Author: staff
Sun belt in focus Marseille, France’s second-biggest city, perfectly illustrates both the National Rally’s advances and its dilemma. National Rally candidate Franck Allisio (35 percent) almost tied with incumbent left-wing Mayor Benoît Payan (36.7 percent) in the first round. That’s more than 15 percentage points higher than the National Rally’s previous score in the 2020 local election. Still, Allisio now faces an uphill battle to beat the current mayor, with the two main centrist and conservative forces discussing the best strategy to beat him shortly after polls closed. The conservative candidate, who came third, will not be pulling out — reducing the prospect of her votes going to Allisio. The…
In Khan Younis, women and children line up with pots, waiting for cooked meals from charity-run Tikkiyya kitchens, a daily ritual for many families. Food remains scarce as border crossings limit aid inflows, leaving local market prices unaffordable for most. Displaced residents report struggling for even one meal a day, a challenge that intensifies during Ramadan as demand surges at sunset. Living conditions grow increasingly hazardous. In Khan Younis, a collapsing wall crushed tents sheltering displaced families, killing two women and a child. Survivors initially mistook the incident for an airstrike. Most of Gaza’s population now relies on humanitarian aid…
Global insecurity and transatlantic tensions dominate the agenda for Sir Keir Starmer – but is the UK about to edge closer to the EU? Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver a speech on plans to deepen the ties with the European Union, as Donald Trump ramps up the rhetoric on Britain’s limited involvement in the Iran war. But – with oil and gas supplies under pressure – how long can the prime minister hold back from supporting the US president before needing Washington’s help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise global supply chains? Back in London, Ukrainian President Volodymyr…
US President Donald Trump vowed Monday to “take” Cuba as the island’s national power grid collapsed under an oil embargo imposed by Washington. “I do believe I’ll be having the honour of taking Cuba,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Whether I free it, take it — think I could do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.” Cuba’s national electricity grid suffered a complete shutdown on Monday, leaving the island of 10 million people without power, according to state-owned grid operator Union Nacional Electrica de Cuba. The…
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil has a new tourist attraction. If you’re thinking of going to the city of Rio de Janeiro, as well as queuing for a photo under the Christ the Redeemer, taking the Sugar Loaf cable car or sitting on one of the steps of the Selarón Staircase, get ready to queue for the “Terrace of the Gate of Heaven”. More than just an experience, it has become a trend on social media, where the aim is to climb up to a rooftop in Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela and pose for a drone that moves away,…
But the warning signs are clear: while Europe still accounts for 20 percent of global pharmaceutical research and development, its share of global investment is shrinking as capital and talent migrate elsewhere.4 Europe’s world-class science is being held back by fragmentation and regulatory inertia. We must treat this sector as a pillar of our sovereignty and a strategic asset, not merely a cost to be managed. If we want to lead the next wave of medical breakthroughs, we must move at the speed of global change. This requires a fundamental shift: simplifying clinical trial regulations, deploying AI-driven digital tools, incentivizing…
8:47 GMT+1 Saudi Arabia intercepts a dozen drones Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry says it has intercepted a dozen drones fired from Iran on Tuesday morning over the country’s vast Eastern Province, home to oil infrastructure. 8:46 GMT+1 Fire breaks out in Qatar following missile attack, interior ministry says A fire broke out in an industrial area on Tuesday morning in Qatar after a missile was intercepted over the gas-rich country, the interior ministry said. 8:45 GMT+1 Explosions heard in Doha, alerts in Dubai Residents of Qatar reported hearing explosions as air defences near the capital, Doha, worked to intercept incoming…
Die Bundesregierung lässt Donald Trump abblitzen: Mehrfach erteilte sie einer deutschen Beteiligung an einer Marine-Begleitung von Schiffen in der Straße von Hormus eine klare Absage. Doch die Geschichte mahnt zur Vorsicht: Gordon Repinski analysiert, warum Friedrich Merz Gefahr läuft, in eine „Schröder-Fischer-Falle“ wie im Jahr 2003 zu tappen. Damals wurde ein öffentliches „Nein“ zur Irak-Invasion hinter den Kulissen durch operative Unterstützung aufgeweicht. Droht nun erneut die Beteiligung durch die Hintertür? Und wie kann sich Merz aus dieser Falle befreien? Im 200-Sekunden-Interview spricht der außenpolitische Sprecher der SPD, Adis Ahmetovic, über Trumps strategielose und sinnlose Forderungen. Er erklärt, warum Deutschland trotz…
Energy dependence became Europe’s urgent problem in 2022. And yet, the EU continues to lean on imported fossil fuels. To reduce Russian influence, Europe has shifted to liquid natural gas (LNG), with 10-15% of its supply now passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Recent attacks in the Gulf have slowed shipping through the strait, intensifying the impact on Europe. Scarcity is increasing demand for oil and gas, driving up electricity and fuel prices. Europe’s efforts to reduce energy dependence have not matched its capabilities. According to MEP and Volt co-founder Damian Boeselager, a decade-long “reactive stance” is responsible. 2026 is…
In 2025, the EU’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.5%. This was higher than the 1.1% recorded in 2024 according to Eurostat. So, which countries recorded the highest real GDP growth? And what factors explain the large differences in growth across Europe? Ireland is a clear outlier with 12.3% growth, which experts link to the presence of large multinational companies in the country. “Ireland’s GDP growth is entirely disconnected from what goes on in Ireland itself. It’s entirely driven by the invoicing processes or practices of large, mostly US multinationals and their subsidiaries in Ireland,” Jacob Funk Kirkegaard,…