Author: staff

While the EPP called for payments to be suspended only if the results of the study revealed risks to drug supplies, the ECR called for the scheme to be paused while the study is happening. The amendments passed, some narrowly: The EPP’s proposal was pushed through with 305 in favor, 238 against, and 11 abstaining; The ECR proposal passed with 282 votes in favor, 245 against and 13 abstentions. Overall, the amended resolution passed with 294 votes in favor, 245 against, and 28 abstentions. Socialists and Democrats MEP Tiemo Wölken said that by supporting the ECR amendments, “which deleted the…

Calls for tougher measures against goods originating from Israeli settlements are gaining momentum across Europe. France and Sweden have urged the European Commission to adopt EU-wide restrictions, while countries including Belgium, Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have examined national measures targeting settlement imports. The debate comes amid the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. In 2025, Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich boasted that 69 new settlements had been approved in recent years, describing it as a record level of expansion. Data published by the Israeli settlement monitoring group Peace Now indicates that 103 new settlements have been…

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he had approved a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war despite having a “different view,” without elaborating. “In principle, I had a different view (about the memorandum of understanding), but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable (Iranian) president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front,” Khamenei said in message read out on state television Khamenei has not…

“This will be a real review,” Hegseth told fellow ministers in Brussels. The announcement comes after months of U.S. moves to pare back parts of its European presence. Washington has already moved to withdraw about 5,000 soldiers from Germany, a step U.S. officials have said would bring American troop levels in Europe closer to where they stood before Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The administration has also reduced U.S. contributions to NATO force-planning requirements, including high-end assets such as fighter aircraft, airborne refueling tankers, maritime patrol planes and naval capabilities that European allies may struggle to replace quickly. Europe’s…

Published on 18/06/2026 – 20:11 GMT+2•Updated 20:13 Police in the UK said on Thursday that a man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy “ended up in the crocodile enclosure” at a zoo. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said the toddler had sustained “serious injuries” and was in a “critical but stable” condition at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. It did not specify how the injuries had been inflicted and whether they were from a crocodile. “A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder,” the police force added, noting specially trained officers were supporting…

“Residential supply has responded inadequately to the growth in demand”, the Bank of Spain states in its 2025 annual report on the performance of the national economy. The institution estimates that a total of 750,000 new homes would be needed to close the gap between newly formed households and the available housing stock. Its experts warn, however, that this situation is not the same in every Spanish province. While Ávila has 58.2% of properties in its housing stock that could be brought onto the residential market, Madrid is limited to just 9.9%, compared with a Spanish average of 27.1%. The…

Published on 18/06/2026 – 13:24 GMT+2 American filmmaking duo Joel and Ethan Coen will be honoured at the 18th edition of Lyon’s Lumière Festival. The Oscar-winning brothers will receive the prestigious Lumière Award at the festival, which runs from 10-18 October and is headed by Cannes head Thierry Fremaux. The Coens will receive their award on 16 October, and their films will be shown in a retrospective. Best known for their genre-spanding films which include Blood Simple, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country For Old Men, True Grit, Inside Llewyn Davis and Hail, Caesar!, the Coens “stand at the forefront…

Kann man Deutschland zum weltweit führenden Pharma-Standort machen und gleichzeitig eine Gesundheitsreform auf den Weg bringen? Wir blicken auf das Spannungsfeld zwischen der künftigen Finanzierung der gesetzlichen Krankenkassen und der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit Deutschlands. Zu Gast im Policy Talk ist Heidrun Irschik-Hadjieff. Sie ist die Geschäftsführerin der deutschen Tochtergesellschaft des Pharmakonzerns Sanofi. Im Gespräch mit POLITICO-Gesundheitsexpertin Marie Zahout rechnet sie mit dem geplanten dynamischen Herstellerabschlag ab, warnt vor drastischen Folgen für künftige Investitionen und fordert, dass Einsparungen im Gesundheitssystem und Wirtschaftswachstum endlich zusammengedacht werden. Vorher spricht Joana Lehner spricht mit Jasper Bennink von „Technologie & KI am Morgen“. Er hat Digitalminister Karsten…

Published on 18/06/2026 – 18:30 GMT+2 Cuts in development aid by wealthy countries tend to drive up displacement away from the world’s poorest regions, the head of the UN’s International Organisation for Migration warned in an interview with the AFP news agency on the sidelines of the Berlin Climate Mobility Forum on Thursday. “When we see cuts in development assistance, we’re actually just making the likelihood that people will have to leave in search of safety, in search of stability, so much higher,” Amy Pope said. “We’ve seen it in places like Sudan, which is the world’s largest displacement crisis…

Among the first attractions greeting visitors are AI-powered humanoid robots from Chinese company Unitree, performing boxing movements, balancing exercises and other demonstrations. Robotic dogs also navigate through exhibition halls crowded with technology professionals and investors. The displays highlight growing interest in machines designed to work alongside people in warehouses, factories and logistics centres. Organisers say this year’s event focuses on practical uses of AI, showing how businesses are already applying the technology across a wide range of sectors. Beyond robotics, companies are presenting AI-driven products aimed at everyday life. Samsung is showcasing connected appliances, including a smart refrigerator capable of…