Author: staff
“The most natural outcome would be to have a right-wing majority” when agreeing the new regulation on deportations, said Dutch MEP Marieke Ehlers, a leading member of the Patriots for Europe group working on that law. “If the EPP were to work with the left on this file, they would end up with a proposal that is weaker than what their own commissioner has proposed, so I don’t really see how they would sell that to their voters,” she added. But while von der Leyen might find some marriages of convenience on environmental themes and immigration with the far right,…
The 27 leaders of the European Union have arrived in Brussels for what is expected to be a one-day summit with a heavy geopolitical flavour, covering the Israel-Iran conflict, the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the battered state of the transatlantic alliance in the new Donald Trump era, all of which have compounded the sense of alarm and uncertainty across capitals.Tariffs, migration, competitiveness and the 2040 target under the Green Deal are also set to make an appearance during the closed-door discussions on Thursday.Follow the live blog for more updates.
US strikes caused “severe damage” to Iran’s nuclear facilities after a leaked report downplayed the extent of the operation, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday. According to Ratcliff, key sites had been destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the “course of years”. He stopped short of declaring that Iran’s nuclear programme had been outright eliminated.The new intelligence assessment comes a day after a leaked early assessment from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) played down the extent of the destruction and concluded that key components of Iran’s nuclear programme could be restarted in months.It also mentioned that much…
Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. In a statement sent to Sam overnight, the government admits that concessions are on their way after an internal struggle over welfare reforms inside the Labour Party. It seems like meaningful talks are under way. Next Tuesday — the day of a supposed crunch vote on disability cuts that could have seen the government lose a vote — could now be just “the start”. As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to row back on savings, how much of the…
Finally some good news. After trademark woes, fears over Trump’s tariffs, and endless speculation over the identity of the actor who will take over the 007 mantle, here’s a very promising update for the 26th Bond adventure.Amazon MGM Studios put out a press release confirming the identity of the filmmaker for the first 007 film under the studio. They have picked French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve to guide James Bond into a new era.Villeneuve will also serve as executive producer, alongside Tanya Lapointe. As previously announced, Amy Pascal and David Heyman will serve as producers.Villeneuve said in a statement: “Some of my…
LONDON — Britain’s planned new high speed rail line is long delayed, over budget and drastically curtailed. Now Cabinet ministers are growing ever-more furious about the cost of its notorious “bat tunnel” rising by millions. The price tag of the shield to protect a rare bat species a risk of being battered by HS2 trains has approached £125 million, an official estimate obtained by POLITICO suggests. That’s nearly a third higher than first forecast. Protecting wildlife including Bechstein’s bats, one of the most elusive specimens of the winged mammals in Britain, may have been a noble and legally-required cause. But…
Alexander Lukashenko’s stubborn grip on the Belarusian economy plunged the potato-happy country into a spud shortage this spring. Critics of the authoritarian ruler, who in January grabbed a seventh term in power, say he has warped the economy with strict price controls on staples like potatoes — while encouraging citizens to snitch on grocery stores that flout regime rules. The limits, launched by Lukashenko in October 2022 as he aimed to keep prices low and stave off inflation, instead made potatoes far less profitable for farmers to produce. Opponents say that decisions made by Lukashenko’s team stunted production last year…
By AP with Eleanor Butler Published on 26/06/2025 – 7:29 GMT+2President Donald Trump will control the so-called “golden share” that’s part of the national security agreement under which he allowed Japan-based Nippon Steel to buy out American steelmaker US Steel. That’s according to disclosures filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.The provision gives the president the power to appoint a board member and have a say in company decisions that affect domestic steel production and competition with overseas producers.Under the provision, Trump — or someone he designates — controls that decision-making power while he is president. However, control over those…
HABECK KAM NICHT: Die Nachricht, über die POLITICO schon am Montag berichtet hatte, erreichte Robert Habeck offenbar erst gestern: Er sollte im Haushaltsausschuss zur geplatzten Northvolt-Förderung aussagen. Party statt Northvolt: Offenbar wurde vergessen, Habeck rechtzeitig vorzuladen, berichtet der Spiegel. Das Sekretariat habe nur die Tagesordnung aktualisiert, ihm aber erst am Mittwoch kurz vor 11 Uhr geschrieben. Die Folge: Er kam nicht. Der Tagesordnungspunkt wurde wegen einer Ausschuss-Grillparty am Abend fallen gelassen. Union sauer: „Das ist ein verantwortungsloses Machtspiel“, sagte Unions-Fraktionsvize Sepp Müller zu Tom. Habeck gehe es nicht „um wirtschaftliche Sorgfalt, nicht um parlamentarische Kontrolle“. Nachfolgerin Reiche sagte in ihrer…
Nach Den Haag nun Brüssel – und Friedrich Merz bringt auch Kampfansagen mit. Vor dem EU-Gipfel fordert er weniger Regulierung, mehr Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und eine veränderte Migrationspolitik. Doch in der Union der 27 regiert manchmal eben auch das Misstrauen – und der deutsche Führungsanspruch trifft auf leise Skepsis. Wie Merz sich durchsetzen will, analysieren Gordon Repinski und Hans von der Burchard. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview erklärt EVP-Chef Manfred Weber, warum Europa sich militärisch endlich emanzipieren muss, wieso er den Merz-Kurs unterstützt – und wie Trump Europa paradoxerweise in die Eigenständigkeit schubst. Außerdem: Die Mindestlohnkommission verhandelt über eine neue Untergrenze. 15 Euro? Kaum erreichbar.…