Trump threatens to revoke US citizenship of longtime critic Rosie OโDonnell
The president โ who has already sought to limit birthright citizenship for the children of some immigrants โ has no clear authority to do so.
SAFE
US State Department lays off more than 1,300 people
Diplomats called the cuts โnihilisticโ and illogical.
Mixed reaction to Starmerโs migrant deal as charities add to calls for clarity
Some welcome a plan for a legal route to the UK but others worry about how people will be selected for deportationKeir Starmerโs migrant return deal is under scrutiny after charities called for more clarity on how people will be chosen for deportation …
The Guardian view on Starmer and Macronโs channel crossings deal: safe routes hold the key to future progress | Editorial
The government has hailed its โone in, one outโ migrant returns deal as a breakthrough. But awkward questions over its implementation remainTo use a football analogy that he might appreciate, the first year of Sir Keir Starmerโs premiership has been a …
Illegal crossings into EU down 20 percent in first half of 2025, Frontex says
According to Frontex, 75,900 migrants entered the bloc illegally from January through the end of June.
Starmer hails โgroundbreakingโ deal to return small-boat migrants to France
โOne in, one outโ scheme will include a safe route for those who have not tried to cross Channel illegallyPeople arriving in the UK via small boats will be returned to France as part of what Keir Starmer called a groundbreaking agreement which the gove…
Plastic waste is a solvable problem
A global instrument to combat plastic waste is only the start. Coordinated action, innovative financing and consistent reporting metrics are needed for countries to implement the right solutions and infrastructure.
Macron pitches Starmer on new special relationship as leaders strike defense deals
The countries have dubbed their defense refresh an “entente industrielle.”
Denmark to prioritize stricter migration rules for Europe, Frederiksen tells MEPs
“We have to lower the influx of migrants,” Danish prime minister tells a divided European Parliament.
Brussels backs off from big farm shake-up. Cuts are coming anyway.
The European Commission tried to gut the EU farm budget. Farmers, ministers and lobbyists fought back and won. But with funds shrinking, the pain is only delayed.
Trump has given up on โAmerica Firstโ in one arena: Sports
In early June, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency announced on its Facebook page that its โsuited and bootedโ agents would be at matches to the FIFA Club World Cup. Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York-New Jersey 2026 World Cup Host Committee, was startled to see the ominous message, which he worried could [โฆ]
Seine swimming pool opening gives Paris mayor another jewel in her green crown
Making the famed river swimmable is one of the final big projects Anne Hidalgo will inaugurate before she leaves office next year.
Reporterโs notebook: My deadly routine in Kyiv.
Hereโs how it feels to survive Russiaโs drone and missile attacks while the U.S. turns its back on us.
Children crossing Channel from France exposed to teargas, report says
NGO says rise in interventions has only increased danger as new data shows at least 15 children died in transit last yearChildren and babies coming to the UK on small boats from northern France have been teargassed and subjected to tactics such as the …
โEven if we stop drinking we will be exposedโ: A French region has banned tap water. Is it a warning for the rest of Europe?
Forever chemicals have polluted the water supply of 60,000 people, threatening human health, wildlife and the wider ecosystem. But activists say this is just the tip of the Pfas icebergOne quiet Saturday night, Sandra Wiedemann was curled up on the sof…
Meet the first โscientific refugeesโ fleeing the US for France
Aix-Marseille University is wooing researchers who feel targeted by the Trump administration.
How defense ate Keir Starmerโs agenda
Hiking Britain’s military spending keeps Trump sweet and could counter domestic rivals โ but it’s raising questions about Labour’s priorities.
Ukrainians who fled to UK being refused asylum on grounds it is โsafe to returnโ
Law firm says it hears weekly from Ukrainians, including vulnerable women and children, who were turned downUkrainians who fled to the UK after the Russian invasion are being refused asylum by the Home Office on the grounds it is safe to return to Ukra…
Europeโs leaders take on Trump and Tehran with powerful posting
Huge bombs were no match for middling tweets this week.
LโEurope a rรฉussi ร maintenir Trump dans lโOtan, et maintenant ?
Les dirigeants europรฉens doivent maintenant trouver lโargent et acheter des armes pour dissuader la Russie tout en faisant face ร une rรฉduction potentielle des troupes amรฉricaines sur le continent.
Europe managed to keep Trump in NATO. Now what?
National leaders now need to find the money and buy weapons to deter Russia while facing a potential reduction of U.S. troops on the continent.
Return hubs โ innovative lawmaking or a dangerous legal experiment?
By Jonas
Bornemann, Assistant Professor of European Law at Rijksuniversiteit
Groningen and re:constitution fellow 2024/2025 and Isabela Brockmann,
Research intern at the Department of European and Economic Law,
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen…
EU to loosen rules on cancer-causing chemicals in cosmetics
The leaked proposal also weakens rules on advertising hazardous chemicals. Consumer groups warned it was a health risk.
MEPs vote for Parliament to sue Commission over โฌ150bn defence loan programme
MEPs do not believe the legal basis the Commission used to set up SAFE, which deprives them of their right to co-legislate, is the right one.
Inside the air policing mission keeping NATO leaders safe
POLITICO was invited on an 11-hour flight during which the French military showed how NATO secures the skies.
Summit set to show how far the EU is from seizing the โglobal euro momentโ
European Council President Antรณnio Costa wants to discuss international role for euro but divisions over large-scale joint borrowing are as wide as ever.
MEPs vote for legal action over Commissionโs defence loan scheme
The vote escalates a spat over the Commission’s sidelining of MEPs on its SAFE scheme โ leaving the final decision with President Roberta Metsola.
Merz geht mit Rekordhaushalt und neuer Zoll-Strategie zu NATO- und EU-Gipfel
TOP-THEMEN โย Der Kanzler fordert eine neue Strategie fรผr die Zoll-Verhandlungen mit den USA. Es gelte: Keep it simple. โย Das Kabinett verabschiedet heute den Haushalt. Investitionen in Verteidigung und Infrastruktur werden hochgefahren. โ Bund und Lรคnder haben sich beim Investitions-Booster offenbar geeinigt. Willkommen bei Industrie und Handel โ zwischen Industrie-Gipfel, Nato-Gipfel und EU-Gipfel. Senden Sie Tipps [โฆ]
Opinion | JD Vance said the Iran strikes set their nuclear program back โsubstantially.โ Heโs wrong.
The strikes probably only delayed Iranโs nuclear ambitions โ and reinvigorated them.
UK signs up to NATOโs 5 percent defense spending target
Until now, London has only spoken of an โambitionโ to spend 3 percent of GDP on defense at some point during the next parliament.
Canada signs defense pact with EU
The partnership will help both Ottawa and Brussels to deliver NATO’s new capability requirements.
How to navigate Denmarkโs EU presidency policyย agenda like a pro
Denmark picks up the Council leadership baton at a moment of geopolitical volatility.
Der Fahrplan durch die Woche der Entscheidungen
TOP-THEMEN โ EU-Gipfel, Kabinett, Haushaltswoche, Mindestlohnkommission, Nato-Gipfel โ wir zeigen den Fahrplan durch die industriepolitische Woche. โ Nach dem Kriegseingriff der USA im Iran steht die Straรe von Hormus im Fokus. โ Reiche bekommt grรผnes Licht aus Brรผssel fรผr den Industriestrompreis. Hinter der Entscheidung kรถnnte ein Deal mit Frankreich stehen.ย Willkommen bei Industrie und Handel [โฆ]
Flagship EU defense plan may be illegal, German parliamentary report warns
The โฌ150 billionย SAFE plan may violate EU treaties and may not be economically effective, says the Bundestag report.
Israel presses ahead with strikes as Trumpโs 2-week deadline looms
Israelis see value in weakening Iran as Trump seeks negotiations.
Danish minister slams Metaโs lobbying amid fight over kidsโ social media use
Caroline Stage Olsen says she is “furious” over Meta advertising campaign.
Europeโs central banks are all cutting rates, even as tariffs tie the Fedโs hands
And it’s driving Trump mad.
Missile strikes vicinity of EU delegation in Tel Aviv, staff said to be ‘safe and sound’
All personnel of the EU delegation are said to be safe and sound.
LโEurope met au point un plan pour gรฉnรฉrer plus dโargent des avoirs russes gelรฉs
Placer 200 milliards dโeuros de fonds russes dans des investissements plus risquรฉs augmenterait les paiements ร lโUkraine sans toucher au capital.
EU devises scheme to squeeze more profit from Russian frozen assets
Putting โฌ200 billion of Russian funds in riskier investments would boost payments to Ukraine without touching the underlying capital.
MAGA allies deride attacking Iran โ but wonโt criticize Trump directly
โThe Israelis have to finish what they started. They started this,โ says Steve Bannon.
Iranโs supreme leader threatens โirreparableโ harm if US strikes
Trump said the U.S. is choosing not to eliminate Iran’s leader “for now”.
Trump extends TikTok deadline again
The 90-day extension marks the third delay in enforcing the law, as Beijing uses the popular app as leverage in ongoing trade negotiations.
MPs vote to decriminalize abortion, the English way. What will the US say?
UK MPs voted Tuesday to decriminalize abortion for women in England and Wales, but theyโre wary of the U.S.โs divisive debate.
G7 skirts touchy AI safety discussion
As they acknowledge the energy costs for artificial intelligence, G7 leaders abandon deeper language on AI.
Press release – โSchools must remain safe spaces of learning and growth โ never of fearโ
MEPs remembered the school killing victims in Austria and France and marked the Schengen areaโs fortieth anniversary, after opening the 16 19 June plenary session in Strasbourg. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2025 – EP
โDamningโ UK child grooming report finds authorities feared being called racist
“Questions about ethnicity have been asked but dodged for years,” says official report into organized child sexual abuse.
Trumpโs โrevenge taxโ could threaten foreign investment into US, analysts say
Concerns raised that section 899 could backfire and also undermine dollarโs safe haven statusForeign investment into the US could be threatened by Donald Trumpโs new โrevengeโ taxes, analysts have warned.A provision within the presidentโs One Big Beaut…
EUโs waffle on artificial intelligence law creates huge headache
Industry, lawmakers and safety campaigners begin new lobbying scramble as AI laws are revisited.
Europeโs frontier countries ready their hospitals for war
From stockpiling trauma kits for mass casualties to kitting out medics with body armor, wartime health planning is no longer hypothetical on NATOโs eastern flank.
UK appoints first female MI6 spy chief
Blaise Metreweli becomes Britain’s top spook as the country faces “threats on an unprecedented scale,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer says.
Israeli airstrikes kill over 41 Palestinians as Iran conflict intensifies
Gaza has fallen to second place behind Iran on Israel’s list of military priorities.
Germanyโs tough-on-migration turn leaves Afghans in perilous limbo
Germany, like the U.S., is closing its door to Afghans facing persecution by the Taliban.
Macron grasps for right tone after teen stabbing
The French president’s delicate balancing act isn’t assuaging concerns about public safety.
Trump is โnot all there,โ California governor says amid LA fight
The California Democrat is dinging the president on his mental acuity.
Continental divide: Smaller Western European cities are better for your health
Climate-conscious urban design, easy access to public mobility and expansive green spaces have a huge impact on urban well-being.
You do you, Brussels tells Macron on banning social media for kids
The European Commission on Wednesday said it is ultimately up to national governments to block minors from social media, leaving the door open for France to ban under-15s. Franceโs President Emmanuel Macron late on Tuesday said France โcanโt waitโ any longer in banning social media for children under 15, in response to a fatal stabbing [โฆ]
Gazaโs journalists are starved into silence. The EUโs neutrality is complicity.
If the bloc truly stands by the values it claims to champion, now is the moment to show it.
Children arenโt safe online, but banning them isnโt the solution
Banning children from social media is a simplistic and ineffective approach to tackle the increasing harms they face online. Instead, governments should hold the companies that create these platforms accountable.
NATO allies agree to boost weapon inventories ahead of Trump-pleasing summit
Alliance leaders are widely expected to agree to a new defense spending target of 5 percent of GDP when they meet in The Hague later this month.
Britain at a crossroads: Finance, industry and the global adjustment
The great risk for the U.K. now is that it becomes even more reliant on speculative capital.
Britain prepares to go all-in on nuclear power โ after years of dither
The U.K. Treasury has run out of road for delaying nuclear decisions, according to Whitehall and industry insiders.
Temporary means temporary? The Commission proposes the extension โ and the phase-out โ of temporary protection
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of
London
Photo credit: Moahim, via Wikimedia
Commons
Introduction
What is the future of temporary
protection in the EU for those fleeing the invasion of Ukraine? Today the EU
Commissio…
EU clears Bulgaria to adopt euro in 2026
Sofia gets the green light despite rule-of-law and money-laundering concerns.
A candle in the dark: the CJEU rules against criminalising parents for smuggling their children
Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway University of London
Photo credit: Bologna, taken by ะะฒะปะฐัะตะฝะบะพ, via Wikimedia Commons
Introduction
The world is increasingly bleak for
those concerned about civil liberties, poverty or climate change …
Major evacuation in Cologne after second world war bombs discovered
About 20,000 people relocated while allied munitions dropped on German city in 1940s are made safe The biggest evacuation in Cologne since the second world war is under way after the discovery of three unexploded bombs dropped by allies 80 years ago, c…
Trump administration prepares to ease big bank rules
The proposal would represent the latest policy win for the banking industry, which has been closely scrutinized since the 2008 global financial meltdown.
Trump sparks Europeโs โnew Enlightenmentโย
The EU aims to grab a rare chance generated by the White House’s repression of U.S. higher education.
French scientist behind abortion pill dies aged 98
Etienne-Emile Baulieu created the pill to give women a safe alternative to surgical abortion.
French scientist behind abortion pill dies aged 98
Etienne-Emile Baulieu created the pill to give women a safe alternative to surgical abortion.
Canada wants defence partnership with EU amid US spat
Mark Carney said he hoped a deal could be done by July.
EU officially retires its โno cherry-pickingโ Brexit line
A top EU diplomat described the pithy analogy as โno longer helpful.โ
Europe should avoid โangry divorceโ with US as it retreats from NATO: Kubilius
Less complaining and more preparation will help avoid an angry divorce between Europe and America, the defense commissioner said.
What Europe can gain from Ukrainian arms exports
Opening up Ukraineโs defense industry would permit further cooperation with the EU, and allow the country’s economy to directly benefit from European rearmament.
What are the EUโs ‘safe country’ proposals for asylum seekers?
The European Commission has put forward two plans to overhaul asylum processes amid a charged political atmosphere over irregular migration.
EUโs SAFE joint defence lending programme wins final Council approval
But a legal challenge could still be coming from the European Parliament, which was bypassed in drafting the joint procurement programme.
EU approves โฌ150 billion for โSAFEโ arms fund to boost defence
The European Union on Tuesday approved the creation of a โฌ150 billion arms fund to bolster defence amid fears of Russian attacks on EU soil in coming years and doubts about how committed the US is regarding security in the continent.
UK and EU ready for drawn-out battle on defense deal
Warm words at the Brexit reset summit can’t hide big splits over how to proceed on Britain’s participation in a crucial EU defense fund.
Europeโs defense awakening needs a second engine
The EU’s new defense lending scheme is a breakthrough moment โ but it must be matched by a financial arm to support industrial capacity.
Ukraine war briefing: Multiple injuries as Russia attacks Kyiv with drones and missiles
Explosions heard across capital and fires ignited while Russia and Ukraine begin largest prisoner swap of war. What we know on day 1,186See all our Ukraine war coverage Kyiv came under heavy drone and missile attack by Russian forces overnight into Sat…
Loan scheme to rearm Europe could be โimportant breakthroughโ in Ukraine support
EU defence commissioner says he expects a lot of loan requests from member states under โฌ150bn programmeA โฌ150bn (ยฃ126bn) loans programme to rearm Europe that was finalised this week could be โa very important breakthroughโ in the EUโs military support…
Insect-based pet food, the latest byproduct of EU bureaucracy
Insect producers say EU rules are choking their industry and driving it into financial ruin โ with the environment paying the price.
Cash from EUโs โฌ150 billion defence loan scheme to flow by winter
Deals under the EU’s soon-to-launch ‘SAFE’ joint defence procurement deal could move at high speed for Brussels.
Ireland is Trumpโs Trojan horse
If Brussels is serious about maintaining the integrity of its tech rules, it needs to focus on shifting regulation away from Dublin.
Towards a Euro-Rwanda policy? The proposed new EU asylum law rules on โsafe third countriesโ
Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway University of London
Photo credit: Home Office,
via Wikimedia
Commons โ the former Home Secretary meets Rwandaโs foreign minister
Introduction
An unlawful attempt to remove
asylum-seekers to an unsafe coun…
Keep some cash under your mattress, says Dutch central bank
Keep โฌ70 per adult and โฌ30 per child in hard currency in case of emergencies, the Bank advised.
EU ambassadors agree on โฌ150B defense lending scheme
European Council President Antรณnio Costa calls the agreement, โan important step toward a stronger Europe.โ
Everything you need to know about SAFE, the EUโs โฌ150bn defence instrument
European Council President Antonio Costa said the adoption by ambassadors is “an important step toward a stronger Europe”.
18 hours in the making of a president: Inside Nicuศor Danโs election win
Romaniaโs new leader told POLITICO how he will approach international affairs and what he will do to rebuild trust in a democracy battered by corruption, economic strife and Russian meddling.
Friends with benefits: the legal elements of the reset of the EU/UK relationship
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of
London
Photo credit: Julian Herzog, via Wikimedia
Commons
Introduction
Advocates of Quebecโs independence
from Canada have long argued that their plan would not entail complete separation
fr…
Brussels seeks easier exits of asylum seekers from the EU
The European Commission proposed a revision of the โthird safe countryโ concept, paving the way for agreements similar to the UK-Rwanda asylum partnership.
Commission ramps up deportation drive with new โsafe third countryโ proposal
EU countries could deport asylum seekers to states they merely transited through – or even to places theyโve never set foot in – so long as a bilateral agreement or informal arrangement exists.
EU-UK defense pact saves the hard part for later
A further deal allowing U.K. companies to benefit from an EU plan to boost defense spending is still to be agreed.
LโUnion europรฉenne et le Royaume-Uni signent un accord post-Brexit sur la dรฉfense, la pรชche et lโรฉnergie
Pour Keir Starmer, le Royaume-Uni est โde retour sur la scรจne internationaleโ, mais, chez lui, son compromis sur la pรชche nโa pas plu ร tout le monde.
Starmer bets โsell-outโ on fish wonโt spook Brits weary of Brexit
The giveaway on fisheries access, pounced on by critics, is a political risk for Starmer, who appears to be trading a hit to a relatively small part of the U.K. economy for wins elsewhere.
EU countries greenlight โฌ150 billion loan plan for joint defence procurement
The “SAFE” plan is aimed at boosting joint European defence procurement, replenishing military stocks and ramping up Europe’s defence industry.
Sex toy vendor complains to EU about Google search rulesย
British sexual wellness firm alleges drop in sales due to function that unfairly suppresses links to legally sold, age-unrestricted products.
EU and UK ink partnership deal on security, fisheries and energy
The deal comes nearly a decade after the UK voted to leave the European Union.
Everything you need to know about the UK-EU Brexit reset summit
Three achievements are likely: a security pact, a declaration on global issues, and a “common understanding” of future topics to be negotiated.
Trumpโs immigration stance endangers one of the biggest revenue streams for Columbia University
The makeup of Columbiaโs campus leaves it more exposed in an expensive dispute with the White House.