Author: staff
Published on 09/06/2026 – 14:33 GMT+2 A consortium led by Airbus has proposed developing a next-generation fighter jet after the collapse of a high-profile Franco-German warplane programme, one of the companies involved told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. The move comes a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron ended the original project following years of disagreements between the industrial partners. Munich-based defence electronics company Hensoldt said it had joined forces with Airbus Defence and Space, Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Rohde & Schwarz, Liebherr, MBDA and MTU Aero Engines to draw up an alternative plan. A…
Bulgaria will no longer send weapons to Ukraine, the country’s Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced Tuesday. The move cements the new Bulgarian government’s opposition to EU support for Ukraine after Russia-aligned Prime Minister Rumen Radev won a parliamentary election in a landslide in April. Bulgaria has sent 13 aid packages to Kyiv since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, but Radev has described the Ukrainian cause as “doomed.” “We have already made it clear that the war in Ukraine will not be resolved on the battlefield. We are witnessing a war of attrition, and no matter how much weaponry is amassed, the…
The European Commission has proposed a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, targeting oil sales, the “shadow fleet”, banks, cryptocurrency firms, metals, fish products and soldiers who have taken part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The proposal, unveiled on Tuesday by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, comes as Kyiv’s allies consider new ways to revive the stalled peace process and force the Kremlin to accept a ceasefire as a precondition for negotiations. “Russia has clearly failed to subjugate Ukraine. The price Russia pays is heavier by the day, and it is paid primarily by the people of Russia,”…
Lisbon residents know the ritual well: from the end of May until mid-June, Eduardo VII Park turns into the country’s biggest bookshop, a paradise for any book lover, with tens of thousands of titles to choose from. This year, the Book Fair has 350 stands hosted by 128 participants, representing around 900 publishing brands in total. According to the organisers, the last five editions have attracted an average of 850,000 visitors. Days like the 4 June public holiday, when a midweek day off coincided with fine weather, will certainly have helped that average to be reached again – or even…
Published on 09/06/2026 – 12:42 GMT+2 For most photography competitions, inexplicably blurry horizons, wonky framing and accidental thumbprints are immediate grounds for disqualification. For Icelandair, they’re the entire brief. After launching a viral global search for the “world’s worst photographer” earlier this year, Iceland’s national airline has finally crowned its champion – and no, it’s not Brooklyn Beckham (if you know, you know). Blanche Mortemard from Paris beat an astonishing 127,642 applicants from 178 countries to secure the gloriously backhanded title, impressing the judges “with her admirable lack of skills and knowledge of basic photography.” Her winning portfolio included a…
“This ‘35% by 2035’ target will be one of the defining priorities of our COP31 presidency,” he added. “We will work to bring together a strong global coalition that is ready and determined to act in support of this objective.” The plans are part of the summit’s so-called action agenda, which is designed to coordinate voluntary climate commitments, rather than the formal negotiations that require consensus from the nearly 200 governments in attendance. Some action agenda items — such as the COP28 target to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 — have in the past found their way into the…
In Zaporizhzhia, regional authorities said two women were killed and 18 people were injured, including four children, after a strike hit a residential area. Emergency crews evacuated residents, treated the wounded and worked to extinguish fires sparked by the attack. Apartment blocks, homes, vehicles and market kiosks were damaged, while debris was scattered across nearby streets. Regional military administration chief Ivan Fedorov said the strike targeted civilian infrastructure and caused extensive destruction in the area. In northeastern Ukraine, a separate drone strike hit a five-storey residential building in the city of Konotop, in the Sumy region. Rescue teams used sniffer…
German industrial production edged higher in April for the first time since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, official data released Tuesday showed, though analysts warn the single-month gain masks a far grimmer underlying picture for Europe’s largest economy. According to Germany’s federal statistics office, Destatis, output rose 0.4% in April from the previous month, driven mainly by construction. The reading ends a losing streak dating back to last November, yet few are treating it as a turning point. According to Carsten Brzeski, Global Head of Macro at ING, in a research note published Tuesday, the April figure…
By Pascale Davies with AP Published on 09/06/2026 – 12:03 GMT+2 Apple’s keynote at its annual World Wide Developers Conference unveiled new and long-awaited artificial intelligence advances, including upgrades to its Siri assistant. It was also the last one to be held by CEO Tim Cook before he turns his post over to John Ternus in September. Cook received an extended standing ovation and told the audience he is “deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you” and said “the energy around Apple platforms has never been stronger.” Here are the key takeaways from the event. The new Siri AI The…
Governmental ‘do not travel’ advisories are growing more numerous as conflicts rage around the world, and it may seem like a lot of your bucket list destinations are now off limits. So if you are planning a trip and want to prioritise safety, use this new data to help guide you. The Global Peace Index – the world’s most comprehensive annual ranking of peacefulness across 163 countries – has released its top ten for 2026. From a volcanic island with no army to an Asian city-state that has topped safety rankings for years, here are the ten most peaceful countries…