Author: staff

The US warship, part of a broader military buildup in the Caribbean, had arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday for a series of training operations aimed at strengthening maritime security cooperation between the two nations. Officials from both governments confirmed that while docked in Port of Spain, US troops and Trinidadian forces participated in joint drills focused on regional defense and emergency response. However, Venezuelan authorities condemned the island nation’s decision to host the US destroyer, calling it a “provocation” and subsequently suspending bilateral energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago, located just a few miles from…

Virgin founder and billionaire magnate Richard Branson hailed the ruling as a victory for consumers. “It’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route,” he said in a statement.   The ORR concurred, saying in a statement that the decision “unlocks plans for around £700mn of investment in new services and the creation of 400 new jobs, in a win for passengers, customer choice, and economic growth.”  The ORR added it had rejected similar applications from train operators Evolyn, Gemini and Trenitalia, with Virgin making the strongest case. “Virgin Trains’ plans were more financially and operationally robust than those of other applicants, and it provided clear evidence of investor backing,” the regulator said.   Eurostar has held a…

Europe should forge a deeper strategic partnership with Turkey in response to emerging global challenges, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday on his first official visit to Ankara, which has played a crucial mediating role in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Merz was speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, just days after Turkey and the United Kingdom finalised a multi-billion-euro deal for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Germany, part of the consortium that manufactures the advanced fighter aircraft, recently lifted its longstanding objection to their export to Turkey. Merz’s visit also comes amid reports of…

The emeritus king Juan Carlos I has defended his role in the return of democracy to Spain andin the “transition”, while expressing his respect for the dictator Francisco Franco. He also regretted the “weaknesses” that led him to make mistakes during his reign, which ultimately led him to distance himself from his family. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the general’s death, the former monarchmaintains that “Spanish democracy did not fall from the sky”and that it was he himself who “wanted it from the beginning.” His comments have been widely reported in several interviews granted to French media…

“He has a handicap, because he’s perceived as this relatively well-off cosmopolitan” — an image that creates tension with the idea of defending “the interests of ordinary Dutch citizens,” said de Lange. Over the years, Timmermans has grappled with being seen as arrogant after years of keeping his head out of the country — first, as state secretary of EU affairs and minister of foreign affairs for seven years, followed by his tenure at the European Commission for nine years, said Klusman, who is the CEO of the BKB campaigning agency. When he came back to the Netherlands in 2023, Dutch citizens…

BRUSSELS — Huawei was rushed back into the EU’s most influential solar panel lobby after threatening legal action in reaction to its earlier expulsion over its alleged involvement in a bribery and corruption scandal.   That’s outraging other solar power companies, worried that creating a special membership category for Huawei could undermine the ability of SolarPower Europe to effectively represent the industry in Brussels.  “The conduct reported … specifically the handling of Huawei’s membership has seriously undermined both my personal confidence and that of our organization in the governance of SPE,” Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß, CEO of Austrian company Fronius, wrote in a…

It seeks to create separate career paths for judges and prosecutors, ending the possibility of moving between the two roles, and to create distinct governing councils, one for judges and one for prosecutors, responsible for appointments, promotions, transfers and disciplinary procedures within their respective branches. The Italian government says the changes will improve accountability and efficiency within the judicial system, but critics — including opposition parties and judicial associations — warn they could weaken prosecutorial independence and politicize the judiciary. Meloni has long been at odds with the country’s judiciary, accusing magistrates of blocking her government’s priorities and framing the…

Published on 30/10/2025 – 16:26 GMT+1 Aegean Airlines will become the first European carrier to fly directly to Baghdad when it launches a route from Athens later this year, the Greek foreign minister said on Thursday during a visit to Iraq. The Greek airline is scheduled to operate its inaugural flight from Athens to the Iraqi capital on 16 December, according to Giorgos Gerapetritis. The company already flies to Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north, but had previously avoided Baghdad over security concerns. “I think this will substantially boost our people’s economic, but also cultural…

It was in 1959 that Astérix and the rest of the village of unyielding Gauls, who resisted Roman occupation thanks to a magic potion, first appeared in the French magazine Pilote. Since then, Astérix, always accompanied by his faithful friend Obelix and his dog Ideiafix, have travelled to every part of the Roman Empire and beyond… all of it? Until this year, Portuguese fans of the series lamented the fact that Lusitania, the territory that corresponds to what is now Portugal, had not yet been visited by these heroes who have enamoured and amused several generations of readers. That omission…

Das Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) steht vor einem Wendepunkt. Am Wochenende trifft sich die Parteispitze in Berlin zur Klausur – und es geht um alles: Inhalte, Köpfe und die Zukunft von Sahra Wagenknecht selbst. Will sie sich wirklich zurückziehen? Und wer könnte ihr folgen – Fabio De Masi, Oliver Runert oder Katja Wolf? Rasmus Buchsteiner analysiert mit Rixa Fürsen, ob das BSW nach einem schwierigen Jahr noch einmal politisch durchstarten kann – und was hinter der Idee steckt, aus dem „Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht“ künftig ein „Bündnis für Sicherheit und Wohlstand“ zu machen. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens…