Author: staff

The news set off a firestorm of criticism within Sánchez’s left-wing coalition government, with Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz, who heads junior coalition partner Sumar, demanding the situation be “rectified immediately.” Antonio Maíllo, general coordinator of the United Left party within the Sumar group, called it the “biggest crisis” the executive had faced since taking office in 2023. Faced with the threat that Sumar could abandon the five seats it controls within the Council of Ministers, Sánchez moved to settle the issue quickly. A Spanish government official granted anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive issue told POLITICO on Thursday that after…

Earlier this week, POLITICO reported that the EU was considering a ban on new Russian fossil fuel contracts as part of its long-awaited roadmap. The plan has been delayed for weeks amid geopolitical uncertainty following U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapprochement with the Kremlin. Von der Leyen has, however, previously welcomed the suggestion of buying more American gas to help phase out Russian shipments. “These energy partnerships, including imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States, remain of strategic importance for the European Union,” she added, while also crediting renewable power as having helped break Moscow’s stranglehold. Meanwhile, the risk…

Vibe: Upon entering, you are instantly transported into an IKEA showroom. Your humble reviewer was taken back to his first week in Brussels, wandering the labyrinthine interior of the IKEA store in Anderlecht in search of potted plants, spatulas and assorted knickknacks for his new apartment. Who’s picking up the check? The soup was €8.50 for a rather standard portion and the cheddar scone was €4.50, so the prices are not exactly in line with IKEA’s budget-friendly reputation. Spotted: Several Belgian influencers from Instagram and TikTok attended the pop-up’s opening day, the manager told us. With the EU institutions a stone’s throw away,…

‘No pact’ Asked to elaborate, he said: “Nobody can really predict, and I’m not going to predict, what that relationship should look like — whether it’s even a coalition, whether Reform merge with the Conservative Party, whether it’s a … supply and confidence agreement or whatever it might be. “But there’s going to have to be a very practical decision made. Because, again, in my view, because I’m a Conservative, I think the next few years are going to be terrible for the country. I think things are going to get a lot worse.  “And so again, if you want…

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday posted exasperatedly about Ukraine’s hesitance to accept that demand and criticized Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron, however, said Trump’s ire should be aimed squarely at Putin. “There is an aggressor, Russia, and there is a victim, Ukraine,” Macron said. “American frustration should be directed at only one person: President Putin.” While Trump has been particularly critical of Zelenskyy, he said he was “not happy” with Putin after Thursday’s deadly attack on the Ukrainian capital.  “Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets…

Pedro Pascal caused a sensation on Tuesday when he made a surprise appearance at the London premiere of *the new Marvel film Thunderbolts*.*The actor stood on the red carpet wearing a white t-shirt with the message ‘Protect the Dolls’ written in black, in support of trans women, just days after the UK Supreme Court ruled that a woman is defined by “biological sex.”Pascal has been a vocal supporter of trans rights ever since his sister, actress Lux Pascal, came out as trans in 2021. He is the latest celebrity spotted wearing the garment, which became viral in recent weeks as…

Her comments come after POLITICO reported that Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, advocates lifting sanctions on Russian energy infrastructure, including the Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipelines, as part of potential peace negotiations. The move reflects a broader effort by Trump’s team to reset relations with Moscow. Witkoff has held multiple rounds of talks with Russian officials, excluding Ukraine from the negotiation table. The discussions have focused on easing tensions and reopening economic ties while rushing a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine. Beyond the Social Democrats, the proposal has raised concerns in Germany, where reliance on Russian gas has…

Two environmental NGOs, ClientEarth and Oceana, have filed a lawsuit against the Spanish government, alleging failures to investigate and sanction Spanish-flagged vessels suspected of illegal fishing in West African waters.The lawsuit, filed in Madrid, accuses Spanish authorities of neglecting their obligations under EU law by ignoring vessels that have repeatedly switched off their tracking systems while operating off the coasts of Senegal and Guinea Bissau.“Fishing in the dark”At the heart of the legal challenge is the use of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). This tracking technology is mandatory for all boats over 15 metres in length and supports safety and transparency…

“A sobriety of language and presence” — that’s how Filippo Sorcinelli describes Pope Francis, whom he has quietly clothed since the earliest days of his pontificate. The stylist from the Marche region is the founder of the Atelier Lavs, an acronym for Laboratorio Arte Vesti Sacre, which has been working for over twenty years with the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.Sorcinelli, the 49-year-old who specialises in liturgical garments, has made some of the most significant robes of Pope Francis’ ministry, including those worn during his historic pontificate inauguration Mass, broadcast worldwide in 2013.Even on Pope Francis’ final…

The French president’s comments come a day after his office took the unusual step of publicly shooting down on X the Bloomberg report that new elections were being considered. 🚨 FAUX – La Présidence de la République dément, comme elle l’a déjà fait en amont de la publication de l’article. pic.twitter.com/qcPc46VVhh— Élysée (@Elysee) April 23, 2025 POLITICO reported last week that rumors in the National Assembly had begun circulating that inside the Elysée discussions were being had about whether or not to call new snap elections in the coming months. The French president is constitutionally barred from dissolving parliament more than once…