EU can’t plug USAID funding gap including in Ukraine, Commission says

โ€œThe EU cannot fill this gap left by others,โ€ย the European Commission told Euronews as disability NGOs seek emergency aid from Brussels after US President Donald Trump blocked international development projects.

Ukraine war briefing: Power restrictions as Russia hits energy system

Trump says Ukraine โ€˜may be Russian somedayโ€™; Biden-approved weapons still flowing, says Kellogg. What we know on day 1,084See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine implemented emergency power restrictions on Tuesday morning as the energy minister, German…

EU considers giving countries wiggle room to boost defense spending

The move would allow governments with overstretched budgets more flexibility under the bloc’s debt and deficit rules.

The real significance of Trumpโ€™s tariffs

It represents another major effort to expand presidential authority.

Israel withdraws troops from key Gaza corridor under fragile cease-fire

Concerns are growing about talks on the second phase of the cease-fire deal.

The Future of Temporary Protection in Tรผrkiye: Return of Syrians after the Fall of Assad

 

Dr. AyลŸe Dicle
Ergin, Assistant
Professor, Bilkent University Faculty of Law

 

Photo credit: Henry
Ridgwell, Voice of America news, via Wikimedia
Commons

 

As of today, the vast majority of
approximately 2.8
million Syrians in Tรผr…

US judge orders sweeping restriction on DOGE access to sensitive Treasury data

The judge limited access to โ€œcivil servants with a need for accessโ€ who have โ€œpassed all background checks and security clearances.โ€

Locked out of decent housing, disabled residents in France struggle for dignity

For people with disabilities in France, finding accessible housing is particularly challenging. From emergency shelters unfit for mobility needs to social housing failing wheelchair users, the housing crisis hits disabled residents hardest and pushes …

Commission to grant โ‚ฌ100m package to farmers affected by disasters

The emergency support package is expected to be unveiled on 19 February, coinciding with the presentation of the ‘Vision for agriculture and food’.

Belgian authorities struggle to rein in spate of drug-related shootings in Brussels

PRESS REVIEWย โ€“ Friday, February 7: The Belgian capital Brussels has been rocked by a spate of violent drug-related shootings that authorities are at a loss to control. Also in the news: the Greek island of Santorini is in a state of emergency due to t…

Trumpโ€™s aid freeze leaves UN food agency scrambling, with millions at risk

Despite a U.S. waiver, food shipments are stalled, funding is uncertain and Europe may have to fill the gap.

Like an episode of The Wire: Brussels gang wars spiral out of control

โ€œMafiaโ€ shootings with Kalashnikovs trigger alarm in the city as politicians convene an emergency meeting.

State of emergency declared on Santorini after earthquakes shake island

Greek civil protection authorities announce measures after an estimated 7,700 tremors in less than a weekGreek civil protection authorities have declared a state of emergency on Santorini after hundreds of undersea earthquakes shook the resort island f…

Ukraine war briefing: Bomber dies in attack on army recruitment centre

String of attacks against Ukraineโ€™s mobilisation effort; Ukraine announces robot ground units. What we know on day 1,079A person died setting off an explosion at an army recruitment centre in western Ukraine on Wednesday, officials said, amid a string …

Les guerres commerciales sont-elles si faciles ร  gagner, comme lโ€™affirme Trump ?

Comment fonctionnent les droits de douane ? Jusqu’oรน Trump peut-il aller ? L’Europe peut-elle s’en tirer ? POLITICO rรฉpond ร  toutes ces questions qui vous taraudent.

Von der Leyen signals โ€˜extraordinaryโ€™ measure to boost EU defense spending

The move would offer national capitals more room to increase defense spending.

Greece: Emergency crews deployed on Santorini as an earthquake swarm worries experts

More than 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded in the area over the past three days, prompting hundreds to leave the island. Mobile phones received alert warnings about potential rockslides, while several of the earthquakes caused loud rumbles.

Donald Trump says trade wars are easy to win. Are they?

The U.S. president’s tariff attack on Americaโ€™s closest allies is unprecedented. Economists say they wonโ€™t fix the U.S. trade deficit, restore jobs or raise much money. And people will get hurt.

Trump wants to tax the world

The U.S. president sees tariffs not just as a way to reverse trade deficits, but also as a means of reducing domestic income tax. He may find neither are likely to work according to plan.

Brussels lowers its expectations for Keir Starmerโ€™s Brexit reset

EU officials and diplomats believe improvements to the cross-channel relationship are possible, and still happening โ€” but slowly.

Trump finalizes tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, triggering likely trade war

The tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods will be 25 percent.

France leads fight against EU plans to merge health crisis and civil protection units

11 countries signed a paper to Ursula von der Leyen warning the move would downgrade Europe’s health crisis resiliency.

Ukraine war briefing: elderly couples among nine killed in Russian drone attack

Thirteen people wounded, including eight-year-old girl, in Sumy apartment block attack. Sweden pledges $1.2bn in Ukraine military aid, its biggest pledge yet. What we know on day 1,073See all our Ukraine war coverageA Russian drone attack on a resident…

โ€˜Nothing short of a nightmareโ€™: Jet, helicopter collide near Reagan National Airport

A regional passenger jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter late Wednesday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in what appeared to be the most serious aviation collision in the U.S. in more than 11 years. The American Airlines jet had 60 passengers and four crew members, CNN reported, citing the airline. Authorities did not [โ€ฆ]

Trumpโ€™s beef with the World Health Organization is personal

Heโ€™s said the UN bodyโ€™s head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, treated China better than him during the pandemic.

โ€˜It will kill peopleโ€™: Chaos, confusion after Trump halts US foreign aid

The new directive puts some aid organizations at risk of bankruptcy.

PFAS: Working toward a sustainable future while protecting patient care

Pharma and medtech companies are invited to join a project on PFAS exposure, emissions and end-of-life management in the health care sector

Hungary backs down in EU Russia sanctions standoff

Before relenting, Budapest had threatened to allow billions of dollars to flow back to the Kremlin in a row over energy imports.

EUโ€™s Russia sanctions roll-over explained

Should EU foreign ministers fail to renew the sanctions by January, diplomats say there is still enough time to call an had-hoc emergency EU summit
The post EU’s Russia sanctions roll-over explained appeared first on Euractiv.

Bulgarian police โ€˜blocked rescueโ€™ of teenage migrants who froze to death

Report by rights groups alleges border police refused to rescue boys and blocked activistsโ€™ efforts to save themBulgarian authorities have been accused of ignoring emergency calls and obstructing efforts to rescue three Egyptian teenage boys, who later…

Trump claims victory in tariff and migration standoff with Colombia

Hours after threatening punitive tariffs, the White House said Colombia agreed to accept deported migrants and lifted the threat of new levies.

Trump said he is slapping tariffs on Colombia after it turns around US migrant flights

Trump says he’ll slap tariffs on Colombia after it turned around US deportation flights

Thousands protest over deadly train crash in Greece

Clashes erupted at the end of the protests in Athens and Thessaloniki.

โ€˜I sense Brussels is ready to be bold and ambitiousโ€™: hope mixes with anger on Brexitโ€™s fifth anniversary

The union jack was lowered in Brussels this week in 2020. Today, despite the problems caused by leaving, a yearning for โ€˜Breturnโ€™ flowersAndrew Moss despairs, even now, when he thinks back to the end of January 2020. It was a painful, traumatic time fo…

Could Irelandโ€™s longheld neutrality make it vulnerable to infrastructure attacks?

Transatlantic subsea cables serving Europe and the UK go to or near its shores โ€“ but some say recent suspected sabotage means Ireland must be able to defend itselfThey are the bedrock of the internet, keeping everything from TikTok to emergency service…

Ukraine war briefing: Putin aiming to โ€˜manipulateโ€™ Trump, Zelenskyy warns

Ukrainian president issues warning after Russiaโ€™s leader said he was โ€˜ready for negotiationsโ€™ with US counterpart on the war. What we know on day 1,067See all our Ukraine coverage Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has warned that his Russian co…

US State Department issues immediate, widespread pause on foreign aid

The โ€œstop-work ordersโ€ appear to apply to US aid for all countries except Israel and Egypt.

People flee burning Russian oil refinery after reported drone attack โ€“ย video

People were seen running from a burning oil refinery after reports of a drone attack in the Ryazan region, south-east of Moscow. The governor, Pavel Malkov, said emergency crews were dealing with the aftermath of an air attack on the main town. Air def…

El Hierro: the tiny Canary Island at centre of migration crisis โ€“ photo essay

Ten years ago, El Hierro staked everything on sustainability and renewable energy. Today it faces another epochal challenge: migration from Africa, a phenomenon that is turning it into the Lampedusa of the Atlanticโ€œWe canโ€™t go on like this. We are only…

Anti-Fico protests build as Slovak PM mutters about foreign โ€˜coupโ€™

Political acrimony is rocking Bratislava.

Storm ร‰owyn expected to be one of most dangerous on record in Ireland

People warned to stay at home, avoid the coast and charge up devices as widespread damage and outages expectedIreland is bracing for what has been described as one of the most dangerous storms ever seen, with the national weather centre warning of viol…

Trump announces $500B AI investment

AI development is a significant part of the Trump administrationโ€™s tech policy proposals.

A running list of Trumpโ€™s planned executive orders, actions, proclamations and legislation

Donald Trump is promising a โ€œgolden age of Americaโ€ in his second term, and heโ€™s issuing a raft of executive orders to try and make it happen. The president signed a slew of orders and directives that aim to end birthright citizenship and crack down on illegal crossings at the southern border, increase domestic energy [โ€ฆ]

EU tells Trumpโ€™s America: We have other options

Ursula von der Leyen casts Europe as an economic heavyweight that can forge new alliances during another “America First” presidency.

Trump closes first day with an avalanche of executive orders

President Donald Trump bolted into his first day in office with an unprecedented show of executive force โ€” signing orders intended to end the right to citizenship by birth, force federal workers back to the office and grant Tik Tok a reprieve from a forced shutdown โ€” as he showcased his desire to circumvent Congress [โ€ฆ]

What Trumpโ€™s exit from the climate deal really means

Quitting the Paris Agreement triggers a cascade of real-world impacts and signals the beginning of an aggressive agenda to undo U.S. climate policy.

Get ready for Trumpโ€™s executive order onslaught

The incoming president is trying to deliver on a long list of Day One promises.

Several injured after ski lift collapses at Spanish resort in Astรบn โ€“ย video

Ten people have been hurt, two of them seriously, after a ski lift collapsed at a resort in north-east Spain on Saturday, hurling dozens of passengers into the snow below. Miguel รngel Clavero, the head of Aragรณnโ€™s emergency services, said the accident…

How Trump could make good on his tariff threats

Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on key trading partners like Canada and Mexico as soon as he enters office.

Germanyโ€™s Scholz ignites fierce debate by making Ukraine aid contingent on borrowing

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s latest demand is likely to stall a โ‚ฌ3 billion aid package to the war-ravaged country as Russian forces continue their advance.

How to woo Donald Trump: Tips from a diplomacy pro

Tom Fletcher served three U.K. prime ministers โ€” and has plenty of advice for diplomats in the Trump era.

Ukraine war briefing: US House speaker dumps key Ukraine backer Mike Turner

Mike Johnson removes his fellow Republican as chair of powerful intelligence committee; Poland says Europe must take care of itself. What we know on day 1,058Mike Johnson, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, on Wednesday removed his fellow …

PMQs: Badenoch misses an open goal as Starmer gets lucky

Strong, specific questions from the Tory leader soon gave way to a scatter-shot approach.

EU lines up intel-sharing, cyber squads to stop hospital hacks

EU health care sector pummeled with cyberattacks in recent years.

Escalating armed conflict is most urgent threat for world in 2025, say global leaders

World Economic Forum says responses from experts in business, politics and academia also highlight climate crisisGlobal leaders have said that escalating armed conflict is the most urgent threat in 2025 but the climate emergency is expected to cause th…

Trumpโ€™s nominees are suddenly looking safer

Republican senators are closing ranks around his most controversial picks.

Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv ready to swap North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian PoWs, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian president says there โ€˜should be no doubt leftโ€™ that Russia is dependent on military assistance from North Korea. What we know on day 1,055See all our Ukraine coverageUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he was ready to hand …

โ€˜I Think Things Are Going to Be Bad, Really Badโ€™: The US Military Debates Possible Deployment on US Soil Under Trump

Trump has said he wants to use active duty U.S. troops to quell protests and round up immigrants. Will the military comply?

Tram collision in Strasbourg leaves dozens injured

Rescue services treat 100 more people for shock or stress after collision in tunnel leading to central train stationTwo trams collided in Strasbourg in eastern France on Saturday, causing dozens of injuries, though none critical, authorities said. The …

โ€˜It was extraordinaryโ€™: Spanish captain recalls rescue of woman who gave birth in dinghy

Mother and newborn saved from inflatable boat off Canary Islands, on a route on which thousands have diedThe call that would lead to one of the most poignant images of the humanitarian emergency in the deadly waters off the Canary Islands came at 4am.I…

When Elon met Alice: 9 weird moments from Muskโ€™s German far-right chuckle-fest

God! Martians! A “communist” Hitler! It was heavy on oddness and light on policy as the X owner and the AfD co-leader hit it off.

Liz Truss threatens to sue Keir Starmer for saying she blew up Britain

Former prime minister says claims she “crashed the economy” are “grossly defamatory and indefensible.”

In Austriaโ€™s Kickl, the EU has its next Orbรกn

Vienna could be about to get its first far-right leader since World War II. Europe’s mainstream sees trouble brewing.

Trump warns of new tariffs against Canada, Mexico, EU. And maybe Denmark, too.

The president-elect made the remarks during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago.

Franceโ€™s man in Brussels touts a strategy to save Europeโ€™s embattled industry

The European Commission’s industry chief is lining up help for energy-hungry industries, aiming to stoke demand for them via public procurement.

How Charles Michel waded into a minefield in Nagorno-Karabakh

The former Council President wanted to intervene in a bitter conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He ended up mired in problems of his own, excerpts from a new book on the region reveal.

Musk โ€˜readyโ€™ to provide Meloni with Starlink secure comms

News of the talks comes shortly after the Italian PM visited President-elect Donald Trump in Florida.

How a Gorilla devoured democracy in Slovakia

A sprawling government corruption scandal from 2006 ended multiple political careers. Failure to punish the culprits ended public faith in the system.

French telecoms giant that fumed over Starlink used โ€ฆ Muskโ€™s satellites for storm-ravaged island

An Orange lobbyist criticized Starlinkโ€™s post-disaster deployment to Mayotte โ€”ย despite his company having used the satellites.

Belgian mayors call for Europe-wide ban on sale of fireworks

Animal rights activists, however, say a nationwide ban in Belgium should come first.

Trump says New Orleans attack confirms his rhetoric on crime

President-elect says his administration will โ€œfully support the City of New Orleans.โ€

Ukraine war briefing: New Yearโ€™s Day drone strike kills two in Kyiv

Explosions boomed across the morning sky as Ukraineโ€™s air force warned of incoming drones. What we know on day 1,044See all our Ukraine war coverage Russia launched a New Yearโ€™s Day drone strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Wednesday, killing…

Moldova declares state of emergency as Russia-Ukraine gas deal ends

Russia’s gas transit to Europe via Ukraine stopped on Wednesday, Moscow and Kyiv said, ending a decades-long arrangement and marking the latest casualty of the war between the neighbours. Russian gas has been supplied to Europe via pipelines crossing …

Majority of Justin Trudeauโ€™s caucus calls on him to quit

Liberals want the prime minister to reveal his plans as soon as heโ€™s back from holidays.

As Covid lab leak suspicion lingers, WHO urges China to share virus origin data

The source of the coronavirus, which is estimated to have killed 7 million people, has been a controversial mystery for years.

Three people die and 48 rescued near Calais attempting to cross Channel

The deaths make 2024 the deadliest year on record for small boat Channel crossingsThree people have died after falling from an overcrowded small boat trying to cross from France to the UK, as 2024 became the deadliest year on record for perilous sea cr…

More than 170 people killed as passenger jet crash-lands in South Korea

Fiery crash at Muan International Airport is one of the countryโ€™s worst aviation disasters.

Ukraine war briefing: Russia must give clearer explanation of Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, Zelenskyy says

Moscow has confirmed its air defences were repelling Ukrainian drones at the time of planeโ€™s flight but has not admitted it shot it down. What we know on day 1,040Ukraineโ€™s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called on Russia to provide a clearer expla…

Meloniโ€™s 2025 budget appeases Brussels but raises specter of austerityย 

Critics complained that the spending plan prioritizes political concerns over desperately sought funds for strained public services.

Moscow may be behind Azerbaijan plane crash, US says

White House cites “early indications” of possible Russian involvement in the crash on Christmas Day.

Flights suspended to Russia following deadly Azerbaijan Airlines crash

Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Israeli airlines suspended flight to several Russian cities.

NATO seeks probe into Azerbaijani plane crash, as suspicions grow Russia downed it

The Kremlin warns against premature conclusions despite reports that its air defenses misidentified the airliner as a Ukrainian drone.

Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashes in Kazakhstan, many feared dead

Azerbaijan Airlines said the Embraer 190 jet, with flight number J2-8243, was flying from Baku to Grozny, capital of Russia’s Chechnya region, but had been forced to make an emergency landing around 3 km from Aktau in Kazakhstan.
The post Azerbaijan A…

Greece facing refugee โ€˜childrenโ€™s emergencyโ€™ as arrivals double in 2024

NGOs urge authorities to enforce child-protection measures, citing violence and alarming living conditionsGreece is facing a refugee โ€œchildrenโ€™s emergencyโ€ as the number of unaccompanied minors reaching the country rises and concern grows over a lack o…

Deadly Christmas market car attack in Germany: what we know so far

Witnesses say scenes in eastern German town of Magdeburg โ€˜reminiscent of a warโ€™ after vehicle ploughs into crowd, leaving at least two dead and 68 injuredFull report: two killed and scores injured in Germany as car ploughs into crowd at Christmas marke…

Two killed and scores reportedly injured after car drives into German Christmas market โ€“ video

Local authorities said that one person was arrested after incident in Magdeburg, west of Berlin. Scores of people were taken to hospital, some in serious condition. Many police officers and emergency services were at the scene, and the Christmas market…