The maternity services of the UK's National Health Service (NHS) are currently experiencing one of their most challenging periods. What were recently perceived as isolated incidents of concern are now increasingly recognized as a systemic crisis affecting the safety of mothers and newborns across the country. Staff shortages, deteriorating conditions...
«Somali pirates» lead the UN Security Council: irony of fate or diplomatic breakthrough?
On January 1, 2026, Somalia officially assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council for January. This event sparked a flurry of memes and jokes on social media: many recall that just 15–20 years ago, Somali pirates were the main threat to global shipping, and the UN Security Council passed...
France and the UK are ready to send troops to Ukraine without a UN or EU mandate
France and the UK have expressed their readiness to send troops to Ukraine to monitor a possible ceasefire even without a mandate from the UN or the European Union. According to the German publication Die Welt, citing diplomatic sources in the EU, an official invitation from the Ukrainian authorities will...
A record number of migrants crossed the English Channel in 2025
According to the UK Home Office, 41,472 migrants arrived in the UK by small boat across the English Channel in 2025. This is the second highest figure since records began in 2018 and the highest in the last three years. The number of crossings increased by 13% compared to 2024...
Westminster Palace security guards announce strike on New Year’s Eve
More than 300 security staff at Westminster Palace who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will hold a 24-hour strike on the night of January 1, 2026. This will be the fourth day of protest action in the current dispute. The strike is linked to a...
Trump is unpopular in Europe even among supporters of right-wing populists
US President Donald Trump remains extremely unpopular in Europe, with negative attitudes toward him persisting even among supporters of right-wing populist parties, whom he considers his natural allies. This is the conclusion of a new POLITICO Poll conducted in partnership with Public First in December 2025. The survey covered more...
Sex scandal in Spain: lessons for Europe
In December 2025, Spain was rocked by an unprecedented political scandal involving not only corruption, but also sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by high-ranking members of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which traditionally considers itself one of the main defenders of gender equality in the country. In the summer,...
Оne of the biggest robberies in German history: a Hollywood-style heist reminiscent of Ocean’s Eleven
In the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, a daring robbery took place at the Sparkasse bank, which the police are already comparing to the plot of the famous film Ocean's Eleven. Unknown criminals broke into the underground vault through a neighboring parking lot, drilling a huge hole in the concrete...
China creates ‘shadow fleet’ to import Russian LNG in circumvention of sanctions
China is actively developing its own ‘shadow fleet’ of gas carriers to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, despite US sanctions against key Russian projects such as Arctic LNG-2 and Gazprom's Portovaya plant. This allows Beijing to diversify its energy supplies, obtain gas at discounts and strengthen its strategic...
More than 3,000 migrants died in 2025 trying to reach Spain
According to the Spanish non-governmental organisation Caminando Fronteras, at least 3,090 people died or went missing in 2025 while trying to reach the Spanish coast by sea. Among the victims were 192 women and 437 children. This is significantly less than in the record year of 2024, when, according to...