Author: staff
Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn. The President of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, has warned the world that the energy fallout of the Iran war could be worse than the impacts of the twin 1970s oil crises and Russia’s war in Ukraine combined, as the Trump-imposed deadline on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz nears. We have the latest from the Middle East further below. But we kick off today with a round-up of election results across Europe, starting with Slovenia, where Prime Minister Robert Golob’s centrist Freedom Movement claimed a narrow victory over right-wing…
Spring has officially sprung, which means warmer weather, chocolate eggs and lots of vibrant outdoor events are on the horizon. This week, however, might find you wanting to stay inside a little longer as series 2 of Daredevil: Born Again arrives on Disney+, and Liza Minnelli’s gossipy memoir calls for an extension on the cosy escapism. If bold, challenging and somewhat surreal exhibitions are your thing, three news ones across the continent honour Matisse, Maria Lassnig alongside Edvard Munch, and Greek Weird Wave director, Yorgos Lanthimos. Finally, if you’re feeling sexy but confused, Robyn’s new album gets it – and…
That, too, will have a lasting impact well beyond anything the war in Iraq did. Finally, the fact remains that when Bush decided to invade Iraq, Russia and China were still minor global powers. Russian President Vladimir Putin was only just starting his effort to stabilize the economy and rebuild Russia’s military power, while China had just joined the World Trade Organization and was still a decade or more away from becoming an economic superpower. In other words, America’s blunder in Iraq occurred at a time when the strategic consequences for the global balance of power were still manageable. Trump’s…
Published on 23/03/2026 – 7:30 GMT+1 While the Commission wants to invest more than €43 billion by 2027, housing is becoming a structural crisis. House prices increased by 60.5%, and rents rose by 28.8% compared to 2015. House ownership in 2024 was 68%, down from 69% in 2023 and 70% in 2020. Today, Luxembourg records the highest price-per-square metre ratio, at €8.000-€9.000. Monthly rent ranges from €800 in Budapest to €2.500 in Amsterdam. Residents in major European cities spend more than 40% of their income on housing, while one in ten cannot pay rent on time. In low-income cities like…
Updated: 23/03/2026 – 7:50 GMT+1 Footage released Sunday by NGO Sea-Watch shows an uncrewed Russian tanker adrift in the Mediterranean. The damaged LNG vessel has been drifting for two weeks and is now nearing Libya. Authorities warn it poses a serious environmental risk, though no gas leaks have been detected so far. … More
By Angela Symons with AP Published on 23/03/2026 – 7:02 GMT+1 A French woman created a hedgehog rescue centre at her home near Paris, where she has treated more than a 1,000 hedgehogs in eight years. It started in 2018 when Sara Stahl and her husband found two motherless baby hedgehogs in their garden in Orsay, a picturesque village in the Chevreuse valley near Paris. Stahl realised there was only one rescue centre for wild animals in the whole region of Paris and she decided to step in and created ‘Les P’tits Kipik’ which translates to “the little ones that spike”, a rescue…
An art gallery or museum’s collection often extends well beyond its public exhibits, reaching into storage facilities and workshops where damaged pieces are carefully mended and preserved. Art conservation and restoration are intensive, detailed processes, requiring an interdisciplinary understanding of art history, chemistry, physics, and conservation science. From using infrared imaging to identify losses of paint hidden below a painting’s surface to choosing solvents that can remove layers of oxidised varnish without damaging the artwork underneath, art restoration and conservation demand precision. Even well-resourced institutions like the Louvre and the Met dedicate entire departments to it. Now, new developments in…
Published on 23/03/2026 – 7:00 GMT+1 Sweden’s growing appeal as a leading destination for outdoor adventures will soon get a new attraction for visitors who prefer to travel by two wheels. Officially opening in May, the 170km-long Ljungleden cycle path will connect the country’s second biggest city, Gothenburg, with the town of Falköping to the northwest. Taking its name from the violet heather flowers that grow along parts of the route, the Ljungleden path is designed for both experienced cyclists and more casual riders. Beginning in central Gothenburg, the route guides cyclists through a mix of urban locations and rural…
Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack Donald Tusk’s accusation that Hungary may have leaked sensitive European Council discussions to Moscow — and what that means for trust, decision-making and Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán’s position in Brussels.Plus: Europe’s balancing act as Donald Trump turns up the pressure over Iran — and a breakdown of the weekend’s voting in France and Germany. Questions? Comments? Send them to our WhatsApp: +32 491 05 06 29.
Iran on Monday threatened to attack electrical plants powering US military bases in the Middle East, its latest response to US President Donald Trump’s deadline on opening the Strait of Hormuz, which expires by the end of Monday (today). “Do not doubt that we will do this,” a statement from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, read out on Iranian state television, warned. “What we have done is to announce our decision that if the power plants are attacked, Iran will retaliate by targeting the power plants of the occupying regime and the power plants of regional countries that supply electricity to…