Author: staff
Published on 31/07/2025 – 19:54 GMT+2 Syria’s top diplomat said Damascus wants Moscow “by our side” on the first visit to Russia by a member of the new government since former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive late last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in the Kremlin on Thursday, according to Syrian news agency SANA, a meeting that underlined the Kremlin’s desire to establish working ties with the country’s new leadership. Before the talks with Putin, al-Shibani met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who emphasised that the Russian authorities “sincerely wish…
A 21-year-old protester holds a sign with a quote, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” from George Orwell’s satirical novel “Animal Farm,” highlighting the corruption of power. | Veronika Melkozerova/POLITICO “I’ve been complaining for a long time that the motivation to fight has disappeared somewhere. But I want to thank Mr. President, if it weren’t for the shit that these idiots decided to arrange, I wouldn’t have seen what kind of great children have grown up in Ukraine. They’re worth fighting for. They’ve raised motivation,” said Ukrainian soldier Oleksii Tsymbaliuk. Ukraine has a rich…
By Una Hajdari with AP Published on 31/07/2025 – 18:25 GMT+2 Microsoft surpassed $4 trillion in market capitalisation on Thursday’s market opening after it published stellar fourth quarter earnings the previous day. The firm announced that annual revenue for its flagship Azure cloud computing platform surpassed $75 billion or around €64.9 billion, a staggering 34% jump from last year. The Azure cloud business is a centrepiece of Microsoft’s efforts to shift its focus to artificial intelligence, but until Wednesday, the firm had not lifted the veil on how much money it makes. The revelation beat Wall Street expectations and pleased investors wary about…
In a highly symbolic example of how Germany’s government is now seeking to propel Europe’s migration shift rather than moderate it, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently hosted counterparts from several European countries with tough migration stances — including Austria, Denmark and Poland — on his country’s highest mountain in the Bavarian Alps, the Zugspitze, adorned at its summit with a golden cross. “We want to make it clear that Germany is no longer in the brakeman’s cab when it comes to migration issues in Europe but is part of the driving force,” Dobrindt said at an elevation of nearly 3,000 meters.…
Despite new Israeli measures aimed at easing access, aid groups report that current deliveries fall far short of what is needed. The Israeli military says 220 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday — less than half the daily number brought in during a recent ceasefire. The United Nations says most aid is being intercepted by desperate crowds. Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed near distribution points since May, according to health officials and the UN. Residents say the chaos and violence around aid deliveries show the scale of the crisis, with many calling for safe, structured access to food.
The EU executive has touted the new asymmetric tariff agreement with the Donald Trump administration, announced on Sunday, as a step toward predictability. Yet, less than a day before the US is expected to implement a new tariff ceiling of 15% on EU industrial goods, crucial details for several sectors, including wine and spirits, remain unresolved. Industry stakeholders are still holding out hope for exemptions, but no official list has been released. A Commission spokesperson admitted on Thursday that wine and spirits are likely to be subject to the tariffs. “It is not our expectation that wine and spirits will…
The Reform Party leader and longtime ally of Trump went on to say that he had never discussed it with the U.S. leader, but added: “I think this is one area where Donald has sort of put himself into conflict with much of his own base.” Farage observed that if he’d been of a different generation, he too would have probably come into contact with Epstein. “Had I been 10 years older, I would have done, because they were the circles … ” he added. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was told in May by his attorney general,…
The spokesperson said the acceptance of dismissal “should not be considered as confirmation of the allegations.” His exit comes as a report by Der Standard in Austria named Oberreiter in connection with a sexually explicit blog. The report said Oberreiter denied that allegation and that he resigned to save Austria from further embarrassment. POLITICO has not verified the report. “For reasons of data and privacy protection of the person concerned and their relatives, we cannot provide further details,” the government spokesperson said. POLITICO has contacted a representative for Oberreiter for comment. Oberreiter has worked in the Austrian foreign service for more than 30…
The fire in Galicia began on Wednesday afternoon and spread rapidly due to high temperatures and winds. Emergency services have evacuated residents from Valeixe and placed seven nearby villages under lockdown as a precaution. More than 30 firefighting units, including air and ground support and the Military Emergency Unit (UME), have been deployed. Civil Protection has issued mobile alerts urging calm and instructing residents to follow safety guidelines.
Published on 31/07/2025 – 14:42 GMT+2 Spain is facing a critical situation with several active wildfires keeping authorities and affected communities on high alert. More than a thousand personnel and firefighting units are working tirelessly to control three major blazes, which remain uncontained and are classified as level 2 in potential severity. In the Las Hurdes region of Cáceres, the Caminomorisco fire has become the most worrying fire of the summer in Extremadura. Originating from human activity – whether due to negligence, accident or intentionally – this fire has devastated nearly 2,600 hectares within a 28.5-kilometre perimeter. The situation has…