The EUโs most pointless job
Josep Borrell loves to condemn things โ sometimes in the “strongest possible terms.” Does it ever have any impact?
Heritage
Showcasing the Excellence of SHEFEXIL Products from India: A true global benchmark for Quality and Competitiveness [Promoted content]
India, in addition to being a land of diverse cultures and rich heritage, is also home to many superior-quality agri-based products and botanicals.
Discover Kabylia: Algeria’s emblematic mountain destination
In this episode of Explore Algeria, we explore Kabylia’s nature, learn about its rich cultural heritage and sample one of its local delicacies.
Discovering modern art, mythic caves and coastal golf in Tangier
Today in Golf Travel Tales, we join Immy Barclay as she uncovers the wonders of Tangier, one of Africaโs oldest cities with 2,500 years of heritage.
Orbรกn accuses Brussels of denting North Macedoniaโs pride after further EU bid delay
Orbรกn also offered to mediate with EU member Bulgaria, whose dispute with Skopje over Balkan history and heritage triggered the new delay.
Kyiv slams Georgian electoral ads depicting bombed-out Ukraine
Georgian people “need not to be afraid of a new war as long Ukraine resists Russian aggression,” Kyiv said.
Necklace worn at Queen Elizabeth IIโs coronation could fetch ยฃ2m at auction
Some jewellery historians believe it features diamonds from infamous piece at centre of Marie Antoinette scandalAn antique diamond necklace worn at Queen Elizabeth IIโs coronation and may be linked to a French scandal involving Marie Antoinette is coul…
French PM Barnier unveils new government, putting budget and EU affairs under his purview
The Cabinet is the โmost right-wing’ in more than a decade.
European Heritage Days: 10 ideas for seaside visits
The culture section of ‘Le Monde’ offers a selection of sites highlighting maritime heritage. The 41st edition of the event takes place on September 21 and 22.
In pictures: Europeโs car-free plazas reclaim their former glory
Why are we so comfortable filling our most iconic public spaces with a bunch of metal boxes?
Republicans block Democratic bill on IVF protections
As Trump pitches himself as a โleader on IVF,โ GOP senators dismiss the legislation as a Democratic stunt.
Trump got back on track with the border. Then he started talking about the dogs (and geese).
His Arizona rally comes two days after Vice President Kamala Harris derailed from the issue at the presidential debate.
Mallorcaโs transformation into a tourist hotspot โ in pictures
As Spain struggles with overtourism, a unique photo archive in Mallorca shows the islandโs transformation from rural idyll into a mass tourism destination Continue reading…
Fate of Eiffel Towerโs Olympic rings turns into political fightย
Proposal to leave iconic logo on Franceโs most famous monument sparks row.
โNobody in Politics Is Able to Say Itโ: The Truth About Latino Voters
A top political strategist explains how the Latino vote is shifting.
An ageing king, his clairvoyant daughter and her celebrity shaman โ welcome to Norwayโs epic reality show | Aslak Nore
We pride ourselves on egalitarianism, but paradoxically weโre still drawn to our dysfunctional royal family. For how much longer?It should have been an Instagram-perfect wedding image, but it turned out to be something more embarrassing. In the picture…
Constantine Arch in Rome damaged by lightning during violent storm
Residents tell of โapocalyptic scenesโ after more than 60mm of rainfall falls on Italian capital in less than an hourLightning has struck the Constantine Arch near the Colosseum in Rome during a violent thunderstorm, breaking off fragments from the anc…
Harris and Trump brace for final sprint in โsnap electionโ
The race is not only tight nationally, but in a broader range of states than before.
Trumpโs Orbรกn embrace sparks some US Republicans to sound the alarm
Groups seeking the former presidentโs favor have highlighted pro-Russian Hungarian leaders and talking points.
Paris seeks UNESCO cultural heritage status for distinctive zinc rooftops
The French culture ministry wants to etch the unique zinc-plated rooftops of Paris and their workers in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Though iconic, the roofs are often criticised for their inadaptability to hot temperatures brought…
Heritage under attack: Ukrainians revive interest in culture
Hundreds of cultural sites have been targeted in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Heritage under attack: Ukrainians revive interest in culture
Hundreds of cultural sites have been targeted in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Democrats just canโt quit Donald Trump
Opposition to Trump is the unifying force at the DNC.
โThe land is becoming desertโ: drought pushes Sicilyโs farming heritage to the brink
While tourists flock to the Italian island in greater numbers, a water crisis is intensifying for its rural populationFor the first time in four generations of his familyโs farming history, Vito Amantiaโs threshers have lain silent this year. The 650,0…
Rise in DNA tests being used to claim citizenship of other countries
Many people want to uncover their ancestry, but โ driven by Brexit โ others also hope to regain access to the EUSome do it to explore their ancestral heritage or an unknown part of their identity. Others are hoping to find parents, siblings and new rel…
Thursday briefing: How Ukraineโs surprise attack will shape Russian views of the war
In todayโs newsletter: As Ukrainian forces make further advances inside Russia, Vladimir Putin goes on an offensive to calm fears and mould perceptions at home. Will it work?โข Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Ukrainian …
‘I wish Paris could stay that way’: Residents experience post-Olympic blues
After more than fifteen days of Olympic festivities in Paris, some hope the heritage of the games, like the heightened sense of security and good mood, will remain in the French capital.
Tourists engulf Montenegroโs Adriatic gem โ in pictures
Kotor, a Unesco world heritage site, is struggling to cope with a rise in visitors clogging its narrow streets and raising environmental concerns Continue reading…
โCasual decommunisationโ: seeking to save Ukraineโs Soviet-era modernist masterpieces
Dmytro Soloviov is campaigning to protect Ukraineโs USSR architectural past from the double threat of Russian bombs and โblind furyโ at MoscowAs Russian bombs rain down on Ukraine, one young Ukrainian activist is trying to halt destruction of a differe…
The mainstreaming of Islamophobia in the UK
Decades of hostile media rhetoric and discriminatory government policy have resulted in the normalization of Islamophobia. And the failure to tackle it guarantees weโll see a repeat of these ugly riots.
Bharti Kher, Yorkshire Sculpture Park โ magical transformations of glass into gold
The British-Indian artist draws on politics, religious traditions and her cultural heritage to make works of subtle power
German court due to rule on โfrom the river to the seaโ case in test of free speech
Defendant is accused of โcondoning the assault by Hamasโ by using slogan during protestA Berlin court is expected to rule on the case of a pro-Palestinian activist who called out the divisive slogan โfrom the river to the seaโ at a rally, in what suppo…
Club helps children celebrate Albanian heritage
London’s Albanian Heritage Club was started in May 2023 with 100 children attending every weekend.
Paris Olympics: Argentina players jeered by crowd during heated football quarterfinal against France
It comes after a racism scandal involving Argentinian players singing an offensive song about French players of African heritage. Friday’s game ended with a massive brawl after the final whistle.
FSB and sleeper agents among the Russians freed in prisoner swap
Members ofย Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, and sleeper agents living abroad were among those freed in a multinational prisoner swap on Thursday. The children of deep-cover agents posing as Argentinian expats in Slovenia were not even aware …
Botched Spanish church makeover leaves cherubim looking startled
Professional restorers want an explanation for the changes to the Ermita de Nuestra Seรฑora del Mirรณn, which has been likened to the infamous โMonkey Christโ workProfessional restorers in Spain are demanding explanations after a historic church in the n…
Vitaly Klitschkoโs critics come out swinging over boxing champโs record as Kyiv mayor
Klitschko sees a political vendetta in complaints his administration failed to stop destruction of the city’s heritage and to improve infrastructure.
Trumpโs first try at pivoting to Harris blows up in his face
The former president suggested Harris only recently โbecameโ Black.
Hostile Trump takes the stage at Black journalistsโ conference
He claimed to be the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln and suggested Harris used her race to help her get elected.
Ukraineโs art evacuators: the intrepid team rescuing art from a warzone โ in pictures
After Russiaโs invasion in 2022, historian Leonid Marushchak saw that Ukraineโs cultural heritage was under threat, too. So he vowed to get to these irreplaceable works before Putinโs forces could. Photographs by Julia Kochetova, Ed Ram and Natalka Dia…
The Future of Spirits: A Toast to Balancing Growth and Responsibility [Promoted content]
From the aqua vitae of mediaeval Europe to the baijiu of ancient China, distilled alcohol has an incredible global heritage, and today each sip of spirit tells the tale of its birthplace.
Where the EUโs political tribes should go on holiday
Where to go this summer, depending on your political persuasion.
Ancient Roman Appian Way becomes Italyโs 60th Unesco world heritage site
Highway that consolidated Roman empire joins modernist Romanian sculptures as latest sites added to listItalyโs Via Appia Antica, or Appian Way, the earliest and most important road built by the ancient Romans, has been named a Unesco world heritage si…
Irish museum solves mystery of bronze age axe heads delivered in porridge box
Artefacts sent by farmer, who made the โabsolutely madโ discovery while cutting silageWhen the national museum of Ireland received two 4,000-year-old axe heads, โthoughtfullyโ wrapped in foam inside a porridge box, from an anonymous source last month, …
Macauโs Portuguese strive to preserve their cultural heritage
As the casino city approaches the 25th anniversary of its handover to China, the challenges for the ex-pat community are growing
Corker of a find: Shipwreck in Baltic brims with crates of champagne
Cargo of vessel capsized near Sweden in 19th century also includes mineral water, say Polish diversPolish divers have discovered a 19th-century shipwreck with a hold full of crates of champagne and porcelain in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast.The …
Polandโs Tusk hits a wall on legalizing abortion
Failure of abortion vote raises big questions of whether Tusk can deliver the key social reforms he promised in last year’s election.
โScared to Deathโ: GOP Security Hawks Slam Vance Selection
By choosing the Ukraine-skeptic Ohio senator, Trump accelerates his partyโs rejection of its Reaganite roots.
A defensive Biden tries to shift back into campaign mode
The president insisted to the enthusiastic crowd that he would stay in the race.
Trump to meet with Orbรกn in Florida after NATO summit
The conservative allies will sit down at the former presidentโs Mar-a-Lago resort.
Intruder climbs up to dome of Florence cathedral overnight for selfie
Local media reports say 17-year-old is suspected of stunt, which was posted on InstagramA teenager has been reported to police after allegedly sneaking around Florenceโs Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore overnight and climbing up to its Cupola del Bru…
Hungaryโs Orbรกn has taken sides in Americaโs election. Maybe other leaders should, too.
The prevailing wisdom that foreign leaders should stay neutral in U.S. politics could be out of date in an increasingly polarized setting.
Secret meetings, private threats and a massive arms race: How the world is preparing for Trump
In 2016, no one in the world was ready for President Trump. Americaโs NATO allies arenโt making the same mistake this time.
Orbรกn alliance gains enough support to be EU Parliament group
Belgium’s Vlaams Belang becomes seventh national party to join right-wing Patriots for Europe.
Dutch, Spanish far-right parties to join Orbรกnโs Patriots for Europe
Hungarian leader needs only one more national party for his right-wing alliance to qualify as an official grouping in the European Parliament.
Why a disillusioned, angry Britain voted for change
A tour of Britain’s provincial towns reveals a restless nation with no love for its political class.
Anglo-Saxons may have fought in northern Syrian wars, say experts
Warriors from Britain joined far-flung Byzantine military campaigns in sixth century, grave goods suggestSixth-century Anglo-Saxon people may have travelled from Britain to the eastern Mediterranean and northern Syria to fight in wars, researchers have…
Trumpโs plan for NATO is emerging
Trump advisers envision a โradical reorientationโ in which Washington takes a back seat to Europe โ and cuts a deal with Putin over Ukraine.
Trump would withdraw US from Paris climate treaty again, campaign says
The statement comes after years of conservatives laying the groundwork for Trump to withdraw from the global agreement intended to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases causing climate change.
Letโs be a bit more honest about what a โEuropean identityโ looks like
Emphasizing Europeโs โJudeo-Christianโ heritage and looking only to antiquity betrays the European project, excluding the various peoples and entities that shaped the Continent.
A bear attack in Slovakia reveals what the far right really wants
Across the globe, populists are rolling back efforts to save nature and the planet.
Kazakhstan emerging as haven for biomedical research and clinical testing [Advocacy Lab Content]
Kazakhstan, a country with a rich scientific heritage, is positioning itself as a haven for cutting-edge biomedical research and clinical trials. Its innovative approach hinges on fostering close collaboration between universities and industrial partners.
Dagestani official sacked after sons implicated in Sundayโs deadly attacks
Russian officials blame the West for the slayings, following the same script used after the Crocus City Hall mass shooting in March.
Gunmen target religious sites in Russiaโs Dagestanย region in โterror attacksโ
Shooting leaves at least seven officers dead and more than two dozen injured in second major incident this year.
Polandโs eastern Maginot Line raises nature worries
New border defenses running through the ancient Biaลowieลผa Forest are “all about taking advantage of natural terrain,” says a retired general.
French PM lashes out at leftist leader Mรฉlenchon after antisemitic assault
Key figures in the French president’s camp criticized three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mรฉlenchon’s stance on antisemitism and the Israel-Gaza war as having contributed to an environment of insecurity for French Jews.
Affordable housing doesnโt have to be ugly
Affordable housing is often associated with drab housing blocs and brutalist towers โ but it doesn’t have to be.
A punch-up in parliament reveals Italyโs deepest scars
The Meloni coalitionโs plan to give more power to โvirtuousโ regions has inflamed the country’s North-South divide.
How Nigel Farage blew up the UK election
Britain’s top Brexiteer has made it his life’s work to torment the Conservative Party. This time he could reduce it to rubble.ย
Italian authorities seek to combat over-tourism on Amalfi Coast
The Italian government is seeking to battle over tourism on the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful and visited coastlines in the world and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Authorities have put in place a plan of alternate ci…
Macron lashes out at conservatives, far-right alliance ahead of snap election
The French president addressed French voters at a press conference after calling a snap election in wake of humiliating defeat.
Turkey rejects claim Lord Elgin had permission to take Parthenon marbles
Official says no sign of permit in Ottoman archives, in blow to British Museum, which defends legal right to statuaryGreece has won an unlikely ally in its campaign to retrieve the Parthenon marbles from the British Museum after Turkey publicly rejecte…
Biden: Whatโs happening in Gaza โis not genocideโ
The president emphasized his backing of Israel, aiming to quell frustrations heโd conditioned aid.
Graffiti-covered door from French revolutionary wars found in Kent
Markings include public executions and a sailing ship chiselled into door in 1790s by bored English soldiers A scratched wooden door found by chance at the top of a medieval turret has been revealed to be an โastonishingโ graffiti-covered relic from t…
Amsterdam is sick of โparty touristsโ. It should take drastic measures to stop them | Renate van der Zee
The city has had enough of stag parties and red-light gawpers. But it will take more than an online quiz to curb over-tourismAn online quiz is the latest strategy with which Amsterdam hopes to deter nuisance tourists. The quiz is called Amsterdam Rules…
Europeโs cultural identity โ thatโs what weโre fighting for
In the last three decades, weโve enjoyed the luxury of not having to ask ourselves what it is we stand for. But those times have passed.
โItโs deeper than slaveryโ: Lisbon street project reclaims Portugalโs unseen black history
Plaques in city now mark the places where its African community has lived, worked and transformed the cityIt takes just a short stroll around Lisbonโs Sรขo Domingos church to get a sense of its centuries-long history; a monument bearing the Star of Davi…
A Trump-style tower in Belgrade? Serbs say it reopens war wounds.
Former U.S. presidentโs son-in-law Jared Kushner plans to redevelop an informal memorial to the 1999 NATO bombing.
Fadi Kattanโs paean to the food of Bethlehem
The chef pays homage to his Palestinian heritage in his first book of recipes
Venice is leading the way with a tourist tax. Other great European cities should follow suit | Simon Jenkins
Visiting such ancient places is a privilege that often makes living in them miserable โ itโs only fair that tourists pay for their upkeepVenice has had enough. It is sinking beneath the twin assaults of tourism and the sea and believes the answer lies …
‘It will change nothing’: Venice residents protest against tourism entrance fee โ video
Authorities in Venice have been accused of transforming the famous lagoon city into a ‘theme park’ as a long-mooted entrance fee for day trippers comes into force. Venice is the first major city in the world to enact such a scheme. The โฌ5 (ยฃ4.30) charg…
โAre we joking?โ: Venice residents protest as city starts charging visitors to enter
Day-trippers will have to pay โฌ5 to visit Italian city under scheme designed to protect it from excess tourismAuthorities in Venice have been accused of transforming the famous lagoon city into a โtheme parkโ as a long-mooted entrance fee for day tripp…
Venice access fee: what is it and how much does it cost?
The Italian Unesco site is hoping to reduce over-tourism with the charge โ the first of its kind in a major cityAfter years in the making, Venice will on Thursday begin charging day trippers to enter the city in an effort to protect the Unesco world he…
The Luxembourg-France border is prime pro-EU territory โย except it isnโt
Tens of thousands of people in eastern France cross the border to Luxembourg every day for work โ yet Marine Le Penโs National Rally is gaining ground in the area.
Joe Biden wonโt do a trade deal with Britain, says Liz Truss
The former prime minister dismissed the chance of any trade deal happening under the incumbent president.
Thousands take to streets in Canary Islands to protest overtourism
Tens of thousands of demonstrators hit the streets across Spain’s Canary Islands to demand changes to the model of mass tourism they say is overwhelming the Atlantic archipelago. “We Canarians are fed up with being second and third class citizens, we …
Portrait of a park: exploring El Retiro, central Madridโs storied green space
A grand sweep of gardens, palaces and monuments, this Unesco World Heritage site is also a retreat from the summer heat. But its vast arboreal canopy might be under threat
Hit-and-run tourism is tearing the heart out of Florence โ there is a better way | Cecilie Hollberg
As I learned from managing Michelangeloโs David, visitors can be nudged away from the joyless in-and-out mission for selfies and souvenirsFlorence is an exquisite city. Because of its history and its cultural heritage as the cradle of the Italian Renai…
Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen’s old stock exchange โ video
A fire has broken out at Copenhagenโs old stock exchange, one of the Danish capitalโs most famous buildings, engulfing its spire, which collapsed on to the roof. There were no reports of injuries. The historic building, whose spire is shaped as the tai…
Liz Truss thinks the โdeep stateโ is out to get Donald Trump
Ex-UK prime minister has a warning for the man hoping return to the White House.
Artworks carried to safety as fire blazes at Copenhagenโs old stock exchange
Spire collapsed as fire engulfed landmark in Danish capital, which houses one of countryโs most valuable art collectionsEurope live: Copenhagen old stock exchange fire โ as it happenedFirefighters at Copenhagenโs historic former stock exchange have bee…
Liz Truss says Donald Trump โhas toโ win
Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister gives Republican hopeful her backing.
โItโs plain elitistโ: anger at Greek plan for โฌ5,000 private tours of Acropolis
Archaeologists and guides among critics who say scheme goes against what symbol of democracy should representJackie and Malcolm Love stood amid a bevy of tourists in the heart of Athens taking in the Acropolis with a mixture of awe and admiration. The …
โMiraculousโ: exquisite paintings saved from Notre Dame fire back on view
Five years after the inferno at the Paris cathedral, a new exhibition shows the rescued art treasuresThere was a moment on 15 April 2019 as the flames consuming Notre Dame cathedral roared into the evening sky when it seemed all would be lost.Firefight…
UK trade deal would be a โpriorityโ for Trumpโs second term, claims ex-adviser
Robert Greenway brushes aside questions about past failures to secure the elusive deal.
Trumpโs world view: How heโd deal with Russia, China, Iran and the Middle Eastย
This week marked the grim six-month milestone since the Hamas terrorย attack on Israel and the ensuing counterattack on Gaza, which has led to a mounting death toll and a humanitarian crisis that has dividedย world opinion. While President Joe Bidenโs White House struggles to help end the bloodshed, what would his opponent โ Donald Trump โ [โฆ]
Jug and basin Marie Antoinette gave to governess recovered 37 years after theft
Sรจvres porcelain was among objects stolen from Chรขteau de Thoiry outside Paris in 1987A rare jug and basin given by Marie Antoinette to one of her closest friends are being returned to a French chateau 37 years after their theft.The Sรจvres porcelain wa…
Taiwanโs Indigenous tribes could hold the key to its independence
By calling for conquest, Xi has made an enemy of the Taiwan’s tribes, which rightfully say their ancestors inhabited the island long before the dawn of the Chinese era.
College of Europe launches probe after studentโs door daubed with swastika
โPromoting hate is not and will never be tolerated within our walls,โ said College Rector Federica Mogherini.
โLonging for homeโ: letters of Irish emigrants to US reveal 400 years of trials and triumphs
A collection of more than 7,000 letters will form a publicly accessible digital archive that offers a window to the past In the week that Ireland turns ยญeverything green and celebrates its diaspora, a new online archive has given voice to the human co…