Author: staff
GLOBSEC 2026 PRAGUE — Europe woke up Friday to the news that U.S. President Donald Trump had whipsawed on America’s positioning of troops in Poland. Trump posted on Truth Social overnight that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland because he’s a fan of MAGA-aligned President Karol Nawrocki. On the second day at GLOBSEC in Prague, POLITICO will discuss the latest developments with top officials — including Marcin Przydacz, secretary of state in the chancellery of Poland’s president, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and Czech President Petr Pavel. See the full agenda here and follow along with us from 9…
Marine Rousseau, 41, was arrested by the GNR in Fátima, together with a 55-year-old man. According to the police force, they are “suspected of committing the offences of domestic violence and exposure and abandonment, in connection with an incident involving two minor children found alone on the public highway in the municipality of Alcácer do Sal”. Little is known about the French woman, let alone the reasons why she left her two children, aged four and five, alone in an unknown location. Marine Rousseau was arrested around 170 kilometres from where the children were found. On social media, she presents…
By Burcu Basaran with AFP Published on 22/05/2026 – 11:26 GMT+2 Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a decree on Thursday to close Istanbul Bilgi University, one of the country’s oldest private universities, eight months after its owner was seized by the state in a criminal investigation into alleged fraud and money laundering. As grounds for the move, the decree, published in the Official Gazette, cites a law allowing for the closure of a private institution if “the expected level of education and training … is insufficient”. The decision also said the licence had been revoked because “the founding foundation has been placed…
Major European indexes were in positive territory in early trading, buoyed by signs that the latest round of US-Iran negotiations could be nearing a breakthrough. The prospect of a deal has been enough to steady nerves, even if traders remain wary of false dawns in a conflict that has rattled commodity and bond markets since it began in late February. The DAX rose 0.64%, with Deutsche Post AG leading gains at 3.61%. The CAC 40 added 0.65%, lifted by STMicroelectronics, which surged 3.43%. London’s FTSE 100 gained 0.38%, with 3i Group up 2.31%, while the Euro Stoxx 50 climbed 0.88%.…
Published on 22/05/2026 – 9:19 GMT+2 The Ivor Novello Awards, which celebrate outstanding achievements in the field of songwriting and composition, took place last night at London’s Grosvenor House. The event saw Rosalía, Lily Allen and Sam Fender triumph, as George Michael was inducted into the fellowship of The Ivors Academy, nine years after his death. Catalan superstar Rosalía was presented with a new award, the international songwriter of the year, following her record-breaking and critically acclaimed 2025 album ‘LUX’ – which topped Euronews Culture’s Best Albums of last year. The Ivors Academy said she had “pushed the boundaries of…
The MP stressed that given both Burnham and the other main leadership contender, Wes Streeting, have signed up to Reeves’ fiscal rules it “doesn’t leave much margin for significant change anyway.” “The bond markets kind of make her bomb-proof,” another Labour MP argued, praising the incumbent chancellor’s record for steadying the economy in turbulent times. “The big clash between Rachel and Ed is over the North Sea,” this person added, referring to the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields whose licenses have been stymied by legal challenges. Reeves is seen as being in favor of their expansion, while Miliband…
Published on 22/05/2026 – 9:00 GMT+2 The Visegrád Four (V4) was set up in 1991 to guide these post-communist neighbours into the West. But beyond geography, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary are bound by the same massive Central European automotive and manufacturing supply chains and a shared goal to protect billions in EU cohesion funding. Their most significant political impact came in 2015, when their coordinated resistance forced Brussels to abandon mandatory migration quotas. But this is no longer the poor relation of Western Europe. Central Europe enters this new chapter with economic strength. Look at the data: last year,…
Published on 22/05/2026 – 9:12 GMT+2 British mountaineer Kenton Cool has completed a historic 20th climb to the summit of Mount Everest, hiking officials said on Friday. Cool already held the record for most climbs by a non-Sherpa and extended it after once again scaling the mountain’s 8,849-metre peak alongside his Sherpa guide Dorjee Gyelzen. He is thought to have reached the summit at around 4 am local time. “More Everest summits than any non-Sherpa ever… and still making it look like just another walk in the hills. Absolute legend,” four-time Everest climber and expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach of the…
The collective “Zapper Bolloré” has announced that Spanish actor Javier Bardem, British director Ken Loach and American actor Mark Ruffalo have joined the signatories of the open letter expressing concern about conservative businessman Vincent Bolloré’s grip on the film industry. In this text, the initiators denounce what they see as Vincent Bolloré’s “tentacular, ideological hold” over the French film industry. They warn of an increasing concentration of media and cultural power in the hands of the billionaire from Brittany. The first signatories included actors Adèle Haenel, Juliette Binoche and Blanche Gardin, actors Swann Arlaud and Jean-Pascal Zadi, photographer and documentary-maker…
In response, U.S. President Donald Trump branded NATO a “paper tiger” and warned of reprisals. Earlier this month, he announced a cut of 5,000 troops from Germany over comments criticizing the war by the country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz. A loose coalition of around 40 countries led by France and the U.K. has instead become the central forum for efforts to reopen the strait, but only on condition that hostilities end. However, some NATO countries would prefer the alliance take on a more formal role that either takes over from the coalition or launches its own mission, said two NATO diplomats,…