Author: staff
While admitting the current situation is “tense,” Merz said the country had sufficient access to the key fuels at the moment. But, he added, “if conditions worsen, we are prepared to act,” and insisted “all available instruments” would be used to ensure security of supply. Germany’s National Security Council, which is composed of key government ministers and sectoral experts, was set up last year to coordinate rapid responses to major threats. The decision to convene the group signals Berlin believes the jet fuel shortage could become a significant problem. Economy Minister Katherina Reiche last week unveiled contingency plans and is…
If you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in nature this summer, exploring landscapes barely touched by humans and home to hundreds of different bird species, this ranking might be for you. It lists Europe’s 75 most unspoilt national parks based on criteria such as the number of protected areas, biodiversity, and the amount of artificial light. Bulgaria’s Rila National Park, with its 28 protected areas, at 1,400 metres above sea level, tops the list, according to British cycling tour website Love Velo. The main attraction of this park is the Seven Lakes, glacial basins immersed in a dense emerald-green pine…
Former president Barack Obama met New York mayor Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Saturday at a child care centre in New York. The pair read ‘Alone and Together’ to preschoolers and led a singalong, including ‘Wheels on the Bus’. Children replied with ‘Soda Pop’. The visit came just over a week after Mamdani marked 100 days in office. They did not take questions from reporters. Obama, a leading Democratic voice, has offered to act as a sounding board for Mamdani, 34, whose agenda focuses on affordability and support for working families. The mayor has also met Donald Trump…
Published on 20/04/2026 – 9:04 GMT+2 Two more Kanye ‘Ye’ West concerts have been cancelled over the controversial rapper’s past antisemitic comments. Following the UK government barring his entry to the country and the subsequent cancellation of this year’s Wireless Festival, as well as West’s Orange Velodrome Marseille gig postponed in France, both Poland and Switzerland have pulled the plug. West was due to appear at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów on 19 June, his first performance in Poland for 15 years. However, the venue announced that the concert would not take place “due to formal and legal reasons.” The…
The prime minister faces another defining day as he confronts MPs over one question – when did he and Number 10 learn that Peter Mandelson had failed his security vetting? Keir Starmer has blamed top foreign office diplomat – Sir Olly Robbins – for not telling him, but allies of the mandarin are fighting back ahead of his expected appearance before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee tomorrow. Sam and Anne unpack the competing claims, the ongoing fallout and whether this has become a defining crisis for the PM – just a fortnight before the local and national elections. And, away…
Updated: 20/04/2026 – 9:09 GMT+2 The winner of the Bulgarian parliamentary elections, Rumen Radev, won’t be “openly anti-EU”, analyst Martin Vladimirov tells Europe Today. But he caveats that this is “a major win for the Kremlin and a culmination of a long strategy of Russia to solidify its influence in the country”. … More
A father fatally shot eight children, seven of whom were his own, in an attack on Sunday morning in the southern US state of Louisiana. The attack, which according to police took place across two houses in a neighbourhood in Shreveport, was one of the country’s deadliest mass shootings in years. Two women, including the gunman’s wife who was the mother of their children, were also shot and critically wounded, according to a Shreveport Police Department spokesperson. Authorities said the children were all killed in the same house. Their ages ranged from three to 11 years old. They were three…
The push to ramp up pressure on Israel is in focus this week as the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas presides over a meeting of the Global Alliance for a Two-State Solution as well as at a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. Ministers are expected to raise the subject of West Bank sanctions and the Association Agreement — although one EU diplomat from a mid-sized EU country and the EU official quoted above said that countries might avoid moving ahead in deference to peace talks between Israel and Lebanon. Tensions ramp up The push to revisit sanctions comes…
Published on 20/04/2026 – 8:00 GMT+2•Updated 8:15 97 per cent of young people are online daily, with 65 per cent relying on social media for their main news source. Among 13 to 17-year-olds, 78 per cent check their devices hourly. 9 to 15-year-olds spend up to 3 hours on social platforms, and 25 per cent admit to smartphone addiction, according to the 2025 Parliament’s report on an EU-wide minimum age for social media. The EU already took steps to safeguard minors online through initiatives such as the Digital Market Act, the Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids, and the…
Updated: 20/04/2026 – 7:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this April 20th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More