Author: staff
Spain’s housing affordability crisis continues to worsen. In 2025, the financial effort Spaniards had to make to rent a home hit a new record: 50% of the average gross salary went on rent, compared with 47% in 2024. According to a study based on data from InfoJobs and Fotocasa, the rise in rental prices once again far outstripped wage growth. While advertised salaries increased by barely 1% over the past year, the cost of rented housing went up by 6.9%, reaching 14.21 euros per square metre per month. Taking an 80-square-metre flat as a reference, the average annual rent rose…
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest football tournament ever staged, with matches spread across the US, Canada and Mexico – and billions expected to tune in worldwide. But, for many fans, following the action no longer has to mean taking a month off work. As remote and hybrid working has become the norm, increasing numbers of travellers are planning to combine the tournament with working abroad, swapping the office for coworking spaces, cafés and fan zones in World Cup host cities. So, which destinations offer the best balance of football atmosphere, affordability and remote-work practicality?…
By Gavin Blackburn & Serge Duchêne Published on 01/06/2026 – 8:44 GMT+2 France and its allies detained a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic over the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday. The Tagor was detained on Sunday morning in international waters with the help of the United Kingdom and other partners, he said in a social media post. “It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years,” he said. Since September, France has boarded three other ships believed…
Published on 01/06/2026 – 9:18 GMT+2 Donald Trump has offered to perform at his “Freedom 250” celebration at the Great American State Fair, after even more acts have pulled out. The event, touted as a “once-in-a-generation celebration”, is scheduled to take place at the National Mall in Washington DC between 25 June and 10 July as part of the United States’ 250 birthday celebrations. Initially, the line-up included Vanilla Ice, Martina McBride, The Commodores, C+C Music Factory, Young MC, Morris Day, Poison’s Bret Michaels, Flo Rida and Fab Morvan – the surviving member of the lip-syncing duo Milli Vanilli. As…
The ghost of Peter Mandelson returns as more than 1,000 documents, emails and WhatsApp messages are due to be released – but how damaging will it be for the government? With ministers, officials and advisors braced for impact, Sam and Anne assess what could be in the files, whether the most sensitive material has been withheld and what the disclosures reveal about government communications in the age of disappearing messages. Plus, with the Makerfield by-election fast approaching, the duo examines mounting speculation over Labour’s future leadership. As names continue to circulate around Westminster, is the party already preparing for a…
A suspected drone sighting brought disruption to Munich airport on Saturday morning, with around 26 flights reportedly diverted and further delays affecting departures. It’s the latest in a growing number of drone incidents at German airports. Figures from Germany’s air navigation service, Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), show that 37 drone sightings were recorded in the first three months of this year alone. Yet one question often goes unanswered: who was flying them? In most cases, investigators are unable to determine whether a drone was being operated by a hobbyist, an irresponsible pilot or someone with more hostile intentions. Without recovering the…
Paris Saint-Germain received a hero’s welcome on Sunday as tens of thousands of supporters gathered across the French capital to celebrate the club’s second consecutive Champions League title. Fans lined the route from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Champ-de-Mars, where players displayed the trophy beneath the Eiffel Tower following their penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in Budapest. The squad later met President Emmanuel Macron before ending the day with a celebration at Parc des Princes. The festivities followed a night of unrest that overshadowed the sporting achievement. Authorities reported hundreds of arrests, injuries to police officers and participants, and incidents…
And on that front, Europe has an advantage. Speaking at a global real-estate conference recently, I was struck by a recurring theme: the European continent as a safe haven. Real estate is, of course, a long-term kind of business. Real-estate investors have to have faith in the neighborhoods, cities, countries they’re buying properties in. And as the conference went on, executive after executive returned to Europe as a safe place to do business in because — well, because it’s true. Rule of law is regressing all over the world. According to the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, nearly…
China is the primary global supplier of parts and components to Europe. Beijing single-handedly exports 47 percent of all the materials needed to construct a final product entering the EU. On May 29th, the European Commission held an internal debate on EU-China relations and manufacturing dependency, as foreign subsidies disturb the market and pose a geopolitical risk. It also reviewed a proposal that could allow companies to buy a maximum of 30% to 40% of their parts from one single country. The remaining 60% to 70% would have to be split across at least three other nations. The plan, targeting…
Thousands of people gathered along Fifth Avenue in New York on Sunday for the city’s annual Israel Day parade. Video showed attendees waving Israeli and American flags as floats, performers and community groups moved through the streets accompanied by music and banners. Political leaders including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer joined the event, which commemorates the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Security was visible along the parade route as large crowds lined the avenue. Organisers and participants described the event as a celebration of Jewish identity, culture and community, while families…