Donald Trump has declared he is ready to move to a new stage of sanctions against Russia, raising questions about what impact such measures could have and how they might reshape the transatlantic approach to Moscow. Sanctions So Far Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February...
‘Huge Number of Russian Drones’ Violated Polish Airspace, Says PM
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk confirmed on Wednesday that a “huge number” of Russian drones entered Poland’s airspace during overnight strikes on Ukraine. Those posing a direct threat were shot down. Military Response According to the Polish Armed Forces, the airspace was “repeatedly violated by drones” during Russia’s attack on...
Is Russia’s Moldova Enclave Losing Energy?
Kremlin neglect and EU aid shift dynamics in Transnistria Russia has long used propaganda, hard power, and cheap gas to maintain Transnistria’s separation from Moldova. But Moscow’s missteps and its focus on the war in Ukraine may be eroding that grip. Shifting Sentiments Support for reintegration with Moldova is quietly...
Near-Empty EU Parliament Debates on Ukraine and Gaza
Absentee leadership in Strasbourg raises questions about priorities After a long summer recess, debates on Ukraine and Gaza resumed in the European Parliament on Tuesday (9 September) — but took place in a chamber that was almost empty, with most political group leaders and senior figures absent. War in Ukraine,...
Peter Kyle, the ‘Tech Bro’ Minister Charged with Kickstarting UK Growth
‘Hard-working’ business secretary opens tenure with delicate trade missions to Washington and Beijing When Peter Kyle boards a 7,000-mile flight from Washington to Beijing this week, Britain’s new business secretary could reflect on how far he has already come. Struggling at school due to dyslexia, Kyle left with “no usable...
Flight of the Flamingo Spells Trouble for Russia
Ukraine’s long-range strike program is rapidly evolving, and the new Flamingo missile illustrates how far it has come. When Ukraine first began acquiring a conventional long-range arsenal in mid-2023, it relied almost entirely on Western partners. Deliveries of British Storm Shadow and French SCALP-EG missiles were essential, as Ukraine’s early...
European Court Backs Transatlantic data Pact — for now
A Luxembourg ruling has saved US-EU data transfers, even if the reprieve may prove temporary. The European Union’s General Court, the bloc’s second-highest court, upheld the US-EU Data Privacy Framework, dismissing a French challenge that sought to annul the 2023 agreement allowing personal data to move freely across the Atlantic....
EU fines Google nearly €3bn for ‘abusing’ dominant position in ad tech
European Union regulators on Friday hit Google with a €2.95bn ($3.5bn) fine for breaching the bloc’s competition rules by favoring its own digital advertising services, marking the fourth such antitrust penalty for the company as well as a retreat from previous threats to break up the tech giant. The European...
Norway’s highly polarised election
Centre-left has rallied but uproar over cost of living and oil fund investment in Israel means outcome is hard to predict. Norway goes to the polls on Monday after an unusually close-fought and polarised election dominated by the cost of living, wealth taxes, oil fund investment in Israel and relations...
How an 18th-century Portrait Stolen by the Nazis Was Recovered 80 Years Later in Argentina
Painting was spotted online by Dutch journalists when the daughter of a former Nazi official put her house up for sale in Mar del Plata. There was nothing very remarkable about the middle-aged couple who lived in the low, stone-clad villa on calle Padre Cardiel, a quiet residential street in...