovery of Alpha and Beta radiation. On this day in 1927, aviator… #OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

How UK 30-year bonds reached the highest yield this century and why it matters. Investors are demanding significantly higher returns to hold British debt as 30-year gilt yields reached levels not seen since 1998 this week. The surge repres… #UK #Bonds #Economy #Politics #Business #BankOfEngland

Rzeszów Airport in Poland, Ukraine’s wartime air terminal. The Polish airport of Rzeszów is modestly sized, a regional airfield. The Patriot air defence batteries deployed alongside the runway, however, indicate that it handles mo… #Poland #Rzeszow #WarInUkraine #Airport #Aid #Aviation #Ukraine

Revealed: Russia’s top secret spy school teaching hacking and election meddling. Documents obtained by journalists show the role of ‘Department 4’ within a Moscow University in training operatives for th… #Hacking #HybridWarfare #Elections #Cybersecurity #Cyberwar #Putin #Europe #Espionage #Russia

West Bank settlements prompt a call for sanctions from European political figures. Hundreds of former diplomats, ministers and senior officials have urged the European Union to take immediate action against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank,… #EU #WestBank #Sanctions #Palestine #Israel

The devout Muslim making a living from Islamophobic AI slop. A content creator in Pakistan is earning money from viral videos that stir up hate in UK, all without properly understanding English. #UK #SocialMedia #Islamophobia #Deepfakes #Disinformation #Tech #Politics #Muslim #AI #AISlop

The Kremlin offers thoughts and prayers to businesses hurting from constant internet outages. The Kremlin said Thursday that it is not planning to offer financial support to businesses that have seen their bottom lines negatively impacted by… #Russia #Business #MobileInternet #WarInUkraine #Moscow