Author: staff

Not far behind were Latvia (3.7 percent), Estonia (3.4 percent), Denmark (3.3 percent) and Norway (3.2 percent). B grade — Above average Several countries also made it comfortably above the historic 2 percent target. They included Finland (2.9 percent), Greece (2.8 percent), the Netherlands (2.6 percent), Sweden (2.5 percent), Germany (2.4 percent) and Turkey (2.3 percent).  The class bully: There’s a special status for the United States, which got a B for spending 3.2 percent of GDP on defense last year, but that’s a drop from 3.3 percent in 2024 — putting it into the small group of backsliders. NATO Secretary-General…

Published on 26/03/2026 – 21:10 GMT+1 An officer in Germany’s army, the Bundeswehr, has been suspended after allegedly passing on the plans of more than 150 defence purchases to a lobbyist. The story was first reported in the German news magazine Der Spiegel, which said that the unnamed frigate captain worked directly for the Ministry of Defence. The list that was allegedly forwarded concerned planned purchases of weapons and equipment which ultimately made its way into the hands of an arms lobbyist. The document was made public in September 2025 in reporting by Politico but the full list of 150…

In the world of hotels, there are many brands that offer luxury, but few that are synonymous with the step above it: Soneva. Belmond. Aman. Each changed the hospitality industry in its own way, from pioneering barefoot luxury to ultra-personalised service. Now the hotelier behind Aman Resorts is set to shake things up again with a new concept in the Japanese countryside. Azuma Farm Koiwai, a collaboration between Adrian Zecha’s Azumi brand and East Japan Railway Company (JR East), will open in Iwate Prefecture next month. Occupying part of the Koiwai Farm, which was founded 130 years ago on once-barren…

“This is a complicated, difficult task, but it is a feasible one because we now have the necessary legal framework in place,” he said, saying the framework approved by the Parliament had put the initiative “on solid legal ground.” EU lawmakers on Thursday agreed to start negotiations on new migration measures aimed at speeding up returns and penalizing rejected asylum seekers who refuse to leave. “There is a new consensus in Europe,” said Charlie Weimers, the Swedish negotiator for the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists group. “The era of deportations has begun.” Human rights groups warn the plans could expose…

Published on 26/03/2026 – 21:39 GMT+1 US President Donald Trump said he is extending the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 10 days, reportedly in response to a request from the government in Tehran. “Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,” he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. On Sunday, Trump gave Iran 48 hours to reopen the key waterway or the US would destroy all of the country’s energy infrastructure. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting earlier on…

The visitor numbers for UK tourist attractions in 2025 are out now, with a record-breaking 7.1 million people flocking to the number one spot. London’s Natural History Museum, located in South Kensington, claimed the title of most-visited attraction in 2025, beating the British Museum which came in second place. This is the first time more than seven million people have visited the NHM, and it is an all-time record for any UK museum or gallery. In 2025, the museum opened Our Story with David Attenborough, an immersive experience covering the evolution of life on earth narrated by the legendary British…

The official complaint alleges the reporter engaged with foreign intelligence services and shared sensitive information about Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó. The country’s Justice Minister Bence Tuzson said his government described this as “an extraordinary situation” and a “serious criminal offense.” According to the minister’s statement, the allegations are based on “publicly known information.” Panyi had previously published a transcript of a 2020 conversation between Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussing elections in Slovakia. But Panyi denied accusations of wrongdoing and slammed the Hungarian government for acting like “an ally of the Kremlin” in a Facebook post.…

Sports tourism as we know it is evolving. While mega fans have always travelled for the biggest matches and tournaments, more and more casual viewers (or even non-followers) are now adding games to their travel itineraries. Nearly 40% of people have taken a trip to attend a sporting event, with 23% of those polled planning to do so in the next 12 months, according to YouGov’s latest report, Sport tourism: Measuring fan appetite. Yet when asked why they had travelled, just 37% of people said it was “for the love of the sport”. The biggest reason to travel? For 45%…

Un procès inédit sur la dépendance aux réseaux sociaux s’est tenu mercredi en Californie et a conclu à la négligence de Meta et YouTube pour avoir conçu des plateformes addictives qui ont nui à un enfant, les condamnant à verser 3 millions de dollars de dommages et intérêts. Dans le cadre de son enquête sur Snapchat, l’UE pourrait infliger à Snap, la société mère, une amende pouvant aller jusqu’à 6% de son chiffre d’affaires annuel mondial s’il s’avère qu’elle a enfreint les règles européennes en matière de numérique. Un porte-parole de Snapchat a déclaré dans un communiqué que “la sécurité…

Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro cut a relaxed figure as he returned to a federal court in New York on Thursday for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid. During the one-hour hearing, the judge indicated he would not dismiss the case over Maduro and his wife’s apparent inability to afford their legal bill without aid from the Venezuelan government. The former leader, 63, and wife Cilia Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail for almost three months since American commandos snatched the pair from their compound in Caracas in early January.…