Author: staff

Good morning from Brussels, where there is palpable sense of expectation after Sunday’s Hungarian election which saw the dethroning of long-time leader Viktor Orbán. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Monday for “swift” progress in restoring the fraught ties between Brussels and Budapest following opposition leader Péter Magyar’s stunning win on Sunday, adding that contacts will begin immediately but that the reset would need to wait until Magyar formally takes office, expected in mid-May. My colleagues Jorge Liboreiro and Sándor Zsiros break down which EU funds Magyar could seek to unlock as he aims to turn a…

The royal couple arrived shortly after 7 p.m. under light rain and were received by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a formal dinner and overnight stay. The meeting, though not a state visit, carries diplomatic weight as both countries seek closer cooperation on trade, defence and security. The visit comes during a wider phase of European engagement with Washington, ahead of a planned UK royal visit later in April. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, 38, joined the dinner and official photos, signalling a pragmatic approach despite his earlier criticism of Trump. Earlier on Monday, the royal…

Wine tourism is on the rise, with more and more travellers looking to explore regions outside of the obvious choices like Bordeaux or Tuscany. If you’re planning a trip where the focus is on really good vino, you might just want to take a look at the Wine Travel Awards for some inspiration. Now in its fifth edition, there are 16 categories highlighting the world’s best winemakers, tour operators, writers and more. The top five in each category are decided by public vote, with the overall winners chosen by a judging panel. You’ll have to wait until 1 May to…

Digitalminister Karsten Wildberger warnt vor einem unkritischen Einsatz von ChatGPT und ähnlichen KI-Systemen, insbesondere bei sensiblen Anwendungen wie psychologischer Beratung. „Wenn man das nicht richtig macht, auch nicht richtige Vorgaben macht, kann das sehr gefährlich sein“, sagt Wildberger dem Pro-Newsletter Technologie & KI. Seine Aussagen sind auch in der aktuellen Folge des Podcasts Power & Policy zu hören. Gerade bei komplexen oder sensiblen Themen sieht der Minister klare Grenzen der Technologie. „Sind bestimmte Modelle beispielsweise, wenn sie entsprechend trainiert sind, in bestimmten Fachfragen schon sehr gut? Ja“, sagt der CDU-Politiker. „Reicht das aus, um wirklich eine Diagnose zu stellen? Ein…

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music The EU may be saying goodbye to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, but the system that empowered him and the problems he’s left behind are still very much in place. Today on the podcast, Ian Wishart and Nick Vinocur discuss what a new leader in Budapest means for issues like Russia sanctions and the €90 billion loan for Ukraine that Hungary has been blocking. Also on the pod, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has a vision of a vastly expanded European Union — but the bloc’s leaders are less enthusiastic. They fear the topic…

US President Donald Trump said his country’s military have begun blockading Iranian ports in an effort to force Tehran to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington’s terms to end the war that has been raging since 28 February. At least two tankers approaching the Strait late on Monday turned around, according to a post on X by vessel tracker MarineTraffic, who announced the development shortly after the US Navy began its blockade. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said the blockade restricted “the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure.” Its notice to mariners…

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“I find President Trump’s remarks about the Holy Father unacceptable,” Meloni said in a statement on Monday. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and proper that he call for peace and condemn all forms of war.” Trump’s outburst has left Italian right-wing politicians under pressure to defend the Holy Father, given that their voters straddle nationalist conservatism and a strong attachment to Catholic tradition. Deputy Prime Minister and far-right League leader Matteo Salvini — a longtime supporter of Trump — was particularly vocal on Monday, telling local TV station Telelombardia that “if anyone…

A first round of negotiations on disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon and normalizing relations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to take place in Washington on Tuesday.Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa will lead their respective delegations at the talks at the State Department, two people familiar with the matter said. They were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.Lebanon’s prime minister had originally been scheduled to travel to the U.S. this week, but postponed the trip on Saturday, citing “the current internal situation” in Lebanon.Meanwhile, Israel’s military is…

But the Hungarian election had been a major priority just days earlier. JD Vance had traveled to Budapest last week and while Trump didn’t make the trip himself, he did call into the rally. And that eleventh hour campaign push came weeks after another visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump, in his remarks via telephone during Orbán’s rally aside Vance last week, credited the autocrat for his strict immigration policy in particular, stating that he “kept your country strong, and he kept your country good, and you don’t have problems with all of the problems that so many other countries…