A senior MEP has used a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to warn that the West is facing a critical geopolitical period. S&D leader in the EU Parliament Iratxe García met with Zelenskyy on 11 December and reiterated her group’s continued full support to Ukraine for whatever it takes to win the war. The…
Year: 2024
Greenland Project Wins Top Award
Siu-Tsiu, a non-profit social enterprise based in Greenland, has won the Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award. This provides €7,500 of financial assistance to a fledgling start up or young entrepreneurs based in the Arctic. This year’s winner was chosen by an international jury of experts on startups, innovation and entrepreneurship from various parts of the…
Kazakhstan Strengthening Human Rights
Photo by Joel Heard on Unsplash As the Vice Minister of Justice of Kazakhstan, I am proud to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to advancing human rights and adhering to international standards, writes Botagoz Zhakselekova. One of the key mechanisms through which we pursue these goals is the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) – a process under…
Russia’s Strategic Withdrawal from Syria
Photo by Ahmad Sofi on Unsplash In a surprising development, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced his decision to step down and leave Syria, directing the government to transfer power peacefully. This unexpected move marks a dramatic shift in the political landscape of the Middle East. It raises questions about Syria’s future stability and the…
The Best Cheese in the World
The prize for the Champion Cheese of 2024 has been awarded to a Portuguese cheese, Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado which is produced by a small farm in northern Portugal Quinta do Pomar. A family run business, the farm employs ten persons. The cheese competition was organised by the London based Guild of Fine Foods, with…
Festive Activities in Belgium
Mogherini appointed Rector of College of Europe
Photo by Hongbin on Unsplash The former EU foreign affairs chief has been elected for a second term at the helm of the College of Europe in Bruges. Francesca Mogherini has been the Rector of the College of Europe since September 2020. She has also been director of the European Union Diplomatic Academy, implemented by…
Lamberts Becomes Adviser to von der Leyen
A former MEP has taken up a senior role with the EU Commission, it has emerged. Philippe Lamberts is a former co-leader of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. The Belgian politician has now taken up a role advising the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The main task of the 61-year-old Belgian…
Call to Back Europe’s Brewing Industry
Photo by Elevate on Unsplash Beer remains a motor for Europe’s economy but continues to face multiple challenges, ranging from the aftershocks of the Covid pandemic to supply chain turbulence, say The Brewers of Europe. The 2024 edition of the European Beer Trends Report, released on 3 December, provides a snapshot of country-by-country production, consumption…
Productivity Slowdown
Photo by tommao wang on Unsplash Average wages in Britain are only slightly higher than they were in 2007, says a new report. What it calls an extraordinary fact is down, it says, to extremely weak productivity growth after 2008. France, on the other hand, managed to keep pace with US output per hour in the decade…