Some Syrian refugees in Austria deliberately fail German language exams to avoid low-paying jobs. This allows them to continue receiving state aid, which is roughly the same as in Germany.
Large-scale forest fires have engulfed Albania and Montenegro, claiming the lives of two people. Hundreds of coastal residents were forced to leave their homes.
First Lady Olena Zelenska and Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha met with the Rector of Kobe Gakuin University in Japan. The institution joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, becoming the first participant from Japan in this initiative.
An international coalition, led by Canada and Ukraine, called on Russia to unconditionally return abducted Ukrainian children. 38 countries, the Council of Europe, and the EU signed a joint statement, emphasizing the violation of international law.
The Vienna District Court allowed Naftogaz to encumber over 20 Russian real estate properties in Austria for over 120 million euros. This is part of the enforcement of an arbitration award for over 5 billion US dollars for illegally seized assets in Crimea.
In 2023, the EU received 25. 9% of global international tourism revenue, almost double that of the US with 12.3%. Tourism revenues accounted for 2.5% of the EU's GDP, continuing its recovery after COVID-19.
Ukraine's leading allies in Europe plan to approach the EU for tens of billions of euros in loans for joint procurement of weapons for Ukraine and to strengthen their own defense. The SAFE program envisages loans for weapons, financed by EU debt with a 45-year repayment period.
US President Donald Trump was ready to allow Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to take Crimea and several eastern regions of Ukraine, as well as remove the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership from the agenda in exchange for ending the war. This was reported by Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
Around 400 passengers of a German ICE high-speed train spent over six hours in a tunnel near Vienna due to a power outage. The evacuation was complicated by passengers exiting into the tunnel, which led to a repeated power shutdown.
Emil Brix, Director of the Diplomatic Academy, proposed discussing Austria's accession to NATO. NEOS party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger stated that neutrality no longer guarantees protection, advocating for open debates on the future of the country's security policy.
Ukraine won 20 medals at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje. Diana Kolennikova won bronze in table tennis, losing in the semifinals to an Austrian athlete.
Ukrainian writer Serhiy Zhadan became a laureate of the Austrian State Prize for European Literature. The jury noted his voice as an expresser of the experience of Ukrainians during the war.
The European Commission has sent warning letters to 18 EU member states for failing to notify the full implementation of the Directive on criminalizing the violation of EU restrictive measures. Countries have two months to respond and complete implementation.
A number of countries issued a joint statement, calling on Israel to cease hostilities in the Gaza Strip due to the suffering of the civilian population. The Israeli Prime Minister's advisor called this statement a "delusion" that sends Hamas a "wrong and dangerous signal" because it does not pressure the group.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that he would vote against the EU budget for 2028–2034, which provides for the allocation of 100 billion euros to support Ukraine. He justifies this by saying that the budget "sends Hungarians' money to Ukraine" and "destroys Hungarian farmers."
France supports the European Commission's proposal for an EU budget of almost 2 trillion euros for 2028–2034, citing threats from Russia. Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands consider such expenditures excessive and demand a more frugal approach.
US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with NATO on arming Ukraine. Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Baltic states, the Netherlands, Canada, and Great Britain supported the initiative, while the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia refused.
UNN analyzed the cost of studying at ten leading foreign universities where Ukrainians can get higher education. The review includes universities in the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, and Ireland.
Prosecutors have filed an indictment against the godfather of Lviv businessman Hrynkevych, who organized the supply of substandard military equipment for the Ministry of Defense, causing damages of over UAH 1. 16 billion. The accused, declared internationally wanted, is hiding in Vienna.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated his readiness for a third meeting with Russia only if leaders participate. The desired format is negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the USA at the highest level.
40 years after the establishment of the Schengen area, internal border controls are being tightened, limiting freedoms. Poland has introduced controls at its borders with Germany and Lithuania, and other EU countries are also strengthening checks.
In 2024, the gender gap in employment in the EU cultural sector narrowed to 0. 8 percentage points, reaching its lowest level in a decade. However, women in the cultural sector are more likely to receive low wages than men.
The Austrian Foreign Minister condemned the Russian shelling of Ukraine on July 4, 2025, during which the Polish consulate in Kyiv was damaged. She called for increased pressure on Russia to achieve peace.
In the first quarter of 2025, housing prices in the European Union increased by 5. 7%, and rental prices by 3.2% compared to the same period in 2024. Since 2010, housing prices in the EU have risen by 57.9%, and rental prices by 27.8%.
Artur Yemelyanov, former deputy head of the Supreme Commercial Court, has been notified of suspicion of illicit enrichment amounting to over UAH 97 million. He acquired property, including 6 apartments, 5 garages, 18 land plots, 3 cars, and corporate rights, which does not correspond to his legitimate income.
Meta, in collaboration with Oakley, announced a limited edition model of Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses for $499, available for pre-order from July 11. Targeted at athletes, these glasses feature an improved 3K camera, up to 8 hours of battery life, and IPX4 water resistance.
The UK leads Europe in the number of days of remote work, averaging 1. 8 days per week, due to individualism, prolonged lockdowns, and the structure of the labor market. At the same time, Greece has the lowest indicator – 0.6 days, due to the peculiarities of its economy and culture.
Nearly 4. 3 million Ukrainians have received temporary protection in EU countries as of the end of January 2025. The largest number of Ukrainians are in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, where their numbers are increasing.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a visit of foreign diplomats to the site of the Russian strike on a building in Kyiv. Representatives of more than 60 missions saw the consequences of Russian terror in Ukraine.
The First Lady of Ukraine visited Austria, where she met with Doris Schmidauer, got acquainted with barrier-free access and opened a Ukrainian-language audio guide in the Leopold Museum. The visit will expand cooperation between the countries.
