Author: staff
Dutch social media users and activists claim that the country’s Senate has rejected a law that would have made residing in the Netherlands irregularly “illegal”. The Senate did recently throw out a bill, designed by the far-right populist PVV party, to take a harder line on illegal immigration. The controversial bill, dubbed the Asylum Emergency Measures Act, was devised during the previous government in a bid to tighten Dutch asylum policy before the broader EU Migration Pact fully comes into force in June. But online narratives suggest that striking down the bill would entail a major legal reversal that would…
In the first visit to Azerbaijan by an Italian premier in 13 years, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni said on Monday that the two countries needed to hold tight to reliable partnerships as instability spread across the Middle East. “The more instability grows around us, the more important it is to strengthen the certainties we have — and the relationship between Italy and Azerbaijan is certainly one of those certainties,” Meloni said at a joint press conference with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku. The visit comes as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed Rome to secure alternative energy supplies…
BRUSSELS — As Europe grapples with the future of artificial intelligence, seeks to rein in platforms and resets its relationship with Washington and Beijing, POLITICO is convening decisionmakers to discuss the policy choices and tradeoffs happening right now. With the ink on the EU’s landmark digital regulations barely dry, what impact will the deregulation agenda have on AI and technology in Europe? How are conversations on the infrastructure needed playing out around Europe? Does Brussels have visibility on what’s happening in Silicon Valley — and what do top politicians in Washington think of the decisions in Brussels? At the 9th edition…
Published on 05/05/2026 – 11:00 GMT+2•Updated 11:07 Ursula von der Leyen has hit back at Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat, stressing the United States is constrained by a limit that prevents it from increasing duties on its own. The US president shocked Europeans last week when he suddenly threatened to raise tariffs on EU-made cars from 15% to 25%, alleging non-compliance. “A deal is a deal, and we have a deal. And the essence of this deal is prosperity, common rules and reliability,” von der Leyen said on Tuesday in Armenia. “We want from this work (to achieve) mutual gain,…
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News With days until the local and national elections – amid some grim polling projections – are Labour facing a double-edged threat from both the left and right of British politics? As instability in the Middle East intensifies, Keir Starmer is preparing to host a summit to tackle antisemitism, but will Labour’s punchy attack on the Greens – including claims of antisemitic remarks made by their candidates – cut through with the voters? Away from the campaigning, Sam and Anne assess the state of potential leadership challengers. Are they ready and can…
Good morning. My name is Angela Skujins, and I am steering the Europe Today newsletter on this rainy Tuesday from Brussels. Much of the major news seems to be occurring outside the Belgian capital today, with the European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, meeting US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris for closely watched talks. The high-stakes catch-up follows fresh tariff threats from US President Donald Trump on European cars and car parts. On Friday the Republican leader threatened up to 25% in import levies on European automobiles. French MEP Aurore Lalucq, who chairs the European Parliament’s economic affairs committee,…
People gathered in central Leipzig on Monday to pay tribute to the victims of a deadly car rampage that killed two people and injured several others. Video showed residents placing flowers and lighting candles near the scene in the historic city centre, while emergency vehicles remained in the area. The memorial grew throughout the day as mourners stopped to reflect and leave messages for the victims. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident after a car drove into a crowd in one of the city’s busy public areas.
Published on 05/05/2026 – 8:41 GMT+2 Country music icon Dolly Parton has cancelled her forthcoming Las Vegas residency over health issues, but has shared that “everything I have is treatable”. Parton, 80, who is the most popular public figure in the US according to a recent survey, had previously postponed her run of shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in October, saying at the time that she had been facing several ”health challenges”. Now, in a new video posted on Instagram, the singer best known for her hits ‘9 To 5’ and ‘Jolene’, as well as her considerable charity…
French President Emmanuel Macron was filmed singing Charles Aznavour’s classic song “La Bohème” during an official dinner in Yerevan while visiting Armenia. Video showed Macron seated beside a pianist with a microphone in hand as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accompanied the performance on drums. Guests attending the dinner watched and applauded as the two leaders took part in the musical moment. The performance took place during Macron’s state visit to Armenia and featured a song closely linked to the country through Aznavour’s Armenian heritage.
By Angela Barnes & AP Published on 05/05/2026 – 7:12 GMT+2 Oil prices fell back in early trade but remained elevated as investors kept an eye on escalating tensions between the US and Iran and progress on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading 1.38% lower at $112.86 while US crude, or WTI, was down 2.27% at $104 per barrel. US futures edged 0.1% higher. Elsewhere, regional trading was thin overnight with markets in Japan, South Korea and mainland China closed for holidays. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.1% to 25,805.98. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200…