Author: staff

In an attempt to fight back, Kallas tried to appoint a powerful deputy secretary general in the form of Martin Selmayr, Juncker’s feared former chief of staff, but the move was blocked by von der Leyen’s office. Kallas “privately complains that she [von der Leyen] is a dictator but there’s little or nothing she can do about that,” said one senior official. Kallas also comes from tiny Estonia, and her party, the liberals, is small, making her position even weaker than Borrell’s (a socialist from Spain). Kallas’ office did not reply to a request for a comment. Bálint Ódor, Hungarian…

AI has shifted from a niche technology, to the backbone of global power. The US and China pour tens of billions into their AI growth, rolling out powerful models with the support of tech giants and massive data centres. Europe, by contrast, is still struggling to turn its strong research base into world-leading AI companies and technologies. It is lagging behind competitors as the window to dominate the AI space gets narrow. Money matters, and the gap is stark: US investment in AI vastly outweighs Europe’s, which means that many EU-trained engineers leave the bloc for better funded opportunities in…

Residents of all ages flocked to a small hill near downtown Oklahoma City in the US on Sunday to take advantage of the winter weather, turning Scissortail Park into a hub for snowball fights and sledding. Gil White drove from his home in Blanchard, Oklahoma, about 30 miles south of the city to go sledding with his 12-year-old son Thapelo White. “Yesterday, we had absolutely no sunshine at all, so I stayed in the truck. It was way too cold for me. Today is much better. I’m able to bear it. It’s windy, but with the sun being out, it…

Published on 19/01/2026 – 7:03 GMT+1 With powerful nations rolling back climate protections and temperatures soaring ever closer to dangerous thresholds, it’s hard not to feel worried about the state of the planet. As green journalists, climate anxiety, climate doom and even environmental existential dread are a daily presence. These terms all describe the negative feelings, such as stress, fear, anger and grief, that confront us when the reality of a warming Earth hits home. With almost daily stories of destruction and loss of life due to extreme weather, it’s impossible to escape the impacts of climate change. Rather than…

Die USA erleben eine neue Eskalation in der Migrationspolitik: In Minnesota stirbt erneut ein Mensch bei einem Einsatz der Einwanderungsbehörde ICE. Die Debatte über Gewalt, Rechtsstaatlichkeit und politische Verantwortung spitzt sich zu – und könnte auch nach Europa überschwappen.In Hamburg trifft sich der Kanzler mit internationalen Partnern zum Nordsee-Gipfel. Es geht um Energie, Offshore-Wind und die Frage, wie Europa unabhängiger werden kann, auch als Antwort auf Donald Trumps Attacken gegen erneuerbare Energien.Unseren Politico Pro-Newsletter ‘Energie und Klima’ findet ihr hier.Innenpolitisch geht es nach Nordrhein-Westfalen: Die SPD schickt Jochen Ott als Spitzenkandidaten ins Rennen gegen Hendrik Wüst. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview erklärt er,…

Revelers in New York enjoyed the powdery snow Sunday as a massive winter storm coated tree branches and power lines with heavy ice across the South. Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power, and Tennessee and Mississippi were particularly hard hit. But yet at McCarren Park in Brooklyn, locals found the time for fun as they hurled snowballs across the park in a friendly showdown. The ice and snowfall were expected to continue through Monday in much of the country, followed by very low temperatures, the National Weather Service said.

Published on 22/01/2026 – 13:19 GMT+1 Donald Trump has dragged China into his blistering attacks against wind energy, describing nations that buy wind turbines as “stupid”. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos yesterday (21 January), the POTUS made several dubious claims about Greenland, NATO and renewable energy. Trump has consistently criticised the green energy drive, dubbing wind and solar as “the scam of the century” while keeping the US as the world’s biggest fossil fuel producer. Last year, the US administration suspended leases on all US offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns, and is currently embroiled…

After a weekend of will he or won’t he — Labour’s National Executive Committee decided to block Andy Burnham from standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election — but has this move just ignited a massive internal civil war? Sam and Anne reveal some of the details from the crucial NEC meeting – assessing how damaging the move could be and whether the argument to shut the door on Mr Burnham’s potential return to Westminster is robust enough. Away from the red-on-red infighting, the policing white paper is published and a significant decision looms on whether to freeze ground…

Published on 23/01/2026 – 7:00 GMT+1 Rising temperatures and increased human activity in the North Atlantic Ocean have triggered “abrupt changes” in marine ecosystems, particularly for whales. A new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science has examined how climate change is impacting the diet of three rorqual whale species living in the Gulf of St Lawrence (GSL) – a seasonally important feeding area for many whales. Analysing 28 years of data, researchers found increases in resource partitioning among fin, humpback and minke whales. This is an ecological strategy where species divide resources such as food and habitat space to…

It seems impossible to have a conversation today without artificial intelligence (AI) playing some role, demonstrating the massive power of the technology. It has the potential to impact every part of business, and European policymakers are on board. In February 2025, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said, “We want Europe to be one of the leading AI continents … AI can help us boost our competitiveness, protect our security, shore up public health, and make access to knowledge and information more democratic.” Research from Nokia suggests that businesses share this enthusiasm and ambition: 84 percent of more…