Author: staff
The Polish minister said that it “will take another decade” to reach Trump’s proposed goal, but that the U.S. president-elect “should not be criticized for setting a really ambitious target because otherwise there will be some countries that will continue to debate whether more spending is really needed.” The proposed 5 percent target is more than any NATO member currently spends. Poland comes closest, spending 4.12 percent of its GDP on defense in 2024, and aims to boost that to 4.7 percent this year. The U.S. spent 3.4 percent of its GDP on defense last year.
A national strike in Belgium is set to heavily disrupt public transport in Brussels on Monday, as well as rail and air travel. Belgian trade unions have called a general strike on Jan. 13 to protest against government plans for pension reform. The capital city’s public transport network will be “severely disrupted,” according to a warning by STIB, the company managing the Brussels metro, tram and bus services. People needing to travel within the city are advised to find alternatives, it said. Trains across the country will also be impacted, with only one in three running between major cities, according…
It’s the only time President Biden, who is a Catholic, has presented the honour with distinction during his presidency. President Joe Biden has honoured Pope Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the highest civilian award given by the president, saying the pontiff was “a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.”Biden had been scheduled to present the medal to the pope in person on Saturday in Rome on what was to be the final overseas trip of his presidency, but he cancelled his travel plans so he could monitor the wildfires in…
The German army is creating a new division to focus on territorial defense, at a time when NATO is on high alert for a potential Russian attack at the alliance’s borders, according to media reports. The reorganization will take effect on April 1, according to the reports. It will bring the number of German army divisions to four, maintaining the current total of 180,000 soldiers. The fourth division will oversee Germany’s domestic defense, including the protection of infrastructure such as ports, railways and supply and deployment routes, the reports said. Incoming United States President Donald Trump has called on NATO…
Analysts say the lack of any strong opponent in the elections has consolidated President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s grip on power. Chad’s ruling party took the majority of votes in last month’s parliamentary election, which was boycotted by the main opposition, provisional results show.In what was the first parliamentary election in Chad in more than a decade, the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement party won 124 out of 188 seats, while the voter turnout was 51.5%, according to the provisional results announced late on Saturday by Ahmed Bartchiret, head of the electoral commission.The parliamentary election, which also included regional and municipal elections,…
Escape to Germany’s medieval Esslingen for a festive, fun and foodie experience over Christmas and New Year. In a children’s book I have yet to write, Father Christmas flies his drone over Germany’s Christmas markets, hell-bent on finding the most magical for a romantic weekend break with Mrs Christmas. Nuremberg? “Hmm, quite crowded,” thinks Father Christmas. Berlin? “Yowsers, so big!” he eliminates, thinking of his feet. On the verge of calling it a day, he decides to set the drone to one last mission. And there it is… a vision of cobblestone streets and magnificent timber-framed townhouses floodlit by firelight. “Aaaah…”…
Updated: 12/01/2025 – 7:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Wistful travellers are planning retro, nostalgic getaways as an escape from the stress of everyday life. Planning a holiday is usually all about the where, but according to new research, it’s becoming more about the ‘when’ too. Whether it’s back to a childhood home, back to a cherished resort, or back to the 1980s, rosy retrospection is profoundly influencing travel plans.According to Globetrender and Amadeus’ Travel Trends 2025 report, nostalgia travel, in all its many forms, is tipped to be one of the hottest travel trends of the coming year. Dubbed ‘New Heydays’ by the authors, the concept highlights how a…
Latest online war of words involves Hungarian MEP András László and the former European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, Thierry Breton, and misinformation about the EU’s power to interfere in elections. The tech billionaire Elon Musk’s latest post on X is likely to further anger European leaders who have already accused him of using his reach on the social platform to interfere in national debates.On Saturday, the Hungarian MEP András László, a member of the ruling Fidesz party, took to X to complain about what he perceived to be double standards in who can donate funds to European NGOs and who…
The protest comes on the same day that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire talks in Doha. Several ambassadors to Israel have joined the weekly rally in Tel Aviv of family members and supporters demanding the government reach a deal to return the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.The protest comes on the same day that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to talks in Doha, in a sign of progress towards ending 15 months of war.”We are…