Europe

The Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) has documented at least 10 cases of administering a narcotic substance to another person without that person’s knowledge or consent—so-called drink spiking. We spoke with some of the victims; others we identified through court records, discussions on online forums, or through official interviews and on-background conversations with healthcare professionals and hospitals. The state takes no interest in such attacks or their victims; it doesn’t even know how many there are. Slovak criminal law does not recognize the offense of administering a substance; police and doctors lack guidelines, and victims, fearing their experiences will be downplayed, are left to cope with their trauma alone. Neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic, are amending their laws; the Slovak Ministry of Justice has not responded regarding potential changes.

We discussed with the President the challenges facing our country and the changes needed to strengthen the Government’s work and our relations with international partners.

Today, it is vitally important to pool all our strengths and resources to strengthen Ukraine.

I am grateful to the President for his trust and high regard for our team’s work. I am proud to have had the honour of leading the Government during the most difficult period in Ukraine’s recent history.

I would like to thank every single person defending Ukrainian soil; our military are our strength and our independence.

I would like to thank the entire government team for their work for the good of the state during this time of great challenges. Together, we have visited every corner of our incredible country, paying particular attention to the frontline regions; we have taken extremely complex and urgent decisions; we have weathered the harshest winter; and not for a single second have we allowed the enemy to stop the heartbeat of our state — its economy.

I also discussed our next steps with the President.

I am ready to continue serving the Ukrainian state and carrying out tasks aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position, protecting our national interests and bringing about a just peace.

Glory to Ukraine!🇺🇦

Source: Prime Minister Official Telegram Channel.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies.

We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness.

We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.

Over time, our polling has shown that Europeans who support right-wing populist parties tend to have more positive views than others when it comes to Russia and President Vladimir Putin. The opposite is true, however, for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who right-wing populists tend to view more negatively. We find similar patterns along ideological lines outside of Europe.

Here are some findings on these differences from a 37-country survey conducted Feb. 8-May 13, 2026, among 45,658 adults in 37 countries.

Hacker News.

We found that former Member of the European Parliament Stelios Kouloglou was hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on the PEGA committee, which investigated Pegasus and other spyware abuses in Europe. Through forensic analysis of his device, we found that the attackers could have had access to confidential documents and committee deliberations.

Source: Our World in Data.

The EU corporate lobby league 2026

• Amid geopolitical turmoil, Europeans are taking nuanced and realistic positions that demand tough choices from their leaders.
• A major new ECFR poll shows Europeans embrace self-reliance and are clear-eyed about Donald Trump—but do not expect a permanent break from the US.
• They back Ukraine—but are anxious about bringing it into the European Union now or sending troops there.
• They know they face an energy crisis—but remain solidly opposed to Russian fossil-fuel imports.
• Leaders therefore have the public’s backing to pursue strategic autonomy without posturing, to seek out new mechanisms for supporting Ukraine, and to push ahead on energy sovereignty.

• Rifaat al-Assad was accused of slaughtering tens of thousands of Syrians before plundering state coffers and fleeing to Europe;
• He amassed a vast property empire and lived in impunity for decades between the UK, France and Spain;
• His gilded exile raises serious questions about the political protection Rifaat received, the role of European intelligence services and the white-collar professionals who looked after his money.

• Third-country nationals with a return decision will have to cooperate with the authorities and leave EU territory;
• Faster procedures, respect for fundamental rights and measures to prevent unauthorised movements within the EU;
• Removal to a third country may be based upon an agreement with a third country, including the so called return hubs;
• Possibility to detain third-country nationals ahead of return to prevent absconding;
• Stricter rules are put in place for persons posing a security risk.