Author: staff
Gemini Trains has announced plans to run services between London and Cologne as early as 2030. The British startup, backed by a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund, looks set to end Eurostar’s monopoly of cross-channel rail travel. Gemini Trains has also said it wants to run routes to Paris (with stops at Disneyland and Charles de Gaulle airport) and Brussels, and later expand to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. The London to Cologne journey will take about four hours, the company says. At the moment, the same trip can take up to six hours with at least one change. Rather than basing…
Updated: 16/07/2026 – 17:50 GMT+2 To mark Mozart’s 270th birth anniversary, German artist Ottmar Hörl has partnered with the Mozarteum Foundation to create 300 small statuettes of the composer with his dog. The open-air exhibition is on display in the Austrian city of Salzburg, the renowned composer’s hometown. … More
But Mahmood’s record suggests she would not be a pushover either. She spent her time before parliament working as a barrister and has long been known for being forthright in private; her supporters have long argued that her appeal is a tendency to form firm, principled views on policy and to fight hard to see them through. One person who has worked with Mahmood said she acts out of character in the period when she is figuring out what to do about a policy problem. She devotes enormous energy to it, goes to bed late and wakes early — before…
By Greta Ruffino with AFP Published on 16/07/2026 – 16:06 GMT+2 A UK court on Thursday sentenced two young men to prison over a 2024 cyberattack on London’s public transport operator that exposed the personal data of millions of customers in one of Britain’s largest data breaches. Thalha Jubair, 20, from east London, and Owen Flowers, 18, from England’s West Midlands, were each sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison at Woolwich Crown Court in London. The pair pleaded guilty last month to hacking Transport for London’s (TfL) network between 31 August and 3 September 2024, gaining access to the names and contact details…
The dispute surrounding Hungary’s 20 August state celebrations goes far beyond the question of whether there will be fireworks over the Danube. The controversy that has unfolded in recent weeks is about the use of public money, environmental protection, national traditions and the role of state representation, but above all about punishing the Lounge group owned by Gyula Balásy. The situation is unusual in that while the government has confirmed that this year’s festive fireworks will go ahead, their organisation has been placed in completely new hands. The original contracts have been terminated, the previous main contractor has dropped out,…
The report, due to be published on Friday, comes out once a year and grades all 27 EU member countries on their compliance with the rule of law, issuing recommendations accordingly. POLITICO has not seen the full report. It lands days after a Spanish court ruled that civil servants had improperly created a public-sector job for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s brother, David Sánchez. The prime minister has repeatedly argued that he and his family have been targeted by politically motivated legal proceedings, accusing conservative judges of engaging in “lawfare.” The Commission also found only limited progress on Spain’s lobbying reforms,…
Storm-1516, a Russia-linked influence operation — which routinely disseminates fabricated claims about Europe and the West — comes in all shapes and sizes. This time round, researchers say it could be behind a social media video in which alleged militants from Hezbollah — an Iran-backed Lebanese militant group — threatened to carry out attacks on French soil ahead of Bastille Day celebrations on 14 July. In the video, three hooded men wearing military uniforms pose in front of a dummy of a French Foreign Legion soldier, whose face had the French flag painted on. They threaten to “shed blood” on…
Iran said any US attack on the Islamic Republic’s infrastructure would trigger broader regional destruction, pledging to have its forces target infrastructure across the region that Tehran says has remained untouched due to its restraint. Spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said Tehran would not tolerate any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an “inviolable red line”. “If the recent threats by the president of the United States to target the infrastructure of the Islamic Republic are carried out,” Zolfaqari said, “all infrastructure across the region that has so far remained intact solely…
Published on 16/07/2026 – 15:08 GMT+2 It’s not coming home… and Mick knows it. Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger has gone viral over his reaction to England’s loss in the World Cup semi-finals last night. Jagger attended the game between England and Argentina yesterday, which ended in a 2-1 loss for England, who were hoping to play their first World Cup final since 1966. Footage captured of Jagger reacting to Enzo Fernández’s equalising goal has spread across the internet and sees Jagger shaking his head in disappointment. The video has resonated with fans, with one claiming: “Mick Jagger speaks for…
Opposition parties immediately attacked the prime minister, portraying the proposal as a power grab. “Meloni has betrayed Italians,” said Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein, telling parliament that “we will send you home with any electoral law.” Meloni’s term is due to end in September 2027, and the Italian leader wants to pass the reform ahead of the next general election. Many political observers believe she could send the country to the polls as early as next April, with pressure mounting from both the opposition, which appears to be coalescing around a united front, and within her own coalition. Roberto Vannacci’s…