EU ministers vowed on Monday to explore ways to save Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) after U.S. President Donald Trump cut its funding, but warned that replacing U.S. support would not be easy.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky urged his counterparts in Brussels to find solutions to keep the Prague-based broadcaster running. RFE/RL, a U.S.-funded outlet established during the Cold War to reach audiences in authoritarian states, provides news to countries with restricted press freedom, including Iran, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the station “a beacon of democracy” and expressed regret over the funding cut. “Can we come in with our funding to fill the void the U.S. is leaving? The answer to that question is not automatically, because we have many organisations requesting the same,” Kallas said. She confirmed that ministers had agreed to explore solutions but noted it would be difficult.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) terminated grants to RFE/RL as part of Trump’s broader effort to scale back federal funding. The move also affected Voice of America (VOA), where more than 1,300 employees were placed on leave on Saturday.
Despite the funding halt, RFE/RL journalists continued publishing on Monday. RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus warned that shutting down the service would be “a massive gift to America’s enemies.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Warsaw would consider how to assist both RFE/RL and VOA.
Trump’s executive order on Friday went beyond the broadcaster, dismantling programmes at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and cutting more than 80% of its operations. The decision sparked criticism from media and diplomatic circles.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal Trump ally, previously called for RFE/RL to be shut down, posting on X that it was “just radical left crazy people talking to themselves.”
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Russian authorities said 11 people, including four children, had been killed by Ukraine in an overnight attack on a holiday camp, accusing Kyiv on Saturday of deliberately targeting civilians.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
Six candidates vying to become the next United Nations Secretary-General have called for restoring the organisation's credibility, strengthening multilateralism and reforming the UN, during the first public town hall debate ahead of a decisive Security Council vote next week.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 25th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A known Islamist suspected of driving a minivan into a crowd near a major LGBTQ Pride gathering in Berlin was shot dead during a police operation at an allotment garden complex, broadcaster RBB reported on Sunday.
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham "will always put Britain's interests first", he told the BBC in an interview when asked whether he was willing to call out U.S. President Donald Trump.
Uzbekistan captain Eldor Shomurodov has been shortlisted for the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament award at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with his strike against DR Congo named among the competition’s 12 best goals. The nomination places the Uzbek forward alongside some of world football’s biggest stars.
Firefighters battled on Sunday to contain wildfires threatening the outskirts of Bordeaux, as authorities expanded evacuation orders and warned the blazes were spreading rapidly during an intense heatwave across southern Europe.
Rescue teams were searching on Sunday for 17 people still missing after a Vietnamese cargo ship sank in the South China Sea, with 45 crew members rescued since the vessel sent out a distress signal the previous evening.
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