Hungary as China's Stronghold in Central and Eastern Europe: Balancing East and West

In September 2025, Hungary signed a nuclear cooperation deal with China, further elevating Hungarian-Chinese relations. Budapest’s maneuver leverages strategic autonomy to deepen ties with Beijing and extend its influence beyond the EU. The 2026...

Night vision goggles and drones deployed to stop people being smuggled into UK

A soldier using modern night vision and thermal imaging in the darkness (Picture: Getty Images) British border security officers have been deployed to the Balkans for the first time in an effort to disrupt the networks smuggling people into the...

Bellamy hopes ‘special moment’ arrives for Wales in vital Belgium clash

Craig Bellamy said he believes a “special moment” is brewing for Wales and hopes the perfect storm arrives when they host Belgium in Monday’s crunch World Cup qualifier. Wales’s fate is in their hands after Belgium were held against Group J...

Alex Salmond Made Scottish Independence a Tangible Goal

The dream shall never die. But Alex Salmond did, suddenly, one year ago today. I was in a hotel room in Seattle when a text came through from a friend in Glasgow: “Salmond dead.” He’d had a heart attack in North Macedonia, over lunch, while trying...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Decline in international protection applications for September

Luxembourg received fewer asylum applications in September 2025 compared with both 2024 and 2023, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In September 2025, Luxembourg received 154 applications for international protection, 23 fewer than a...

EU tells Serbia to ‘get concrete’ on reforms and align with Russia sanctions

129European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged Serbia to make tangible progress on democratic reforms and to align its foreign policy with the European Union, including the imposition of sanctions on Russia, if it wishes to...

Europe’s strategic autonomy starts at its borders: Montenegro’s SEPA leap

Earlier this month Montenegro quietly reshaped its relationship with Europe. By sending and receiving its first Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) transactions, it joined Europe’s payment infrastructure in full. What began as a technical reform has...

Montenegro building two solar plants at hydropower dams

The project is implemented by EPCG-Solar gradnja, which specializes in the procurement, design, installation, and maintenance of photovoltaic systems. Both dams belong to hydropower plant Perućica. The works at the Slano dam are challenging, as...

Roster Tracker: Who's playing in the November window?

MUNICH (Germany) - The opening window of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers First Round will soon be underway and in the build-up to the big tip-off, national federations are revealing training camp invitees and preliminary rosters during...

Wales v Belgium: 5 key talking points ahead of World Cup qualifier

Wales host Belgium in a massive World Cup qualifier on Monday night. Top spot in Group J and automatic qualification for next summer’s finals are up for grabs after Belgium were held 0-0 at home by North Macedonia on Friday. Here, the PA news...

UK sends border agents to Balkans to fight smuggling

LONDON, Wed. Oct. 16 (TemA) — Britain has deployed border officers across the Balkans for the first time to disrupt migrant-smuggling networks targeting the UK. The officers are working with Frontex, the EU’s border agency, to track and arrest...

Amid unrest and past failure, Italy inch toward first World Cup spot since 2014

Italy's impressive win over Israel hasn't punched their ticket fully to next summer's World Cup, but it's a strong step for a nation in need of confidence at this level again. Giacomo Cosua/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesUDINE, Italy -- Little seems to...

Von der Leyen keeps the door open to EU enlargement on Western Balkans tour

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Serbia on Wednesday, marking the fourth stop — after Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina — of her tour across the Western Balkans to discuss EU enlargement with regional...

Evening Brief: Defense Secretary Hegseth’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing, Pakistan and Afghanistan Agree to 48-hour Ceasefire

Top stories this Wednesday evening, October 15, 2025. Defense Secretary Hegseth’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing in UK After Windshield Crack Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s aircraft made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom on Wednesday...

The UN Needs a Major Reset. A Charter Review Could Make It Happen.

Delegates arriving at the UN during the high-level week of the 80th session of the General Assembly, Sept. 26, 2025. The essayists write that a UN Charter review conference in 2027, although risky, “the process could restore confidence and...

America calling: Electrifying England obliterate Latvia to qualify for World Cup

Harry Kane breaks another two England goalscoring records as the Three Lions seal their place at the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare courtesy of a 5-0 win over Latvia in Group K. England have qualified for the 2026 World Cup with two games...

Festival of Slovenian Film Portoroz 2025 Announces Lineup

LJUBLJANA: A total of 101 films have been selected for the 28th Festival of Slovenian Film Portoroz, which will run 21 - 26 October 2025 in Portorož. Six feature films, six long documentaries and one long animated film will compete for the Vesna...

Vucic asks von der Leyen for Serbia to be exempted from steel tariffs and quotas

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that he had submitted a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen requesting that Serbia be exempted from tariffs and new quotas for steel, although only Norway, Iceland and...

“Are you ready?” — Hashim Thaçi’s son and ‘Dardanët’ join the KLA protest in Tirana

The nationwide protest called by organizations emerging from the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) war, which will be held this Friday in Tirana, is gaining increasing public support. Endrit Thaçi, the son of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi,...

Films from FNE Partner Countries Shortlisted for 2026 European Film Awards

The nomination for the categories European Film, European Director, European Discovery-Prix FIPRESCI, European Documentary, European Animated Feature Film, European Actress, European Actor, and European Screenwriter will be announced on 18...