Author: staff
Amid the war in Ukraine and Trump’s criticism of NATO allies, several European states have moved to boost their own security and defence capabilities. One of the key components of a country’s defence is its military, increasingly supported in Europe by conscripted reserves. Currently, conscription measures vary greatly across the EU. At least 10 member states have conscription in place, including Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, and Estonia. Among these countries, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia and Lithuania make it mandatory only for men, while Denmark and Sweden make it compulsory for both men and women. Conscription in these countries…
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli will not attend the opening of the 61st Venice Biennale in protest at the presence of the Russian pavilion at the event. The Ministry of Culture announced in a note: “Minister Alessandro Giuli will not travel to Venice on the pre-opening days of the 61st Venice Biennale Art Exhibition nor will he attend the opening ceremony, scheduled for 9 May.” Moscow had not participated in the Biennale since 2022, the year of the invasion of Ukraine, but this year it decided to reopen its pavilion with the approval of the Biennale Foundation, headed by Pietrangelo…
“This EU Commission machine just keeps going on and on and on,” said Merz at a September business event in Cologne. “Let me put it in somewhat vivid and figurative terms: We need to throw a spanner in the works of this machine in Brussels now, so that it stops.” A proposal in an earlier draft of the conservative strategy paper went even further than the latest version, threatening the EU’s purse strings by making member countries’ budget contributions conditional on the Commission’s success in cutting regulation. That proposal — which was likely deemed too radical — has since been dropped.…
Michael, the first officially authorized Michael Jackson biopic, has shrugged off bad reviews and a very troubled production to launch with $97 million in US and Canada theaters, according to studio estimates, shattering a record debut for music biopics. Co-produced by the Jackson estate, Michael has wildly overperformed (estimates were up to $70m) and far surpassed previous biopic top performers like Straight Outta Compton (a $60.1 million debut in 2015) and Bohemian Rhapsody ($51 million in 2018). International sales were also strong, as Michael collected $120.4 million overseas, to give it a $217.4 million global opening – a new high…
“Energy costs are cascading into food, transport and housing, hitting lower- and middle-income households hardest,” Seamus Boland, president of the European Economic and Social Committee, which brings together trade unions from across Europe and advises the European Commission on economic and labor policy, told POLITICO. “Politically, that creates space for distrust — not just of national governments, but of European institutions’ ability to shield citizens from external shocks. It risks accelerating support for more protectionist or inward-looking approaches.” France is the biggest prize. But it is not the signal in Europe that the center is crumbling. In Bulgaria, the April…
The United Nations should “reform, transform or die” in a world that is more “volatile” than the one it was created for, the President of the UN’s Cities Alliance, María Fernanda Espinosa, has told Euronews’ flagship morning show, Europe Today. Espinosa, who previously served as the President of the UN General Assembly, and as Ecuador’s foreign affairs and defence minister, acknowledges the UN is “facing a crisis” but insists “the world cannot live without” the institution. “The UN will survive. The big question is how the organisation will survive,” Espinosa said. “And I think the short-hand for that is: reform,…
By Jerry Fisayo-Bambi with AFP Published on 27/04/2026 – 9:01 GMT+2•Updated 9:28 An Irish Republican group New IRA could be behind an overnight car bomb attack outside a police station near Belfast late on Saturday, authorities said. According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), although there were no fatal casualties, two infants were among the residents evacuated after the explosion in Dunmurry, southwest of the Northern Irish capital. The car bomb went off after a “gas cylinder-type device” was placed in a delivery driver’s hijacked car and driven to the location, police said. The attack followed a similar attempted bombing on…
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News Can the King save the UK-US special relationship? As the King touches down in Washington for a state visit, Anne – who was at the White House correspondent’s dinner – describes the moment a security incident plunged the night into chaos. With a critical three days ahead, Sam and Anne discuss the high-stakes diplomacy facing Britain and whether the strained relationship could be reset. Back in Westminster, with parliament days from prorogation, Sam runs through the key government bills hanging in the balance and previews a major day at the Foreign…
The energy crisis has exposed the EU’s reliance on foreign partners, forcing the bloc to seek alternative sources of power. Renewables, particularly wind and solar, now form the backbone of the EU’s power sector. This shift was cemented in 2025 when, combined, they generated a record 30% of total EU electricity. For the first time, this output exceeded the 29% share accounted for by fossil fuel generation. Now, the EU is turning to nuclear energy, which currently provides roughly 23% of the bloc’s electricity. It has recently outlined a strategy to bring the first Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) online by…
In Berlin-Schöneberg trifft sich heute der Union-Fraktionsvorstand der Union am Gasometer. Dort, wo der Koalitionsvertrag unterschrieben wurde. Zu Gast ist EU-Kommissionschefin Ursula von der Leyen. Gordon Repinski und Rasmus Buchsteiner analysieren den großen Druck unter dem Schwarz-Rot inzwischen steht und wie sie abwenden muss, das Schicksal der Ampel zu erleiden. Welchen Ausweg gibt es aus permanenten Streit und Lähmung bei den so wichtigen Reformen? Im 200-Sekunden-Interview spricht die SPD-Abgeordnete Rasha Nasr über die gereizte Stimmung zwischen den Partnern. Sie erklärt, warum die SPD trotz Reformbereitschaft keine sozialen Kernwerte opfern will und warum sie Friedrich Merz’ Führungsstil kritisch gegenübersteht. Was als…