António Costa
Portuguese politician, President of the European Council since 2024 (1961-)
- Jul 6
Trump and EU leaders head to Ankara for NATO summit as Turkey pushes for F-35 engines and defence role
The 36th NATO summit opens in Ankara on 7–8 July, with Donald Trump making the first US presidential visit to Turkey in 17 years and EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa holding separate talks with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- Jul 3
ECB's Lagarde refuses to rule out early exit to join French presidential debate
ECB President Christine Lagarde said it was 'possible' she could step down before her term ends in October 2027 to inject a 'European voice' into France's presidential debate, reviving speculation about an early departure.
- Jun 28
Benfica beats Sporting 4-3 in Game 5 to win 10th national futsal title and back-to-back championships
Benfica defeated Sporting 4-3 in the decisive fifth game of the Portuguese futsal championship playoff final on Sunday, securing a second consecutive league title for the first time since the 2008/09 season.
- Jun 24
E5 leaders back Ukraine support and NATO's European pillar ahead of Ankara summit
Leaders of Europe's five biggest defence spenders agreed five joint messages in Berlin on Wednesday, aiming to project transatlantic unity on Ukraine and Iran before the NATO summit in Ankara early next month.
- Jun 20
Meloni hits back after Trump claims she 'begged' for a G7 photo; Italian foreign minister cancels US visit
Giorgia Meloni sharply denied Donald Trump's assertion that she pleaded for a photograph at the G7 summit, with Italy's foreign minister scrapping a planned trip to Washington in protest.
- Jun 16
Oil prices tumble over 5% as US and Iran agree to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Brent crude falls below $83 a barrel and European gas slides after Washington and Tehran strike a peace accord that ends a three-month war and restores shipping through the world's critical oil chokepoint.
- Jun 15
EU opens first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, unblocking accession talks after Hungarian veto lifted
The European Union opened the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova on Monday, four years after granting both countries candidate status and two years after formal accession talks began. The 'fundamentals' cluster covers rule of law, judiciary reform and anti-corruption and will be the last to close.
- Jun 15
Trump touts Iran ceasefire and Ukraine peace push as fractious G7 opens in Evian
President Trump arrived at the G7 summit in France on Monday buoyed by a preliminary Iran ceasefire deal and signalling renewed attempts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
- Jun 12
EU opens first accession cluster for Ukraine and Moldova after Hungarian veto lifted
All 27 EU member states agreed to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on Friday, 12 June. The first intergovernmental conferences will take place on Monday in Luxembourg.
- Jun 12
EU clears opening of first accession cluster for Ukraine and Moldova as Hungary lifts veto
All 27 EU member states have agreed to launch the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, with the first intergovernmental conference set for Monday, 15 June 2026. The move comes after Hungary's new government lifted its veto following an agreement on minority rights.
- May 30
Portuguese court releases four 'Operação Imergente' corruption suspects, including PS advisor and former Spanish socialist official
A Lisbon court released four suspects in the 'Operação Imergente' corruption probe on Friday, imposing restrictions on their movements and contacts as investigations continue into alleged contract rigging involving Socialist-led municipalities.
- May 30
Italy's Meloni Urges EU Border Coordination as Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Spreads in Central Africa
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on European Union leaders to strengthen border surveillance coordination in response to the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, as the WHO reports over 900 suspected cases.
- May 29
Russian Drone Strikes Romanian Residential Building, Drawing Sharp Condemnation from NATO and EU
A Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in the eastern Romanian city of Galati, lightly injuring two people and triggering international outrage. NATO and EU leaders denounced the incident as a reckless escalation, with Romania demanding advanced anti-drone defenses and summoning Moscow's envoy.
- May 29
Russian Drone Strikes Romanian Apartment Building, Injuring Two in 'Most Serious' Incident Since Ukraine Invasion Began
A Russian drone crashed into a residential building in Galati, Romania, early Friday, injuring two people and triggering a fire that forced 70 evacuations, in what Bucharest called the most serious security incident on its territory since the war in Ukraine began.
- May 29
Russian Drone Strikes Residential Building in NATO's Romania, Injuring Two and Drawing Sharp Condemnation from EU and NATO Leaders
A Russian kamikaze drone struck a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați overnight, injuring two people and triggering a fire, in what officials are calling a serious escalation of the war in Ukraine onto NATO territory.
- May 28
EU foreign ministers reject special envoy for Ukraine talks as Kallas warns of Russian 'trap'
At an informal meeting in Limassol, Cyprus, EU foreign ministers decided against appointing a chief negotiator for Ukraine peace talks, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas cautioning that Moscow is trying to dictate who speaks for Europe.
- May 28
Portuguese police raid Socialist Party HQ in major corruption probe targeting municipal contracts
Portugal's Judicial Police carried out around 90 searches, including at the Socialist Party's national headquarters in Lisbon, as part of a large-scale corruption investigation into municipal contract rigging.
