World
Newsletter: ‘A dangerous place’, Magyar’s moment, Europe’s mouthpiece
Hello readers. Angela Skujins writing this newsletter from a sizzling Brussels, where, as one Belgian climate policy expert pointed out, is a city that now comes equipped with a roasting roundabout that can satisfy your culinary needs. Mared Jones will be picking up a hopefully cooler pen for you on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Much to offer in this newsletter today, from energy to Hungary to Europe’s envoy.
Cooking with gas. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the war in the Middle East has sparked the largest energy security crisis the world has ever faced. This comes as the European Union weighs measures to tackle yet another shock following soaring gas prices from Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but this time pushing prices higher.
Our chief Europe editor Maria Tadeo sat down with the agency’s executive director Fatih Birol in an exclusive interview from Paris, where they discussed the outlook for Europe and the risks ahead. On the future, Birol warned: “The world is becoming more and more a dangerous place.”
“Our motto is very clear – no fear, no favour. We look at the data, we give a wake-up call to the countries.”
The IEA says in a report released today that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – pushing up prices of gas and oil – is also prompting countries to diversify their energy mix. This spans both fossil fuels to renewables, both within Europe and beyond. This review will have “major implications” for investment, Birol said.
“I very much hope that very soon we get a full and unconditional opening of the Strait of Hormuz. If it doesn’t happen, the problem with the jet fuel and diesel and beyond will be with us for weeks to come,” he said. You can watch the full interview tonight on Euronews.
The Budapest blunder. Much of the Brussels press corps was left dazed and confused yesterday as rumours circulated that the Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar would meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today.
After a torrent of questions, and various senior EU spokespeople saying the meeting was not on the cards, Magyar put the rumours to bed by clarifying he would meet von der Leyen on Friday. “Everyone is working” on bringing back the EU funds, a triumphant Facebook post by the prime minister announced late yesterday afternoon.
The bilateral is expected to focus on finalising the release of €10 billion in recovery funds. A central campaign pledge of Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party, which won a landslide election in May, was recovering EU cash frozen over rule of law and anti-corruption concerns under former prime minister Viktor Orbán. The money will be forfeited if the new government fails to secure the funds by the August deadline.
Euronews’ Sándor Zsíros asked the European Commission about the visit and correspondence between von der Leyen and Magyar on Tuesday.
Chief spokesperson Paula Pinhosaid she could not provide an update, while her colleague Maciej Berestecki clarified there had been good progress on talks to release the frozen cash but “some questions need to be clarified”. The overall aim, though, is to develop a plan to release the funds by the beginning of June at the latest, he added. Sándor gets into the weeds of what Magyar’s meeting with von der Leyen really means.
Despite the on-again-off-again catch-up, Magyar will meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the military alliance’s HQ in Zaventem today and give a press conference at 2:30pm. The thrust of the meeting, as well as topics discussed, is still under wraps, as NATO’s press service responded to Euronews’ question for comments by sending us to the event’s landing page.
But we do have some answers. European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law Michael McGrath just told Europe Today that there has been a “good start” resetting relations between Budapest and Brussels, while hinting there’s more work to be done. “We are there as a Commission to work with them on restoring rule of law and respecting fundamental rights of its citizens,” he said.
When pressed about the confusion regarding choreography, McGrath clarified, “These meetings are quite often not nailed down”. Watch.
Finding Europe’s Russia whisperer. Meanwhile, in Lemesos, Cyprus, foreign ministers have gathered for an informal meeting. High Representative Kaja Kallas will strive to bring ministers closer towards a common position on whether, how and when to engage diplomatically with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
The idea of direct talks with Russia has been added and removed from the agenda since at least January. Momentum soared earlier this month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Europeans to speak with “one common voice” and designate a special envoy. His plea sent the buzz into overdrive, with various names, such as Alexander Stubb, Mario Draghi and Angela Merkel, casually floated for the high-stakes job.
However, Russia’s large-scale strikes against Ukraine over the weekend and its subsequent message urging foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible”, widely interpreted as a direct threat, have drastically upended the conversation.
Those who were reluctant to engage with Russia before, such as Germany, the Netherlands, the Baltics and the Nordics, have less incentive to do it now. Even France, one of the most vocal proponents of direct talks, has admitted the time isn’t right for the diplomatic outreach.
As Jorge Liboreiro and Luca Bertuzzi explain, Thursday’s debate is meant to lay the groundwork for the moment when Russia decides to take the peace process seriously. That, of course, remains a distant prospect, as Moscow’s escalatory rhetoric shows little sign of softening.
On her way into the meeting, Kallas highlighted the dangers of choosing a European envoy. “It’s a trap,” she told a throng of reporters, stating Russia was cherry-picking internally and publicly whom it wanted to benefit its interests. “The substance is much more important than the who.”
Nordic coalition urges EU to stand firm against new oil and gas drilling in the Arctic
A Nordic coalition of financial institutions, trade unions and climate scientists issued a stark warning to the European Commission on Wednesday, calling on European Union leaders to maintain its existing ban on new Arctic oil and gas drilling as the bloc is revising its policy in the region.
In an open letter to five European Commissioners, the group urges Brussels not to soften its stance, fearing the bloc may be reassessing its opposition to Arctic drilling, citing previous media allegations “with concern”.
As Marta Pacheco reports, since 2021, the EU has supported a global ban on new oil and gas drilling as part of its Arctic policy for environmental reasons. But the EU is currently revising its regional strategy in the Arctic, prompting critics of new fossil fuel drilling ventures to speak out.
The letter’s premise lies in both environmental concerns and potential security threats to Europe, given its proximity to Russian territory, where Moscow often boasts nuclear drills.
It argues that the changing geopolitical situation has heightened the security risks in the Barents Sea, with oil and gas infrastructure being potential targets for hybrid warfare due to the proximity to Russian territory and the Northern Sea Route.
“If oil and gas flowing from the Norwegian part of the Arctic becomes crucial for Europe’s energy security, it would make the infrastructure even more attractive as targets for sabotage and make the EU vulnerable to such attacks,” reads the letter backed by 127 signatories, mostly hailing from the Northern hemisphere.
Europe is the ‘last evangelist’ of a trade order that’s no longer respected – France’s Haddad
Europe should use “all the tools” it can leverage to “defend its interests” and tackle aggressive foreign trade practices that threaten its industry, France’s EU Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad has told Euronews. His comments come as the EU mulls a clampdown on a glut of Chinese imports.
“A commitment to international trade law – it’s important. But you have to be strong and to be respected,” Haddad said on Euronews’ interview programme, 12 Minutes With.
“You have to be able to defend your interest and use all the tools that you can leverage, especially to impose the very basic principles of fairness and reciprocity.”
Asked by Mared Jones if Europe had been too slow in its response to the eroding of international trade rules, Haddad said, “Yes, I think so, because I think that we (Europeans) are still sometimes the last evangelists of a religion that no one is practising anymore.
“You know, the religion of unfettered free trade of the WTO (World Trade Organisation), which clearly China and the US have abandoned a long time ago.” Watch.
More from our newsrooms
Zelenskyy sent letter asking Trump for Patriot air defence munitions, adviser confirms
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United States to provide more ammunition for its Patriot air defence systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles, according to a document reviewed by the AFP news agency on Wednesday. Gavin Blackburn has more.
EU Commission chief eyes new AI envoy, but the role is still to be fully defined
The European Commission might soon appoint an AI envoy – but what the job would actually entail remains undefined. The idea was floated last week by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a meeting with Europe’s top corporate executives gathered at the European Round Table for Industry. “It seems to be an idea that comes back now and again,” a diplomatic source told Euronews, noting it was not the first time the post had been suggested. Luca Bertuzzi has the latest.
South Africa and Afrikaners reject US claims of humanitarian crisis for white people
The South African government and advocacy groups for the country’s Afrikaner white minority rejected on Wednesday the Trump administration’s position that there’s a humanitarian emergency affecting white people in South Africa. Additional reporting by Gavin Blackburn.
We’re also keeping an eye on
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola continues her visit to San Francisco.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Rumen Radev.
- European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall meets with the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
That’s it for today. Jorge Liboreiro and Marta Pacheco contributed to this newsletter.
World
AP honors Breanna Stewart as one of the top women’s college players during the Top 25 poll era
NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press honored Breanna Stewart before the New York Liberty’s game Tuesday night for being one of the greatest women’s college basketball players during the Top 25 poll era.
The AP celebrated the 50th anniversary of the women’s basketball poll last season. As part of it, a 13-member panel voted for the greatest college players of the past five decades. Stewart and Cheryl Miller were selected as the top players over the past 50 years.
The UConn great won four straight national championships and was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four each time. She was presented with her trophy at center court by AP Global Sports Editor Josh Hoffner a few minutes before tipoff of the Liberty’s game against the Dallas Wings.
Miller accepted her trophy at the Final Four in Phoenix last April at the “The AP Top 25 Fan Poll Experience,” which was held at Arizona State’s First Amendment Forum in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Stewart couldn’t make that ceremony.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Cuba’s foreign minister accused the United States of committing an “act of war” by restricting fuel shipments to the island Tuesday, prompting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz to deliver a forceful response blaming Cuba’s communist government for years of blackouts, repression and economic collapse.
The confrontation unfolded at the U.N. General Assembly one day after Cuba’s national electrical grid collapsed, leaving nearly 10 million people without power. It was the third nationwide grid failure this year and the eighth since October 2025, Reuters reported.
Cuban officials had restored electricity to parts of central Cuba and roughly one-third of Havana by Tuesday morning, although large areas remained offline or faced unstable service, according to Reuters.
CUBA PLUNGES INTO THIRD MAJOR BLACKOUT THIS YEAR AS POWER CRISIS WORSENS
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz holds up a photograph of jailed Cuban dissidents during a General Assembly debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba at U.N. headquarters in New York on July 7, 2026. (UNTV)
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told delegates that the Trump administration was carrying out a “multidimensional, non-conventional war” against Cuba that had grown “more cruel and ruthless in the last seven months.”
Rodríguez described U.S. efforts to restrict fuel deliveries as the imposition of “an energy collapse, equivalent to a naval blockade, which is an act of war,” according to a UNTV transcript.
Waltz rejected the claim that the United States had established a naval blockade around Cuba.
“There is no ring of Navy warships, U.S. Navy warships sitting around this island blocking trade or humanitarian aid going into Cuba,” Waltz said. “It’s fake. It’s false. It’s a lie. Period.”
Waltz argued that the real embargo was the one Cuba’s government imposed on its own citizens.
HAVANA REGIME IN SUSPENSE AFTER CASTRO INDICTMENT WITH TRUMP PRESSURE ON, SAYS CUBAN-BORN GOP REP.
People walk on the street during a national electrical grid collapse, in Havana, Cuba, March 14, 2025. (Norlys Perez/Reuters)
“There’s a lot of talk today of an embargo. And indeed there is one,” he said. “It’s the embargo the Cuban regime mercilessly imposes on its own people decade after decade after decade.”
He called on Havana to “change your ways” and “turn the lights back on for your people,” while accusing Cuba’s leaders of ensuring that government compounds and propaganda operations had power even as families worried about spoiled food, hospitals losing electricity and phones running out of charge.
Waltz noted that Tuesday’s meeting came days before the fifth anniversary of the July 11, 2021, demonstrations, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets amid shortages of food, medicine and electricity and demanded greater freedom.
As Waltz spoke, a member of the Cuban delegation pounded on the table, prompting the ambassador to respond.
“This is not Havana. This is the United States of America. This is the United Nations,” Waltz said. “And we will speak, we will be heard, and we will not be silenced like your own people. So, pound away.”
Waltz displayed photographs and read the names of several jailed Cuban artists, musicians and activists, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez and Duannis Dabel León Taboada.
MILLIONS LOSE POWER ACROSS CUBA AS TRUMP SANCTIONS CONTINUE TO FUEL ONGOING ENERGY CRISIS
Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez speaks during a news conference in Havana. (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)
“They’re not armed. They’re not violent,” Waltz said. “They carry flowers, and write poems and write music. And for that, the regime beats them, detains them and tries to break them.”
Waltz also said GAESA, Cuba’s military-run conglomerate, controls approximately half of the country’s economy and holds $18 billion in assets.
Reuters has reported that estimates of GAESA’s economic reach range from approximately 40% to 70%, while Cuban officials dispute the U.S. government’s $18 billion figure.
Waltz said that despite Cuba’s blockade claims, humanitarian assistance had recently arrived from countries including China, Russia, Mexico, Canada and Spain, as well as from the European Union and the United Nations.
He also said the United States had provided more than $100 million in aid this year and approximately $500 million annually in commodities.
“The answer is simple: because blaming the United States is the only economic plan Havana has left,” Waltz said of Cuba’s decision to bring the issue before the General Assembly.
CUBA SAYS CIA CHIEF RATCLIFFE MET WITH OFFICIALS IN HAVANA AMID US TENSIONS
Protesters gather outside a Communist Party headquarters in Morón, Cuba, as a fire burns in the street during overnight unrest. Video obtained by Fox News Digital appeared to show demonstrators attempting to set fire to the building amid protests linked to widespread blackouts. (Reuters)
Before the wider debate, U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform Jeffrey Bartos objected to reopening the agenda item and called for a vote on whether the proceedings should go forward.
Bartos said the three-hour meeting would cost approximately $84,000, money he argued could instead provide food, emergency medical supplies and solar lanterns to Cuban families.
“Right now, Cuba is in darkness — again,” Bartos said. “I urge the Cuban regime: turn the lights back on for your people.”
Members of the Cuban delegation also interrupted Bartos several times by pounding on the table. Bartos at one point paused and responded, “Keep banging away. It’s very effective,” before continuing his remarks.
Bartos accused Havana of seeking “another propaganda clip” rather than solutions and pointed to what he said were more than 800 political prisoners held by the government.
Independent organizations have produced varying estimates. Human Rights Watch said in April that more than 700 people remained imprisoned for political reasons, while Prisoners Defenders reported more than 1,200 political prisoners in Cuba in the spring of 2026. Cuba denies holding anyone for political reasons.
“That is the real Cuban embargo,” Bartos said. “It is the embargo the regime imposes on its own people: on speech, on faith, on enterprise, on dissent, on political rights and hope — and now, quite literally, on light.”
Rodríguez accused the U.S. delegation of offering “worn-out lies” and attempting to prevent the General Assembly from debating the effects of American policy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Jeff Bartos, U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform, addresses a meeting of the Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Nov. 25, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
Cuba’s electricity crisis has been driven by severe fuel shortages and an aging, poorly maintained power system that has struggled to meet demand. The Cuban government primarily blames U.S. restrictions, while Washington attributes the island’s broader economic crisis to communist economic policies, corruption and repression.
Reuters contributed to this report.
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
The attacks have triggered fires in two districts of Kyiv, according to the city’s mayor.
Published On 7 Jul 2026
Russian missile attacks have struck Kyiv in the third large-scale assault on the Ukrainian capital in less than a week.
Early on Wednesday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram that the Russian strikes had triggered fires in two districts of the city.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
So far, two people have been injured, with one requiring treatment in hospital.
Earlier, on Tuesday, a Russian missile strike hit the southern port of Odesa injuring ten people, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. Eight were being treated in hospital.
Moscow also launched a large-scale attack on Kyiv on Monday, killing at least 14 people and damaging at least a dozen buildings.
Both Russia and Ukraine have recently expanded their use of long-range weapons, including missiles, marking a new front in Moscow’s four-year war.
Ukraine has focused its attacks on Russian energy facilities to weaken its war efforts.
Ukraine said on Tuesday that its drones attacked a dozen tankers from Russia’s “shadow fleet” over the past two days that were delivering fuel to Moscow-occupied Crimea. Kyiv’s military said they had struck eight vessels subject to sanctions in the Sea of Azov, each with a deadweight of about 7,000 metric tonnes. Two more tankers were hit later in the day.
The Sea of Azov is a key supply route for Russian forces in Crimea and other occupied parts of southern Ukraine.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 – in a move that has been unrecognised internationally – eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow has not publicly commented on this week’s attacks on Ukraine, which also included strikes on electrical substations, radar systems, and missile installations.
Attacks amid NATO Summit
The latest exchange of fire between Russia and Ukraine comes amid NATO’s annual summit, which began on Tuesday. The military alliance’s leaders have gathered in Turkiye’s capital, Ankara, for the two-day conference, where defence spending and Russia’s war on Ukraine are under discussion.
NATO is expected to pledge further military support for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges the alliance to step up aid for the country’s air defences following the deadly escalation of Russian attacks on Kyiv.
Zelenskyy – who has renewed his call for Ukraine to be allowed to join the alliance – wrote on social media on Tuesday that he had signed new agreements with Estonia, the Netherlands, and Denmark in Ankara.
The deals create “new opportunities for joint production, the development of innovative defense technologies, systematic exchange of expertise, and the export of Ukrainian battlefield-proven solutions”, he said.
Further agreements are expected with Germany, Norway, Finland, and Canada.
US President Donald Trump is also expected to meet Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, having spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the NATO gathering.
Asked about Russia’s war in Ukraine, Trump said he hoped it would be settled “soon”.
“I think they both want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“It’s too bad it took so long, but I think something’s going to come out.”
-
Oregon4 seconds agoA Song Gives a Look Into Oregon’s Largest Juvenile Corrections Facility
-
Pennsylvania5 minutes agoFederal lawsuit: Conviction for small amount of marijuana should not preclude getting a license to carry a firearm
-
Rhode Island12 minutes agoWhat will happen at the 2026 Rhode Island State Amateur? History.
-
South-Carolina15 minutes agoOh, Goodbye: Four-Star South Carolina RB Aiden Gibson Flips To Rutgers
-
South Dakota20 minutes agoSouth Dakota governor’s office reports helping with over 800 deportations as feds deliver funding
-
Tennessee27 minutes agoA Tennessee woman was heard screaming, ‘he’s got a gun.’ Now her husband is pleading guilty to her murder.
-
Texas30 minutes agoUS immigration officer shoots and kills man in Texas
-
Utah35 minutes agoChicago man guilty of trafficking 25 lbs of cocaine through Utah with gun, $14k in cash
