Photo by Kevin Ache on Unsplash Europe’s largest rare-earth magnet factory has opened in Narva, Estonia. The EU funded factory will produce rare-earth permanent magnets to be used in key economic sectors, for example in electric vehicles, wind turbines and microelectronics. As more than 90% of magnets currently imported in the EU come from China,…
Photo by Sergei A on Unsplash Calls are intensifying for the US, UK and EU to extend sanctions to Russia’s titanium industry, as Western policymakers face renewed scrutiny over lingering gaps in their response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Despite sweeping restrictions on Russian hydrocarbons and other commodities since the invasion in 2022, titanium,…
Photo by Evgeny Opanasenko on Unsplash The European Commission says it is allocating an extra €40 million in humanitarian funding to help Ukrainians endure a fourth winter of Russia’s war of aggression. This new support will strengthen the country’s preparedness for winter and protect civilians against extreme cold. Comment came from Hadja Lahbib, who is…
Photo by Rainier Ridao on Unsplash EC president Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union has acknowledged Europe’s social crisis and the need for fair competitiveness. However, a campaign group says that without Roma economic and political empowerment, both Europe’s economy and democracy will remain incomplete. That is the view of The Roma Foundation…
Photo by Valery Tenevoy on Unsplash The Socialists and Democrats in the EU Parliament are sounding the alarm over the rapidly deteriorating political crisis in Serbia. The group, the 2nd biggest in the assembly, is also calling out the European People’s Party (EPP) for what S and D calls its complicit silence and…
Photo by Elize Bezuidenhout on Unsplash In the last days of August, Sudan’s two rival governments both held cabinet meetings which, in their different symbolisms, reflected very different visions for the future of their benighted country. Those different visions were best captured in the redesigned state coat of arms that hung on the wall behind…
Photo by David Foodphototasty on Unsplash EU parliament President Roberta Metsola opened the September plenary session in Strasbourg with a minute of silence to remember lives lost in various tragedies in the EU and its neighbourhood. Metsola expressed her deep sadness following the derailment of the Elevador da Glória in Lisbon on 3 September. She…
Photo by Polina Kondrashova on Unsplash The KIKK Festival has become a fixture both in Belgium and in the international digital arts scene. From 23 to 26 October, its immersive 14th edition will once again take over Namur, exploring the musicality of our world. The programme features robot musicians playing the organ of the Saint-Loup…
Photo by Vony Razom on Unsplash Statement by President von der Leyen following the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris. “Today I was in Paris, where we just had the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.” “We discussed security guarantees for Ukraine.” “It was a crucial meeting, because we…
Photo by MW on Unsplash Today, the world faces mounting uncertainties and challenges from prolonged conflicts and democratic backsliding to economic coercion and disinformation campaigns. Authoritarian regimes increasingly employ gray-zone tactics that undermine the rules-based international order. In this fragile global environment, peace cannot be taken for granted. Democracies must unite to bolster resilience and…
