Friday, April 24, 2026

Pentagon considers suspending Spain from NATO, leaked email suggests

By Shona Murray

Published on 24/04/2026 - EURONEWS

An internal Pentagon email has revealed US anger at Spain and other NATO allies over blocked bases for Iran strikes and hints at pressure over defence spending.

A leaked email suggests the Pentagon has outlined a set of options aimed at penalising NATO countries that rejected calls to assist in the Iran war, suspending Spain’s membership of NATO, as well as undermining US support for the UK's territorial control of the Falklands.

The internal email describes the well-vented frustration in Washington with some NATO countries for blocking US forces from using air bases in their territories to refuel military aircraft, and from their airspace while en route to bomb Iran.

The refusal for access to basing and overflight rights - known as ABO - is detailed in the email first reported by Reuters as being "just the absolute baseline for NATO", according to an unnamed official in the report.

Meanwhile, a senior NATO source has told Euronews that the tone expressed in the email is “not surprising” given US President Donald Trump’s “unhappiness with Europe, and particularly Spain".

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been the most vocal European voice against the US-Israel war in Iran.

From the earliest days of the war, when other countries offered quiet endorsement of the strikes, Spain denied the US access to use jointly-operated military bases on Spanish territory, rebuking the attacks in Iran as “unjustified and dangerous military intervention”.

The NATO source points out that Trump’s frustration with Spain goes back to Sánchez ’s refusal to increase military spending from 2.1% of GDP to 5% in line with the commitment from all other NATO allies, for which Trump described Spain as a “laggard.” “They have no excuse not to do this, but that’s all right. Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly,” he said soon after.

“It goes back to the political gamesmanship that Sánchez is deploying to appease his political base,” said the source. “They’re the only country which said they don’t need to spend 5% on defence,” the source told Euronews.

At Trump's request, NATO allies agreed to increase defence spending to a historic 5% of GDP by 2035 at the alliance’s annual leaders' summit in The Hague last year. But Madrid insists Spain can reach its capability targets by spending 2%.

Meanwhile, Sánchez shut down questions about the report saying the government relies on “official documents and positions, not informal communications", he told reporters at an EU leaders summit in Cyprus on Friday.

The Pentagon email, which is reportedly from the higher echelons of the US Department of Defence, also considers seeking retribution against the UK after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly refused to join the war.

The email considers reassessing US diplomatic support for longstanding European "imperial possessions", such as the Falkland Islands near Argentina.

The US State Department has long endorsed the UK as the official administrator of the Falkland Islands, after the 1982 war which saw Britain reconquer the islands.

But Argentina has always claimed the islands as its own, and its current President Javier Milei is a close Trump supporter.

Experts say it’s not possible for Spain’s NATO membership to be suspended by the US, but that Trump’s frequent criticism of the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance is seriously damaging.

“You can’t kick people out of NATO unless there’s been a material breach of process, which in the case of Spain there is absolutely no evidence,” said former British Army Captain, Dr. Patrick Bury.

“But he’s [Trump] run NATO down so much, can it survive the next three years?" he told Euronews during a phone interview.

NATO countries were "well within their rights to refuse access to the military bases," he said.

“In 1986, during US action against Libya, both France and Spain closed their air bases to the US, so there is a precedent for them doing that,” he added.

“There was no consultation with NATO over this war, and Iran is not NATO territory,” said Bury, who is a lecturer specialising in warfare and counter-terrorism at Bath University, UK.

He also questioned the rationale for whoever leaked the document, positing whether its publication is part of a more comprehensive strategy by the US administration to do harm to NATO.

Trump's verbal attacks and threats to withdraw from NATO are ever more frequent since the war in Iran. He has since dismissed the alliance as a "paper tiger", and accused allies of leaving him stranded over Iran.

“The bigger question is who leaked this and why did they do it?” asked Bury.

“Was it part of a wider drive to run down NATO, or to send a message to allies to agree to do something regards the Strait of Hormuz?”

The Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most important international shipping routes - has been shut down because of the war in Iran.

Iran initially blockaded the Strait to disrupt Western shipping supplies, triggering ongoing chaos and sky-high energy prices.

Since then, the US has initiated its own blockade, ensuring the waterway is fully closed for shipping to and from Iranian ports. Attempts to resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels led by Pakistan and Turkey remain stalled.

EU failure to sanction Israel weakens defence of Ukraine, warns Pedro Sánchez

By Jorge Liboreiro

Published on 24/04/2026 - EURONEWS

Spain's Pedro Sánchez has once again denounced what he calls the European Union's "double standard" between its willingnes to sanction Russia and its hesitancy to do the same with Israel.

The European Union's failure to sanction Israel over its military action in Gaza and Lebanon weakens the collective "credibility" and "legitimacy" to defend Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said.

"Something that is delegitimising us, not only in the eyes of the outside world but also in the eyes of our own societies, is this double standard, this double yardstick that Europe is using in Ukraine and the Middle East," Sánchez said on Friday.

His warning comes a few days after Spain's renewed push to terminate the EU-Israel Association Agreement in response to the deadly strikes against Lebanon was met with broad opposition from other EU member states. Germany and Italy, which are key to achieving the necessary qualified majority vote in favour of a partial suspension, remain on the fence.

Sánchez made the case to his fellow EU leaders during an informal summit in Cyprus, pointing to an internal review by Brussels that found Israel in breach of Article 2 of the Association Agreement, which imposes binding obligations to respect human rights.

The review was published last year in the context of Israel's war on Gaza, which precipitated a devastating humanitarian crisis and led to several proposals to sanction Israel, none of which were ever approved by EU member states. It did not cover Lebanon.

"We cannot remain united in supporting, as we should be, a people (in Ukraine) subjected to an attempted invasion and a challenge to their territorial integrity, and fail to do the same in the Middle East. Especially when we are talking about Lebanon, Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank," Sánchez said.

"Unfortunately, some governments are in favour, others are against," he went on.

"There is no unity on this issue, and the result is a weakening of the European Union's position, at least in terms of our political legitimacy and our credibility when it comes to defending fair causes like that of Ukraine."

The Spanish premier said the EU was founded as a "peace project" and should therefore speak up to demand "respect for international law".

"If we don't, it becomes the law of the strongest, which is what we are witnessing. This leads to a weaker, much more insecure and more uncertain world," he said, referring to the US-Israeli decision to strike Iran, which he has repeatedly denounced as "illegal".

"In the end, that comes with a price in terms of lives, the displacement of refugees and, of course, the economic consequences that, unfortunately, all governments are now facing as a result of unilateral and illegal decisions made by third countries."

Israel has long contested the Spanish criticism, arguing its military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon were designed to eliminate the threats posed by Hamas and Hezbollah, respectively, both of which are backed by Iran.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah had been extended by three weeks.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the summit in Cyprus, called on the EU to do more to safeguard Lebanon's "peace, stability and sovereignty".

European officials fear that a continued offensive against Lebanon would derail the government's arduous efforts to disarm Hezbollah and trigger a migratory wave.

Podcast | A vote on trade ties with Israel: Why is the EU so divided?

By Lauren Walker & Alice Carnevali

Published on 24/04/2026 - EURONEWS

The rejection by some EU member countries of a renewed proposal to suspend the EU-Israeli trade pact once again exposed persistent divisions within the EU27 over the Middle East. Why is the bloc so split on this issue?

Gaza and the West Bank were propelled back to the top of the agenda this week after having been placed on the political and media back burner due to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the ensuing war.

On Monday, a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in Brussels brought representatives of more than 60 nations together to discuss stability, security and long-term peace for Palestinians and Israelis.

On Tuesday, European Union foreign ministers discussed a proposal to partially suspend the EU–Israel Association Agreement over alleged war crimes in Palestine and Lebanon.

The renewed push for the suspension of preferential trade with Israel came from the governments of Spain, Ireland and Slovenia, known defenders of Palestinian rights.

However, the outcome had been widely anticipated. Several larger member states were not expected to support such measures, and the proposal was blocked.

Why is taking a stance on this matter dividing Europe? Are positions shifting within EU countries?

Brussels, My Love? looks into the vote and what this means for the EU's legitimacy in the region with Martin Konečný, the director of the European Middle East Project (EuMEP), and Vincenzo Genovese, Euronews’ EU reporter.

Why is this agreement so important?

The EU–Israel Association Agreement, in the first place, consists of a free trade agreement, providing for preferential trade. As the EU is Israel's largest trading partner, it is "the main source of leverage that it has," Konečný explained.

This proposal was for a partial suspension of the agreement, dealing precisely with this trade component. When proposed last autumn, the same idea already failed to secure majority support.

A full suspension of the agreement would require a unanimous decision from all member countries, while suspending just the trade component only requires a qualified majority vote (the support of 15 out of 27 EU members representing 65% of the EU population).

Under the agreement, Israel must uphold human rights obligations, a clause which an EU review last summer found Israel was in breach of due to its war on Gaza and the stringent conditions applied to the deliveries of humanitarian aid at the time. It also covers Israel's decades-long occupation of the West Bank and settlers' violence.

Israel rejected the review, saying it is "engaged in an existential struggle by defending against the shared enemies of the West," but many in Europe saw this finding as a clear obligation for suspension.

"The Human Rights clause isn't just a 'nice addition' in the agreement. It's an essential and formal clause in the Agreement," said Konečný. He noted this is also telling for the EU's influence on the international stage.

"If the EU concluded that this has been violated, there logically has to be some action. Because of this human rights clause, that's our clause. If there are no consequences, then we are sending the signal that basically the EU doesn't count, that the Israeli government doesn't need to pay attention to the concerns being voiced by the EU."

Ahead of Tuesday's vote, UN experts called on the EU to immediately suspend its trade agreement with Israel, saying the bloc faces "a moral test".

The experts argued Israel continues to receive preferential access to European markets despite "well-documented human rights violations that have escalated into atrocity crimes, including genocide."

Why was the proposal blocked?

So, why did the suspension not happen? "Well, because the member states are divided on this," Konečný said. "Some member states are very deeply attached to Israel."

Germany and Italy were named as the main blockers. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the proposal "inappropriate", insisting that more talks are needed.

"But I would not only single out these countries. Member states such as France, Sweden, and Denmark were also not really supportive of the suspension, although they did support it previously," Konečný said.

Yet, Italy's vote on the EU level conceals a slight domestic shift. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Israel’s closest friends in Europe, this week said Italy would not renew a memorandum of understanding on defence.

"It is a first shift, let's say," Genovese said. "We are seeing growing frictions between Italy and Israel." The two countries were recently entangled in a diplomatic spat, with Italy summoning the Israeli ambassador over shots fired at an Italian convoy as part of a UN mission in Lebanon.

"This is not enough to justify a radical change by the Meloni government," Genovese said. "But the official position on the EU-Israel agreement that was provided to me by the Italian foreign ministry does say in a way: 'We are not that happy with this agreement'."

More generally, many believe the critical tone at Tuesday's meeting of foreign ministers signifies a noteworthy shift in the EU's stance as a whole, even if a common EU position toward Israel remains elusive.

Genovese noted that Meloni's government has been slowly shifting its position on the topic due to the "strong public opinion in Italy against the Netanyahu government, and due to concerns about human rights violations in Gaza and in Lebanon."

"We saw this impact, for example, when Meloni said she was ready to recognise the state of Palestine, which was unprecedented."

Will discussions on ties to Israel continue?

Further discussions are set to take place in the coming months, including on a proposal by France and Sweden to impose tariffs on goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. "The aim is to differentiate this trade from others," the Swedish government noted.

Konečný said a proposal may be developed on this in the coming weeks. "I think this is a very important issue, because the International Court of Justice two years ago stated that states are obliged to prevent trade with the illegal settlements which benefit the Israeli occupation. The EU continues to trade with them."

But here too, he said, countries will tread carefully. "We see a tendency by member states to be extremely cautious and kind of tiptoe around the problem. I think what should be on the table is a full ban on imports from the settlements. If they are illegal, why should we be trading with them?"

Genovese argued that, when it comes to continued talks, much will depend on public opinion. "We see that the broad topic Israel-Gaza is very concerning to people in many European countries, and in my opinion, this has also provoked some shifts in the government's positions in the past."

Earlier this month, a Citizens' Initiative calling for the full suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement reached the one million signatures required to trigger a response from the European Commission and the European Parliament.

This comes as the northern Gaza Strip continues to be hit by occasional Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire with Hamas that took effect last October.

Listen to the podcast in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Swedish official charged with having secret documents that could have threatened national security

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 24/04/2026 - EURONEWS

The diplomat, who was arrested in May 2025, had also been suspected of transmitting classified documents to a former politician from the central Swedish town of Gävle.

A senior Swedish diplomat serving as special envoy to Syria was charged on Friday with unauthorised possession of classified documents which could have jeopardised Sweden's national security in the hands of a foreign power, prosecutors said

"This concerns highly-classified information that the defendant has unlawfully handled by taking home and then keeping the documents containing classified information in his residence and holiday home," prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement.

The diplomat gained access to the classified information "through his previous duties, but which he then took with him without authorisation and subsequently appropriated as his own."

According to the charge sheet, "disclosing the information to a foreign power may be detrimental to Sweden's security."

However, the diplomat acted "without any intention of serving a foreign power," it said.

The diplomat, who was arrested in May 2025, had also been suspected of transmitting classified documents to a former politician from the central Swedish town of Gävle, but prosecutors have closed that investigation due to lack of evidence, Ljungkvist said.

In May last year, Sweden's security service Sapo carried out raids on the diplomat's two homes.

Disguised as construction workers, they raided his home at dawn and arrested him and another person. That person is no longer considered a suspect.

The arrests came the same day that another diplomat, Joachim Bergstrom, was arrested suspected of spying in another dramatic raid by security services.

Masked agents burst into Bergstrom's apartment and pulled him out in his pyjamas.

Less than 48 hours later, after he had been released from custody but was still considered a suspect, he killed himself.

Thomas Olsson, the lawyer for the diplomat charged on Friday, told the AFP news agency his client "denies these acts and maintains that the allegations are completely unfounded."

"My client has worked at the foreign service for decades and handled tens of thousands of different documents, including these ones," he said.

The question of whether his client should have had the documents in his possession at his residences was a matter of foreign ministry procedure, he said.

"If you don't follow the internal rules, at most it's a disciplinary matter. It's hardly something you should be using the Security Service to enforce."

EVs more reliable than cars with combustion engines, study finds

24.04.2026, DPA

EV - In some areas such as Germany, customers have been increasingly warming to EVs as an alternative to traditional ICE cars following recent hikes in the price of petrol triggered by the war in Iran. — Photo: Henning Kaiser/dpa

Battery-electric cars are significantly more reliable than internal combustion-engined vehicles, according to a new analysis by Germany's huge ADAC automobile club.

Europe’s largest motoring organization reviewed its 3.7 million service missions in 2025 and evaluated breakdowns across 158 vehicle models from 27 manufacturers.

It then calculated the so-called breakdown rate, which indicates the number of breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. For a four-year-old electric car, the figure was 6.5 – compared with 12.5 for a combustion-engine car of the same age.

“The reason for this is that electric cars contain far fewer parts that are prone to wear and tear,” says an ADAC official. "Typical sources of faults in combustion-engine vehicles include power-train or fuel system components."

Customers in some areas including Germany have been increasingly warming to EVs as an alternative to traditional ICE cars following recent hikes in the price of petrol triggered by the war in Iran. German customers have been increasingly warming to EVs as an alternative to traditional ICE cars following recent hikes in the price of petrol triggered by the war in Iran.

The government has also introduced new cash incentives. However only around 4% of the some 50 million cars on German roads are pure electrics.

The 12-volt starter battery of a typical battery-electric is the most common cause of problems on the road. "Almost half of the breakdowns are caused by this," says the spokesman.

Other faults with electric cars include electrical system defects, although combustion-powered cars have equally complex electrical systems on board.

The BMW i3, which is no longer manufactured by the Bavarian company, has an excellent reliability record along with the Tesla Model 3, the ADAC analysis reveals.

Tesla has started making two-seat Cybercab robotaxis

24.04.2026, DPA

Tesla Robotaxi Cybercab - A test Tesla robotaxi Cybercab, a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals. Tesla boss Elon Musk sees autonomous driving as the future. — Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa

US carmaker Tesla has started producing its Cybercab robotaxi, Tesla boss Elon Musk says.

The driverless two-seater is designed without a steering wheel and pedals. Musk published a short video on his social media platform X showing the Cybercab on the production line.

Tesla is increasingly focusing on robotics and robotaxis and expects its advanced driver-assistance system to receive approval across the European Union in the coming months.

It comes as the company's global deliveries have come under pressure, in part due to the expiration of a tax incentive in the United States under President Donald Trump.

Musk has long said Tesla's future lies in autonomous robotaxis and humanoid robots rather than car sales, suggesting that the Cybercab would eventually make up the bulk of Tesla's output.

However, Tesla is lagging far behind its US rival Waymo when it comes to automated driving. Waymo's robotaxis are already making more than 500,000 paid passenger journeys per week in the US.

By comparison, only a handful of Tesla's Model Y autonomous vehicles have so far entered operation. Cybercab test vehicles have so far been seen with humans at the wheel.

Regardless, Musk has insisted that Tesla will soon become the market leader in autonomous driving, arguing that its models will be cheaper as Tesla plans to rely on cameras only, instead of laser radar technology used by Waymo and other developers.

Experts and rivals have questioned whether cars can drive autonomously with sufficient reliability using cameras alone.

Pope slams speculation with raw materials at end of African trip

21.04.2026, DPA

Pope Leo XIV visits Angola - Pope Leo XIV arrives at the "4 de Fevereiro" Luanda International Airport in Luanda. — Photo: -/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa

By dpa correspondents

Pope Leo XIV expressed concern on Tuesday at conflict over the raw materials needed for new technologies as he visited Equatorial Guinea, the last stop on his Africa tour.

Leo said that rapid technological change was accelerating speculation with raw materials and that it was important that existing international agreements were observed.

Equatorial Guinea is the final stage of the pope's 11-day African trip. The oil-rich nation sandwiched between Cameroon and Gabon is ruled by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has held power since 1979, longer than any other head of state.

In his speech, the pope said that armed conflict is exacerbated by the quest for oil and other minerals, while international law and the right of Africa's people to determine their own lives are being disregarded.

Nature conservation and the rights of local communities were pushed into the background, he said.

God did not want this, Leo said. The pope warned against the misuse of technology for military purposes, emphasising that "the destiny of humanity risks being tragically compromised without a change of direction in the assumption of political responsibility."

Leo urged respect for international institutions and warned that God's name "must never be invoked to justify choices and actions of death."

The pontiff spoke of the exploitation of the continent by foreign powers and international companies during his earlier stops in Cameroon and Angola, too.

On arrival in Malabo, capital of the country until this year, tens of thousands of people waiting along the edge of the road greeted the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Africa, home to some 290 million Catholics, is one of the regions of the world where Catholicism is growing.

Earlier, the pope paid tribute to his predecessor, Francis, who died a year ago, celebrating his commitment to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society.

On his flight from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, Leo said Francis had given "his witness, his words, and his gestures. He did so by truly living closeness to the poorest, to the least, to the sick, to children, and to the elderly."

Leo gave thanks for "the great gift of Francis’ life to the whole Church and to the whole world."

As pope, Francis headed the Catholic Church from 2013 until he died in 2025 at the age of 88.

Archbishop of Munich authorizes blessing of same-sex couples

21.04.2026, DPA

Cardinal Reinhard Marx - Cardinal Reinhard Marx sits in front of the altar during his sermon at the Christmas mass in Munich Cathedral. This Christmas service takes place every year in the Frauenkirche. — Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa

The Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, has authorized the blessing of same-sex couples in his diocese.

In a recent letter to employees in his diocese seen by dpa on Tuesday, Marx recommended a guide issued by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of Catholics (ZdK) “as a basis for pastoral action.”

Last year, the DBK and ZdK adopted a guidance document entitled “Blessings give strength to love,” effectively granting permission for churches to bless homosexual couples.

“The Church shows recognition to couples united in love and offers them support,” stated the document.

The guidance is intended to reinforce the German Catholic Church's practice of offering blessings to "divorced and remarried people, couples of all gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as couples who for other reasons do not wish to or cannot receive the sacrament of marriage."

From the DBK’s perspective, the document is in line with Rome and former pope Francis's position. However, the policy is controversial among conservative Catholics.

Appeal board says homophobia 'commonplace' in Aussie Rules

Sydney (AFP) – Australian Rules Football said Friday that homophobia had no place in the game after an appeals board reduced a penalty for a player who used an anti-gay slur on the grounds such comments were "commonplace" in the sport.

Issued on: 24/04/2026 - RFI

The Australian Football League, or Aussie Rules, is the country's most popular spectator sport © William WEST / AFP

St Kilda's Lance Collard was suspended for nine weeks this month after a tribunal found he insulted an opponent with an "entirely unacceptable" homophobic slur.

The 21-year-old was sanctioned in 2024 for making a similar comment.

But late Thursday an appeals board reduced the latest penalty on the grounds it was "excessive", and argued that Aussie Rules was a "hard game" and "highly competitive".

"It is commonplace that players can employ language from time to time which is racist, sexist or homophobic whilst on the field," it said.

The comments sparked outrage.

"The AFL strongly rejects the statement not only that such language is commonplace, but also any implication that may be a factor in determining the severity of the sanction," CEO Andrew Dillon said.

"We will not accept, excuse or normalise behaviour and language that demeans, discriminates or vilifies people based on who they are."

Australian Rules, a dynamic kicking and passing game similar to Gaelic football, is the country's most popular spectator sport.

It has long been marred by incidents of homophobia and racism.

Pundit and former AFL Women's player Kate McCarthy said on social media she was "genuinely speechless" by the appeal board's comments.

"So much for every policy in the AFL saying there's zero tolerance," she said.

"This is disgusting."

© 2026 AFP

Fourth man dies in German leather factory accident

22.04.2026, DPA

Fatal accident at a leather factory - The route tape from the previous day can still be seen at the scene. Traffic in front of the scene has been reopened. The criminal investigation department is taking over the investigation following the accident at a leather factory and fur tannery in Runkel, Hesse, in which three people died. — Photo: Sascha Ditscher/dpa

A 35-year-old man who was injured last Thursday at a leather factory accident in Runkel in the German state of Hesse died on Wednesday, bringing the number of those killed to four, police said.

The man had been taken to hospital after the workplace accident but passed away from his severe injuries, police said. Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing.

Three employees of the company aged 38, 58 and 59 were found dead in a collection pit at the leather factory.

Two men were rescued with life-threatening injuries, including an employee from the leather factory and an employee of a pipe-cleaning company from Montabaur in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was initially unclear which of the two was the 35-year-old who has now died.

The authorities assume, based on initial findings, that a fatal carbon monoxide poisoning occurred in the pit. The employees had apparently climbed down into the pit one after the other and perished there.

The exact course of events and the reason why the men were in the pit remain unclear. Three bodies were examined by forensic medicine on Tuesday evening but the results are not yet known.

The workplace accident at the leather factory site shocked the town of Runkel, which has a population of 9,500. On Friday evening, numerous people prayed for the dead and injured at a memorial service.

Because various chemicals are used in the affected plant, emergency services personnel who had direct contact with the victims had to be decontaminated and, as a precaution, seen by a doctor. Around 45 to 50 emergency personnel were affected.

German town keeps 10 gold bars found while mowing grass

23.04.2026, DPA

Gold - Gold bars lie on a table in a vault at the precious metals dealer Pro Aurum. — Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

After the expiration of a statutory holding period, a small town in eastern Germany is allowed to keep a gold treasure worth tens of thousands of euros.

No one was able to credibly prove ownership of the 10 gold bars discovered by a municipal worker while mowing the lawn in October, Heiko Wersig, mayor of Bannewitz, told dpa.

"I received many, many emails, calls and letters," said the politician.

However, none of the alleged owners were able to provide the required proof, such as a valid purchase receipt and the serial numbers stamped on the bars.

With the six-month statutory holding period for found property having expired on April 17, the town near Dresden can now decide what to do with the gold.

A final decision is expected at a municipal council meeting next Tuesday, Wersig said. In any case, the plan is for community clubs to benefit from the treasure.

"Specifically, this concerns associations involved in youth work and in preserving local traditions and customs," the mayor added.

For now, the gold bars remains in police custody. At current gold prices, the hoard is worth around €40,000.