For a second night in a row, European headlines were dominated by American strikes on Iran: Washington launched a new wave of air raids, Tehran announced a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and hit American bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The USA also attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. Oil surged, US inflation jumped to 4.2%, and the European Central Bank is likely today, for the first time in almost three years, to raise interest rates. The other major topic was the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a second night of tension - Belfast was once again burning. Here is the overview from 23 countries.
DE🇩🇪Germany
- The coalition is considering measures against the leak of secrets to the AfD Handelsblatt ↗ Handelsblatt ↗
- After the collapse of the FCAS project, France wants to develop its own fighter jet by 2040 Die Zeit ↗
- The ECB ahead of its first rate hike in almost three years - the Iranian oil shock Handelsblatt ↗
- The German economy fears a cost shock in the second half of the year Handelsblatt ↗
- Minister Hubig wants to extend the statute of limitations for rape Die Zeit ↗
- Fischer warns against the nationalist course of the AfD around Höcke Welt ↗
- Toughened EU asylum rules: Saxony "feels ready" Die Zeit ↗
- One hundred days before the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, the result is uncertain Die Zeit ↗
- UN report: the number of refugees fell to 117.8 million for the first time in ten years FAZ ↗
PL🇵🇱Poland
- Construction of the "Baltic defense line" on the border begins Wirtualna Polska ↗
- Minister Kierwiński's dismissal fails, Kaczyński is heard, Nawrocki flies to the UFC gala TVN24 ↗
- Head of Ukraine's Supreme Court took a three-million-dollar bribe - while preaching a "fight against corruption" Rzeczpospolita ↗
- The dispute over "UPA heroes" strains Polish-Ukrainian relations Gazeta Wyborcza ↗
- One thousand vacant court posts - 1.7 million unresolved cases a year Do Rzeczy ↗
- The State Tribunal punished the President of the Supreme Court, Manowska, for the third time Do Rzeczy ↗
- Poland is betting on nuclear power, experts warn of the costly trap of renewables Rzeczpospolita ↗
- Tax revenues are rising, but they are not enough to cover the state budget deficit Rzeczpospolita ↗
HU🇭🇺Hungary
- MOL and the Serbian state agreed on the buyout of the sanctioned oil company NIS - the Serbs negotiated a larger stake Portfolio ↗ 444 ↗ Népszava ↗
- Magyar's government is cutting corporate subsidies by a record amount Telex ↗
- Magyar Péter: emergency funding for hospital air conditioning, end interest on loans Népszava ↗
- Tények admitted it lied about Magyar's father 24.hu ↗
- The mosque of the Hungarian Islamic Community opened in Szombathely 24.hu ↗
- Pro-government Magyar Nemzet: the Belfast pact poses serious risks for Hungary Magyar Nemzet ↗
AT🇦🇹Austria
- Finance Minister Marterbauer: the budget is a "catastrophic legacy" Kleine Zeitung ↗
- From license-plate registration to total surveillance - the new system tracks travelers' devices Der Standard ↗
- The EU buys almost all Russian liquefied natural gas Die Presse ↗
- Kosovar Prime Minister Kurti: "Putin could use Serbia as a tool" Die Presse ↗
- The board is electing a new ORF director general today Der Standard ↗
- Construction of a mosque in Wels is stirring unrest - inside the FPÖ Die Presse ↗
- New criticism of the European Commission's AI adviser over ties to Siemens Der Standard ↗
- Five hundred migrants arrived on the island of Crete Kurier ↗
UA🇺🇦Ukraine
- Another Russian refinery is in flames after a Ukrainian strike, the Kuibyshev plant shut down Kyiv Independent ↗ Kyiv Post ↗
- Macron invited Zelensky to the G7 summit on June 16 in France Kyiv Independent ↗
- Ukraine approved a record increase in its defense budget Kyiv Post ↗
- Lockheed Martin cannot guarantee allies the delivery dates for Patriot missiles Ukrayinska Pravda ↗
- A Ukrainian arms company joins forces with the maker of the Taurus missile for deep-strike systems Kyiv Independent ↗
- Putin signed a law confiscating Russians' property abroad for "acts against the state" Kyiv Post ↗
- A Poland-Germany dispute over the payout of unfrozen EU funds for Ukraine Kyiv Independent ↗
- Finnish President Stubb refused to act as Europe's negotiator with Putin Censor.NET ↗
FR🇫🇷France
- Singer Patrick Bruel accused of rape, released under judicial supervision BFM TV ↗
- The death of 11-year-old Lyhanna reignited the debate on child protection - Attal demands a "new justice system" Le Figaro ↗
- Civitas - a banned far-right group continues despite the authorities Libération ↗
- Seventy climatologists warn: warming will reach 1.5°C around 2030 Le Figaro ↗
- The US Treasury returned $22 billion in customs duties in May Le Monde ↗
- Violence after PSG's victory: "Macronia can't organize popular celebrations" BFM TV ↗
- Five policemen shot dead in Mexico in a cartel region hours before the World Cup Le Figaro ↗
- Anthropic calls on Washington to introduce a "framework" against catastrophic AI risks Le Figaro ↗
IT🇮🇹Italy
- The Messina Strait bridge: an attempt to bribe two more accounting judges La Repubblica ↗
- The Pierina murder: Dassilva acquitted - "justice is being born today" La Repubblica ↗
- The government has halted the reform of family doctors, the regions are protesting La Repubblica ↗
- Salvini is preparing a new League lineup, his people are talking about a return to the Interior Ministry AGI ↗
- Italy did not sign the American declaration on terrorism La Repubblica ↗
- The government is "in the dark" about (un)sustainable nuclear power Il Manifesto ↗
- Vannacci on TV: "migrants must be deported, I am the authentic right" La Repubblica ↗
- LyondellBasell is leaving Brindisi by 2026 Il Sole 24 Ore ↗
- Artificial intelligence detects breast cancer up to six years earlier AGI ↗
CH🇨🇭Switzerland
- A referendum on "10-million Switzerland" on Sunday - anti-EU opponents are doing well Tages-Anzeiger ↗
- Artificial intelligence solved an 80-year-old mathematical puzzle Neue Zürcher Zeitung ↗
- Gold from Switzerland? A financial scandal in India leads to Lucerne and Ticino Neue Zürcher Zeitung ↗
- The USA are building an Ebola quarantine center in Kenya for their citizens Neue Zürcher Zeitung ↗
- The Commerzbank takeover is a "normal process", blocking it is pointless Neue Zürcher Zeitung ↗
- Sterilization for women who do not want children: legal, but almost inaccessible SRF ↗
- Swiss fans are hesitating about traveling to the USA for the World Cup SRF ↗
- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in a miniskirt mocks the "Flamingo revolution" and courts the Trump clan Tages-Anzeiger ↗
LU🇱🇺Luxembourg
- Commentary: Trump "stripped FIFA bare" Luxemburger Wort ↗
- Politician Claude Turmes: "as if Muhammad Ali had hit me once" Luxemburger Wort ↗
- The minister wants more municipalities that take a clear stance on LGBTIQ Luxemburger Wort ↗
- Gerd Klastadt's daughter is fighting to recover the "lost" painting Luxemburger Wort ↗
ES🇪🇸Spain
- The Leire Díez saga, the PSOE "plumber" - investigators are moving toward Minister Montero ABC ↗
- The Balkan cartel war hit the Pope's visit: the fifth execution in 2026 El Confidencial ↗
- Spain will fail to meet eight of the nine measures in the EU migration pact the day before it takes effect El Español ↗
- The ECB before its first rate hike in almost three years - the impact on mortgages ABC ↗
- Prices in Spain are rising by 4% as a "refuge" from war El Mundo ↗
- Nine hundred thousand pensioners are waiting for a key vote on scrapping pension cuts El Mundo ↗
- The battle for control of the Sumar movement around Yolanda Díaz ABC ↗
- Brussels is asking Spain for more solutions to the housing crisis ABC ↗
BE🇧🇪Belgium
- The court will decide today on the arrested Russian from Brussels - "a spy for Putin, or a regular businessman?" VRT NWS ↗
- Oosterweel is cleaning PFAS water that 3M was supposed to clean: "the delaying tactic pays off" De Standaard ↗
- The new minimum-income rules hit vulnerable families hard De Standaard ↗
- The ECB restricted Revolut, the "miracle bank" De Standaard ↗
- The chemical TFA "can harm fertility," the European agency ruled De Standaard ↗
- Flanders gave the green light to autonomous Teslas 7sur7 ↗
- The number of job applicants with a doctorate has nearly tripled in five years De Standaard ↗
PT🇵🇹Portugal
- The president sent the decree on "ideological flags" back to parliament RTP ↗
- Replacing F-16 fighters: American or European? CM Jornal ↗
- The far-right Chega handed out contracts worth 239,000 euros to a company owned by its supporter CM Jornal ↗
- Portuguese police warn of new "rape drugs" in drinks CM Jornal ↗
- Anthropic launched artificial intelligence against biological and chemical attacks CM Jornal ↗
IE🇮🇪Ireland
- Hundreds of Ukrainians, including children and seniors, face eviction from a leisure center in Cork The Journal ↗
- The ECB is likely to raise rates today, with another increase expected in September The Irish Times ↗
- An anti-immigration march to Leinster House against the EU migration pact The Irish Times ↗
- A second night of unrest in Northern Ireland, water cannons deployed The Irish Times ↗
- The church does not know how many of last year's 178 abuse allegations were already known Irish Examiner ↗
- Kenneally report: no cover-up or conspiracy, says the Irish prime minister The Irish Times ↗
NL🇳🇱Netherlands
- The USA attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman de Volkskrant ↗
- The migration pact is starting, but a stall is already looming De Telegraaf ↗
- All five councillors in Tiel resigned after a report on possible criminal offenses NOS ↗
- An investigation into the toxic work culture at the UWV office AD ↗
- The Dutch fear the collapse of the international legal order NOS ↗
- The number of foreign students is falling for the first time in twenty years NOS ↗
- Former politician Geert Dales received 80 hours of community service for insults and doxxing NRC ↗
- "Trump-hater protests shook the Albanian government" De Telegraaf ↗
GB🇬🇧United Kingdom
- The sole survivor of the Air India crash is in financial trouble - he received only 21,000 pounds The Independent ↗
- Trump: "I love inflation", prices in the USA are rising at the fastest pace in three years BBC News ↗
- The army chief wrote an unusual letter to the prime minister - hopes for a major announcement faded Sky News ↗
- A "kill switch" for phones: Apple agreed to a change that will disable stolen mobiles Daily Mail ↗
- Trump's war with Iran is driving China's cleantech industry Financial Times ↗
- Police chiefs face a lawsuit over the trans guidance on searches Daily Mail ↗
🌍 Other countries
- Romania: Tomac finalized the list of ministers and invites Mayor Ciucă into the government Digi24 ↗
- Romania: the USR and CSM dispute over the "list of justice critics" risks abuse of power Adevărul ↗
- Romania: a religious leader arrested in Cluj for rape and sexual assaults Adevărul ↗
- Serbia: Vučić announced that he will resign soon MKD.mk ↗
- Turkey: BYD has suspended the factory project, raising the question of withdrawing incentives Cumhuriyet ↗
- Lithuania: the Seimas will decide whether to allow up to 40 soldiers to take part in operations in Hormuz 15min ↗
- Moldova: the Ukrainian embassy calls for the cancellation of Anna Netrebko's concert Newsmaker ↗
- Albania: kilometer-long protests in Tirana demand Edi Rama's resignation Gazeta Shqiptare ↗
- Estonia: the "honest fuel market" Terminal itself faces suspicion of tricks Äripäev ↗
- Malta: 113 kilograms of cocaine seized at Freeport Newsbook ↗
🔁 Cross-country themes
- The USA bombed Iran for a second night, Tehran closed Hormuz and struck American bases in the Gulf — 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇮🇹 IT · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇬🇧 UK · 🇵🇱 PL · 🇺🇦 UA · 🇹🇷 TR · 🇬🇷 GR · 🇦🇹 AT · 🇨🇭 CH · 🇧🇪 BE · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇭🇷 HR (almost all)
- The USA attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, three Indian sailors are missing — 🇳🇱 NL · 🇷🇴 RO
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup starts at Aztec Stadium, Infantino defends ticket prices and thanks Trump — 🇩🇪 DE · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇮🇹 IT · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇧🇪 BE · 🇦🇹 AT · 🇷🇸 RS · 🇸🇮 SI · 🇧🇬 BG
- A second night of unrest in Belfast, water cannons, anti-immigration violence — 🇬🇧 UK · 🇮🇪 IE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇧🇪 BE · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇨🇭 CH · 🇸🇪 SE · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇭🇺 HU · 🇵🇱 PL
- The EU migration pact takes effect - and collapse already looms — 🇳🇱 NL · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇩🇪 DE · 🇮🇪 IE · 🇭🇺 HU
- The ECB is likely to raise rates today for the first time in almost three years — 🇩🇪 DE · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇮🇪 IE · 🇸🇮 SI · 🇧🇬 BG
- The FCAS collapse: France and Germany are both heading toward their own fighter jets — 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇲🇰 MK
- Albanian protests shook Edi Rama's government — 🇦🇱 AL · 🇨🇭 CH · 🇳🇱 NL
- Another Russian refinery is burning, Macron invites Zelensky to the G7 — 🇺🇦 UA · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇵🇱 PL · 🇷🇴 RO · 🇱🇹 LT · 🇪🇪 EE · 🇲🇩 MD
- UN report: the number of refugees fell to 117.8 million for the first time in ten years — 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇫🇮 FI · 🇦🇹 AT
- Canada is considering banning social media for under-16s — 🇫🇷 FR · 🇧🇪 BE · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇫🇮 FI · 🇮🇸 IS
- MOL and the Serbian state agreed on the buyout of the sanctioned oil company NIS — 🇭🇺 HU · 🇷🇸 RS
🔭 Different angle
- Albanian protests are demanding Edi Rama's resignation. Kilometer-long marches in Tirana are calling for his departure and for "politicians to prison"; the Swiss press meanwhile shows the prime minister mocking the opposition's "Flamingo revolution" and courting the Trump clan. It is a topic that Slovak or Czech media do not cover, even though this is an EU candidate country and American influence in the Balkans is growing.
- The FCAS collapse: Europe has lost a joint fighter jet. The joint Franco-German future combat aircraft project has fallen apart - France now wants its own aircraft by 2040, and Germany is moving ahead independently as well. A Finnish commentary reveals how distorted European defense planning is just as the continent is rearming against Russia.
- The head of Ukraine's Supreme Court took a three-million-dollar bribe. The Polish angle on judicial corruption in Kyiv comes at a time when the EU is pressuring Ukraine to reform the courts as a condition for accession talks.
What hotinfo is following
We are following the further escalation between the United States and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on oil prices and the ECB's interest-rate decision, the completion of MOL's buyout of Serbia's NIS before the US sanctions deadline expires, the launch of the troubled EU migration pact, as well as the fate of Romania's government under Prime Minister Tomac and the Albanian protests against Edi Rama.
