Author: staff

Airports and airlines have blamed the new border control system — which requires travelers from non-EU countries to register their biometric data — for hours-long queues, operational disruption and missed connecting flights. “There’s still quite a lot of work to do to have these technical issues solved together with the member states,” von der Leyen said. The comments mark a shift in tone from the Commission, which had downplayed disruption linked to the EES. “In most EU airports, this impact is indeed limited,” Markus Lammert, the Commission’s spokesperson for internal affairs, said Wednesday. The Commission said earlier this year that…

Dozens of diamonds spell out two giant letter “T” next to the Stars and Stripes and “1776” and “2026.” Dozens more frame the numbers 45 and 47 in the shape of Superman’s logo. A diamond-winged eagle carries a ruby shield and clutches an olive branch of emeralds, below a radiant “250” and atop the phrase “250 YEARS USA” etched in 18-karat gold. All told, 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies encrust the watch-sized gold ring presented this week to Bill White, the US ambassador to Belgium, to give to President Donald Trump. “A very special thank you…

The Council of the European Union on Friday announced sanctions targeting six scientists and researchers suspected of being involved in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. “The EU remains fully committed to countering the proliferation and use of chemical weapons,” read the Council statement. The sanctions include an asset freeze and a travel ban to the EU. Navalny, long seen as the most significant political opponent to President Vladimir Putin, died in a Russian prison in 2024. According to five European governments, poisoning was “highly likely the cause of his death,” as analyses of samples from Navalny’s body “conclusively confirmed” the…

Published on 03/07/2026 – 15:20 GMT+2 CCTV footage captured the moment a vehicle driven by an 11-year-old crashed into a group of monks and worshippers during a religious procession in Mukdahan, Thailand, on July 2. At least ten people were killed and 10 others were injured, according to local hospital officials. Two of the injured remain in critical condition. A group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when a truck ploughed into them. Police said it was driven by an 11-year-old who had taken his parents’ vehicle without…

Published on 03/07/2026 – 16:56 GMT+2•Updated 16:57 NATO allies are set to reaffirm their iron-clad commitment to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty and state that Russia poses a “long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability” in the final declaration of the NATO summit in Ankara next week. A copy of the document seen by Euronews carries a declaration that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon” and commits to €70 billion euros extra support for Ukraine, with “at least equivalent levels” of support to come in 2027. The declaration is the pre-ordained final text of the summit, negotiated by…

Mourners filed through Damascus on Friday, a day after an explosive device detonated in a cafe in the Syrian capital killed 10 people. The funeral procession in the normally bustling Midan neighbourhood carried the coffins of three of the victims. Another 21 were wounded in the explosion at a popular cafe near the capital’s main judicial complex, which was often frequented by lawyers. Syria’s Health Ministry raised the death toll on Friday from nine to 10. Officials have promised to arrest those behind the attack, but no updates were announced in the investigation. No group has claimed responsibility for the…

International tourist arrivals in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries rocketed by an estimated 3.4% in 2025 to reach a record 847 million. However, as geopolitical tensions, shifting traveller behaviour and extreme weather-related events continue to shape the tourism landscape, destinations will need to strengthen their ability to anticipate and adapt to uncertainty, according to a new report. Here’s how visitors might see destinations changing their approach to tourism in the future. Which countries saw record tourist arrivals in 2025? The recently released report, OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026, found that one-third of OECD countries expect tourism…

Bruno Le Maire : “Une campagne, c’est tripal, c’est pas cérébral.” – POLITICO Skip to main content

“The security of the Baltic states is also Germany’s security,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) said as he welcomed the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Berlin. He was referring to a plaque on Vilnius Town Hall which reads: “The security of Lithuania is our security. The defence of Vilnius is the defence of Berlin.” The quote comes from a speech he delivered at the formation ceremony of the 45th Armoured Brigade in Lithuania in May last year. Preparations for next week’s NATO summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara, were high on the agenda. At a joint press conference, Merz…

Published on 03/07/2026 – 15:59 GMT+2 A speeding, overcrowded passenger bus plunged from a highway into a rocky ravine in southwestern Pakistan early on Friday, killing 40 people and injuring eight others in one of the deadliest road accidents in recent years, officials said. The bus went out of control and fell into the ravine in Dana Sar, a remote area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said. He said the bus was carrying not only its own passengers but also passengers from another bus that had broken down,…