Author: staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not going to Istanbul to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, according to the Kremlin.Late Wednesday evening, the Kremlin finally announced who would represent Moscow at what was supposed to be the first direct talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia. The Russian delegation will be led by Putin’s presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who represented Moscow at the first attempt at talks in Istanbul in March 2022. Apart from Medinsky, Russia will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin and Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russia’s military intelligence…

Some 200 people have come forward as of early April to testify about abuse at the Bétharram institution, according to the local prosecutor’s office. Bayrou’s own daughter revealed last month that she was among those physically abused. One of the most serious allegations dates back to the late 1990s when the school’s director, a priest, was accused of child rape by a former student. The judge in charge of the investigations at the time testified under oath that he had met with Bayrou at his request during the investigation phase, and said he had given him details about the allegations.  The…

Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011. Reinstating it would mark a major policy reversal, driven by the rising threat posed by Russia coupled with growing worry about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees under President Donald Trump. Pistorius said the Bundeswehr has around 181,500 active-duty troops — well short of its 203,000 target by 2031. Recruitment rose 20 percent in early 2025, but “we still have too few people for what our armed forces must accomplish,” he warned. The new coalition government backs the recruitment drive. Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged today to build “the strongest army in Europe” during…

Le Tribunal de l’UE doit déterminer ce mercredi si la Commission européenne a enfreint les règles de transparence en ne dévoilant pas les SMS entre sa présidente et le patron du laboratoire pharmaceutique. May 13 9 mins read

British government reps took part in a China-hosted AI “capacity building” workshop in Beijing this week, Zheng said. And he pointed to the delegation China sent to Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s AI Safety Summit in 2023 as evidence of how the two countries are collaborating already on the emerging tech. But if London and Beijing are to go further on the hot-button issue it’s “very important to get rid of the political disruptions and interventions,” Ambassador Zheng said. “Some in the U.K. still view China through an outdated lens. They hold on to their ideological biases and overstretch the…

Zusammen mit Rasmus Buchsteiner liefert Gordon Repinski die Blitz-Analyse der ersten ausführlichen Rede von Friedrich Merz als Kanzler vor dem Bundestag. Merz schlägt in seiner Regierungserklärung einen betont versöhnlichen Ton an. Wie der Kanzler viel von „eigener Kraft“ spricht – und es gleichzeitig schafft, vom ganz großen Bild bis ins Detail zu gehen – hört ihr in diesem Update. Außerdem gibt es eine Einschätzung, warum die Rede beim Koalitionspartner SPD nicht überall gut angekommen ist. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in…

Hahn’s appointment “underlines the Commission’s commitment to the reunification of Cyprus, with the aim of ensuring a functional and viable comprehensive settlement in accordance with the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles, values and legislation of the EU,” the Commission’s statement said. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides welcomed Hahn’s designation, noting that it constitutes “tangible proof that the EU stands firmly and resolutely with Cyprus and its people.” Multiple attempts to find a compromise settlement over the years have failed, most recently in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and formal talks have not resumed since then. This…

France vowed to expel an unspecified number of Algerian diplomats from its territory on Wednesday in response to Algiers’ decision to send back 15 French officials on Sunday.This latest instalment in the diplomatic tug of war between the two nations comes after Algeria expelled 12 French officials in mid-April, which led France to expel 12 Algerian diplomats and consular officials while recalling its ambassador.France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told broadcaster BFM that a number of Algerian officials who hold a diplomatic passports but who do not currently have valid visas to work in France would be sent back to their country.…

According to his job description, Calleja y Crespo oversees all proposals with legal implications and “sits in at all Commission meetings in his capacity as legal adviser to the Commission … The Commission generally follows his legal advice.” Speaking to POLITICO, three EU officials insisted the move was unrelated to the “Pfizergate” scandal, and that the Spaniard was simply being reassigned after nearly four decades of roles in Brussels. “It looks like a reward, not a punishment,” said one, granted anonymity to speak frankly about internal decision-making. A spokesperson for the Commission did not immediately respond to a request for…

Updated: 14/05/2025 – 16:31 GMT+2Perched on a cliffside above the Aegean Sea, the Monastery of Simonos Petra is home to one of Orthodoxy’s most diverse monastic communities. … More Founded in the 13th century on Greece’s Mount Athos, the monastery houses monks from more than a dozen countries, including France, China, the United States, and Lebanon.Also known as Simonopetra, or “Simon’s Rock,” the monastery is part of the autonomous, all-male monastic peninsula in northern Greece. While only Orthodox men can join the brotherhood, male visitors of other faiths are welcome.Its abbot, Archimandrite Eliseos, says the monastery reflects a centuries-old ecumenical…