Photo by eberhard 🖐 grossgasteiger on Unsplash A new research project funded by the EU to the tune of €10m will explore how “aerosol-cloud interactions” impact climate and extreme weather events. The initiative will also investigate the Paris Agreement’s success in limiting global warming. The project, called CleanCloud and funded under the Horizon Europe programme, is coordinated by Ulas…
Photo by Andreas Gücklhorn on Unsplash Concern has been raised about the possible economic impact of the EU’s Green Deal. This came after European entrepreneurs shared their concerns about implementation of the flagship environmental policy with the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra. Speaking at the SME Climate Dialogue meeting, SMEunited president Petri Salminen conceded that, “The…
The geography of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian targets is steadily expanding. Russian air defences are completely ineffective: enemy drones fly unimpeded to their targets anywhere in the European part of Russia, travelling over 1,500 kilometres and destroying Russian infrastructure. Drone attacks became more frequent in recent months, and in mid-January 2024 began to occur…
Photo by FlyD on Unsplash EU member states have renewed for a further 6 months its restrictive measures against Russia “in view of the Russian Federation’s continuing actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine.” They will last until 31 July. The sanctions, first introduced in 2014 in response to Russia’s actions “destabilising” the situation in Ukraine, were significantly expanded…
The year 2024 is a huge year for elections and seen as a global test for democracy. More than two billion people across 50 countries are expected to go the polls this year and it is not only November’s USA presidential election that counts. International observers, including the European Union, will be in Senegal for…
Photo by Yellow Cactus on Unsplash MEPs will tackle everything from child sexual abuse to the the EU’s anti-money laundering agency this week. Current derogations from EU e-privacy rules, which allow companies to voluntarily detect child sexual abuse material and remove it, will expire in August 2024. As the passage of new permanent rules before August is uncertain…
Photo by Artem Kniaz on Unsplash More than 200 experts attended an international conference on European civil society’s humanitarian response to the integration of refugees and asylum-seeking children from Ukraine. The Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations for Children (FONPC), together with CARE France, SERA Romania, Eurochild, and ICVA, hosted a two-day international conference, RE:Think Bridges in Bucharest. It brought together over…
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash There is a good chance that Donald Trump will return to the US presidency in 2025. That would endanger European interests, but Europe is not investing in mitigating the risks, writes Ian Bond. In less than a year, the next US president will be inaugurated. Donald Trump, who has just thumped his…
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash UN Tourism has opened applications for the 2024 edition of its Best Tourism Villages initiative. Over the past three editions, UN Tourism – the new name of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – received almost 600 applications from nearly 100 countries. Currently, the UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages Network brings together 186 members…
Russia will hold another presidential election in March 2024. Given the totalitarian reality of Russia, there is no doubt that Putin will be re-elected for another 6 years, and that this will herald a period of geopolitical turbulence for Europe. Holding such elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is a challenge for the…
