Notices by European News 🇪🇺 (eunews@mastodon.social)

Russia Sentences Politician to 11 Years for Opposing Putin’s War

A Russian court sentenced an opposition politician to 11 years and one month in a penal colony for speaking against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the latest anti-war figure to be jailed in a broader crackdown on dissent.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-17/russia-sentences-politician-to-11-years-for-opposing-putin-s-war

EU ready to send satellite system to help Indonesia after 7.7 magnitude earthquake

“We stand with you,” Ursula von der Leyen says.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-satellite-system-copernicus-help-indonesia-earthquake/

The EU’s answer to Starlink moves one step closer to launch

Rising geopolitcal volatility and conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East war have made it crucial for Europe to invest heavily in its own home-grown satellite network.

http://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/10/the-eus-answer-to-starlink-moves-one-step-closer-to-launch

Hungary Posts Record July Budget Surplus in Magyar Fiscal Pivot

Hungary posted its largest monthly budget surplus on record in July, extending an improvement in public finances as Prime Minister Peter Magyar seeks to rein in one of the European Union’s biggest fiscal shortfalls.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-10/hungary-posts-record-july-budget-surplus-in-magyar-fiscal-pivot

Under the Orban government foreign ministry staffers used to be rounded up to fill empty seats at Szijjártó’s press conferences

Independent news outlets were not invited, so the former Hungarian MFA wouldn't receive any uncomfortable questions, but the empty seats had to be filled up.

https://telex.hu/english/2026/08/10/foreign-ministry-staffers-used-to-be-rounded-up-to-fill-empty-seats-at-szijjarto-s-press-conferences

Poland now sixth-largest EU economy, ahead of Switzerland and Belgium

Poland's economy is gaining in importance in Europe. In 2025 the country ranked sixth in the EU by nominal GDP, accounting for almost 5% of the bloc's total output.

http://www.euronews.com/business/2026/08/09/poland-now-sixth-largest-eu-economy-ahead-of-switzerland-and-belgium

EU Accelerates Sovereign Satellite Plans Citing Defense Needs

The European Union said it’s bulking up plans for a sovereign satellite constellation and will accelerate its service launch by a year to 2029, citing a changing security environment that will require greater communication capacity.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-07/eu-accelerates-sovereign-satellite-plans-citing-defense-needs

AI-generated label becomes mandatory in the EU for companies

Deepfakes and other AI-generated content must be labelled from Sunday, as the European Union's sweeping artificial intelligence transparency rules kick in.

http://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/02/ai-generated-label-becomes-mandatory-in-the-eu-for-companies

Save Europe Act: The Far-Right Initiative to Destabilise Europe from Within

The Save Europe Act is a far-right campaign promoting mass deportations under the guise of a grassroots European initiative. An investigation reveals its infrastructure is managed by a hidden international coalition. This network unites extremist European financiers with Brian Brown, an American activist with Kremlin ties, seeking to destabilize democracy.

https://justiceforprosperity.org/save-europe-act/

United States urges other countries to withdraw from ICC

The United States welcomed Venezuela’s decision to begin withdrawing from the International Criminal Court on Saturday and urged other countries to follow suit.

https://www.brusselstimes.com/world-news/2246274/united-states-urges-other-countries-to-withdraw-from-icc

Kazakh leader tells Putin war should end, Ukrainian drones target Siberian oil facility

Kazakhstan's president urged Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war during talks in the Siberian city of Omsk while Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Siberia on Saturday in one of Kyiv's deepest attacks inside Russia.

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260725-kazakh-leader-tells-putin-war-should-end-ukraine-launches-fresh-strikes

Germany to join French nuclear exercise in bid to boost defence cooperation

Germany will take part in a French nuclear exercise later this year, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday after key defence talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at an air base near Cologne. Merz said the two countries would also continue to develop the cloud solution from the FCAS joint fighter jet project that collapsed earlier this year.

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260717-germany-join-french-military-nuclear-exercise-bid-boost-defence-cooperation

Merz to MAGA: Butt out of Europe’s elections

The U.S. state department is releasing nearly $5 million in funds to help uphold what they describe as “Western civilizational heritage” in Europe.

https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-maga-stay-out-europe-elections/

Top Orbán ally joins Chinese car giant BYD

Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced Wednesday he had resigned from parliament to take a senior executive role at Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD.

https://www.ft.com/content/c5a880f1-aa6a-4336-b499-3ab95cf37857

EU speeds up accession talks with four candidate countries

After several years of deadlock, negotiations with Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova are moving forward. On Tuesday, the EU approved several milestones that could allow these countries to join the bloc.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/07/15/eu-speeds-up-accession-talks-with-four-candidate-countries_6755494_4.html

Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy sign EU-Ukraine drone deal

The agreement is meant to combine the EU's industrial base with Ukraine's battle-tested expertise.

http://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/15/von-der-leyen-and-zelenskyy-sign-eu-ukraine-drone-deal

Full ban on Israeli settlement trade gets ‘most support’ from EU countries, Kallas says

EU foreign ministers overwhelmingly backed clamping down on EU trade with Israeli settlements during closed-door discussions on Monday, with an official source saying the biggest cohort of countries supported passing new measures without requiring the unanimous backing of all member states.

http://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/13/full-ban-on-israeli-settlement-trade-gets-most-support-from-eu-countries-kallas-says

Doctors Without Borders slams 'deliberate' Russian destruction of Ukraine's hospitals

The World Health Organisation recorded 2,815 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine between the February 2022 full-scale invasion and the end of 2025, with the vast majority involving violence with heavy weapons.

http://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/13/doctors-without-borders-slams-deliberate-russian-destruction-of-ukraines-hospitals

European Parliament to start procedure to ban Alternative for Germany’s EU party

Most of the political groups are expected to approve a process that could lead to stripping the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations of its status as a European political party and consequent funding.

http://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/01/european-parliament-to-start-procedure-to-ban-alternative-for-germanys-eu-party

Spain also stops Peter Thiel: Moncloa asks public companies not to contract with the giant Palantir

Spain has instructed state-linked strategic companies to stop signing new contracts with the US data and defense firm Palantir. Driven by concerns over national security, data sovereignty, and technological dependency on US infrastructure, this informal veto aligns with similar actions by other European nations seeking to protect their technological autonomy.

https://www.democrata.es/en/digital-ai/spain-also-stops-peter-thiel-moncloa-asks-public-companies-not-to-contract-with-the-giant-palantir/