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Moscow's information campaign uses fabricated drone videos to claim its troops still control villages Ukraine says it has liberated, while Kyiv scores a strike on a Roscosmos rocket plant.

Leaked correspondence between the German Chancellery and the Federal Finance Ministry confirms that the Union party approved every tax‑increase element of the July 2024 reform – and did so on two separate occasions, contradicting its public claim that the measures were not finalised.

The governing coalition announced in early July 2026 that the permissible total duration of open‑ended fixed‑term contracts will be doubled to 48 months, with up to six extensions, while Statistisches Bundesamt data show the share of such contracts slipped to 6 % of the employed 15‑64 population in 2025.

Internal correspondence obtained by Handelsblatt shows the Union party approved every tax‑increase element of the July 2024 reform – and did so on two separate occasions, contradicting its public claim that the measures were not finalised.

The coalition’s July 2026 decision will allow open‑ended fixed‑term contracts to run for up to 48 months, with a maximum of six extensions, before the rule lapses at the end of 2030. The change comes as the proportion of employees on such contracts slipped to 6 % in 2025 – down from 7 % a decade earlier.

Former chief justice András Baka was sworn in as head of state while Prime Minister Péter Magyar consolidates power, prompting speculation about Viktor Orbán's future role.

Parliament voted 140‑to‑6 for the legal scholar, a move that could reshape the balance of power in Viktor Orbán's Hungary.

German security services say a network of Russian bots is spreading fake BBC‑style videos to undermine mainstream parties before the Saxony‑Anhalt poll.

A fictional case study shows how MEPs can channel public money into national party activities, prompting calls for stricter oversight.

Military intelligence says Moscow may use captured Ukrainian drones to blame Kyiv for sabotage, prompting heightened security across the Baltic states.

Political scientist Jean‑Yves Camus warns that a Marine Le Pen presidency would push referendums, challenge EU ties and test France's constitutional safeguards.

Damian Boeselager argues that the Alternative for Germany's rise is driven by stagnant wages, demographic pressures and a lack of bold reforms, and calls for a European federation to counter populist drift.

Customs officials in Belgium's biggest port are stepping up inspections after the bloc signed fresh agreements with India and Mercosur, aiming to protect consumers while streamlining procedures.

Severe drought, a looming shutdown of the Paks nuclear plant and revelations of long‑standing news manipulation have forced the Tisza administration to act on energy policy, public‑media reform and a costly real‑estate dispute ahead of an August presidential e

The European Commission's draft rules on direct payments would limit the biggest recipients to €100,000 a year, a move that threatens the multi‑billion‑crown Agrofert group and pits the Czech prime minister against EU reform.

Spain says most of the migrants were returned to Morocco, while EU ministers debate Schengen sanctions and financial aid.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar's administration has set up a National Office for Asset Recovery while a Medián poll shows its support falling by five points since June.

Industry veteran Petr Knap warns that German and other EU manufacturers must overhaul costly production models and governance structures to stay competitive against fast‑growing Chinese rivals.

With imports accounting for the bulk of its energy, the bloc would have to rely on dwindling reserves, accelerated renewables and new cross‑border storage schemes to avoid disruption.

Heatwaves could erase €211 bn of output in France, Italy, Germany and Spain by 2030, according to a new simulation.

A German‑backed drilling rig has been used to open new gas wells in Brazil's legal Amazon, prompting criticism that Berlin is breaching its 2021 Clean Energy Transition Partnership commitments.

Record‑low Danube levels could force the Paks reactor to shut, prompting emergency cuts and a political clash over energy use.

The Commission's draft 2028‑2034 multiannual financial framework would replace the EU Social Fund with a loose spending target, risking a drop of up to €30 billion in guaranteed social investment.

Investigation finds three Israeli agribusinesses openly market products from the occupied West Bank and Golan Heights to Spanish retailers, contravening a 2025 Spanish decree that bans such imports.

Germany and Azerbaijan signed a new bilateral energy accord while dozens of independent reporters remain imprisoned, raising questions about the EU's willingness to link trade with human‑rights standards.

Higher taxes on electricity than on gas undermine the EU's goal to double electrification by 2040, prompting calls for a tax shift toward fossil fuels.

With grid storage short of demand, families are installing home batteries and even using electric‑car packs to keep the lights on.

Research on 27,000 advisory meetings reveals gender‑based price discrimination that could widen the wealth gap for European women.

A coalition of 101 lawmakers from across the EU has urged Fayard shipyard to refuse any further work on ice‑class vessels that carry Russian liquefied natural gas, warning that pre‑sanction maintenance would undermine the bloc's upcoming embargo.

Scientists funded by taxpayers see their work locked behind costly journal paywalls, while publishers reap high margins from subscription and open‑access fees.

Slovakia's Trenčín and Finland's Oulu have been named the 2026 European Capitals of Culture and are using €25‑million and €50‑million budgets to revamp public spaces, boost tourism and test new models of community‑led programming.

Despite tighter border checks, millions of diaspora families still criss‑cross the Balkans each summer, putting pressure on transport links and raising questions about Europe's migration policies.

EU NATO members plan to raise annual defence outlays to €800 billion by 2030, but analysts warn fragmented spending could waste billions while security threats persist.

A Reuters report shows 54 % of people now get news from social platforms, prompting calls for transparency rules around paid political content.

A new study shows desert dust in European air has risen up to 25% since 2012, increasing cardiovascular and respiratory risks.

Milder winters and longer warm seasons are allowing ticks to move north and higher, prompting health authorities to warn of rising exposure to Lyme disease, tick‑borne encephalitis and other infections.

Member states' right to block key policies is slowing the bloc's response to security, climate and economic challenges, prompting calls for voting reforms.

The European Commission has activated a €5 billion fund, run by Stockholm‑based EQT, to finance AI, quantum, biotech and clean‑tech companies and curb the exodus of European scale‑ups to the US and China.

A late start to Latvia's mosquito season and expanding mosquito maps in the EU signal climate‑driven changes that could affect public health and ecosystems.

Recent attacks on Pride events and new legal restrictions signal a growing gap between formal protections and everyday safety for LGBTI people across the continent.

Across Europe, dogs now outnumber under‑15s in a dozen countries, prompting higher spending, new housing norms and legal debates over pet custody.

Vienna will add three months of drills to basic service, a move seen as both a defence boost and a response to labour shortages.

A simulated clash in the Combined Resolve drill saw Ukraine's 412th Nemesis Unmanned Systems Regiment knock out a US tank brigade, highlighting gaps in American counter‑drone capability while Europe steps up its financial and military support for Kyiv.

A 700‑page reform bill would give the BND and BfV offensive tools, sparking debate over a shift away from post‑Cold War limits on secret police activity.

President Zelensky said the operation, begun on 29 January, has driven Russian forces from most villages in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, marking the biggest territorial gain since the autumn 2022 counter‑offensives.

A trilateral agreement signed in Mecca on 7 August creates a mutual‑defence framework among three of the Muslim world's most powerful states, prompting analysts to assess its impact on regional stability and on European interests in energy and security.

Ukraine aims to produce up to 50,000 unmanned ground vehicles this year, yet experts say they are still far from autonomous combat systems and rely on human operators for targeting.

Thermal imaging from private satellites confirms that the Kapotnya refinery near Moscow has been out of operation for over a month, and Russian shelling has left grocery shelves in the Ukrainian capital increasingly empty.

New jet‑driven Geran‑4 and Geran‑5 drones, faster and higher‑flying than earlier models, now make up half of Russian drone attacks, lowering Ukraine's interception rate and raising concerns ahead of winter.

A Russian assault using new Arena‑M active‑protection kits lost seven T‑72B3A tanks as Ukrainian forces overwhelmed them with swarms of cheap drones, highlighting the limits of high‑tech defences in today's battlefield.

A record 72,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on 30 July before being expelled, prompting a debate over Europe's fortress‑style migration policy and its impact on workers and public finances.

A Ukrainian Liutyi drone hit Wildberries' 158,000‑square‑metre warehouse in Yekaterinburg, prompting fears of a wider economic shock for Russia's biggest online marketplace.

Record low water levels on the Danube have stopped river traffic, exposed historic bridges and forced the Paks nuclear plant to curtail output, prompting emergency water deliveries and new consumption limits for industry.

Municipal budgets across the continent are now earmarked for murals, legal walls and festivals, turning a once‑marginal art form into a tool for urban renewal and political messaging.

Free late‑night football sessions in high‑risk districts have been linked to sharp drops in local crime, offering a community‑led alternative for vulnerable youngsters.

Over 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in days, prompting Spain to send troops and sparking a split among EU capitals over border controls.

The blockbuster's desert scenes were shot near Dakhla, prompting Sahrawi activists and EU officials to question the political implications of using a disputed territory as a film set.

A European Commission panel calls for platforms to prove safety before allowing under‑13s to join, yet the roadmap for enforcement and alternatives is still vague.

A lack of common standards leaves consumers unable to judge the environmental impact of what they buy, prompting calls for clearer, science‑based labelling across Europe.

A Eurobarometer poll shows strong public concern and a Commission‑backed expert report is pushing for a continent‑wide age limit on platforms such as Instagram and YouTube.

A new EU funding package aims to stabilise the Global Ocean Observation System as the United States scales back its own ocean monitoring programme.

European Parliament backs €144 million aid for disaster‑hit states while ministers debate who will fund a projected €70 billion yearly adaptation programme.

EU law has pushed female board representation to a third of seats, yet women still hold a tiny share of chair and CEO roles.

Only four EU states have enacted the Pay Transparency Directive, leaving millions of women to continue earning less than men for equal work.

A European Parliament committee on women's rights approved a report calling for more inclusive clinical trials and greater funding for gender‑specific research after finding that women are diagnosed with cancer on average two‑and‑a‑half years later than men.

A strategy for identifying, reducing and offsetting the emissions that remain after all feasible cuts is now essential for Europe's 2050 climate goal.

The Entry/Exit System and ETIAS, managed by EU‑LISA, will link biometric and migration data for billions of travellers, raising concerns over transparency, accountability and the influence of private contractors.

Record‑breaking fires in France, Spain and Greece have burned over half a million hectares, prompting calls for a shift from reactive firefighting to systematic prevention.

The mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July 2026 exposed how EU funding and security ties have given Morocco disproportionate leverage over European borders and policy.

The new Cloud and AI Development Act obliges member states to build data‑centre zones and AI hubs, shifting the focus from regulating risks to accelerating deployment.

A unified security structure linking EU resources with Ukraine's battlefield experience could give Moscow a credible deterrent and restore Europe's strategic autonomy.

Rising summer temperatures expose a clash between comfort, energy use and public‑health risks in Europe, where many buildings still lack cooling systems.

A new court in The Hague will investigate Russia's war on Ukraine, but a clause protecting sitting heads of state could leave President Vladimir Putin beyond its reach.

Washington's new duties on imports from the EU and 58 other countries raise questions about sovereignty, trade fairness and the future of transatlantic regulation.

The arrival of 72,000 migrants in Ceuta and the legacy of the 1991 Vlora landing highlight the tension between tighter borders and humanitarian responsibility in the EU's new asylum framework.