Author: staff

It will also be a grave personal disappointment for Philippe, who has long held ambitions to run for the Élysée. As prime minister from 2017 to 2020 he steered France through the Covid pandemic, but was ultimately sidelined by Macron when the president wanted to give his government a “new direction,” a decision that many in the administration believed was due to Philippe’s higher popularity ratings. This month’s local elections are an opportunity to launch his campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential race. But Philippe now risks slipping up before he even reaches the starting line. A shock poll from…

EU leaders agreed on a €90 billion lifeline to Ukraine in mid-December to help finance its defense against Russian forces. But Hungary recently blocked the initiative, accusing Ukraine of slow-walking repairs to the damaged Druzhba pipeline on political grounds to influence key elections that could oust incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Kyiv has rejected the claims, saying the pipeline is too damaged to carry vital supplies of Russian oil to Hungary following a drone attack in late January. EU officials are scrambling to break the political deadlock ahead of the EU leaders’ summit next week. The extra cash cushion, however,…

Merz says annexing parts of the West Bank would be a “big mistake,” signaling a rare public rebuke from one of Israel’s staunchest allies. Listen AI generated Text-to-speech

The ISW assessed that Moscow may now need to abandon or substantially revise its planned operations in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, or both. At the same time, Russia is still pressuring Ukraine elsewhere. Asked Tuesday about increased Russian activity near the Sumy border region in northeastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy told reporters via a WhatsApp chat that Moscow still aims to establish a buffer zone there and in neighboring Kharkiv region — but that Ukrainian forces are holding the line. The ISW assessed that Moscow may now need to abandon or substantially revise its planned operations in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, or both. | Alex Nikitenko/Global…

“Italy is very worried about the impact on inflation because of the inefficient energy mix we have,” said one Italian official, who was granted anonymity to speak openly. For that reason, the official added, it’s “better to bring forward actions to avoid inflation … and you cannot spend money in a pre-electoral year.” Italy wants a “unified” response given its “strong industry,” said Raffaele Nevi, a senior lawmaker in Forza Italia, a center-right party in Meloni’s coalition that supports Rome’s stance.  Nevi sent POLITICO a statement in which he emphasized that measures should be coordinated across borders to avoid “imbalances”…

The commissioners warned that if Russia is allowed to participate, they “will examine further action, including the suspension or termination of an ongoing EU grant to the Biennale Foundation,” which organizes the event. Italy’s Ministry of Culture said it opposed the festival’s decision, which was celebrated by Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Kremlin’s special representative for international cultural cooperation, as “proof that Russian culture is not isolated.” Moscow has sought to use art, culture and sport as soft-power tools to end its diplomatic isolation on the world stage. Ukraine has called on European and other countries to maintain boycotts against Russian cultural…

Gérard Araud, the highly connected former French ambassador to the United States, said Ursula von der Leyn is exceeding the powers of her mandate by tapping into foreign policy while pushing a German-like approach in an interview with Euronews. From Ukraine peace negotiations to the ongoing war in Iran, von der Leyen has managed to grow her role closer to that of a head of state in a move not without controversy. Von der Leyen was the first EU official to call for a political transition in Iran in line with the goals of the United States and Israel, who…

The carmaker also has to battle to protect its key European market from Chinese encroachment. With the U.S. effectively blocking Chinese cars thanks to steep tariffs and a ban on connected cars, Beijing’s carmakers are on the hunt for new customers — and have set their sights on Europe. “We will need to do more because our costs are still too high in Europe, and we have to pitch ourselves against our competitors in Europe,” Blume said, adding that includes Chinese brands “because it’s a big business potential here for the Chinese in Europe so we have to fight back.”…

Published on 10/03/2026 – 17:33 GMT+1•Updated 17:35 The ongoing Iran war is another example of the changing nature of warfare in the 21st century. One that is dominated by one technology above all: drones, especially cheap ones. Iran’s armed forces are dwarfed by the US’ $900 billion (€773bn) military-industrial complex, with defence spending in 2025 at roughly $23 billion (€19.7bn). It is for this reason that the country has used drones to engage in asymmetric warfare to level the playing field. The most visible example of this is the HESA Shahed 136 attack drone – an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle…

Porsche AG booked two large one-time accounting charges in 2025 that, on paper, reduced its operating profit by 98% — from €5.3 billion to just €90 million, according to Volkswagen Group’s earnings report for the full-year. The charges do not mean Porsche AG lost that money in the conventional sense. They are accounting entries, required under standard reporting rules, that reflect the cost of a major change in strategy. The first, worth €2.7 billion, is a goodwill impairment. Goodwill is the value attributed to Porsche’s brand, future earning potential and market position as carried on Volkswagen’s balance sheet. When a…