Afghanistan is a "forever emergency" rendered worse by an isolated country intent on dismantling human rights, says UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative for the country, Leonard Zulu.

The EU Commission reformed procurement directives to make bids more attractive (and competitive), but the reform has failed, say auditors. Procedures now take longer, and the number of direct awards and individual tenders has increased over the past decade.

Over-relying on carbon capture technologies at this year's COP28 climate summit in Dubai could have a €27 trillion price tag, Oxford researchers find.

Despite challenges and barriers across European health systems in the timely detection and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, policymakers have a unique opportunity to be remembered for improving the AD care pathway and transforming the way the disease is managed.

Georgia has long sought a rapprochement with Europe, since its war with Russia in 2008. But behind the scenes, powerful actors are sabotaging the plans — spurred by increasing vigilantism.

A European citizens' initiative — signed by 1.4 million people — saw the EU Commission promise to ban cages for 300 million farmed animals. Then the farming lobby got involved.

This week, EU and Chinese leaders will meet in Beijing to discuss how to cooperate in the international area despite their rivalry. Meanwhile, a marathon trilogue on the five migration files takes place on Thursday.

Closing the gap between what's needed and what's actually distributed is one of the main topics at the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai on Monday. One problem is that no one knows how much is actually being spent.

The optics of a nine-fold increase of annual funding for Israel, in the middle of its devastating military campaign in Gaza, stands in contrast with the attempted suspension, delaying and constraining of EU development aid for the Palestinians.

Palestinians in south Gaza will have to flee to new safe zones, Israel's EU and Nato envoy tells EUobserver, as the war enters its next phase.

The Spanish government remains secretive about its negotiations with pro-independence Catalans, but claims the EU Commission has "zero concerns" about their proposed amnesty law for Catalan separatists. The EU executive denies that.

Discussion of the biggest existential threat humanity has ever faced is barely mentioned on billboards or signage in Dubai — yet visitors are made aware quite quickly that t world rugby sevens tournament is imminent.

Draft laws in Germany aimed at tackling irregular migration could lead to the prosecution of NGOs for rescuing endangered refugees and migrants at sea — triggering concerns among human rights lawyers.

In a new diplomatic spat between Tel Aviv and Madrid, Israel recalled its ambassador to Spain Rodica Radian-Gordon — after comments made by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez.

EU states may drop their 2019 position on a bill on returning rejected migrants and instead put forward new ideas that include "innovative solutions" to work around illegal pushbacks.

Inter-institutional negotiations on the EU directive to combat violence against women have stalled over the inclusion of rape in the text — which member states such as Germany and France say is outside the EU's remit.

The most critical UN climate conference (COP28) ever will run from Thursday to mid-December — with talks on climate commitments and climate finance expected to determine the success of this year's summit.

Since last week, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta corporation is forcing its European users to either accept their intrusive privacy practices — or pay €156 per year to access Facebook and Instagram without tracking advertising.

The EU has offered Turkey almost all it wanted in return for ratifying Sweden's Nato entry, amid signs the saga is drawing to its climax.

Russia lost its seat on the board of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for the first time in the organisation's history — while Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania were elected to the executive council.