Author: staff
The Commission president made note of Starmer’s efforts to reinforce European defense during a period in which U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed doubts about NATO’s future and moved to reduce the presence of American troops in Europe. London and Brussels inked the EU–U.K. security and defense partnership last year to create a new structure for joint military cooperation. Von der Leyen also celebrated Starmer’s support for Ukraine, which was a defining feature of his premiership. During his time in office, Starmer signed a landmark 100-year partnership agreement with Kyiv and helped launch the so-called Coalition of the Willing with…
Renting a car in Yerevan with a debit card is a practical choice for tourists who want more freedom during their stay in Armenia. The city is easy to use as a starting point for short trips, mountain routes, wine regions, monasteries, and lake views. A rental car helps save time and gives better control over the travel plan. Before booking, it is important to check the payment rules. Some rental desks still ask for a credit card. Others accept debit cards, but may block a deposit. For many visitors, this is not convenient. A better option is to choose…
Storm denied that the comment constituted hate speech. “I will not accept being called a racist by political colleagues, and I take that kind of defamatory allegation very seriously,” he told POLITICO. “I don’t understand why Ms Al-Sahlani thinks it’s a reference to her ethnic background, country of birth, or heritage, and any interpretation suggesting otherwise is incorrect.” “The phrase ‘go home’ was intended to mean that if she found the democratic decision and the reactions to it so distressing, she would have been better off leaving the chamber and taking time to reflect rather than accusing a big majority…
Published on 22/06/2026 – 10:55 GMT+2 Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, one of the children of the late EssilorLuxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio, has taken a private succession dispute into the open, pressing the board of the family’s investment vehicle to back a buyout that would tighten his grip on one of Europe’s great fortunes. EssilorLuxottica owns a portfolio of over 150 brands including the eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, as well as the famous streetwear label Supreme, among others. The 31-year-old set out his case in an open letter published on Friday by Quotidiano Nazionale, the Italian newspaper owned by…
Every year, 200 billion cubic meters of fossil gas are wasted through methane leaks and flaring across the global fossil fuel system. That is equivalent to around twice the annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports of Qatar. Cutting methane would recover energy that has already been extracted, while preventing it from entering the atmosphere and accelerating the climate crisis. Every year, 200 billion cubic meters of fossil gas are wasted through methane leaks and flaring across the global fossil fuel system. That is equivalent to around twice the annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports of Qatar. At a time of…
Published on 22/06/2026 – 10:07 GMT+2 China has imposed export controls on 10 American companies involved in defence, aerospace and rare earth mining, in response to Washington’s decision to expand a blacklist of Chinese firms it says have links to the country’s military. The measures were announced on Monday by China’s Commerce Ministry, which said Chinese exporters would be prohibited from supplying “dual-use” items to the listed entities. Dual-use goods are products that can have both civilian and military applications. The ministry said the move came “in response to the US government’s egregious act of adding to its so-called ‘Chinese…
Published on 22/06/2026 – 9:58 GMT+2 Rail operator Golden Eagle Luxury Trains has unveiled an updated version of one of its signature European journeys, the “Balkan Explorer”. The 12-day itinerary aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express links Venice with Istanbul, travelling through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria and Türkiye. The refreshed route reflects a growing appetite for exploring beyond Europe’s classic capitals, combining iconic cities with lesser-known cultural and natural attractions. The journey begins with two nights in Venice before the private train departs eastwards via Trieste and into Slovenia. Among the new highlights is an exclusive…
Keir Starmer is expected to announce his departure from office Monday. The embattled British prime minister returned to No. 10 Downing Street Sunday after considering his future at his country residence Chequers over the weekend. It comes after Labour’s Andy Burnham — who will separately be sworn in as a member of parliament Monday — decisively won a special election in Makerfield, significantly boosting his chances of ousting Starmer in a challenge for the leadership of the governing Labour Party. POLITICO has all the news, reaction and analysis as Britain’s (latest) leadership crisis rolls on.
The European Union’s Pay Transparency Directive, officially implemented on 7 June this year, introduces new rules requiring private and public companies to standardise and open their pay systems. Under the new law, businesses must include pay ranges in all job ads or disclose them before interviews. Recruiters cannot ask candidates about past salaries, and employees can request anonymised data on average pay levels for their role, broken down by gender. Companies with more than 150 employees will have to publicly report internal gender pay gaps. If one has an unjustified pay gap of over 5 percent, it must conduct an…
Published on 22/06/2026 – 9:24 GMT+2 Police found 2.7 metric tonnes of cocaine on a property on the outskirts of Sydney in Australia’s largest ever seizure of the drug, officials said on Monday. The drug was found on 19 June in plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers hidden beneath three shipping containers on a semi-rural property in the suburb of Londonderry on in western Sydney, the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce said in a statement. The containers had false floors that provided access to the cocaine, which police estimate had a street value of 816 million Australian dollars (€499 million).…