The mechanics behind Spainโs mega-blackout
People rarely think about Europeโs criss-crossing energy system. We tell you how it works, what went wrong (and right) on Monday and what happens next.
Hospitals
99 percent of Spainโs power supply restored after blackout, authorities say
Prime Minister Pedro Sรกnchez is set to meet the National Security Council as Spain seeks to figure out what happened.
Cheers of excitement as lights come back on in Madrid โ video
Residents cheered with joy as power returned in Madrid after a huge outage brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, grounding planes, halting public transport, and forcing some hospitals to suspend routine operations. Footage from the capit…
Freak disappearance of electricity triggered power cut, says Spain PM Sรกnchez
“This has never happened before,” said Sรกnchez, warning it may take longer than expected to restore power.
Starmer claims voters being โconnedโ by Tories and Reform UK as parties are planning a coalition โ as it happened
PM says supporters of both groups are being misled and a tie-up would be a โdisasterโ for Britain. This live blog is closedDowning Street has described the alleged comments by the band Kneecap in the โkill MPโ footage (see 12.10pm) as โcompletely unacc…
Power cut leaves card users in the lurch in Spain, Portugal
Despite the dash for cash, Spain’s core settlement infrastructure continues to operate normally, says the Bank of Spain.
The complex legacy of Pope Francis
His was a dramatic papacy, frustrating conservatives and progressives alike. Beloved by the faithful, he leaves behind a divided Church.
Pope Francis dead at 88
He was unafraid to wade into politics, publicly feuding with U.S. President Donald Trump over immigration and rebuking U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Reunion Island hospital calls for reinforcements amid virus outbreak
Hospitals on the French Indian Ocean Island of Reunion are reaching breaking point amid a chikungunya virus outbreak that has claimed six lives since January, affecting one out of nine people. Health officials are calling for urgent reinforcements to …
Beyond bleeds: the power of partnership in hemophilia
Perspectives from Martin Nielsen, Denmark, who lives with hemophilia B, and Wolfgang Miesbach, professor of medicine at Frankfurt University Hospital, Germany, on the psychological impacts of hemophilia.
US Mideast allies face โworst-case scenarioโ with Trump aid cuts and tariff whiplash
The withdrawal of aid by the U.S. and Europe could feed extremism and lead to a surge in emigration, experts warn.
Romanian presidential candidate fights her own party to stay in election race
Elena Lasconi wants her rivals to know sheโs not quitting, despite having been knifed by her former political allies.
Making excuses for Putin
The strike on Sumy wasnโt an error, aberration or mishap. It fits into Russiaโs long-established tactics โ and Washington knows that.
Zelenskyy invites Trump to Ukraine: Come see โwhat Putin didโ
“Come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” the Ukrainian president says after Palm Sunday attack on Sumy.
โParkinsonโs is a man-made diseaseโ
Europeโs flawed oversight of pesticides may be fueling a silent epidemic, warns Dutch neurologist Bas Bloem. His fight for reform pits him against industry, regulators โ and time.
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy to Trump โ come and see Putinโs war for yourself
Impose ceasefire on Russia, says Franceโs Macron, as leaders condemn deadly Palm Sunday strike on Sumy. What we know on day 1,146Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has urged Donald Trump to visit Ukraine to โunderstand what Putin didโ. In a …
France could recognize a Palestinian state in June, says Macron
The move would be a historic shift for France.
Ukraine is stuck with Muskโs Starlink for now
Key competitor Eutelsat won’t break Starlink’s grip on Kyiv’s wartime communications overnight.
‘Fen,’ a Chinese mercenary fighting in Putin’s war in Ukraine
The mercenary and former truck driver saw himself as an adventurer, but after falling victim to a suicide drone, he spent most of his tour in Russian hospitals. Now, back in China, he is working as a building caretaker.
Trump admits Russians could be โdragging their feetโ on Ukraine peace deal
โI’ve done it over the years,โ U.S. president says of using stalling tactics when negotiating contracts.
US and Russia begin talks in Saudi Arabia on Ukraine ceasefire
Uncertainty remains over how and when 30-day halt on energy strikes would take effect amid a gulf on expectationsRussia-Ukraine war โ latest news updatesUS and Russian officials have begun talks in Saudi Arabia as Donald Trump pushes to broker a limite…
Pope Francis released from hospital after prolonged illness
The pontiff experienced “two very critical episodes” during his hospitalization when his “life was in danger,” one of the attending doctors said.
Pope Francis set to leave hospital and make public appearance on Sunday
The pontiff has been hospitalized with a critical respiratory illness since February.
Meet the Czech Millennial Whoโs Building a Utopia in the California Hayfields
Armed with tech billions, Jan Sramek has dreams of creating a new, affordable, walkable city. If, that is, California lets him.
Post-Brexit reliance on NHS staff from โred listโ countries is unethical, Streeting says
Exclusive: NHS England has dramatically increased recruitment of workers from states with critical medical staff shortagesBrexit has left the NHS increasingly dependent on doctors and nurses from poor โred listโ countries, from which the World Health O…
Ukraine war briefing: Trump โwants Zaporizhzhia power plant for USโ
White House has โmoved beyondโ minerals deal; Zelenskyy expects ceasefire deal to cover civilian as well as energy infrastructure. What we know on day 1,121 Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday that the US could own and run Ukrainian nucl…
UKโs Starmer โdeeply concernedโ about fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza
Prime minister says images from Gaza are “truly shocking” and calls for ceasefire agreement to be implemented in full.
Five years on, British politics still canโt escape Covid-19
Covid-19 exposed and exacerbated deep problems with the British state โ but learning lessons is hard when the politicians want to move on.
51 dead, dozens injured in nightclub blaze in North Macedonia
Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the fire, which broke out early Sunday morning.
Belgium wanted a drug shortages bill. Itโs not happy with the EUโs plan.
Belgium first called for a law to tackle drug shortages in May 2023.
Von der Leyenโs first 100 days, graded
The Commission president promised to pull off seven political feats by March 10. Hereโs how she did.
‘Denmark is among those countries that handled Covid-19 the best’
Because the Danish government acted before hospitals could fill up, mortality was negligible and the drop in gross domestic product limited. An example worth following in the event of a new pandemic, explains the epidemiologist to Le Monde.
Jordan treads lightly with Trump, hoping to avoid mass displacement of Palestiniansย
Amman this week welcomed the first convoy of sick and injured children from Gaza.ย
Ex-surgeon tells French court he used status to sexually abuse children
Joรซl Le Scouarnec is accused of attacking 299 patients at a dozen hospitals between 1989 and 2014A former French surgeon on trial for the sexual abuse of hundreds of patients has told the court he used his status as a doctor to attack children but stil…
Pharma braces for tariffs as Trump threatens to buck trade convention
Drugmakers and analysts fear retaliation from Brussels will only exacerbate Europe’s drug supply issues.
Conservative victory could spell disaster for Germanyโs health workforce
Medics fear his tough stance on immigration could push vital international health workers to leave the country.
Monday briefing: Merz will be Germanyโs chancellor โ but extremists are waiting in the wings
In todayโs newsletter: The far-right AfD may have come second, but at 20% they have been held off by the performance of mainstream parties, with the CDU leader Friedrich Merz on course to be the new chancellorGood morning. Germanyโs elections always ma…
โViciousnessโ of Trumpโs climate attacks stuns even his critics
President Donald Trump has attacked nearly every aspect of the U.S. effort to confront rising temperatures.
Pope Francis in critical condition after respiratory crisis
The 88-year-old pontiff on Saturday suffered “an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity,” Vatican says.
โWe have a rule when we hear the sirens: if youโve started operating, you donโt stopโ: 24 hours with doctors on the Ukrainian frontline
Like the soldiers they battle to save, combat medics in Ukraine are under constant attack. Three years after the invasion, one NHS doctor bears witnessโThe frontline here is cold, hard, true war. My comrades and I had more than 40 bombs dropped on us b…
Hegseth orders major Pentagon spending cuts
Senate Democrats think Hegseth is in over his head.
Ursula von der Leyen tightens her grip
The Commission president is further centralizing the EU executive in her second term.
Russia: Ukraine has a โsovereign rightโ to join EU โ but not NATO
Moscow “won’t dictate anything” to Kyiv, unless it’s related to military alliances.
Pope Francis, sensing he is close to death, moves to protect his legacy
The battle to succeed Pope Francis is likely to be highly politicized, particularly given the pontiff’s recent clash with Catholic U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
The lost children of Romania’s Ceauศescu dictatorship
Thirty-five years after the horrors of the Ceauศescu dictatorship were discovered in Romania, our reporters investigated one of the darkest episodes in the country’s history โ the squalid, state-run institutions where thousands of children were locked…
RFK Jr. now runs Americaโs health agencies
The United States Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a 52-48 vote Thursday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He will be sworn in later today.
France braces for trial of surgeon accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children
Joรซl Le Scouarnec has been charged with the rape or sexual assault of 299 patients from 1989 to 2014The biggest child abuse trial in French history will open in Brittany this month amid anger that a surgeon was allegedly able to attack hundreds of youn…
Suggestions for U.S. success in the Middle East
An aide-mรฉmoire to Secretary of State Marco Rubio from a former adviser to Tony Blair.
The โGaza-ificationโ of the West Bank
With a cease-fire holding in Gaza, Israel shifts its war to the West Bank.
War of attrition strains Ukraineโs army
Ukraine wants Donald Trump’s support, but has suffered thousands of casualties and desertions as it holds the line against Russia.
Trump says Putin talks could see โsignificantโ result for Ukraine
U.S. president refuses to comment on whether he has already spoken with the Russian leader on ending the war.
Murder in the House of Ullens: The fall from grace of one of Belgiumโs richest families
Police say a dispute over money is behind the shooting of Baroness Myriam Ullens.
US officials push to exempt Ukraine from Rubioโs foreign aid freezeย
Support for schools, hospitals and economic development in Ukraine at risk from Trump administrationโs order
4 more Israeli hostages freed in cease-fire swap with Hamas
Saturday’s exchange is the second under a deal that has temporarily halted the 15-month-long war.
Italyโs far-right League party backs Trumpโs WHO exit
โItaly must no longer have to deal with a supranational power center,” Matteo Salvini said.
Hate speech Code in DSA, geoblocking reassessed, and CCIA vs Italy
While Europe slept, Trump made some Tech changes including disbanding America’s most important piece of AI governance, and a 75-day stay of execution for TikTok.
The post Hate speech Code in DSA, geoblocking reassessed, and CCIA vs Italy appeared first…
Plans to fit out 40 hospitals in England delayed by at least a decade
Construction may not begin on some projects until 2039, says health secretary Wes Streeting
The week ahead 20-26 January
EDPS selection enters second week, Trump II starts today, and holes in the EU’s health cyber plan
The post The week ahead 20-26 January appeared first on Euractiv.
EU lines up intel-sharing, cyber squads to stop hospital hacks
EU health care sector pummeled with cyberattacks in recent years.
New EU plan to cure hospitalsโ cyber woes
Cyberattacks in hospitals can cost lives, putting the impetus on the EU to act.
The post New EU plan to cure hospitals’ cyber woes appeared first on Euractiv.
Patient-centered innovation: Can Europe lead the way?
We canโt make true progress on unmet medical needs unless we understand what the patients themselves think they need or say is missing from their treatment options.
Israeli minister makes last-ditch effort to block cease-fire with Hamas โ again
Israel and Hamas are drawing close to a cease-fire that could bring their 15-month conflict to an end.
Algeria wants to โhumiliateโ us in row over influencer, says Franceโs interior minister
Algerian social media personalities calling for violence in France have exacerbated the already fraught relationship between Paris and Algiers.
Brussels hushed up Ursula von der Leyenโs week in hospital with pneumonia
Revelation is set to fuel more transparency questions for the EU’s most powerful official.
Toxic powder injures Belgium PMโs office member at government building
Similar letters were found at the interior ministerโs office on Nov. 20 and on Dec. 9.
Urgent patients facing more than nine hours of wait times in Portuguese hospitals
Urgent patients facing more than nine hours of wait times in Portuguese hospitals
Cases of flu-like virus are soaring in China. Should Europe worry?
Experts say seasonal surges are to be expected.
In the United Kingdom, ‘Martha’s Rule’ allows patients to obtain a second medical opinion
The introduction of this experiment in more than 100 hospitals across the country has saved lives by allowing a review of care or a change of treatment.
As Belgiumโs disposable vape ban looms, health minister urges EU to change smoking rules
European Commission has delayed updated EU rules on tobacco products.
โI thought it was fake newsโ: secrecy around North Koreans fighting in Kursk
As reports of battlefield casualties emerge, Russian locals say presence of soldiers sent by Pyongyang is barely noticedAt dusk one afternoon last week, two dozen wounded North Korean soldiers were brought to one of the main hospitals in the Russian ci…
Bill Clinton hospitalized in Washington after fever, spokesperson says
Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center for โtesting and observation.”
Deadly Christmas market car attack in Germany: what we know so far
Witnesses say scenes in eastern German town of Magdeburg โreminiscent of a warโ after vehicle ploughs into crowd, leaving at least two dead and 68 injuredFull report: two killed and scores injured in Germany as car ploughs into crowd at Christmas marke…
Britainโs Winston Churchill shortage
Westminster is becoming a local place for local people โ and that means fewer star politicians.
Ukraine assassinates Russian chemical weapons chief in Moscow bombing
Kyiv had charged the top general with orchestrating numerous attacks with banned weapons. A few hours later he was dead.
Pelosi hospitalized after injury in Europe
In a statement, a spokesperson said she “sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation.”
Earlier responses to Covid-19 reduced economic impact and excess deaths, says study
Acting before hospitals became overwhelmed by Covid-19 saved lives and reduced the impact on the economy, the study says.
The post Earlier responses to Covid-19 reduced economic impact and excess deaths, says study appeared first on Euractiv.
Guns, lies and audiotape: How Bidenโs family ties could lead to another pardon
For decades, a scandal-plagued Mississippi family has cozied up to the president. How will the relationship end?
Keir Starmerโs reset, rated
POLITICO rates the prime minister’s six new “milestones” as he tries to drive change โ and turn the polls around.
A plastic-free future needs an engaged PVC value chain
Being sustainable is just one piece of the puzzle. Circular economy principles must be paired with strong waste management practices.
Resetting Europeโs Innovation Compass
Europeโs pharmaceutical sector has grown slowly for 25 years and its share of research is shrinking. Itโs time to turn things around
28 policy promises Trump has made for his first week in office
The president-electโs campaign pledges cover immigration to education to energy.
UK facing โwidening gapโ in ability to fight cyber threats, warns top agency
Number of incidents at top end of scale of severity tripled last year, including attack that took down London hospitals
7 reasons why Romanian voters are hacked off โ by the numbers
From poverty to emigration and corruption, here are some the issues at the top of Romanian voters’ minds โ and politicians’ programs.
Croatiaโs PM fires health minister arrested in corruption raid
EU prosecutor’s office in Zagreb starts probe into eight people.
Swedish hospital bed crisis kills 100 patients, doctors call for Vision Zero
One hundred deaths in Swedish hospitals last year could be linked to a lack of staffed hospital beds, or high workload, according to an investigation published in the Swedish hospital doctors’ newspaper.
UK will allay Trump concerns over Chagos Islands, says minister, as Priti Patel says Tories opposed to dealโ as it happened
Stephen Doughty, foreign office minister, says if UK had not negotiated a deal with Mauritius, โa legally binding decision against UK seemed inevitableโWes Streeting has now delivered his speech to the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool, and it is b…
Israel โmethodically destroyingโ Gaza, say health workers
Visiting doctors share eyewitness accounts after a U.N. inquiry accused Israel of war crimes by targeting Gaza’s health system.
Bland, soggy slop or scratch-cooked chilli and pancakes? The best and worst hospital food around the world โ in pictures
From Kenya to Brazil, patients need tasty, nutritious food more than most โ so which countries do it best?โข โWe have learned to have low expectationsโ: why is UK hospital food so bad?One of the best meals of my life was the platter of food that I ate i…
How Trump could ban abortion without Congress
A new lawsuit targeting mifepristone presages a broader attack on abortion rights.
Ukraine braces for outcome of US elections: โWe are worried about Trumpโ
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he โno strategy yetโ if Trump wins โ other than an appeal to his vanityOn Ukraineโs frontline, soldiers hold Russian forces at bay with American weapons and ammunition. Across the country, American air defences pr…
Inside Ukraine’s secret train, evacuating wounded soldiers
It looks like an ordinary train waiting to depart an ordinary station. But through its fogged windows you can see the injured hands and faces of Ukrainian servicemen stretched out on hospital beds. Operated by the military, the train transports wounde…
Tove Jansson murals, with hidden Moomins, seen for first time in Helsinki show
Paradise exhibition focuses on public works for factory walls, hospitals and nurseries โ long before Moominmania took holdA white, hippo-like snout, matched in bulbosity by a well-padded paunch, no facial features bar a pair of inquisitive eyes: the si…
Israeli strikes kill 22 in Gaza; terror suspected in Tel Aviv truck-ramming
The Israeli military has stepped up its offensive in northern Gaza.
Greek hospital drug funding crisis, pharma sector warns on patient access
The pharmaceutical industry has highlighted the need for an urgent revision of Greek public hospitals’ pharmaceutical budget. Clawbacks reached an all-time high for the first half of 2023, raising concerns about ongoing patientsโ access.
Belgian university hospitals invest โฌ14 million in new cell and gene therapy facility
Belgian university hospitals UZ Leuven and KU Leuven are investing โฌ14 million in a new facility for the production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). It’s expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
WHO says majority of humanitarian missions blocked by Israel in northern Gaza
The WHO finally managed to deliver supplies and fuel to the Kamal Adwan and al-Sahaba hospitals, after nine attempts last week.
US issues ultimatum to Israeli government over Gaza crisis
Israel has threatened to launch a siege operation in northern Gaza to root out Hamas militants that have reemerged in that area of the war-torn enclave.
Doing a Gaza in Lebanon isnโt the answer
Even staunch Lebanese opponents of Hezbollah, who have long hoped to see the back of Iranโs most important regional ally, are recoiling at a military campaign thatโs triggered the countryโs biggest population displacement in over four decades.
Itโs time for Europe to harness the power of medical technology
Using the incredible power of medical technology, Europe can positively transform lives and its healthcare systems
UN aid workers feel forgotten and in peril as Gaza war drags on
โWeโre punished for doing our jobs,โ said one foreign doctor who volunteered in Gaza.