Photo by Ahmet Yüksek on Unsplash To successfully counter Russia’s imperial ambitions, Europe will need the same security guarantees that the United States currently provides. Friedrich Merz, the newly elected Chancellor of Germany, has stated that his top priority will be to rapidly strengthen Europe to achieve real independence from the United States. French President…
British-born Claire Saumarez-Roth moved to Belgium as a trailing spouse but, as with so many others, found herself falling in love with the country and has now put down roots here. Claire lives in Uccle and works as an interior designer. In an interview she told this website about her work here, including what she…
Photo by Olga Zakharchenko on Unsplash Russia is aiming to resolve their “Ukrainian issue” by 2026 to reallocate resources for expanding its aggression against the European Union (EU) and NATO member states. Numerous political and military analysts, as well as various European intelligence agencies, share this assessment. Should the war against Ukraine continue for another…
The European Space Agency (ESA) has today published its annual space environment report. The Earth is surrounded by spacecraft carrying out important work to study our planet’s changing climate, deliver global communication and navigation services and help us answer important scientific questions. But some of their orbits are getting crowded and increasingly churning with deadly,…
Photo by Miha Rekar on Unsplash Ukrainian civil society actors joined forces with European policymakers to discuss the role of civil society and Trade Unions in the resistance “against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.” The discussions at a conference in Brussels come as US President Donald Trump continues to pile increasing pressure on Ukrainians to hand…
The airline Emirates has announced a major retrofitting of its fleet, said to be the aviation industry’s most ambitious retrofit undertaking yet. It says that it will introduce Boeing 777s with upgraded cabins to eight more destinations on its route network, as the airline’s retrofit programme continues with an aircraft receiving its nose-to-tail facelift and…
Photo by Joan W on Unsplash Millions of animals go on difficult journeys within and outside of Europe each year. Transported via land and sea, these sentient beings, says campaign group Eurogroup for Animals, have few rules in place to protect their welfare, especially when they are exported to countries outside of the EU. The…
Listening to Sir Keir Starmer explaining why standing up to Russian tyranny and bending over backward to get the United States to stay engaged in Europe is like reliving the early dramas of post-war Europe 1948-51, writes Denis MacShane. Starmer’s flat, uninspiring style is almost a parody of Clement Attlee’s dull clipped upper-middle class tones…
Photo by Eleonora Altomare on Unsplash Regional leaders from across Europe gathered in Bari, Italy, for a key conference on maritime-related issues. It was organised by the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) which represents more than 150 regional authorities from 24 countries across Europe and beyond. It was the first CPMR Political Bureau of 2025,…
Photo by Jade Koroliuk on Unsplash Even if the average European, sipping morning coffee with a croissant, notices news reports about the destroyed high-rise buildings and burning schools in Kharkiv, it is unlikely to leave a significant impression, as it concerns an unknown city far away. Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine, with a…
