Author: staff
Published on 03/09/2026 – 8:07 GMT+2 New US tariffs of up to 100% took effect on Thursday on drones and certain drone components, as Washington pushes to lower its import reliance in an industry that China dominates. US President Donald Trump signed an order setting out the duties in August, as the White House flagged “the national security threat posed by imports of drones and their components”. The order also aims to boost domestic supply chains. Drones have become a cornerstone of modern warfare and surveillance, as the war in Ukraine has starkly demonstrated, and US officials argue that dependence…
Think of coach trips, and you may conjure up an image of a rather naff way to see the world, favoured by people of retirement age. Now, though, coach trips are having something of a renaissance – and they’re actually a great way to explore countries with ease and in comfort. The Geneva-headquartered International Road Transport Union (IRU) is backing this trend and singing its praises. “Coaches bring visitors from airports, ports and railway stations to historic cities, coastal destinations, mountain villages and cultural landmarks,” an IRU statement said. “They make school trips possible, support business events and conferences, enable…
Ulrich Siegmund, lead candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, took to the stage in the central marketplace of the town of Naumburg and declared there was a new “awakening” in eastern Germany. Ahead of a vital election in the region of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday — in which Siegmund is within striking distance of becoming the first far-right leader to govern a German state since 1945 — that appeal to an eastern identity struck a chord. A young man beside me was hollering “Ostdeutschland!” although he was too young to have lived in the communist German Democratic Republic. “It…
Published on 03/09/2026 – 7:17 GMT+2 A Maltese court acquitted tycoon Yorgen Fenech of orchestrating the car-bomb killing of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia on Wednesday, sparking outrage from her family and media freedom advocates. The wealthy businessman had stood accused of masterminding the 2017 assassination of 53-year-old Caruana Galizia, which sparked unprecedented protests and brought down a government. Caruana Galizia’s family said in a statement that Fenech’s acquittal was “denying her the justice she deserves.” Her son Matthew Caruana Galizia said jurors had made a “terrible decision…that our country may never recover from.” The European Centre for Press and…
Published on 03/09/2026 – 6:41 GMT+2 Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, asked a judge on Wednesday to dismiss the drug trafficking indictment against them on the grounds that they have immunity as the leader and first lady of a foreign country. In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, Maduro’s attorneys said a judge was required by law to reject the indictment because it cannot be brought against a foreign leader. “No American court has ever presided over the criminal trial of a foreign leader who was recognised by their own country as the sitting head…
Nearly six in ten Europeans gave money to good causes in 2025, either by directly helping people in need, donating to charity or giving for religious reasons. This is according to the World Giving Report by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). In its latest global report, CAF surveyed 60,443 people in 105 countries between 5 January and 18 February 2026 about giving throughout 2025, with nationally representative country samples generally ranging from 250 to 1,000 adults. According to the findings, the most generous European countries included Ireland and Romania. Looking specifically at charitable giving, Ireland and the Netherlands had the…
For three days, some of Granada’s most emblematic historic venues will become stages for a new generation of musicians. From 3 to 5 September, the city will host the first edition of Neorama, a festival created to give visibility to emerging musical talent from different parts of Spain. Driven by the Confederation of Youth Musical Societies of Spain (JME) to mark its 75th anniversary, Neorama has been launched with the aim of connecting the training of young musicians with their entry into the professional sector. The organisers present it as the first touring, nationwide festival devoted specifically to emerging musical…
At the informal General Affairs Council in Dublin today, the EU’s next 7-year budget is set to dominate the agenda. The talks are still in deadlock over the size of the money pot … but the red lines of various capitals are starting to take shape. On today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart explain why — counterintuitively — that’s actually a step forward for the negotiations. Next, the pivotal regional election in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt is just days away … and the far-right AfD party is poised to win big. But just how big? And what would the party…
Published on 02/09/2026 – 12:29 GMT+2 European foreign ministers have said they’re ready to stand firm against a surge of Russian hybrid war attacks across the continent, rallying behind Germany after its decision to formally hold Russia responsible for a drone incident at Leipzig airport last month. The show of unity came at a summit of EU foreign affairs ministers in Wicklow, Ireland, also attended by ministers from Ukraine, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Leipzig airport incident on 4 August saw German authorities intercept a drone carrying military-grade explosives. Berlin has been unequivocal in attributing the incursion to…
US energy firms signed a series of multi-billion-dollar deals with Venezuela on Wednesday, days after the South American country agreed to grant Washington control of a huge chunk, roughly one-fifth, of its vast oil reserves. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright travelled to Venezuela’s capital Caracas to oversee the signing of deals worth “tens of billions of dollars of investment,” seen as a quid pro quo for Washington winning majority control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves. Wright said the deals signed by Venezuela with US oil major Chevron, GE Vernova – a General Electric offshoot – and Italy’s…