Author: staff

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman described the allegation Thursday as “incredibly concerning.” In response to reports of MPs leaving their drinks at the bar while going to vote, the No. 10 spokesman added: “It’s clearly the case that that’s not sensible. But the PM will let people follow their own common sense on this.” The Met Police confirmed they were investigating in a statement Wednesday, adding: “The victim is being supported by officers. There have been no arrests at this stage.” The police service has encouraged anyone who believes they have been a victim or witness to spiking to…

Vibe: Like all establishments in the Ravenstein gallery, decor is basic but acceptable — and not really the reason you’re here. Who’s picking up the check? Soup, starter and main ran to €18.50. Very affordable! Spotted: Being so close to the central station, mostly your standard commuter crowd — heavy on the arrivals from Flanders. Insider tip: The menu is in French and Dutch … hopefully you’ve picked up at least one of those languages by now. Fun fact: “Mymy” means everlasting in Vietnam — which is where the woman who runs the show is from. How to get there: From Brussels central station, exit…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the Gaza cease-fire deal until Hamas backs down from a “last-minute crisis.” “Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said Thursday in a statement, according to local media. “The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” the statement added. The Israeli Cabinet was set to meet Thursday to approve a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas in Gaza brokered by the U.S., Qatar…

“Without the Ukrainian army, Europe unfortunately has no chance against Russia today. Putin knows this and talks about it in his circle,” Zelenskyy added. “Therefore, if Ukraine does not defend itself, he will quickly move on. This is a fact. I am absolutely convinced of this.” Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At least 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 370,000 wounded fending off Moscow’s advance, according to official Ukrainian figures revealed last month, compared to 600,000 dead and wounded reported for Russia. Kyiv has close to a million troops, Zelenskyy said this month, by…

The war in Ukraine is about to enter its fourth year. Will the incoming administration in Washington bring it to an end — and what will that mean for the millions of refugees inside the war-torn country and the territories Russia occupies? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Tom Fletcher, United Nations  undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, who has been in Ukraine to survey the toll the conflict has taken on the Ukrainian people and its infrastructure. They also discuss the huge task facing the U.N. following a cease-fire in Gaza. As a former senior foreign policy adviser to three…

As he heads for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Starmer will sign a “100-year partnership” treaty with Ukraine, aimed at strengthening security in the Black Sea and the Baltic, and building economic and cultural ties between the two countries. “Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure,” Starmer said in comments released by No. 10. “Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level.” Trump’s return casts a shadow over the British leader’s visit to Ukraine, his first since winning power last July. Ukraine’s…

Mindestens von Europa aus war Joe Biden seit November kaum noch wahrnehmbar. Es scheint, er geistert aus dem Amt, so wie er vor dem Wahltag schon durch das Amt zu geistern schien. Mit seiner letzten großen Rede, seiner Abschiedsrede, hat Biden versucht, sein politisches Erbe zu retten. Gordon Repinski analysiert, wie Trump den noch amtierenden Präsidenten jedoch schon erfolgreich aus dem Bild gedrängt hat, und er bespricht mit dem Senior Political Columnist von POLITICO in Washington, Jonathan Martin, was von Bidens letztem großen Auftritt als US-Präsident bleiben wird. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview erklärt der Präsident des Bayerischen Bauernverbands, Günther Felßner, was er…

Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s ultranationalist Vox party, has been invited in his capacity as president of the far-right European Patriots party, which includes members from 11 EU countries and has 86 MEPs in the European Parliament. From Portugal, André Ventura, head of the right-wing populist Chega party, was invited along with other hard-right European figures. Poland’s Morawiecki told POLITICO on Tuesday that he would attend the ceremony in Washington, D.C. The list of who was not invited is almost as revealing.  Despite a public spat with Donald Trump’s close ally Elon Musk, Nigel Farage has confirmed his attendance. |…

According to an assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey, Greenland “contains approximately 31,400 million barrels oil equivalent (MMBOE) of oil” and other fuel products, including around 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. “That’s the kind of reserves that if they were discovered in Saudi Arabia or Qatar, businesses would be jumping for joy,” said Ajay Parmar, a senior crude markets analyst with commodities intelligence firm ICIS. “Of course, given it’s in Greenland, there would be technical challenges putting in place the piping to extract it and get it around the world,” he said. “But there’s still a major commercial…

The Danish premier said last week that she had requested to speak to Trump but hadn’t yet heard back. At the time, she assured that there was “no reason to believe” Trump actually plans to invade Greenland. Frederiksen told Danish news outlet TV2 in an interview following her call with Trump that their conversation “confirmed” that “there is great American interest in Greenland.” The call did not appear to bring the issue to a conclusion, with both leaders agreeing to continued dialogue. Trump has not spoken publicly about the call, choosing instead to repost on social media the results of…