Author: staff
Kosovars will now head to the polls within the next 45 days to elect a new government. It’s the third parliamentary election in just over a year — and Kosovo’s instability is increasingly undermining its EU ambitions and efforts to normalize its relationship with Serbia, having declared independence in 2008. The country applied to join the bloc in 2022, but has not been granted candidate status, as that depends on the EU-brokered dialogue with Serbia and all member countries acknowledging Kosovo as a sovereign nation. Cyprus, Spain, Slovakia, Romania and Greece currently do not recognize Kosovo.
The EU must deal with the US as an equal partner, not as a junior one, European Parliament vice-president Sophie Wilmès told Euronews on Wednesday, as EU leaders weigh a harder line with Washington over the Iran war and trade tariffs. “What is very important regarding the United States is that we are talking to each other as equal partners and not as a big brother against the little brother or the little sister,” Wilmès said. “Europe should do with Europe,” the former Belgian prime minister replied when asked whether the EU should reduce its dependence on its transatlantic ally.…
Published on 29/04/2026 – 11:41 GMT+2 Natural historian, broadcaster and British national treasure Sir David Attenborough turns 100 next month, on 8 May. To celebrate the event as well as Attenborough’s eight-decade career, which includes the award-winning Planet Earth series, a star-studded event is being planned at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Broadcasters including Sir Michael Palin and Steve Backshall will be in attendance, as well as musicians who featured in Planet Earth. Bastille frontman Dan Smith will be performing a classical version of the band’s hit ‘Pompeii’ with the BBC Concert Orchestra, following the track being used in Planet Earth…
May 9, which marks the Soviet triumph over Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, has become a core symbol of Russia’s modern militaristic ideology and one of its justifications for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 under the pretext of fighting Naziism, which it accuses Ukraine of harboring. Parades in Moscow have traditionally included columns of troops, dozens of tanks, artillery systems, air defense, nuclear-capable weapons and other military equipment columns. This year, the parade will include veterans of Russia’s war against Ukraine, some military students, marines and a military aviation show. While there is limited independent battlefield information, the Ukrainian…
The world should end new fossil fuel drilling, EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has said, adding that global energy security depends on reducing oil and gas dependency. Speaking on Tuesday at an international conference in Santa Marta, Colombia, aimed at quitting oil, gas and coal for good, the EU climate chief said that science-driven, measurable steps should be identified to support the transition from fossil fuels. “Science matters in climate change. And transitioning away from fossil fuels is a very tangible way to follow science,” he said. The First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, gathering 60…
Hundreds of visitors gathered at Kew Gardens in London to see the rare blooming of the titan arum, often called the “corpse flower” for its strong smell resembling rotting flesh. The plant, which can take several years to bloom, emits the odour to attract pollinators. This bloom is expected to last up to 48 hours before collapsing. Visitors described the scent as similar to dog’s breath or spoiled socks, drawing both curiosity and crowds to the conservatory. “It’s pretty impressive. Much larger than I thought it would be. It doesn’t smell quite as bad, unless you get a waft here…
Finnish lift maker KONE on Wednesday announced the acquisition of its German rival TKE in a giant share-and-cash deal valuing TKE at €29.4 billion. The group formed by the merger will be nearly twice the size of the current KONE group, with more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries and an annual revenue of around €20.5bn, the two companies said in a statement. A consortium including the private equity groups Advent and Cinven owns TKE. The new group will be based in Finland and led by KONE’s current French chief executive, Philippe Delorme. “This industry-revitalising transaction brings together two…
The material reportedly included details about Berlin’s military support for Ukraine and insights into the country’s defense industry, particularly companies developing drones and robotics. Authorities also accuse him of photographing public buildings in Berlin and documenting military convoys on German highways, including one linked to a NATO member country. The man is also suspected of identifying potential targets for sabotage and offering to recruit others for espionage and sabotage operations. The arrest comes amid heightened concerns across Europe over Russian intelligence activities following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. German officials have repeatedly warned of escalating espionage and hybrid threats. During…
Published on 29/04/2026 – 9:58 GMT+2 The European Commission has issued a preliminary finding against Meta for allegedly failing to prevent children under 13 from using Instagram and Facebook. The Commission said that its findings showed the US tech giant’s systems are in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Meta’s own terms of service set 13 as the minimum age for both platforms, but the Commission said that the company’s age enforcement measures are largely ineffective, as children can enter a false date of birth when signing up, with no mechanism in place to verify whether the information is…
Published on 29/04/2026 – 10:00 GMT+2 Following growing pressure from the Trump administration for network chiefs to sack Jimmy Kimmel, Disney-owned TV stations must submit to early licence reviews. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the reviews, which were due to start in October 2028, had been brought forward. The move comes after talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about Melania Trump days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. On his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! – on Disney’s ABC network – Kimmel said the First Lady had a “glow like an expectant widow”. A Disney spokesperson confirmed the…