When Friedrich Merz recently declared that Germany can no longer afford its welfare state, he was diagnosing a crisis that extends far beyond German borders. Across Europe and in many advanced economies, ageing populations and rising welfare costs have governments scrambling for solutions. But this crisis is a product of...
UK anti-slavery commissioner launches investigation into ‘pimping websites’
Eleanor Lyons will interview women who say they have been trafficked into sex work and advertised online. The independent anti-slavery commissioner has launched an investigation into so-called pimping websites amid concern at the level of exploitation of trafficked and vulnerable women on those platforms. Eleanor Lyons will interview women who...
Ukraine lawmaker shot dead in western city of Lviv
Andriy Parubiy, a Ukrainian politician who previously served as the parliament speaker, was shot dead in western city of Lviv on Saturday. Prosecutors have opened a murder investigation and said police were still searching for the shooter but have not mentioned possible motives at this stage. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy...
Schengen hollowed out: how Germany normalises the exception
Permanent border controls are illegal under Schengen rules, which govern much of Europe. The system allows for temporary “exceptions” if countries justify them as a last resort. In practice, the European Commission has normalised granting these exemptions, and since they are time-limited, officials can insist Schengen is intact even as...
Outrage in Italy over porn site with doctored images of prominent women
Altered photos of women including Giorgia Meloni were posted on a site along with vulgar and sexist captions. A pornographic website that posted doctored photos of a host of high-profile Italian women including the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the opposition leader, Elly Schlein, has sparked outrage in Italy. The...
UK and EU summon top Russian diplomats after strikes hit British Council and EU offices in deadly attack on Kyiv
At least 23 dead in overnight Kyiv attack as UK and EU summon Russian envoys. Missile strikes on Ukrainian capital hit EU and British Council offices in deadliest assault in months. The UK have summoned their Russian envoys after overnight missile strikes on Kyiv killed at least 23 people and...
‘Grasping for straws’: Europe floats Ukraine-Russia buffer zone in push for peace
The idea is one of several proposals European officials are considering as they scramble to establish a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. European leaders are weighing the creation of a 40 kilometer buffer zone between the Russian and Ukrainian frontlines as part of a peace deal, a last-ditch idea...
Demographic shifts are unsettling Europe’s labour politics
The winds of change sweeping across Europe's labour markets carry both promise and peril reshaping the foundations of work, welfare, and social cohesion in ways not seen for generations. Ageing populations, rapid automation, and the divisive politics of migration are colliding with such intensity that they threaten to upend not...
US spies stoked separatism in Greenland
Denmark has accused US agents of trying to foment separatism in Greenland, reigniting fears over the territory's future. Danish officials briefed Danish national broadcaster DR on Wednesday (27 August) that three US citizens linked to the administration had covertly visited the island to recruit backers for a split from Denmark...
France, Germany, Britain to reimpose Iran sanctions after talks falter
France, Germany and the UK are preparing to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme on Thursday (28 August), after weeks of diplomacy failed to deliver results. The three countries, known as the E3, had met with Iranian officials on Tuesday in a final attempt to revive stalled nuclear...