Author: staff

The European Union and United States signed an agreement Friday to coordinate on the supply of critical minerals needed for key industries including defence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a Strategic Partnership for Critical Minerals in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington. Rubio stated ahead of the signing that the awareness and commitment to the European Union shows “the importance of supply chains and critical minerals to the success of our economies, and to our national security.” Rubio highlighted that the over-concentration of…

The French president also said he expected tensions with the U.S. to outlast President Donald Trump. “This is a historical trend,” he said. “We can engage with the U.S. on some issues, and [that] still makes a lot of sense because of the common values and historical bonds, but I really believe that this U.S. approach will last,” he added. He said the main difference between the first and second Trump terms was that many European countries thought the first term was an aberration that would end, not requiring fundamental changes. “Now, a lot of colleagues are more lucid, because…

EU leaders vowed to boost security and economic ties with Middle East partners and push for a diplomatic end to the Iran war, after talks in Cyprus focusing on the fallout from the conflict. Leaders from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan as well as the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, were in Nicosia to meet their European Union counterparts on the sidelines of an EU summit. “The current situation clearly underscores how closely Europe’s security is linked with that of the Middle East, and how vital our cooperation on security and defence has become,” European Council president António…

Mandelson served as EU trade commissioner from 2004 to 2008 and was a senior figure in the U.K.’s Labour Party. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently dismissed the seasoned politician from a senior Foreign Office role following allegations of ties to Epstein, after appointing Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to the United States at the start of his mandate despite a failed security vetting, as reports revealed last week. Mandelson previously said he was wrong to have continued his association with Epstein and apologized “unequivocally” to Epstein’s victims.

Published on 24/04/2026 – 19:50 GMT+2•Updated 19:53 Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz won’t attempt to defend his French Open title due to an injury to his right wrist. Alcaraz posted on X on Friday that he would also not play in the preceding Italian Open in Rome, where he also won last year. No. 2-ranked Alcaraz was injured at the Barcelona Open this month during his first-round win and withdrew the day after. He pulled out of this week’s Madrid Open and attended the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spanish capital on Monday wearing a wrist support. Alcaraz was…

Over dinner, leaders talked about how to make the EU’s barely used mutual defense clause — Article 42.7 — work in practice, while avoiding any suggestion it could replace NATO’s Article 5 security guarantee. That discussion comes at a sensitive moment for European capitals, which are trying to respond to growing uncertainty over Washington’s commitment to European security without sending the signal — either to the U.S. or to Russia — that they are undermining NATO themselves. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was among those who came out strongly in favor of making Article 42.7 operational, according to a senior…

A bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales failed in parliament on Friday after getting bogged down in Britain’s unelected upper house, as campaigners vowed to fight on. Charlie Falconer, who sponsored the legislation in the House of Lords, accused opponents of “pure obstructionism” after the bill simply ran out of time. MPs in the House of Commons had backed legalising euthanasia for adults who have been given less than six months to live and can clearly express a wish to die, in a historic vote last June. But more than 1,200 bill amendments…

European hotels come in every size, shape and budget – from luxuriously opulent heritage stays to chic hideaways in your favourite city. This year has already seen a number of iconic hotel openings like Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, with others like the Baccarat Hotel Rome planned for later this year. For travellers looking for their next beautiful stay, Condé Nast Traveller has just released its 2026 Hot List, featuring the best European hotels in 2026. Take a look at our favourites from the list. A rustic stay at Tella Thera, Greece Tella There, located among West Crete’s ancient olive…

While Cyprus wants the article to be better defined, countries on the frontline against Russia are worried about the EU pledge clashing with NATO’s Article 5 common defense pact. Seeking to reassure them, Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos told POLITICO on the sidelines of the leaders’ meeting that 42.7 is “not about defense, I agree with that, it’s about mutual assistance.” If a country is attacked, the article does not mandate that other members have to respond with military force. It says they have an “obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power.” According to the…

Published on 24/04/2026 – 13:40 GMT+2 Posts shared on X feature what appears to be a BBC News report of an interview with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy from his office in Kyiv. In the background of the footage, a painting is visible, identified as Nature morte aux cerises, or “Still Life with Cherries” in English, by the French artist Paul Cézanne. The posts suggested that the painting, recently stolen in Italy, has somehow found its way onto the wall of Ukraine’s presidency. It is true that “Still Life with Cherries” was among three works stolen on the night of 22 and…