Author: staff
Join us as we pay homage to some of the most notable figures in the realms of art and entertainment who bid us farewell over the past twelve months. While it’s impossible to do justice to all the icons who left an indelible mark on our lives either through their achievements, performances or strength of character – we’ve chosen to celebrate 14 of the most influential and unforgettable. David Lynch (1946 – 2025) The beloved director-writer, well known for cinematic giants such as Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet died aged 78. In 2024, Lynch revealed he had been…
Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt called for the use of Magnitsky sanctions, which are financial measures that can cause significant operational headaches including asset freezes and barring U.S. entities from trading with sanctioned entities. While they are normally reserved for serious human rights violations like war crimes or the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration has already used them to go after another person deemed to be a modern agent of censorship. In July, the Treasury and State departments announced Magnitsky sanctions against Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes, including for suppressing “speech that is protected under the…
Europe is facing the possibility of a war arriving sooner than anyone expected. On 11 December, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in a speech in Germany that Russia is escalating its war campaign against Europe, not just Ukraine. “We must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured,” he said. At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague last June, allies agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defence each year by 2035. This aims to strengthen NATO’s military and get ready for possible conflicts, whether with Russia or other threats. Meanwhile, the European…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of daily life, including everyday calculations. But how well do these systems actually handle basic math? And how much should users trust them? A recent study advises caution. The Omni Research on Calculation in AI (ORCA) shows that when you ask an AI chatbot to perform everyday math, there is roughly a 40 per cent chance it will get the answer wrong. Accuracy varies significantly across AI companies and across different types of mathematical tasks. So which AI tools are more accurate, and how do they perform across different types of calculations,…
Train travel across Europe is set to get a major boost in 2026. A survey of 11,000 people commissioned by rail manufacturer Hitachi Rail found that one-third of respondents expect to travel more by train in the next 12 months. Over the next five years, that increases to 40 per cent across countries and 49 per cent across cities. Train-loving travellers will be pleased to hear, then, that there are five new routes in the pipeline scheduled to begin running next year. From a revived Paris–Berlin sleeper to a brand-new Prague–Copenhagen daytime service, here are five new train routes confirmed…
Next, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that the U.S. and Russia would negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine — without Ukraine’s or Europe’s involvement. And then came Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, where he said that the biggest threat to Europe wasn’t Russia or China but “the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values.” Finally, at the end of the month, Trump and Vance confronted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, on live television. “You don’t have the cards,” Trump exclaimed, berating…
For years, satellite infrastructure was treated by policymakers as a technical utility rather than a strategic asset. That changed in 2022, when a cyberattack on the Viasat satellite network coincided with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Satellites have since become popular targets for interference, espionage and disruption. The European Commission in June warned that space was becoming “more contested,” flagging increasing cyberattacks and attempts at electronic interference targeting satellites and ground stations. Germany and the United Kingdom warned earlier this year of the growing threat posed by Russian and Chinese space satellites, which are regularly spotted spying on their satellites. EU…
By Euronews Published on 30/12/2025 – 6:21 GMT+1 US President Donald Trump said Monday the US struck a shore facility where boats allegedly used for drug smuggling “load up,” but provided limited details about the operation. Trump appeared to confirm the strike during what seemed an impromptu radio interview on Friday. When reporters asked him Monday about “an explosion in Venezuela,” he said the US targeted a facility where drug-trafficking boats operate. “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump said while meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. “They…
Wer regiert die Welt – und was treibt sie an? In unserem regelmäßigen Machthaber-Spezial geht es um die mächtigsten und umstrittensten Politikerinnen und Politiker unserer Zeit. Wir zeigen, wie sie denken, entscheiden – und was das für uns bedeutet. Eine Politikerin oder Politiker, ein Blick hinter die Kulissen der Macht. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon…
25. One in, one out: Britain and France struck a treaty for small boat crossings — until one returned migrant recrossed the English Channel to Blighty. 26. Zacktavist: A new generation of Greens got behind “eco-populist” leader Zack Polanksi — and could treat themselves to a mug with his face on for £7 a pop. 27. Yantar: Russia made its meddling against Britain known by deploying a spy ship into territorial waters … although it failed to remain incognito. 28. Two up, two down: Chancellor Rachel Reeves mooted increasing income tax by 2p and cutting national insurance by…