Author: staff
The Tony Blair Institute, of which Blair is executive chairman, is “evolving” its “operating model as we focus on governing in the age of AI,” it said in a statement shared with POLITICO. The firm is preparing a restructuring that will also affect its Brussels office, which it set up in 2023. The consultancy is “conducting an ongoing organisational review to reshape and restructure,” the statement said in response to a report that it would cut staff as it pivots towards AI. The firm will keep a presence in the EU capital to support the work of Andreea Zugravu, a…
The European Union will not immediately attempt to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, despite the new Hungarian government’s readiness to lift the country’s long-standing opposition. Kirill, a highly controversial figure with both religious and political influence, has been accused of spreading revisionist propaganda to justify the war in Ukraine. Under his leadership, the Russian Orthodox Church approved a document that called for the annihilation of Ukrainian independence and described the invasion as a “Holy War”. His name, however, will not be included in a “mini package” of sanctions currently being prepared in Brussels. The…
Protesters in Greenland gathered in the capital Nuuk on Thursday to oppose a growing US presence on the Arctic island after Washington reopened its consulate at a new location. Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the city carrying Greenlandic flags and banners reading “We are not for sale” and “Go Home USA”. The rally came one day after US special envoy Jeff Landry ended a visit to the autonomous Danish territory, where he argued that the United States should rebuild its military footprint. Police monitored the march as protesters accused Washington of treating Greenland as a strategic asset rather than a…
Take out your tissues and prepare to weep… of joy. After six years of low-stakes drama, clichés about French people and questionable costume choices, Emily in Paris will end with its sixth season. To quote the iconic Dionne Warwick, it appears that, finally, “that work visa expired.” The show’s final series, which is currently filming, is expected to take Emily to Greece and Monaco. As a die-hard hate-watcher, I am happily welcoming the departure of our favourite overachieving, people-pleasing, slightly annoying marketing executive. Emily Cooper (played by Lily Collins) appeared on our screens in October 2020, at the height of…
NATO will hold its summit in Ankara July 7-8, which is likely to include a formal leaders’ meeting and a parallel industry forum, where non-NATO capitals will participate. But Zelenskyy has not yet formally accepted the invite. His attendance is “not clear yet,” one European official familiar with the invite told POLITICO. “Everything is still being decided. Everyone’s in waiting mode.” The alliance is also weighing inviting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the summit at the request of the gathering’s host, Turkey.
As the war in Iran and global tensions continue to fuel uncertainty in energy markets, renewables have recently moved back into the spotlight as a way for Europe to strengthen its energy independence. Usage across the bloc reached nearly 50%, according to Eurostat, with countries like Austria and Sweden already meeting 90% of their energy needs with renewables. Although the largest shares of green energy are produced by wind (38%) and hydro (26%), the fastest-growing source is solar, which went from just 1% in 2008 to over 23% in 2024. Experts claim photovoltaic panels might even overtake hydro, in terms…
Published on 22/05/2026 – 14:50 GMT+2 Taiwan hasn’t been notified of any pause in a planned $14 billion (€12 billion) arms sale to the self-governing island from the United States, a government official said on Friday, after the acting US Navy secretary told a Senate committee in Washington that some foreign military sales were being delayed to ensure the American military has enough munitions for the Iran war. Days after US President Donald Trump raised doubts about continuing arms sales to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said on Thursday that the…
Published on 22/05/2026 – 12:24 GMT+2 Holidaymakers heading to Portugal next month could face major travel disruption as cabin crew, rail workers, and public transport staff prepare to walk out in a nationwide strike. With hundreds of flights potentially affected and Lisbon already battling long airport queues, travellers are being warned to brace for delays at the start of the busy summer season. The strike will take place on 3 June and, according to Portuguese newspaper The Resident, the number of flights set to be affected could be as high as 500. The move comes after members of the Portuguese…
From 221B Baker Street in central London to a cliffside waterfall in the Swiss Alps, generations of armchair detectives are celebrating International Sherlock Holmes Day on Friday. Fans are marking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday in tribute to the author and the world’s most famous detective, whose adventures continue to shape popular culture since the late 19th century. But celebrations already began earlier this month, on 3 May, when enthusiasts travelled to Switzerland ‘s Reichenbach Falls to reenact one of literature’s most famous fictional death scenes. Fans might recognise the date as that of the fateful confrontation between Sherlock Holmes…
Recent polls have shown Philippe in the strongest position to defeat whoever runs from the far-right National Rally, which is currently leading in polls but must wait to choose a candidate until an appeals court rules on Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction. Should the court bar Le Pen from running when it rules on July 7, National Rally President Jordan Bardella would run instead. However, a lot can change between now and when voters head to the polls in less than a year. And Attal made it clear that he believes he can win with a campaign focused on “optimism”…