Photo by mahdi rezaei on Unsplash Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of murdered Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei, has made an emotional appearance in the European Parliament. Fighting back tears in an address to a packed plenary in Strasbourg on 28 February, she accused the Russian mafia state, led by President Vladimir Putin, of having orchestrated her husband’s killing. She…
Business is booming at this pandemic-hit Brussels resto as it bounces back in style. Imagine opening a new business just on the eve of what turned out to be the worst health crisis in living memory. That is the fate that, inadvertently, befell the owners of The Fifty One a restaurant in Brussels. Little did…
Cybersport is not out of politics: “Games of the Future” as a way of spreading propaganda messages to young people. Russia has repeatedly used sports and art for political purposes. Cybersport is no exception. By organising cybersport events, the Russian authorities not only want to show the world that they are not internationally isolated but…
The EPP Group says it is “shocked” to learn of the death of Alexei Navalny, the 2021 Sakharov Prize laureate. The death of the Russian dissident in prison was announced on Friday and led to condemnation across the world. Reacting, Manfred Weber, a German MEP and Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament,…
Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash The total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine in the next ten years is $486 billion (€452.8 billion), a new report says. This is up from $411 bn (€383 billion) estimated one year ago. This comes after almost two years of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine. This damage is the assessment…
Photo by Nong on Unsplash MEPs have backed new rules that aim to decrease the number of unsafe toys sold in the EU single market and protect children better from toy-related risks. On Tuesday, the parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee approved its position on an update of EU rules on toy safety unanimously, with 37 votes…
Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash EU auditors say that traineeships have grown in importance as more and more young people in the EU complete a traineeship before they get a regular job. In a review issued on 6 February the European Court of Auditors points to several challenges though. They say these include: varying definitions of traineeships,…
Photo by Pramod Kumar Sharma on Unsplash Senior MEP Ondřej Kovařík has urged the EU to push for a railway sector “that is attractive for skilled talents.” He was speaking at an awards ceremony in Brussels that recognises contributions to the European rail industry. The Renew Europe deputy announced the winner, stating: “I would advocate for a railway…
Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash A leading think tank has welcomed news that leaders of the EU-27 have agreed an extra 50 billion euros support package for Ukraine within the EU budget. The decision was made at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on 1 February. The move was greeted by Zsuzsanna Vegh, associate researcher at 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…
