Author: staff
BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote to European leaders urging a series of measures to respond to illegal migration ahead of this week’s summit in Brussels. Among the measures von der Leyen called for were establishing an emergency response framework when migration has been weaponized, expanding the powers of the EU’s border agency Frontex, and increasing the bloc’s deportation rate. The letter follows a migration crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta over the summer, which saw around 70,000 migrants arrive from Morocco. “We must prevent such threats and make clear that we will never compromise the…
Portuguese authorities have seized 3.7 tonnes of cocaine off the coast of Faro, in the Algarve, following an international operation against drug trafficking. In a statement, the Judicial Police (PJ) said the seizure, carried out on Sunday, came after “an investigation that led to the dismantling of a criminal group dedicated to introducing large quantities of drugs into the European continent through the use of high-speed vessels.” The drugs were aboard one such vessel, “detected and intercepted around 80 nautical miles south of Faro.” Investigators also seized “various objects used in the navigation and transport” of the cargo. Speaking at…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 12:32 GMT+2•Updated 12:45 Poland’s Minister of National Defence and Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, said Europe must adopt a “war-mode” mentality in its defence sector or risk harming Europeans in the future. “I am actually an advocate for the war-mode when it comes to the production in defence sector,” he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Warsaw Security Forum on Wednesday. “This is what the Russian Federation does at the moment. We cannot overlook this fact.” Russia shifted towards wartime defence production before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and is…
A sensor-equipped glove designed to convert sign language gestures into speech, a device that takes six basic health measurements in around 90 seconds, and a mining innovation aimed at reducing energy consumption are among the inventions developed by young engineers in Uzbekistan. The projects featured in Kelajak muhandislari (Engineers of the Future), a national competition organised by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. The competition attracted 1,925 applications, with 90 finalists selected and the winners honoured in Tashkent on 29 September. The award-winning inventions are at different stages of development. Some remain prototypes, while others, according to their…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 11:31 GMT+2•Updated 12:14 Sofia has been named as Europe’s best city break destination for 2027 in a new ranking. According to the report by European Best Destinations, which “brings together 10 cities with very different personalities”, Bulgaria’s capital took the top spot thanks to “ancient history, contemporary culture and the mountains”, which create an “especially rewarding combination”. Recently voted the world’s happiest travel destination, Lisbon was ranked second on the 2027 city break list with Copenhagen, Cannes and Basel making up the top five. Completing the top 10 were Bristol, Leuven, Milan, Calpe and Verona. The…
LONDON — Nigel Farage on Tuesday defended his party’s proposals to allow the Royal Marines to use “lethal force” against irregular migrants crossing the English Channel. The leader of the right-wing Reform UK party — who has announced plans to shut down Britain’s asylum system for five years if he takes office — doubled down on his Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick’s pledge Monday that if naval officers “need to use lethal force, then they’ll be able to do so” under Reform. Farage’s political opponents leapt on Reform’s proposals following Jenrick’s comments. Labour Defence Minister Luke Pollard told Times Radio Tuesday morning…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 11:44 GMT+2 The Council of the EU has brought an end to the conditionality mechanism imposed on Hungary to address corruption risks in the country. The decision unfreezes €4.2 billion in funding and allows Hungary to rejoin the Erasmus+ student exchange programme and the Horizon Europe research initiative. The EU introduced the conditionality mechanism in 2022 under the government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, making access to EU funds dependent on respect for the rule of law. The move also led to the suspension of a substantial amount of EU funding to Hungary. Following the…
Published on 13/10/2026 – 8:22 GMT+2 US actress Selma Blair was arrested after an alleged altercation on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City that injured at least two cabin crew members, authorities said on Monday. The “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions” star was detained at John F Kennedy Airport after her Delta Air Lines flight landed late on Sunday following reports of a physically abusive passenger. US media said that Blair punched one flight attendant and bit another. The 54-year-old then reportedly assaulted a police officer and nurse as she was transported to hospital. “Selma experienced a…
Excess production capacity, particularly in Europe, is one of the most urgent challenges for Stellantis. The carmaker has no intention of closing plants and wants to make full use of its facilities through partnerships with Chinese manufacturers Leapmotor and Dongfeng. This is the strategy outlined by chief executive officer Antonio Filosa at the Paris Automotive Summit, held as part of theParis Motor Show. “We have excess production capacity, especially in Europe, but we do not want to shut plants,” the executive said, explaining that the solution identified is based on sharing industrial capacity. The aim is to use existing facilities…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a right to be angry. In a wretched month for Ukrainians, ahead of a fast-approaching frigid winter, Donald Trump’s “very big and important deal” to acquire millions of tons of diesel fuel from Russia couldn’t have come at a worse time. The U.S. president’s plan to lift sanctions on Moscow to allow diesel imports came as a sucker punch for most Ukrainians enduring barrages of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles, with civilian casualties mounting. The question for Zelenskyy is just how angry he can actually afford to be. “His showing his frustration is understandable, but there are…