Author: staff

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to Kyiv’s Western allies for additional air defence systems. According to publicly available information, Ukraine has so far been promised or supplied with around eight Patriot air defence systems. Germany has provided three of these from Bundeswehr stocks and has pledged two more. Alongside the US-made Patriot system, the German government has also delivered six IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence systems and six IRIS-T SLS short-range systems to Ukraine. Both are manufactured by German defence company Diehl Defence, which is based…

Every EU member of NATO met the alliance’s 2% defence spending target in 2025 for the first time. But a closer look at the figures reveals a continent split in two: a handful of front-line states racing ahead, while a large group does the bare minimum. At the same time, around 40% of defence equipment spending goes to suppliers outside the EU, according to a recent report by Oxford Economics. European governments are spending more on defence than at any point since the Cold War. Yet the increase in military capability is smaller than the headline spending figures suggest. European…

Published on 17/06/2026 – 7:00 GMT+2 Rail passengers can once again catch a direct train from Bucharest to Istanbul, Sofia and Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast this summer. CFR Călători, Romania’s national rail operator, has restarted its seasonal international “România” service, with daily trains running to Varna, Sofia and Istanbul Halkalı until mid-October. According to the operator, the direct international routes are designed to give travellers a “comfortable and affordable” travel option, particularly for summer holidays in Bulgaria and Türkiye. The seasonal service began on 12 June with the return of the Bucharest-Varna route, while direct trains to Sofia and Istanbul…

Ursula von der Leyen is only a year and a half into her second term, but Brussels is already whispering about a third. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart examine what is fueling the speculation — from her sweeping overhaul of the European Commission to concerns that more power is being concentrated at the top. Then, they explain why the U.S.-Iran peace deal has brought down oil and gas prices, but has not ended Europe’s energy worries. And they take a first look at W, a new “made in Europe” social media platform hoping to challenge X with verified users, European…

Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region is hosting the first Paragliding World Cup ever held in Central Asia, attracting around 150 pilots from 33 countries. The competition, which runs until June 28, combines elite aerial sport with spectacular mountain scenery. Organisers hope the event will boost the international profile of the region, showcasing its world-class flying conditions, natural beauty and growing appeal as an adventure tourism destination in the region.

Beim G7-Gipfel geht es heute unter anderem auch um die digitale Souveränität Europas. Wie unvorbereitet der Kontinent ist, hat sich zuletzt gezeigt, als die US-Regierung das KI-Unternehmen Anthropic zwingen wollte, seine neuesten Modelle „Fable 5“ und „Mythos 5“ nur US-Bürgern zugänglich zu machen. Gordon Repinski über den Besuch von Anthropic-CEO Dario Amodei und anderen Tech-CEOs in Évian. Außerdem: Jasper Bennink von⁠ „Technologie & KI am Morgen“⁠ berichtet aus Paris, wo Digitalminister Karsten Wildberger auf der Messe Viva Tech in Paris dabei ist. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview: Vor dem Bundesparteitag der Linkspartei stellt sich Co-Chefin Ines Schwerdtner den Fragen. Sie verteidigt den demokratischen…

Not everyone is convinced. “If they could, they would shoot Malagò between the eyes,” joked a second former Italian sports official. Last-ditch plot With less than a week to go until the election, the government’s dream of placing the FIGC under administration is losing steam.    Formally, the authority to do so rests with CONI, not with the government. Besides, the conditions that warrant such a move — such as serious misconduct or the disruption to the smooth running of football tournaments — haven’t been met. Giovanni Malagò delivers a speech during the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympic Games closing ceremony in…

Trump’s comments came after leaders from the G7 and European Union met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the war, which is in its fifth year. Four European officials with direct knowledge of the talks said the leaders agreed to increase economic pressure on Moscow and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Trump said he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and added that he planned to hold bilateral talks with Zelenskyy later on Tuesday. Heading into the summit, some European officials expressed concerns that Trump, now freed from spending much…

The declaration name-checks Trump, saying that with the U.S. and Iran having reached an agreement to end hostilities, it is now easier to take more economic measures against Russia. “We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as President Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” the declaration reads. The leaders, who are meeting in Evian-les-Bains for a three-day G7 summit, also committed themselves to “increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities” to Ukraine and “to consider extending to Ukraine the benefit of…

Published on 17/06/2026 – 1:22 GMT+2 United States law enforcement has arrested five people suspected of plotting attacks on the UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House last Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced, describing a rapid multi-state operation that neutralised the threat before it could materialise. Patel said the FBI first learned of a potential threat on 10 June, four days before the mixed martial arts event took place on the South Lawn, and moved quickly alongside partners at the Department of Justice. “On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential…