Author: staff
By Johanna Urbancik Published on 04/05/2026 – 14:23 GMT+2 Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has claimed a “migration turnaround” as he approaches a year in office, but courts have begun striking down the border controls at the centre of his policy and migration researchers have questioned whether his figures prove anything at all. Dobrindt of the centre-right CSU announced tighter border controls on his first day in office, fulfilling a key campaign pledge of the CDU/CSU coalition. Federal police have since turned back asylum seekers at the border, around 1,340 people between Dobrindt’s appointment and April 2026, according to Tagesschau. Monthly…
Published on 04/05/2026 – 13:15 GMT+2 The major AI company Anthropic is exploring a potential partnership with the British semiconductor firm Fractile to secure a steady supply of chips for custom inference and reduce the significant overheads associated with current semiconductor solutions. According to reports, these talks represent a strategic effort by the San Francisco-based firm to decrease its dependency on Nvidia whilst enhancing the speed and efficiency of its current and next-generation models. As the global demand for generative AI capacity continues to climb, the financial burden of the hardware required to run these systems has become a primary…
“Espionage is a security issue for Austria,” Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger told POLITICO. “This government has made a policy shift and is taking consistent action against it. We have made this unmistakably clear to the Russian side, also with regard to the ‘forest of antennas’ at the Russian mission.” Meinl-Reisinger said it was “unacceptable” for the officials to invoke their diplomatic immunity to carry out spying operations in Austria, and said the country would move to tighten the espionage provision in the criminal code to curb the illicit activity. As a result of its proximity to the Iron Curtain, Vienna…
Nine artefacts dating from the second to the seventh century are being returned to Uzbekistan, after being recovered by the Metropolitan Police in London. The items had been illegally exported and were seized in November 2025, during an investigation codenamed “Operation Inherent Vice”. Before their transfer, the objects were presented at the Uzbekistan embassy in London. They include sculpted heads made of gypsum and terracotta dating back to the 2nd to 5th centuries, associated with the Kushan period and ancient Termez, including Buddhist art centres such as Karatepa, Fayoztepa, and Dalverzintepa. Fragments of wall paintings from the 7th to 8th…
Should Trump make good on his pledge, the car tariffs would mostly affect Germany’s struggling car industry — and put further pressure on embattled Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump has ordered a drawdown of U.S. troops from Germany after Merz said he lacked a clear strategy to end the war with Iran and had been “humiliated” by the regime in Tehran. Following Trump’s threats, a European Commission spokesperson said on Friday that the EU “will keep our options open to protect EU interests.” The EU institutions are still negotiating over legislation to implement the deal, under which the bloc would scrap duties…
Übermorgen ist Friedrich Merz genau ein Jahr im Amt. Die Bilanz fällt schlecht aus. Innenpolitisch reibt sich die schwarz-rote Koalition im Dauerstreit um Steuern und Subventionen auf, während die Umfragewerte im Keller liegen. Gordon Repinski analysiert den gestrigen Auftritt des Kanzlers in der ARD bei Caren Miosga, seinen Versuch einer Rückkehr zur Regierungsarbeit und das schwierige Vertrauensverhältnis zur SPD-Spitze um Bärbel Bas und Lars Klingbeil. Außenpolitisch droht nach Merz’ Aussage in einer Schule ein massiver diplomatischer Schaden. Die Quittung aus Washington folgt prompt: US-Präsident Donald Trump kündigt den Abzug von 5.000 Soldaten aus Deutschland an, vielleicht auch mehr. Rixa Fürsen…
How many steps do you aim for each day? The popularised 10,000-step goal doesn’t need to fall by the wayside while you’re abroad, especially with Lonely’ Planet’s latest guide. In Where to Go When: Hiking, the travel platform maps out more than 90 trails across the globe for those looking to explore the world on foot. Self-styled as the “ultimate companion for planning unforgettable walking adventures throughout the year”, the guide coincides with the rise of walking holidays. According to UN Tourism, walking tourism has become one of the most popular ways to explore a destination. By walking, visitors are…
Published on 04/05/2026 – 9:49 GMT+2 For many fans, the Toy Story films should have ended in 2010, with the perfect trilogy capper. However, Pixar had other ideas for its flagship franchise, and we got the lackluster fourth instalment nine years later. Next month, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang will be back for a fifth adventure, which hopefully will recapture some of the early magic. And with that in mind, Pixar are clearly banking on generating some buzz (pun intended) in the shape of Taylor Swift. At least that’s what the rumour suggests… Eagle-eyed Swifties noticed that a countdown…
While defense officials and policymakers don’t rule out Putin launching a ground offensive in a NATO country, they say it’s unlikely given how stretched Russia is in fighting Ukraine, according to one senior NATO diplomat and three senior European defense officials, who were granted anonymity to speak freely about the sensitive matter. Instead, it’s far more likely he’ll do something more targeted or carry out an incursion designed to create ambiguity, hoping to sow division in NATO over whether the action meets the threshold to trigger its Article 5 mutual defense clause or not, Aaltola said. Article 5 declares that…
Published on 04/05/2026 – 9:51 GMT+2 Trump’s decision to slap 25% tariffs on EU cars is politically motivated and aimed squarely at German automakers, German MEP Bernd Lange (S&D), chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, told Europe Today on Monday. “There are no legal or no economic reasons for those tariffs. This is really politically against Germany,” Lange said. “He is targeting specifically German car manufacturers.” Lange’s remarks come days after Trump announced the tariffs, following criticism of the U.S. war in Iran by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The US president has accused several European countries of refusing to…