Author: staff
Reform UK has also spent plenty of time pitching itself against the Whitehall machine. It has proposed a major civil service headcount reduction,giving ministers the power to fire civil servants and replacing the impartial top post of cabinet secretary with a political chief of staff. 3) Backing British Burnham wants to revive areas outside London which he argues the Westminster bubble has left behind for decades. He’s already started work on a No. 10 Downing Street North in Manchester tasked with regenerating towns, increasing public control of utilities and expanding industry, arguing that “growth cannot be ordered from the top…
Published on 22/07/2026 – 8:00 GMT+2•Updated 8:03 On today’s show: Jorge Liboreiro breaks down today’s EU ambassadors meeting to discuss the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia as Greece holds it up over a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) that is due to come fully into force in 2027. Aadel Haleem brings the latest from the Middle East as tensions between the US and Iran continue to rise. Maria Tadeo reports on the EU–US trade deal one year after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump struck the agreement in Turnberry, Scotland, as well…
Europe just got a new long-distance hiking challenge – and it’s a seriously ambitious one. The Wolf Trail covers nearly 3,500 kilometres across six countries, taking hikers from Poland’s Baltic coast to Italy’s Trieste waterfront, through Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia, with 78,400 metres of elevation gain thrown in for good measure. In other words, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but for those willing to spend four to six months on the trail, it could very well be one of the ultimate ways to see Europe, one step at a time. What is the Wolf Trail and what will you…
Wirtschaftsministerin Katherina Reiche (CDU) präsentiert ihre neue Start-up-Strategie, um mehr privates Wagniskapital für junge Unternehmen zu mobilisieren. Larissa Kögl von POLITICO „Technologie & KI am Morgen“ analysiert die Pläne, die unter anderem erleichterte Kündigungen für Top-Verdiener und direkte Staatsinvestitionen in Rüstungs-Start-ups vorsehen. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview bewertet der Digitalpolitiker Daniel Bettermann (SPD) die Start-up-Pläne seiner Koalitionskollegin. Er lobt den neuen Fokus auf kapitalintensive Scale-ups und technologische Souveränität im Verteidigungsbereich. Die im Koalitionsvertrag geplante 24-Stunden-Gründung sei wegen bürokratischer Hürden jedoch vorerst unrealistisch, räumt er ein. Außenminister Johann Wadephul (CDU) wirbt derweil auf einer Reise nach Nigeria, Südafrika und Mauretanien für Investitionen der deutschen…
Today is a make-or-break moment for the EU’s 21st sanctions package targeting Russia. After EU countries failed to agree on the ins and outs of the agreement last week, ambassadors are meeting again today in Brussels to finally clinch the deal. But can they hash out the remaining thorny issues? Next: European Parliament is trying to reengage with China after a seven-year diplomatic freeze. But despite the defrosting of relations, it’s clear lawmakers are unsure of what their stance toward Beijing should be. And finally, as Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” hits cinemas, a Hollywood culture war hits Greece. Do you have a Hollywood…
As the United States struck Iran for an 11th consecutive night, and Tehran expanded its offensive against Gulf States, Pakistan intensified its diplomatic efforts to salvage the interim agreement between the two sides after its collapse. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep concern” over the escalating conflict, urging “all sides to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that could further destabilize the region,” according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office on X. The statement comes as Sharif held close-door talks with Iran’s Interior Minister Eskander Momeni on Tuesday. Momeni also met with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal…
A deal is still broadly expected, but more concessions may be needed before ambassadors can get it over the line. Seven people working on the package told POLITICO that several measures had already been weakened or dropped altogether. The package, presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in June, is the 21st since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After 20 previous rounds, diplomats say the EU is running out of easy targets and increasingly colliding with powerful national interests. Sanctions require the unanimous backing of all 27 EU countries. “There’s no more low-hanging fruit, with 20…
“Why now? I have no answer on this question. I can’t see any reason for it,” said Bidnyi, a former bodybuilder. “Undermining the collective pressure that the international community has been building against the aggressor … it’s not a very honorable role for this organization.” The IOC said that the reversal did not represent any change in its view of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which it still condemns. However, it said the ban was relaxed because the Russian committee removed regional sports organizations from Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories from its membership, which was the reason it was sanctioned. Bidnyi said the…
By Euronews Published on 21/07/2026 – 19:41 GMT+2 On Tuesday, staff at Russia’s penitentiary system intercepted a cat being used to smuggle drugs into Penal Colony No. 17 in Nizhny Novgorod. According to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), the “furry offender” was wearing two improvised fabric collars. Hidden inside them were banned substances intended for inmates. Staff at the colony spotted the feline drug courier before it entered the facility. The animal was caught and its collars removed. A dog handler with a sniffer dog quickly arrived at the scene, and the dog confirmed that the collars contained narcotics. FSIN representatives…
“We will jointly determine an updated strategy of our defense [and] steps to continue the reform of the corps system, to fulfill the supply requests of combat commanders,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation on Tuesday evening. He also expressed gratitude to Syrskyi for previous successful operations in 2022 in Kyiv and Kharkiv and the 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Joint Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi will become the Ukrainian Army’s new commander-in-chief, Zelenskyy said in his speech. Drapatyi is an experienced field commander who successfully organized the protection of Kharkiv in 2024 from a Russian…