World
Commission denies singling out NGOs in green funding row
After a vote during a fractious meeting of the European Parliament’s environment committee, the row over the funding of non-governmental organisations in the EU policy bubble is rolling on, with a statement from the EU executive provoking criticism that it was bending to pressure from the political right.
The conservative European People’s Party (EPP) and allies further to the right lost by one vote on Monday evening a motion objecting to the EU executive’s decision on funding NGOs through the LIFE Programme for the period 2025 to 2027.
In a subsequent statement, the Commission noted that funding for NGOs was “explicitly provided for in the LIFE Regulation” and that it remained “fully committed to ensuring a healthy and vibrant civil society”. However, it also stated some work programmes attached to grant agreements “contained specific advocacy actions and undue lobbying activities”.
The EPP seized on the latter statement, with the co-sponsor of the censure motion Sander Smit saying the Commission had “finally admitted” wrongdoing – although Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin did just that in the parliament in January, when he acknowledged use of EU funds to lobby MEPs was inappropriate.
Smit pointed to the EU executive’s fresh commitment to preclude “lobbying that targets specific policies or MEPs” from grant agreements, prevent conflicts of interest and review transparency. “This is good news for EU taxpayers, for the integrity and balance of EU Institutions and for the separation of powers,” he said.
“It is also good news for those parts of civil society organisations that work transparently and fairly,” the Dutch lawmaker added.
The European Environmental Bureau, among the largest green groups operating in Brussels, welcomed the Commission’s acknowledgment of the “essential role” of NGOs, but pointed to “serious questions” the process had raised around “blackmailing and backdoor influencing by some political groups”.
Commission denies ‘singling out’ NGOs
Faustine Bas-Defossez, the group’s policy director, said public funding enabled NGOs to work in the public interest and represent voices that would otherwise go unheard by policy makers. “If that’s considered ‘undue lobbying’, then we must seriously question what those standards mean for the future of democratic accountability in Europe,” she said.
The Socialists & Democrats group, second in size only to the EPP, slammed what it sees as submission to pressure from the right and demanded that environment commissioner Jessika Roswall explain why green groups are being “singled out”.
“This politically motivated move risks legitimising right-wing attacks to silence civil society,” the S&D said on social media. “We won’t accept this.”
Asked by Euronews to respond to this criticism, a spokesperson for the EU executive, Balazs Ujvari, said guidance issued last May applied to all beneficiaries of funding through the LIFE Programme, which has a budget of €5.43 billion for the period 2021-2027, of which NGOs shared about €15 million last year, with individual grants capped at €700,000.
Private companies, local authorities and research foundations also receive LIFE funding, but the issues that prompted the EU executive to take action had arisen in relation to NGOs “according to our own research and assessment”, Ujvari said.
“We don’t want to be seen as obliging…non-governmental organisations to lobby concrete members of the European Parliament,” the Commission official said. “This is the main consideration for us.”
Eurosceptics demand a parliamentary inquiry
If the EPP’s latest statement seemed somewhat conciliatory – they “strongly support the LIFE programme and recognise the very important role of NGOs”, the group’s environment policy coordinator Peter Liese said – the same cannot be said for the co-sponsor of the failed parliamentary motion, the eurosceptic ECR group.
On the morning after the vote, co-chair Nicola Procaccini told reporters in Strasbourg that the ECR wanted to set up a parliamentary committee of inquiry into what they are characterising as a full-blown corruption scandal.
ADVERTISEMENT“We have successfully gathered the required number of signatures to initiate the procedure for a formal committee of inquiry about the so-called Timmermans-gate,” Procaccini said, adding that the proposal would be put forward at the next meeting of parliamentary group presidents, who set the parliamentary agenda.
However, it appears far from likely that the initiative will succeed. The ECR and its allies further to the right would need the support of the EPP, so the position of group leader Manfred Weber at the meeting on Thursday morning (3 April) will be decisive.
An official contacted by Euronews said the group had not formally discussed the subject. “However, the EPP generally does not support the multiplication of special parliamentary committees, especially when existing committees, such as CONT, are already fully capable of addressing the issue.”
The official was referring to the parliament’s committee on budgetary control, which is due to adopt on 7 April its report on the discharge of the Commission’s 2023 budget.
ADVERTISEMENTGreens co-chair Terry Reintke told Euronews that NGOs play an “essential role in balancing the interests of business in European legislation” and it “goes without saying that EU funds must be spent according to the rules”, but she questioned the ECR’s motives.
“Following the script of Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, ECR wants to silence NGOs and civil society, and we call on EPP members to stick with the democratic centre,” the German lawmaker said.
The EU Court of Auditors is due to present next week an eagerly awaited report into NGO funding that, although it will not specifically target groups operating primarily in the Brussels policy making bubble, will no doubt shine a light on the EU executive’s monitoring and transparency practices.
World
With US unleashing attacks, Iranian official threatens that the Islamic Republic will deliver a ‘hard slap’
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An Iranian official warned that the Islamic Republic will deliver a “hard slap” while another blatantly threatened the U.S. that “if you strike, you’ll get hit,” according to automatic translations from the two men’s Persian-language posts on X.
Ebrahim Rezaei, whose profile on the social media platform indicates that he is a representative in Iran’s Parliament and the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, wrote in a post on X, “The martyred Khamenei taught us not to fear America and showed that ‘falsehood will perish.’ Await the hard slap from the Iranians.”
The speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned, “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit. Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with ‘Iranian arrangements,’ not American threats.”
Both of the men issued their posts on Wednesday after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced more strikes against Iran.
“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” CENTCOM had noted in a post on X.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE DEAL IS ‘OVER’ AFTER NEW ROUND OF STRIKES
People gather at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla for a farewell ceremony for Iran’s late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 4, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
The U.S. military later provided more information about the attacks.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed an additional round of strikes against Iran, July 8, to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM noted on Wednesday night.
“U.S. forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline. The latest strikes follow successful execution of offensive strikes in Iran the night before,” the announcement noted. “CENTCOM forces hit approximately 80 Iranian military targets July 7, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats, to impose heavy costs for Iran violating the ceasefire by attacking three commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.”
TRUMP DEMANDS END TO TRADE WITH KEY US ALLY, CALLS IT A ‘WASTED CAUSE’
President Donald Trump indicated on Wednesday that, as far as he was concerned, the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding ceasefire was “over.”
Kuwait and Bahrain have both reported coming under attack.
The Kuwait Army noted in a Thursday post on X, which was written in Arabic, “The Official Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, stated that the armed forces detected, at dawn today, (3) ballistic missiles, (1) cruise missile, and (10) hostile drones within Kuwaiti airspace, which were successfully intercepted and dealt with.”
TRUMP SAYS ‘IRAN LIES AND CHEATS’ AS IRGC EMERGES AS DOMINANT FORCE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH US
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
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The Bahrain Defense Force noted in a post that was in Arabic, “The General Command clarifies that, with firm resolve and high combat readiness, the Bahrain Defense Force’s air defense systems confronted, intercepted, and destroyed several treacherous Iranian aerial attacks this morning, Thursday, July 9, 2026 CE.”
Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.
Who: Norway vs England list of 3 itemsend of list
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinals
Where: Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, the United States
When: Saturday, July 11, at 5pm (21:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.
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Four weeks ago, if you told Norwegians their team would be in the World Cup quarterfinals, they might have laughed it off. But this weekend, the Scandinavian country is set to break new ground.
Norway’s dream run in North America enters a new chapter when the tournament’s dark horses take on title contenders England for a place in the semifinals.
It took Norway a whopping 28 years to return to the sport’s biggest stage, and they have made their mark in style – from their traditional Viking row celebrations capturing global attention to striker Erling Haaland becoming the internet’s darling.
A lethal presence in the box and a goofy, no-nonsense personality off the pitch, Haaland has become somewhat of an all-round entertainer for viewers. His exemplary goal-scoring figures make you almost forget he’s playing in his debut World Cup – and next up, the towering striker will go toe-to-toe with England’s Harry Kane, another number nine who delivers when it matters most.
How did Norway and England reach the round of 16?
Norway finished second in Group I with six points, beating Senegal and Iraq and losing to France. They started their knockout phase with a late 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast before stunning Brazil by the same scoreline to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
England topped Group L with seven points, beating Croatia and Panama and drawing with Ghana. They needed a second-half comeback to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32 and knocked out cohosts Mexico 3-2 in a scintillating last-16 contest at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
Pressure firmly on England
The chants of “It’s Coming Home” were louder than ever when England’s fighting spirit – against the background of high altitude, history and a red card – steered them to victory against the home side Mexico.
Sharing 10 of the team’s 11 goals between them, the dynamic duo of Kane and Jude Bellingham has kept England alive in the title race, especially at a time when there are defensive deficiencies in the squad.
The in-form side, which also boasts more World Cup experience than Norway, are deemed favourites to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018.
“We’ve been here a few times,” said England winger Bukayo Saka. “But the best team on the day is going to be the team that wins, so we’re aware of that and that’s where our focus is.”
England’s leaky defence – which has kept only two clean sheets in five games – will face its toughest test yet against Haaland, whose seven goals rank him third in the Golden Boot race, only behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Haaland: The most recognisable face at the World Cup
In their first World Cup since 1998, Norway, a nation of just more than five million people, has exceeded expectations.
After stunning the record five-time world champions Brazil to reach their first-ever quarterfinal, Norway will be eager to take down another giant and extend their fairytale run.
As much as their success has been a team effort, the spotlight has centred on their poster boy, Haaland – the blond, pony-tailed, 1.95-metre- (6ft4-) tall striker and a new social media sensation.
With his nonchalant replies in news conferences, awkward post-match selfies on Snapchat and a glittering collection of luxury handbags, the striker has drawn attention for more than just his goal-scoring prowess. In fact, “Haaland mania” has reached a fever pitch during the course of the World Cup.
Instagram is flooded with AI-generated and animated videos of him, stitched with his now-famous song “Ha-ha-ha-Haaland”.
“It’s important to joke around … I like to joke a little bit, and I like to have fun,” Haaland said. “That’s a key for my daily life – to joke around and, of course, train well and prepare well.”
Haaland’s top-notch preparation has delivered outcomes that even the 25-year-old did not expect.
“To be in the quarterfinals with Norway in the World Cup is quite surprising, even for me,” he said.
“Just to be able to play in the World Cup is, for me, a huge honour, and it was a huge goal for me in my career. To be able to be here and play on the biggest stage with my Norwegian friends against the best teams in the world, it’s really special.”
Norway vs England predictions
The Opta supercomputer gives England a 50.4 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Norway’s chances of winning are 25.1 percent.
The model estimates a 24.6 percent probability of the game going to extra time.
What time is Norway vs England?
- Norway: NRK1, NRK2, TV 2 (11pm, Central European Summer Time)
- United Kingdom: STV, STV Player, ITV1, ITVX (10pm, British Summer Time)
- USA: Peacock, Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network (5pm, Eastern Daylight Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
Who will the winner face in the semifinals?
The winner of the Norway vs England match will play Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Norway vs England: Head-to-head
Norway and England have never met at the World Cup, but have previously faced each other 12 times. England have won seven times, Norway twice, while three matches ended in a draw.
Their most recent encounter came in a 2014 international friendly, which England won 1-0 at Wembley.
Norway vs England: Team news
England will be without defender Jarell Quansah after he was handed a two-match ban for picking up a red card in the game against Mexico. He will miss the quarterfinal and a potential semifinal should England advance.
Centre-back Marc Guehi has a slight hamstring strain and will be assessed later on Friday to see if he is fit to play, while Reece James remains doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Defensive midfielder Jordan Henderson has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a broken wrist.
No issues have been reported in the Norway camp.
Norway’s predicted lineup
(4-3-3): Nyland (goalkeeper); Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Berg, Berge, Odegaard; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
England’s predicted lineup
(4-2-3-1): Pickford (goalkeeper); Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
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