Author: staff

Britain’s new government spent most of the fall bogged down in questions over where it stands on EU demands for a youth mobility scheme — which Brussels sees as essential to the reset. The young Labour administration is worried the idea smells too much like EU migration, a difficult political issue in Britain. It hasn’t ruled the idea out, but the official line is that it has “no plans.” That hasn’t stopped the questions. “I’ve been clear from the get-go that freedom of movement is a red line for us, and no plans in relation to free movement on any…

OK, Europe will have to endure again presidential histrionics and needling all-caps tweets, along with threats to withdraw from NATO and impose tariffs, but doesn’t that present an opportunity? Might now European leaders screw up their courage and loosen the apron strings? For years they’ve waffled on about strategic autonomy and sharing the burden more of their own defense. Now they have the chance to determine their own destiny. OK, it’s all going to be a bit traumatic — growing up always is, like infants experiencing the arrival of baby teeth. But Trump back in the White House may be…

One of the most politically sensitive topics in Brussels, the €1.2 trillion budget governs spending on anything from support to Ukraine to film subsidies. Hawkish Eastern European and Nordic countries including Poland and Sweden are keen to boost EU spending on defense, while Southern ones such as Italy and Greece would like more cash to stem migrant departures from Africa.  The Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator Act will fall under the remit of European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. | Sean Gallup/Getty Images One of the big questions is how many hoops countries will need to jump through to access their cash. The…

Keir Starmer starts 2025 with his back to the wall — but he’s vowing to “fight for change” in the year ahead. In his message to Brits as the new year kicks off, the U.K. prime minister — elected in a landslide in the summer but currently tanking in the polls — talked up progress on wages, deportations and in turning around the country’s ailing health service as he tried to project confidence. But Starmer’s task is a tricky one, after a stumbling start to Britain’s first center-left Labour government in more than a decade saw the prime minister hit…

Meanwhile, Kyiv could replace the lost power with imports from Romania and Poland, Galushchenko said. Warsaw has already offered its support in case of a cutoff. If “the goal [is] to make Ukraine [in] pain,” he said, “it doesn’t work in this situation.” Slovakia and Hungary, led by the Russia-friendly Fico and Viktor Orbán, have been for months trying to convince Kyiv to renew the gas deal, which expires on Tuesday night. Although the gas supplies transiting Ukraine account for around 5 percent of the EU’s total imports, the two countries have argued an end to the deal would threaten…

“WHO’s international experts have repeatedly said that during their visit to China, they went to all the places they wanted to go and met all the people they wanted to see,” Mao added. China went into lockdown in January 2020, with countries around the world quickly following suit to curb the spread of the virus. Schools were closed, staff told to work from home, flights canceled, mask mandates introduced, and people urged to stay indoors as the virus, which killed 40,000 people per month in Europe at the height of infection, surged around the world. In 2023, genetic data gathered…

The endorsement sparked a firestorm in Germany, with the government and politicians across the spectrum accusing Musk of attempting to influence the outcome of the February election. “Musk is strengthening those who are weakening Europe,” Germany’s vice chancellor and economy minister, Robert Habeck, also said in his New Year’s address. Musk has launched a series of attacks on German maintream politicians in recent days while praising the AfD. In one post, he referred to Scholz as “Oaf Schitz.” In another, he referred to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as an “anti-democratic tyrant.” Musk’s animosity toward German mainstream politicians and his affection…

“I would not go back there on holiday, but the architecture goes from medieval right through to renaissance, and when it’s good, it’s spectacular,” he said. His jibe angered politicians on the sun-kissed Mediterranean island, which funneled a record €47 million in cash rebates to the producers of “Gladiator 2.” Valletta Cultural Agency Chairman Jason Micallef called Scott a “bully,” while Maltese opposition MP Adrian Delia said the director hadn’t shown “respect … towards those who welcomed you warmly, shared and lent their history and culture and showered you with millions to credit to your tax bill.” “You advised the…

And, no doubt, he’s now hoping history repeats itself. Hence, Merz is trying to curb his instincts and not snap at critics, not make any unguarded remarks. But the risk of him getting into trouble while pressing the flesh with voters is not insignificant.  This is critical because while Merz dreams of an outright majority, the voting system likely won’t give him that — he’ll have to work with either the Social Democrats (SPD) or the Greens. The arithmetic is complicated, but if the Liberal Free Democrats fall under the 5 percent parliamentary threshold — as seems likely — there…

Climate change is already affecting Europe’s favourite beverage – but small-scale farmers are working on solutions. The warming climate and extreme weather are responsible for reduced coffee production, which, in turn, also impacts the quality of coffee beans. Sourcing experts say that climate change was partly responsible for the global surge in coffee prices in 2024, which has adversely affected smallholder coffee farms.By 2050, there may be less suitable land for growing coffee. However, farming cooperatives in major coffee-producing countries are fighting back, supported by conscious consumers.‘If coffee isn’t sustainable for farmers, there won’t be coffee to taste’“Every year, the rains…