Author: staff

Klitschko, a political opponent of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made clear that the Ukrainian president hadn’t discussed any settlement with him: “President Zelenskyy does [it] himself. It’s not my function.”  While admitting it would be a “painful solution” to achieve peace, Klitschko insisted the Ukrainian people would “never accept occupation” by Moscow long term. But the Kyiv mayor’s remarks about a temporary transfer of land stand in stark contrast to a U.S. peace plan which heavily favors Moscow, calling for informal American recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, a nonstarter for Ukraine. Klitschko’s comments come as Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is…

In an emailed statement, the IEA said: “The IEA Secretariat’s current programme of work is based on the mandates from our Member countries, as agreed at our last Ministerial in February 2024. The IEA Secretariat will continue to take into account feedback from all 32 Member countries on their priorities for the Agency going forward.” Headquartered in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the IEA was created following the 1973 oil crisis to act as a buffer against energy shocks. In 2019, after a sustained campaign by environmentalists, the agency shifted its focus to researching and actively supporting…

The European Commission will propose new legislation in 2026 to reform Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, with the aim of strengthening its presence, role and responsibilities, a European Commission spokesperson told Euronews.The Commission intends “to reinforce Frontex, to further enhance border security and strengthen EU cooperation in the face of evolving threats,” the spokesperson said.Frontex is becoming an increasingly significant agency for EU countries, as migration and border management remain politically charged in mainstream political debate.The agency manages EU borders for the passage of migrants, but also to combat cross border crimes connected to illegal trafficking of a wide…

Forget the Colosseum and what you’ve seen in the Gladiator film franchise – the latest evidence of ancient Roman brutality comes not from the heart of Italy, but from a quiet field in Yorkshire.A Roman-era skeleton unearthed in York, England, has given archaeologists the first physical proof that gladiators in Britain clashed not just with each other, but with ferocious beasts.Experts say the man’s pelvis bears bite marks from a large feline – most likely a lion – revealing that brutal man-versus-beast spectacles weren’t confined to the Colosseum, but reached the far-flung corners of the Roman Empire, including ancient Eboracum…

Pope Francis, who died on Monday, is having a state funeral at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City. The memorial, which will draw heads of state and high-ranking officials from around the world, is a rare opportunity for informal meetings between national leaders. On Wednesday, Trump said that he would have “many meetings” while in Rome. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Tuesday that he would like an opportunity to speak with Trump on the sidelines of the funeral, as the U.S. president’s team conduct talks with Russia about Ukraine’s future. Sarah Wheaton contributed to this report.

You’ve probably seen Machu Picchu a hundred times — on travel blogs, filtered Instagram reels, or maybe even in person. But have you ever really heard it?A new project, Sonic Heritage, is here to change the way we experience the world’s most iconic locations. Launched on World Heritage Day last week, it’s the first-ever global collection of soundscapes from UNESCO World Heritage sites and items of intangible cultural heritage. In total: 270 recordings from 68 countries — ranging from rustling leaves in the ancient city of Tikal to the high-pitched chatter of bats in India’s Ellora caves.The operation is an…

Growing pressure The EU’s executive has been under heavy pressure to respond to Hungary’s Pride ban, particularly on the use of facial recognition. The EU moved in February to prohibit police forces from using real-time facial recognition technology under its artificial intelligence rulebook. Whether to ban systems that can identify people in real time based on their biometric data (i.e. through CCTV) was one of the thorniest topics as the law was being agreed — European Parliament lawmakers largely favored a ban while EU countries wanted an opt-out to allow them to fight serious crime. As a result, “real-time biometric…

It was a week when penguins, bonds, the new German coalition, Louisiana soybeans, fossil fuels, the EU’s Digital Markets Act, France’s creaking politics and American bourbon all became one news story. POLITICO explains what got us all yippy. Apr 11 11 mins read

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US and China have been on trade talks after Beijing denied any negotiations on tariffs.“They had a meeting this morning,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Norway’s Prime Minister at the White House. However, he declined to identify the Chinese representative involved, adding: “It doesn’t matter who ‘they’ is. We may reveal it later, but they had meetings this morning, and we’ve been meeting with China.”Earlier that day, China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong said there were currently no trade talks between China and the United States. “China has…

“I am sure that there will be some reduction of U.S. presence in Europe,” said retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army Europe. Estimates of the number of U.S. forces in Europe range from 70,000 permanent troops to 90,000. But all estimates show a marked decrease from the 1950s, during the Cold War’s most tense years, when over 400,000 U.S. troops were stationed on the continent. According to analysts and current and former U.S. military officers, withdrawing — or even reducing — American troop numbers in Europe would significantly reduce deterrence against Russia and cost money to…