Saint-Gilles is a vibrant neighbourhood in Brussels. But a spate of recent drug-gang related bombings and shootings has galvanised local community leaders, who feel largely abandoned by the state and political infighting.
Families who once dreamed of model reconstruction in Zawtar al-Gharbiyah now shuttle in by day to clear debris and flee by night. Trapped between Israeli shelling, and absent aid, they look at the state who is too weak to protect them.
From refugee children shunted into separate classrooms to public broadcasters stripped of funding, the AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt blueprint spells out how its rise could rapidly reshape daily life for families, migrants and teachers alike.
!['We maintain anonymity ... [but] It's feeding this rumour mill that maybe we're Russian agents', say the activists from 'Crush the War Machine'](https://static.euobserver.com/2026/08/2160-2160-max.jpg)
Chemring Nobel, one of Europe’s largest arms manufacturers, is hoping to build the continent’s largest explosives factory near Oslo’s fjord. Besides environmental destruction, the project will fuel Europe’s escalating militarisation. EUobserver talks to the activists occupying the site.
For the first time ever, a target was selected not by a human, but by artificial intelligence.
Brussels little-known food safety corps is becoming a strategic line of defence in the struggle to keep Europe’s plates clean without derailing trade.
In a country where teenagers still dream of leaving even as their parents return for less money and more meaning, Moldova’s strange pull on its lost citizens is a gripping story of departure, comeback—and the nagging urge to escape again.
The EU Commission stands by its vow that “there is nothing to ‘cure’ in LGBTIQ+ people,” yet so-called ‘conversion’ practices still continue unregulated in 18 member states despite recent campaigning. But will a ban on such practices be enough?
Pakistani women and children pick cotton in bonded labour for a few euros a day while Europe’s biggest fashion brands exploit legal loopholes to keep their clothes and their consciences officially clean.
From hotels to crumbling cellars, from the US army to the Ukrainian one. Since 2022, thousands of Americans have headed to Ukraine and in Eastern Europe they are fighting, serving as medics or helping with war logistics. This is their story.
London’s luxury “Moscow-on-Thames” has transformed from a Russian oligarch haven into a graveyard of frozen assets. Driven by historical financial deregulation and “golden visas,” billions in property now sit in disrepair due to post-2022 sanctions. Experts warn that despite transparency reforms, London remains a global playground for opaque wealth.
For journalists, access to the internet is central to reporting the news. When governments shut it down, reporters find ways around the blackout, but the work comes at a cost. Here are the experiences of journalists working in Iran, India, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
“[Viktor Orbán] is deliberately looking for enemies in Ukraine, but Ukraine has never been an enemy to Hungary,” says Borys Filatov, the 54-year-old mayor of Dnipro, a. major industrial city some 100km from the war’s frontline.
Crowds pack the historic square of Eger on Tuesday, as Viktor Orbán campaigns like a rock star, drawing cheers and criticism alike. Supporters praise stability; sceptics cite failing services and demand change. With rival Péter Magyar gaining ground, Hungary’s election race reveals a country split between loyalty, fear, and growing political tension.
Samuel Nyabyenda Kwizera, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and a professional dancer, is married to a Belgian national with whom he has two Belgian children. His life was upended and his family torn apart after Belgian authorities allegedly tampered with his Rwandan passport.
Donald Trump is inspiring European states to consider how to avoid the omnipresent services of US tech giants in everyday life.
Ukraine’s agriculture industry has faced numerous challenges since Russia’s 2022 invasion. While farmers have battled to maintain production, Ukraine’s exports have caused friction with EU member states. What began as an emergency lifeline for a country at war has evolved into a structural shift — one now testing political solidarity inside the EU.
Europe faces escalating flood disasters driven by warming seas and extreme rainfall, killing communities and hitting the poor hardest, while fragmented policies, uneven data, and weak adaptation leave countries unprepared, an investigation in six countries shows.
Greenland’s young prime minister faces intense scrutiny, stressing sovereignty as a red line, openness to dialogue, environmental laws, Nato ties, and fatigue over threats and media attention.
Tourism is severely damaging posidonia meadows across the Mediterranean, vital carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots. Weak enforcement, inconsistent laws, and uncontrolled anchoring threaten their survival, despite limited restoration and protection efforts.
