Fuel prices have hit record highs across Europe in recent days, driven by soaring oil prices amid the war in the Middle East and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. However, the scale of the increases, as well as the measures taken to address them, varies significantly from one EU country to a»»»

Occasionally, history does dish out poetic justice. It can also be exceedingly funny, if in a merciless way. Germany’s well-known tragedy – or let’s say, one of them – is that it suffers from a chronic deficiency of irony, so many Germans will fail to see the funny side of what has just happened. A»»»

Fuel prices in Hungary stood out sharply from the rest of the European Union in August 2026, as petrol, diesel and lubricant costs surged across almost the entire bloc. While prices in the EU were 23.8% higher than a year earlier, Hungary recorded an increase of just 1.3% – the smallest among all 2»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian caretaker PM Djuro Macut met with Germany's newly-appointed ambassador to Belgrade Anke Holstein on Tuesday to discuss advancement of bilateral relations and deepening of cooperation in areas of common interest. "Macut underlined that Germany is one of Serbia’s most important pol»»»

The fossil fuel phase-out plan recently announced by the Netherlands has triggered questions and scrutiny from experts and green groups – amid a broader pushback against climate neutrality targets in the EU. The plan, published by the Dutch government on Tuesday (15 September), has drawn harsh crit»»»

The latest state elections in Germany have confirmed a trend that is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss. The issue is no longer the occasional success of one party or failure of another, but the gradual dismantling of a political system that for decades appeared almost permanent. The postwa»»»

BusinessGermanyWill Germany have enough gas this winter?Dirk KaufmannGermany's gas storage sites are far less full than in recent years. Officials say supplies are secure, but analysts warn that a cold winter or import disruptions could push prices higher. So how secure is the supply? https://p.dw.»»»

There's the inroads of the far right, but also the broader desire for change. Introducing Berlin's answer to Zohran Mamdani: Elif Eralp, who led the far-left Die Linke party's historic win in Sunday's municipal elections in Berlin. We ask if the 45-year-old daughter of Turkish political exiles can »»»

Damascus, Sept. 22 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa returns to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week a year after his first appearance there, with Syria facing a markedly different diplomatic landscape following the removal of major restrictions and an expansion of international»»»

Damascus, Sept. 22 (SANA) Arab and international transport and logistics companies are looking to expand their presence in Syria, using CargoSyr 2026 to pursue new freight routes and services linking the country with regional and global markets. The three-day International Transport, Freight and Lo»»»

The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon and the Samir Kassir Foundation have announced the results of the 21st edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press, at a ceremony held at the Sursock Palace Gardens in Beirut. Established with funding from the European Union, the Award »»»

A group of mostly European states and middle powers is seeking to build a new global coalition on artificial intelligence, as countries outside the US-China technology race scramble to retain influence over how increasingly powerful systems are governed. Leaders representing 20 countries, alongside»»»

The EU is divided over a deal to de-sanction Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov. Ambassadors from EU member states failed on Monday to agree on whether to de-sanction the tycoon, amplifying deep divisions on attitudes towards Russia within the bloc. According to Euronews, France has pushed for Usm»»»

Yemen's Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out a deadly strike on a key port city on Tuesday, over a week into the Houthi offensive that has seen them seize control of a strait that is crucial to global energy flows. G7 nations called on the Houthis meanwhile to halt cross-border strikes on Saudi Ar»»»

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has replaced Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as the ‘people’s party’ in Germany, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel has said. Her comment came after the CDU suffered a crushing defeat in Sunday’s regional election in Mecklenburg-West»»»

BusinessGermanyWill Germany have enough gas this winter?Dirk KaufmannGermany's gas storage sites are far less full than in recent years. Officials say supplies are secure, but analysts warn that a cold winter or import disruptions could push prices higher. So how secure is the supply? https://p.dw.»»»

Annual investment in data centres, the infrastructure underpinning artificial intelligence systems, is expected to rise globally from an estimated USD 560 billion in 2025 to more than USD 800 billion in 2026 and USD 1.1 trillion by 2030. By 2050, annual data centre investment could reach USD 1.8 tr»»»

Commercial air traffic in Bulgaria rose in August 2026 from a year earlier, with Eurostat data showing that the country was among 19 EU member states to record an annual increase in commercial flights. Across the European Union, airlines operated 708,980 commercial flights in August, up 2.3% from A»»»

Egypt’s Ministry of Industry held a roundtable with German industrial companies operating or seeking to invest in the Egyptian market to discuss expansion plans, challenges, and potential solutions, as part of efforts to strengthen industrial and investment cooperation between the two countries. Th»»»

China already dominates the processing of more than half of the world’s lithium, a critical material for EV batteries.It is now set to call the shots in what comes next: sodium-ion batteries. Their appeal lies in the fact that they can reduce reliance on expensive and strategically important critic»»»

Working in Hungary could become considerably easier for some non-EU professionals under a new European Commission proposal designed to speed up the recognition of qualifications obtained outside the European Union. The planned rules could cut procedures that currently take more than a year to aroun»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed Monday to keep his ruling coalition of the centre-right CDU and centre-left SPD together for the sake of the country's "democratic future", after both the far right and hard left made big gains in Germany's state elections on Sunday. Chancellor Friedrich Merz »»»

Self-driving cars in Hungary no longer belong entirely to the distant future. Level 4 autonomous vehicles have already been demonstrated in real traffic in a Hungarian city, commercial robotaxis are operating in nearby Croatia, and Germany has put a driverless truck into regular service on public r»»»

German General Carsten Breuer has been chosen as the next chair of the NATO Military Committee as European countries seek to strengthen their armed forces, citing the need to deter Russia. Breuer, inspector general of the Bundeswehr, will succeed Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, with his thre»»»

Germany’s political instability could create economic and security risks for Poland, according to analysts cited by WNP. Regional election setbacks have weakened Chancellor Friedrich Merz as industrial troubles increase pressure for economic reforms. For Poland, the concerns include Germany’s impor»»»

Poland’s gas storage facilities are 98.42% full, the highest level in Europe, compared with a European average of 69.92%, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe figures cited by WNP. Germany and the Netherlands face greater risks, with storage levels of just 56.55% and 55.06%, respectively. Shortag»»»

Qatar and Turkey are spearheading secret contacts and efforts to resolve the situation in south Lebanon and subsequently address Hezbollah’s status, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday. “Indications suggest that each side is acting independently, with no unified initiative in place. The»»»

Sunday's elections in two German states resulted in the defeat of the country's ruling CDU, a result described as a “disaster” by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the northeast of the country, the far-right AfD became the strongest party while the hard-»»»

Frankfurt, Germany: German automotive workers held nationwide protests on Monday, calling for government and management action to protect jobs and factories as the car industry hits crisis point. Growing Chinese competition, compounded by weak domestic demand and US tariffs, has thrown the German c»»»

Party ejected from a state legislature for first time in eight-decade history Berlin: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced a struggle to stabilise his position and keep his agenda on track Monday after voters inflicted two more defeats on his party, ejecting it from a state legislature for the fi»»»

Scientists from the Tyumen State Medical University (TyumSMU) of Russia’s Ministry of Health have developed a new method for assessing potential metabolic disorder risks by analyzing daily fluctuations in wrist temperature. The researchers found that a smaller variation in wrist temperature is asso»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia does not threaten any state in Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. On Europe and NATO"Russia does not threaten France or any state in Europe. Russian President Putin has repeatedly said this," Peskov told reporters. Russia has no disputes with European »»»

Tunis, Sep.21 (TAP) - A delegation of Tunisian companies will take part in the World's Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food (BIOFACH), due February 16-19, 2027 in Nuremberg, Germany.This participation is part of the Agricultural Investment Promotion...»»»

Europe is facing “the worst energy crisis in history,” Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has warned, describing the situation as a “self-made.” He has repeatedly blamed the EU’s decision to cut Russian energy imports as a key factor behind the crisis. Dmitriev made the remarks after reports of worsenin»»»

HEADLINES Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and Nova TV reported that Prime Minister Rumen Radev said his government had removed oligarchic influence from political power, with cutting its access to public funds the next priority. Mediapool.bg reports opposition criticism that the government is s»»»

BusinessGermanyGermany's auto crisis: Will the 35-hour workweek survive?Srinivas MazumdaruGerman carmakers want employees to work 40 hours instead of the current 35 without extra pay, arguing it would improve competitiveness. Unions strongly oppose the proposal and view it as an attack on workers' »»»

Ukraine made a “huge mistake” by caving in to its Western backers and walking away from a potential peace deal with Russia in 2022, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. He also argued that years of Western military backing have failed to defeat Russia and are now raising the risk of a direct»»»

Foreign patients are still travelling to Hungary for dental treatment, with some procedures costing substantially less than in Austria, Germany or the UK. From clinics near the Austrian border to specialist practices in Budapest, Hungary’s dental tourism industry continues to attract international »»»

EU affairs ministers will hold a debate on Tuesday (22 September) on the next EU budget for 2028–2034, in the run up to the October’s European Council summit of leaders in Brussels. The 27 ministers will also hold the annual rule-of-law dialogue, including on Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, a»»»

Zelensky’s state of corruption devours itself READ MORE: Ukraine is running out of money again – and the EU is asking questions In what’s become a recurring moment in Ukraine, another one of Vladimir Zelensky’s top officials fled the country this week amid a metastasizing corruption scandal. Prosec»»»

Tunis. Sept. 20 (TAP) - A meeting between Tunisia’s Ambassador in Berlin, Wacef Chicha and Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs of the German state of Hesse, Manfred Pentz, proposed organising a joint business forum and...»»»

Damascus, Sept. 20 (SANA) The fourth edition of the International Forum and Exhibition for Transport, Freight, and Logistics Services (CargoSyr 2026) opened Sunday at the Damascus Fairgrounds under the theme “Transport: A Driver for Regional Integration,” running through September 22. Organized by »»»

Europe’s diesel crisis is putting fresh pressure on drivers, businesses and farmers as disrupted oil supplies push fuel prices higher. France recorded a new diesel price record on Sunday, while European wholesale prices have also surged. Hungary is feeling the effects too, but the government has op»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday described his CDU party's heavy losses in two regional elections as a "disaster", but vowed to push ahead with a reform drive. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party took first place in ​the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, e»»»

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described his Christian Democratic Union’s performance in Sunday’s state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a “disaster,” after preliminary results showed a historic low for the party. The CDU received just 5.5% of the vote, according to an ARD exit poll, »»»

Polling is underway in the German capital Berlin and the largely rural state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for regional elections. Both elections are seen as a test for Germany's centre-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He has already scheduled a crisis meeting and decided to skip this week's UN »»»

Two weeks after the far-right AfD won its first major regional election in Germany, two more eastern states vote this Sunday. Polls have just opened in the capital, Berlin, and the largely rural state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Berlin, Jörg Taszman.»»»

Germans began voting Sunday in two closely watched state elections that could deliver fresh gains for the far right and far left, piling pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz as he struggles with low approval ratings and tensions within his governing coalition. Germans began voting Sunday in two st»»»

Berlin, Sept. 19 (SANA) Syria’s chargé d’affaires in Berlin, Mohammad Baraa Shukri, discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation and coordination with Belgian Ambassador to Germany Piet Heirbaut on Saturday. The Syrian Embassy in Berlin said in a post on X that the two si»»»

Germany is gearing up for two more pivotal state elections on Sunday: in the capital Berlin and in the largely rural region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. All eyes are on the far-right AfD, which after recording its best ever result in the recent Saxony-Anhalt elections, is hoping to once again »»»