Author: staff
In news that will come as a shock to all Londoners who have been perfecting their resting [bleep] face, the UK capital has just been named the most welcoming city for tourists in Europe. That’s according to eSIM provider Holafly, which looked at 200 cities worldwide and evaluated them based on safety, visa openness, tourism and information services, and English proficiency levels among residents. London came out second overall. The UK as a whole is among the most welcoming countries worldwide, with Edinburgh coming out 11th in the ranking. Just two other countries in Europe had two cities in the…
Anne shares what she’s been hearing about the new top team at the Foreign Office and Ed Milliband reveals what his grandfather would have said about his new job. Meanwhile, can Andy Burnham really fix Britain’s social care system? That’s the big question as the new prime minister hosts cross-party talks on one of the country’s biggest challenges. There’s just one problem: the invitations only went out on Tuesday, and neither Kemi Badenoch nor Ed Davey will be in the room. The Conservative leader is sending the shadow health secretary in her place, while Davey will join by Zoom. Nigel…
South Korea’s SK hynix said on Wednesday that second-quarter net profit soared 1,242% year-on-year, driven by the artificial intelligence industry’s surging demand for its advanced memory chips. Despite the record result, its shares closed 9.6% lower in Seoul after revenue and operating profit missed market expectations. The company is a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips to US technology giant Nvidia and a pillar of South Korea’s tech-led economy. The global race to build data centres housing AI infrastructure has helped the firm grow significantly, despite concerns that the sector may be overvalued and in a market bubble. Wednesday’s earnings…
The tourism industry continues to navigate a turbulent period with soaring jet fuel prices and the knock-on effect on travel costs. But amid all this, how is Europe faring? Pretty well, or to be precise, “steady”, according to the Travel Insights 2026: Focus on Europe report published by Amadeus Travel Intelligence and UN Tourism. Latest findings reveal that the continent remains resilient and continues to “hold up well overall”, with passenger traffic having grown 2.3% as well as hotel occupancy up 2% from May 2025 to April 2026 compared to the year prior. Europe remains the world’s largest tourism destination…
It may be downhill from here The policies Burnham has put forward have also gone down well with voters. Public First found the cost of living remained by far the biggest issue facing the country, in voters’ eyes, with 68 percent naming it as a top national priority. In his first week, Burnham moved to ease the strain on household finances with a cut to VAT on electricity bills and a national cap on bus fares. These policies received big majorities in favor — as did his proposal for the biggest council house building program since the post-war period. But 46…
Residents in Menasha, Wisconsin, are assessing the damage after a tornado tore through the US Midwest region, leaving homes in pieces and without power. The tornado left widespread destruction in its wake across Menasha and neighbouring Appleton, with debris scattered across streets and utility poles damaged. Fallen trees blocked roads, while residents cleared branches and debris from their properties. The storm has left residents facing costly repairs as emergency teams continue to assess the impact.
The highly anticipated Federal Reserve policy meeting on Wednesday comes amid uncertainty over whether policymakers are losing patience with inflation and, if so, whether they are ready to turn their frustration into action. Expectations are tilting towards ‘not yet’. US economists largely expect the Fed to leave rates unchanged this time, but see the risk of a hike as significant, with many pricing in a rate rise for September. The monetary policy decision comes as renewed tensions in the Middle East have sent oil prices soaring again, reigniting concerns that inflation could keep climbing in the world’s biggest economy. Besides…
But negotiators on both sides say these agreements all come as a package and cannot proceed separately. Brussels insists that the tuition fees issue should be dealt with as part of the proposed youth mobility scheme. Summit’s up The agreements were meant to be finalized at a summit in Brussels earlier in July, but the meeting was postponed following Starmer’s resignation as prime minister. Andy Burnham and his EU interlocutors have both said they want to set a new date for the meeting this year. Its looming nature was previously concentrating the minds of negotiators on getting the deals over…
Footage from Tel Aviv shows Israeli protesters marching through the city before police block their route. Demonstrators chant, hold signs condemning settler violence in the West Bank and gather around a participant wearing masks depicting US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rally was organised to denounce violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, which protesters say has intensified in recent months. They accused the government of failing to protect Palestinian communities and called for stronger action. Police maintained a heavy presence throughout the march, blocking parts of the planned route as the demonstration continued…
No one is yet saying out loud that Merz should go. But if his party performs poorly in three state elections in September, the crisis will likely become much harder to contain. The drama has so far unfolded in two acts. The first began on July 14, when BILD — which, like POLITICO, is owned by Axel Springer — reported that Jens Spahn, the conservatives’ parliamentary group leader, and his husband had become parents through a surrogate mother in the United States. “This feeling can hardly be put into words,” the paper quoted him as saying. The complication was plain…