Author: staff
The new Passenger Package, announced on 13 May, is a fundamental shift toward a unified, digital, and legally protected rail network. It moves away from the current, fragmented European system, where thousands of train journeys are disrupted, leaving millions stranded. The new “single ticket” will allow travellers to combine multiple rail segments, regardless of operator, into one single booking. This ensures transparency protections and full, consistent passenger rights for the entire journey. If delays occur, passengers are protected, with operators required to provide rerouting, assistance, accommodation, and compensation (such as 25 per cent for 60–119-minute delays and 50 per cent…
Published on 26/05/2026 – 8:46 GMT+2 North Korea launched several projectiles, including a ballistic missile, into the Yellow Sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said they had detected the launches of “several projectiles”, including a short-range ballistic missile, into the Yellow Sea from the North Korean city of Chongju at around 1:00 pm local time. The Yellow Sea is the body of water separating the Korean peninsula from China. The missiles flew about 80 kilometres, Seoul’s military said, adding that it was analysing their specifications and flight range, and had “strengthened surveillance and…
A poster featuring Elon Musk, calling for users of his X social media platform to delete their accounts due to the AI chatbot Grok’s image-creation feature. | Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images It urged ministers to pass new legislation explicitly covering generative AI services – a recommendation the government rejected a month later, on the basis that amending the Act before it was fully in force risked ”complicat[ing] and undermin[ing]” implementation. “The vibe has very much been one of ‘trust the process,’” Owen Bennett, who led international online safety at Ofcom until December 2025 and now works as an independent…
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington remains ready to mediate in the war between Russia and Ukraine, after Moscow threatened new strikes on Kyiv. Russia’s warning, including a call for foreign diplomats to flee the Ukrainian capital, marks a fresh escalation in the more than four-year war, with Moscow vowing “systematic” attacks on Kyiv, including on “decision-making centres.” Rubio’s offer came after Russia battered Ukraine over the weekend, including firing its Oreshnik hypersonic missile, and following a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “Every time you see these big strikes from one side…
Europe risks falling into a technology “dependency trap” as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes global trade and economic power, according to a new report. The report from insurance company Allianz argues that the world’s economy is reorganising around tech industries such as cloud computing, data centres and semiconductors, where Europe is weaker compared to the United States and Asia. Asia dominates the export of AI-related goods with 65% of this part of the world economy and seven of the world’s top 10 AI exporters, in an industry that has exploded from $1 trillion (€880bn) in 2014 to $3.8 trillion (€3.3tn) in…
Published on 25/05/2026 – 7:00 GMT+2 Forget stealing the hotel toiletries; now you can take the whole aesthetic home. Marriott Bonvoy has launched a new, online design shop packed with hotel-inspired furniture, art and décor, letting travellers recreate the look of luxury stays, from W Hotels’ bold glamour to Westin’s sleep-focused calm – without ever checking in. Standout pieces in the collections include a custom headboard and platform bed in various colourways, an upholstered bench, and a floral rug, alongside glass vases, dual-finish nightstands and bookends. “Hospitality doesn’t end at check-out anymore. [The] design shop reflects how we’re expanding the…
Decades later in Afghanistan, U.S. officials marveled at their own ingenuity — special forces on horseback, precision bombs and a regime toppled in mere weeks. Yet it was only days before the bombing started that Bush asked “who will run the country” once the Taliban was toppled — a fair question no one thought to ask before fueling the B-52s. The men on horseback were brilliant, but there was no theory as to what came next. Moreover, al Qaeda’s longtime leader Osama bin Laden remained at large. Then came Iraq, with the war’s architects predicting a cakewalk in which U.S.…
Europe is still reeling from the recent drone incursions into Baltic airspace. In a show of solidarity, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius are in Lithuania today following last week’s drone scare. Today on the Brussels Playbook Podcast, we unpack the latest developments, including discussions about Baltic companies teaming up with Ukrainian firms to tap into their expertise in bomb-shelter construction. Also on the pod: Calls are growing for Europe to appoint its own negotiator in Ukraine-Russia peace talks, now that the U.S. has stepped back. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Europe to take a…
Zum wiederholten Mal wird einem Mitarbeiter der AfD-Fraktion der Hausausweis sowie der Zugang zu den internen IT-Systemen des Parlaments verweigert. Pauline von Pezold spricht mit Gordon Repinski über die Recherchen zu diesem Fall. Wer kontrolliert eigentlich, wer sich frei im Herzen unserer Demokratie bewegen darf, und warum lässt die dringend notwendige Reform des Abgeordnetengesetzes so lange auf sich warten? Im 200-Sekunden-Interview: Bundestagsvizepräsident Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke). Der frühere thüringische Ministerpräsident führt durch die strukturellen Prozesse des Parlaments und erklärt, warum die rechtlichen Hürden für eine solche Aussperrung extrem hoch sind und wie der Bundestag mit den schwierigen parlamentarischen Verhältnissen umgehen…
The US military said Monday that it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely”. According to a statement from the US Central Command, the strikes were carried out “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”, but the military was “using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire”. Further details were not immediately available, including more specifics on the threats from Iran and what this means for negotiations. Earlier, Trump said any agreement to end the Iran…