Author: staff

Vom CEO-Posten ins Kabinett: Deutschlands erster Digitalminister Karsten Wildberger im Interview mit Gordon Repinski. Er verspricht die digitale Brieftasche für alle Bürger – und nennt einen konkreten Zeitplan, wann der Personalausweis aufs Handy kommt. Außerdem erklärt Wildberger seinen 4-Punkte-Plan zur Entbürokratisierung des Staates, warum er mehr Begeisterung für Künstliche Intelligenz in Deutschland fordert und und der Minister spricht über politische Botschaften, seinen Umgang mit dem Beamtenapparat und weshalb er Altersgrenzen für Social Media unterstützt. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für…

Just when we thought we could get a break for the summer, geopolitics had other plans. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO colleagues Jordyn Dahl, Gabriel Gavin and Jan Cienski for a catch-up on what moved while the bubble was at the beach. From Alaska to the White House: Did anything real shift on Ukraine beyond choreography? We break down the EU-U.S. tariff framework and turn to Gaza — where Brussels is grasping for some sort of leverage — and how the politics split across capitals.

Nearly two-thirds of losses occurred since Aug. 5, when EFFIS showed only 380,000 hectares burned. The vast majority of the fires have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula. Spain accounts for more than 400,000 hectares burned, while in much-smaller Portugal, flames have consumed more than 270,000 hectares — or 3 percent of the country’s entire territory. In Spain, where records stretch back to the 1960s, this year is the worst fire season since 1994, according to government data. Both countries have endured searing heat in recent weeks, desiccating forests and turning the peninsula into a tinderbox. Climate change is exacerbating wildfire risk, bringing…

The strike, which followed warning calls and a drone-fired missile, destroyed around 100 tents sheltering families already uprooted by fighting elsewhere. No casualties were reported, but fires spread quickly through the camp, leaving civilians sifting through the ashes of what little they had saved. An Associated Press journalist recorded the moment of impact as civil defence teams worked to extinguish flames. Israel’s defence minister has approved a plan to mobilise 60,000 reservists and extend service for 20,000 more, ahead of an operation targeting Gaza City and Hamas’ tunnel network. The move comes as international concerns mount about the humanitarian crisis…

These included the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the U.K., and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas. The reprimand came as Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy summoned Israel’s ambassador to the U.K. to the Foreign Office. “Today, the Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a separate statement on Thursday. “Her Excellency Tzipi Hotovely was summoned in response to the Israeli Higher Planning Committee’s decision to…

Published on 21/08/2025 – 18:00 GMT+2 A New York appeals court threw out President Donald Trymp’s massive civil fraud penalty on Thursday, while upholding a judge’s finding that he exaggerated his wealth for decades. The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for several years. The decision came seven months after the Republican returned to the White House. A panel of five judges in New York’s mid-level Appellate Division said the verdict, which stood to cost Trump more than $515 million (€443 million) and rock his real estate empire, was…

Updated: 21/08/2025 – 18:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this August 21st, 2025 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More

At a ceremony outside the Czech Radio building, where major clashes took place 57 years ago, President Petr Pavel warned against distorting history and said remembering past events helps honour those who fought for freedom. Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and other senior officials laid wreaths while funeral music played. Vystrčil said 1968 should serve as a reminder that those who put power before their country must not lead. The invasion by Soviet, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Polish troops brought an end to reform efforts and began a period of censorship, political purges and restricted freedoms.

Eurozone economic growth continued slowly in August, according to S&P Global’s flash purchasing manager index (PMI), which provides the latest information on how businesses are performing. The composite PMI, including services and manufacturing, increased by 0.2 points in August to 51.1 points, suggesting that business activity grew at its fastest rate since May 2024. This suggests that eurozone GDP is growing at a 0.2% quarterly rate in August, in line with expectations, following a 0.1% GDP increase in the second quarter. However, “the pace of expansion remained frustratingly sluggish,” noted S&P Global. Business activity in the bloc was mainly driven…

Howard’s music “transcends borders and unites cultures,” the Intervision organizers said in a post on Telegram announcing his participation. Intervision, the Soviet-era alternative to Eurovision, was held between 1965 and 1980 in communist Czechoslovakia. Russian President Vladimir Putin brought it back to life in 2025, appointing Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko as chairman of the organizing committee. Russia was kicked out of Eurovision following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia will be represented in the contest by pro-war pop singer Shaman (real name Yaroslav Yuryevich Dronov), who was sanctioned by the EU for participating in Kremlin-organized concerts. Among…