Jul 24, 2026
At least six people were killed in a fire that broke out Tuesday morning at a building under renovation in central Brussels. The victims' bodies were recovered from a lift blocked in a shaft after the fire started on the second floor and spread.
European leaders convened an emergency late-night meeting in Brussels to discuss managing a breakdown in relations with America, as the United States marked its 250th Independence Day anniversary amid unprecedented domestic divisions and international tensions.
A Taliban delegation met with European Union officials in Brussels for closed-door technical discussions focused on the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, marking the first such meeting despite no EU country recognizing the Taliban government. The talks have drawn fierce criticism from rights groups and MEPs who warn against normalizing a regime that has banned girls' education beyond sixth grade.
Hungary has delayed a key procedural step in the EU membership applications of Ukraine and Moldova, while EU officials are considering separating the two countries' accession processes that have been informally linked since the beginning.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized NATO allies in Brussels and announced a review of U.S. military forces stationed in Europe while calling for a fundamental reorganization of the alliance into what he termed 'NATO 3.0.'