Author: staff
At the same time, election observation is being actively threatened by powers like Russia, which promote narratives opposed to electoral observations carried out by the organizations that endorse the Declaration of Principles on International Election Observation (DoP) — a landmark document that set the global standard for impartial monitoring. A few years ago, for instance, a Russian parliamentary commission sharply criticized our observation efforts, pushing for the creation of alternative monitoring bodies that, quite evidently, fuel disinformation and legitimize authoritarian regimes — something that has also happened in Azerbaijan and Belarus. When a credible international observation mission publishes a measured…
Updated: 13/01/2026 – 7:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this January 13th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
Published on 13/01/2026 – 8:14 GMT+1 It took three months of work and 20 technicians to install millions of tiny light bulbs but it appears that every single second was worth it. Every winter evening, thousands of visitors have been braving the freezing cold to attend Japan’s largest light display, Nabana no Sato Winter Illumination, located four hours from Tokyo. Over 5.8 million LEDs animate botanical gardens with shifting landscapes, from golden tunnels to aurora-inspired scenes. For the Japanese, the end-of-year celebrations are above all a celebration of beauty and wonder. “It’s beautiful. It’s very Japanese”, said one couple attending.…
Weber accused Garcia and the Socialists of “harming the European agenda.” During her remarks, the S&D chief shot back: “You know who is responsible for the fact that this pro-European alliance … does not work in this Parliament? It has a name and surname. It is called Manfred Weber.” The exchange reflected a relationship under strain, as the EPP pushed deregulation, weaker green rules, and a crackdown on migration backed by far-right votes after the 2024 election shifted the Parliament to the right. Sidelined by that new math, the Socialists have increasingly felt alienated and have hardened their attacks on von…
Good morning, I’m Mared Gwyn writing from Brussels. Welcome to a packed Tuesday newsletter. Just in: former Danish European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has just told my colleague Méabh Mc Mahon that US President Donald Trump’s ambitions to seize Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, represent an “existential” threat for the NATO miitary alliance. “I know President Trump says he is not reined in by anything but his own morals, but (…) for one NATO country to attack another NATO country for territory, that would be I think the most existential threat to NATO that we have seen,” Vestager told Europe Today.…
For more than two decades, Venezuelan oil functioned less as a commodity and more as a diplomatic instrument, circulating through bilateral agreements, guaranteed loans and barter deals that bypassed traditional market mechanisms. From 1999 onwards, successive governments promoted a strategy linking foreign policy, state financing and management of the country’s main industry. The result was a network of bilateral alliances that channelled much of Venezuela’s crude outside conventional buying and selling circuits. The model consolidated amid high oil prices and mounting financial constraints. Cuba, China, Russia, and Iran became central partners in an architecture that combines energy supply, credits, technical…
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, combined with constant pressure from the US have left the European Union with the single choice of addressing its defence and security capacity. The stakes are high, as here is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine. At the same time, trust is low because Europe appears vulnerable, and both militarily and diplomatically unprepared. Europe’s main imperative is protecting itself while supporting Ukraine. EU leaders agreed last December on a new €90 billion loan for Ukraine, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new defence initiatives in October, presenting them as…
Updated: 13/01/2026 – 7:20 GMT+1 A geologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland discussed potential difficulties of mining rare earth minerals in Greenland. Diogo Rosa said: “Everyone talks about the rare earths again and that doesn’t mean they are the most feasible to be extracted.” … More
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US President Donald Trump has been briefed on strong options as he weighs whether to order a US military response against the Iranian government over a violent crackdown on protests that have left more than 600 people dead across the country but is holding off for now, after receiving messages from Tehran, the White House said on Monday. Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration finds the Islamic Republic is using deadly force against anti-government protesters, a red line Washington says Iran is “starting to cross” and has left Trump and his national security team weighing…