Author: staff
Five people were wounded in Jerusalem late Sunday after missiles fired from Iran hit the area, Israel’s rescue services said. One man in his 40s was reported in moderate condition with shrapnel injuries. First responders were seen working beside damaged cars along a main road as loud explosions echoed across the city. Earlier, at least nine people were killed in the Beit Shemesh region, central Israel, according to Israeli police. Blasts were also reported in Tehran as the exchange of strikes continued across the region.
Published on 02/03/2026 – 9:01 GMT+1 Europe is aiming to be at the forefront of 6G and artificial intelligence (AI) by staking its claim on the next generation of global communications: Non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The European Space Agency and the GSMA Foundry announced at the Mobile World Congress a funding programme worth up to €100 million to accelerate the convergence of satellite and mobile technologies. The connectivity serves as the “backbone” to unleashing 6G and AI technology, said Antonio Franchi, Head of 5G/6G NTN Programme Office at the European Space Agency “The funds will develop technologies, networks, services which ultimately…
“All the competent services of the republic are on alert and in full operational readiness,” Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said in a statement Monday morning. He confirmed that a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle caused minor damage when it crashed into the military facilities at 12:03 a.m. local time. “I want to be clear: Our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation,” Christodoulides said. The Cypriot president briefed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the incident. “While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be…
Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn. As an escalating conflict grips the Middle East following Saturday’s joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the ensuing Iranian retaliation, the EU is scrambling to assert its fading diplomatic clout as it calls for de-escalation and restraint. Crisis meetings of EU ambassadors and foreign ministers were held on Sunday, with a statement by foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas last night calling for “maximum restraint, protection of civilians and full respect of international law.” But major European powers simultaneously risk being indirectly dragged into the conflict after initially distancing themselves from any…
The Middle East’s commercial aviation sector remains grounded for a third day with airspace closed and operations suspended at major airports following the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks. As of Monday 2 March, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among the nations that announced at least partial closures of their skies. This has forced widespread flight suspensions, cancellations and diversions, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded around the world. The conflict has led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and…
Der Iran-Konflikt dominiert die internationale Lage: Nach einer Eskalationswelle zwischen Washington, Tel Aviv und Teheran steht auch Europa im Fokus. Wie handlungsfähig Europa wirklich ist, wie Einstimmigkeitsregeln blockieren und welche Rolle Deutschland und die EU in den transatlantischen Debatten spielt, analysiert Gordon Repinski. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview ordnet Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann ein, warum sie die Angriffe auf den Iran für konform mit dem Völkerrecht hält und wie sie Gefahren durch iranische Stellvertreter und geopolitische Risiken bewertet. Außerdem geht es um Friedrich Merz’ Washington-Reise: Neben dem Iran stehen Zölle, die Ukraine-Unterstützung und mögliche französische Strategien zur nuklearen Abschreckung auf der Agenda. Hans von der…
Published on 27/02/2026 – 12:13 GMT+1•Updated 02/03/2026 – 8:01 GMT+1 Card payments are gaining ground among Europeans: they accounted for 57% of non-cash payments in 2025. Yet the EU’s level of dependency on foreign-owned payment schemes has never been higher. The non-interoperability of national payment schemes leaves 13 out of 21 eurozone countries highly dependent on US giants, most notably Visa and Mastercard, which processed 47% of the eurozone’s card payment value in 2025. The lack of a pan-European payment system contributes to the single market’s fragmentation, heavily affecting Europe’s competitiveness and impacting citizens’ day-to-day transactions. As EU-US relations have…
01/03/2026 – 21:56 GMT+1 EU Foreign Ministers call for protections of civilians, respect for international law The Foreign Ministers of the European Union said they are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of EU citizens in the Middle East and warned that further escalation could threaten the region.The ministers participated in a video call with High Representative Kaja Kallas and released a joint statement after the three-hour-long conversation.An unknown number of European nationals are struck in Iran and in the wider region. Thousands of flights have been cancelled in major hubs, like Dubai or Abu Dhabi.”The EU and…
Climate change is endangering the health of Europe’s oceans, and it’s not just marine life that is affected. A new study warns that precious underwater cultural heritage is being threatened by ocean acidification. The research found that materials that make up many archaeological treasures are at risk of deterioration when water pH levels drop. ‘Ocean acidification poses a severe challenge to protecting underwater cultural heritage’ The research, coordinated by the University of Padua in Italy, examined how ocean acidification, a direct consequence of climate change, can accelerate the decay of submerged archaeological sites. The scientists studied how quickly historical materials…
They are calling instead for a global pause “until the scientific consensus settles on the benefits and harms that age-assurance technologies can bring, and on the technical feasibility.” The signatories include Ronald Rivest, winner of the prestigious Turing Award in computing, and Bart Preneel, president of the International Association for Cryptologic Research. France is planning to ban kids under 15 from social media as soon as September, while Germany, Denmark and Spain are also accelerating efforts. Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a ban in December 2025. Many leaders have expressed support on the basis it…