The Brief โ Black Sea turbulence
Bulgaria and Romania not having a government at a time when the outcome of the Ukraine war could discussed is reckless, to say the least.
sea
Norway suspends deep-sea mining projects
Norway, Western Europe’s biggest oil and gas producer, had planned to become one of the world’s first countries to start handing out rights to tens of thousands of square kilometers of seabed.
Norway forced to pause plans to mine deep sea in Arctic
Small Socialist Left party threatens to block budget if government becomes first to issue licences for deep-sea explorationThe Norwegian government has paused its plans to mine the deep sea in the Arctic, after pressure from a small leftwing party.The …
Caspian Sea ebbs towards record low
Worldโs largest inland water body โwithin weeksโ of lowest level as climate change takes toll, says ecology official
Tusk, Kristersson forge strategic partnership, pledge โironcladโ support for Ukraine
Tusk urged Nordic and Baltic counterparts to step up Baltic Sea security.
Who were the biggest dunces? Final grades for von der Leyenโs first Commission
Whoโs at the top of the class and who flunked? Here are POLITICO’s grades for each 2019-2024 European commissioner.
Sweden asks China to co-operate over severed cables
Two cables in the Baltic Sea linking Sweden to Lithuania, and Finland to Germany, were damaged.
Sweden asks for China’s cooperation in probe over damage to Baltic Sea cables
Sweden asks for China’s cooperation in probe over damage to Baltic Sea cables
Sweden requests China’s cooperation in severed Baltic Sea cable probe
Two Baltic Sea telecom cables were severed in Swedish waters earlier this month. Suspicions have been directed at a Chinese ship, which ship tracking sites said had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.
Sweden seeks clarity from China about suspected sabotage of undersea cables
PM says Beijing has been asked to cooperate after Yi Peng 3 vessel was seen in area where cables were severedSweden has announced that it has sent a formal request to China for cooperation over the suspected sabotage of two undersea cables in the Balti…
Defenders of the Romanian nation and all Europeans
A strong European Union is built on protecting each of its membersโ
interests equally. The AUR is ready to collaborate.
Swedish PM says Baltic sea now โhigh riskโ after suspected cable sabotage
Regional leaders meet after undersea telecoms cables severed, while Chinese ship remains at anchor nearbyThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said the Baltic sea is now a โhigh riskโ zone as he met Nordic and Baltic leaders days after a sus…
Tusk calls for naval patrols in Baltic Sea to counter Russian sabotage
Polish premier urges Europe to act against threats from Moscow without waiting for cues from US
Baltics Sea region PMs meet to discuss regional security ahead of Trumpโs return
The summit comes at a pivotal time for Europe, which is facing major strategic uncertainties, particularly over support for Ukraine.
Rising distrust of news and journalists is risking lives, media freedom in EU [Advocacy Lab Content]
Journalists in Western Europe face an increasingly hostile media environment. Journalists from the East have been navigating powerful opponents throughout their entire careers. Can the press still illuminate democracy, or do they die in a sea of disinf…
Chinese ship linked to cable sabotage urged to move into Swedish waters
Stockholm steps up probe after two lines were cut in Baltic Sea
The Guardian view on Romaniaโs presidential election: a stable Ukrainian ally wobbles | Editorial
The shock first-round victory of a far-right nationalist candidate has far-reaching and alarming implicationsIn a region shadowed by Vladimir Putinโs revanchist ambitions, Romania has been a pillar of proโwestern stability. Possessing a long border wit…
Three years after the worst migrant shipwreck in the Channel, crossings are more deadly than ever
Thirty-one people died or disappeared when their dinghy sank on November 24, 2021, with no rescue services helping them. Despite an increase in police and sea rescue resources since then, the number of people trying to reach England in small boats has …
Russian spy ship escorted away from area with critical cables in Irish Sea
Yantar intelligence ship was seen operating drones in an area containing subsea energy and internet infrastructureA Russian spy ship has been escorted out of the Irish Sea after it entered Irish-controlled waters and patrolled an area containing critic…
Protesters storm Abkhazia parliament over Russian investment deal
Black Sea separatist region is backed by Moscow but recognised as part of Georgia by most of the worldProtesters have stormed the regional parliament in Abkhazia, forcing the government to halt an investment deal with Russia that some fear will spoil t…
Russian naval officer accused of โwar crimesโ killed in Crimea car bombing
Valery Trankovsky had ordered missile strikes from Black Sea on civilian targets, a Ukrainian official saidA senior Russian naval officer was killed in a car bombing in Crimea on Wednesday, the latest in a series of targeted attacks on Russian military…
Ukraine loses fight to trademark โRussian warship, go f**k yourselfโ slogan
The phrase has become a symbol of Kyiv’s resilience against Moscow โ but that didn’t clear the bar for EU intellectual property enforcers or judges in Luxembourg.
Azerbaijanโs president slams โcolonialโ French, Dutch overseas territories at COP29ย
Ilham Aliyev also accused the European Parliament of sharing responsibility for deadly riots in New Caledonia.
Greenland extends detention of anti-whaling activist Watson for three more weeks
A court in Greenland has once again extended the detention of Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson while Denmark decides whether to extradite the prominent activist to Japan.ย Watson’s next hearing is scheduled for December 2.
EUโs new top diplomat Kallas strong on Russia-China axis, struggles on Middle East
“If the United States is concerned about events in the South China Sea, it should also prioritise how we respond to Russiaโs aggression in Ukraine,” Kallas said
Trumpโs return provokes worry, not shock, at world climate talks
Beneath the brave words at the president-electโs victory were real worries that action will stall without the United States.
Britain hugs oil giant BP while preaching climate action
BP is a global force in fossil fuel drilling โ and a major player with COP29 summit host Azerbaijan.
US seeks to โreassureโ world at COP climate conference
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said much of the U.S. is still โcommitted to steering the planet away from climate catastrophe.โ
Ukraine and Russia trade huge drone strikes โ video
Amateur footage shows Lyuty drones flying over Moscow as Ukraine carried out its biggest drone strike since Vladimir Putinโs full-scale invasion started in 2022. The Kremlin launched its own record air attack over Ukraine, sending a wave of 145 drones,…
Why exporting endangered eels to Russia makes sense | Letter
The plan to transport millions of River Severn elvers to the pristine Vistula and Curonian lagoons is a viable way to conserve the species, says Peter WoodMillions of critically endangered eels have indeed been exported from Britain to Russia this year…
Odour of oil and return of Trump hang heavy over Cop29 in Baku
Prospects of strong outcome appear dim but there is hope the talks will address pressing issue of climate financeMore than 100 heads of state and government are expected to land in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, over the next few days and the first t…
More than 50 people rescued from Channel, says French coastguard
Several bodies pulled from sea after boat got into difficulty off coast of Audresselles on Monday nightMore than 50 people have been rescued after attempting to cross the Channel and the bodies of several others were found floating at sea.The French co…
โMade in Europeโ Hydrogen is possible โ in the North Sea
Renewable hydrogen made in Europe from the wind-swept waters of the North Sea offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a new pillar of European energy resilience, while also boosting Europeโs industrial competitiveness.
Sweden scraps plans for 13 offshore windfarms over Russia security fears
Decision comes after military concludes projects would complicate defending Natoโs newest member against attackSweden has vetoed plans for 13 offshore windfarms in the Baltic Sea, citing unacceptable security risks.The countryโs defence minister, Pรฅl J…
Far from the race he once envisioned, Joe Biden closes out contest in Scranton
As Kamala Harris makes her final dash, the president sticks close to home.
Russia, Iran and the fast track to a new world order
Because of Western sanctions, Moscow is redirecting its exports to Asian and Gulf countries, and now an old project for a railroad along the Caspian Sea could become a reality โ another step towards Putin’s new world order built around the Global South.
EU-Turkish border exposes hell of animal transport
As the European Commission tries to update its decades-old rules, lawmakers are turning the issue into a political battleground.
Deadly Spanish floods drive home threat of Mediterranean โpetrol canโ
Torrential rains were driven in part by dangerous rise in sea temperatures
Chinaโs โmind-bogglingโ space capabilities worry US, says Space Force chief
Beijing’s tech is more concerning than reports of Russian space nukes, said General B. Chanceย Saltzman.
โCloud-milkingโ: the zero-energy technique keeping young trees alive
The project that began in the Canary Islands mimics the way leaves capture water droplets from fog in order to produce waterThey call it cloud milking, a zero-energy technique to extract water from fog that is revolutionising the recovery of forests de…
Spainโs โmonsterโ floods expose Europeโs unpreparedness for climate change
National government blamed local authorities after at least 73 people died as heavy rainfall swept through homes, shops and roadways.
Hungary flirts with Putin and snubs NATO meeting
NATO diplomats based in Budapest wanted to chat with Hungary about its ambiguous policy toward the Atlantic alliance, but were ignored.
Man dies trying to cross the Channel, French authorities say
A migrant fell into the sea off the northern French coast on Wednesday morning, bringing the number of deaths this year linked to small boats to 57.
Russia test-fires missiles to simulate ‘massive’ response to nuclear first strike
Russia on Tuesday held nuclear drills that involved firing missiles from the ground, sea and air, the defence ministry said. President Putin, who recently approved changes to rules on the use of nuclear weapons, had multiple times alluded to resorting…
Weather tracker: โCold dropโ to cause heavy rain in Spain
Eastern regions such as Valencia and Catalonia could get seven times the typical monthly rainfall on TuesdaySpain is set to experience an extraordinary weather event this week, with severe rainfall forecasted, particularly along the eastern coast. Regi…
Ministers urged to cut ties with P&O Ferries owner over links to Russia
The government is facing calls to cease trading with DP World because of its partnership with Putinโs northern sea route Ministers are facing calls to review the UKโs financial ties to the multinational logistics company DP World over its business deal…
The king and Keir
Two men, worlds apart, are Britain’s diplomatic double act in Samoa. But there’s more to connect Keir Starmer and King Charles III than meets the eye.
54 people have died crossing the Channel in 2024. Are the rescue operations adequate?
Since the beginning of the year, 54 people have died at sea trying to reach England. Casualties are occurring increasingly close to the coast. Despite a reinforced stronger search and rescue system, the fatality rate is rising.
Turkeyโs outlawed Kurdish rebel leader is back โ thanks to his nemesis
Imprisoned militia chief Abdullah รcalan set for dramatic return to the political stage.
Detained anti-whaling activist Paul Watson requests French nationality
Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson has applied for French nationality as he fights a Japanese attempt to have him extradited from Greenland, where the prominent anti-whaling activist was arrested in July. Watson has previously asked French President Emm…
World on track for catastrophic 3 degrees Celsius warming, UN warns
Current plans and policies will lead to global temperatures rising between 2.6C and 3.1C this century, a new report finds.
MEPs seek solutions on Russiaโs shadow oil tankers
591 shadow tankers are in operation, and responsible for transporting up to 70% of Russian oil by sea, an S&D Global study found.
European leaders meet to re-energise offshore wind power
Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and Ireland — and the European Commission are expected to reach an agreement on the installation of some 20,000 wind turbines in the North Sea by 2050.
Is this the end for Georgian Dream?ย
Despite the dire circumstances, Georgia’s more progressive and more prepared for European transformation than at any other time in its independent history.ย
The man who bought a country
Georgiaโs richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili is tilting his country toward Moscow ahead of an election on Oct. 26.
Zelenskyy outlines a vision for ending the โhot stageโ of the war
The Ukrainian president says he needs to strike a deal with Putin to deescalate and not strike energy and food facilities.
Two people dead and 46 rescued after boat sinks in Channel
French maritime prefecture says incident took place off coast of CalaisTwo people died after a migrant boat sank in the Channel on Wednesday morning, French maritime authorities have said.The French maritime prefecture for the Channel and the North Sea…
UK warns Russian strikes on Black Sea delay grain supplies to Palestinians, global south
The United Nations said on Monday that Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports have damaged six civilian vessels as well as grain infrastructure since 1 September.
EU ministers reach compromise on Baltic Sea fishing quotas but NGOs are concerned
“Such decision-making, which neglects our environmental responsibilities, is profoundly short-sighted in an era already marked by environmental crises,” says Remi Cossetti, fisheries policy officer at Seas At Risk.
‘Europe is not paradise’: one man’s mission to stop Senegalโs youth dying at sea โย video
The migration route from Africa to the Spanish Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest, with young people often attempting the journey in flimsy fishing canoes. Moustapha Diouf, a Senegalese fisher, once tried to make the voyage himself, seeking…
Keir Starmerโs biggest enemy: The great-crested newt
Keir Starmerโs environment secretary wants to turn DEFRA into a growth department. That means a fight with the green lobby.
We need a a whole-of-society approach to intelligence
If Western countries are to withstand the aggression waged by various rivals and their proxies, sharing insights from the front line is the only way forward โ and today, that includes businesses.
Cull seals and cormorants to save our fish, urge Baltic coastal states
The greater threat is deplorable man-made pollution, the European Commission fires back.
Britainโs heading for a nuclear power crunch. Blame the French.
A once proud fleet of power plants is about to be reduced to one last, lonely nuke.
EU countries under pressure to compromise on Baltic Sea fishing
“Quotas are not the only issue,” Commission’s representative Maja Kirchner told MEPs
The great switcheroo: How France overtook Italy as the EUโs No. 1 budgetary basket caseย
As Paris blows its long-earned fiscal credibility, Rome has started to look respectable in the eyes of the EU’s fiscal cops.
If you think Trumpโs migration policies are extreme, look at the EUโs
As the anti-immigrant feeling surges in popularity in Europe, its leaders are embracing formerly taboo approaches to their borders.
EU and NATO offer Zelenskyy fulsome meals โ and qualified support for his victory plan
Ukraine is still waiting for the EU to unblock frozen Russian assets and for NATO to invite it to join.
โWho is going to pick our olives?โ Greek PM warns against being too tough on migration
Kyriakos Mitsotakis says his country needs workers as EU leaders tussle over asylum strategy.
โNow I like himโ: Some Black voters in Georgia see Trump as a real option
Republicans are working to turn out more new Trump voters.
Anti-whaling activist held in Greenland appeals for political asylum in France
Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd organisation faces extradition to Japan after arrest in Nuuk in JulyPaul Watson, the anti-whaling activist detained in Greenland and awaiting possible extradition to Japan, has appealed to Emmanuel Macron for political a…
Russian man tells of survival struggle during 67 days adrift at sea
Mikhail Pichugin, 46, fought the cold and drank rainwater after engine of inflatable boat failed in Sea of OkhotskA Russian man rescued after 67 days adrift in a small inflatable boat in the Sea of Okhotsk has described how he survived by battling shiv…
First Italian ship carrying intercepted migrants arrives in Albania
An Italian navy ship carrying 16 men rescued at sea after departing from Libya arrived in the Albanian port town of Shengjin on Wednesday. Up to 3,000 adult migrant men picked up by the Italian coast guard in international waters will be sheltered in …
No one has a plan to fix Britainโs old, cold homes
The Tories promised to upgrade insulation and heating in millions of U.K. homes. They failed โ and Labour’s plans are already in trouble.
Italy sends first asylum seekers to Albania under controversial pact
Men from countries deemed safe are transferred to Albania to have asylum claims processed The first people to be intercepted at sea by the Italian navy under a controversial migration deal with Albania are on their way to the Balkan nation to have thei…
Woman dies after going overboard from cruise ship off Channel Islands
French navy helicopter winched woman from the sea, but she was later pronounced deadA woman has died after going overboard from a passenger ship off the Channel Islands.The French coastguard said it received a distress message saying a woman in her 20s…
Italyโs offshore detention centers in Albania open for business
Rights watchdogs have raised strong concerns about the centers, with one lawyer describing them as โan Italian Guantanamo.โ
Ukraine ports impossible to defend from attack – Odesa chief
A two-storey building was hit in the fourth such attack on the Black Sea coastal region in five days.
Teenager among four dead in latest Russian attack on Odesa
A two-storey building was hit in the fourth such attack on the Black Sea coastal region in five days.
New UK laws to stop repeat of P&O mass sackings scandal go before parliament
Labour clamps down on poor working conditions at sea with laws on collective dismissal and minimum wage on cross-Channel ferriesLaws to ensure that the P&O Ferries mass sackings scandal can never recur will be laid before parliament this week as La…
Sweden โcannot rule out Russian attack,โ defense minister says
Moscow has repeatedly threatened NATO, which has gradually turned the Baltic Sea into its own lake.
Europe was a leader on saving nature. Now, its backsliding could threaten global progress
Once a champion of initiatives to protect nature, the EU is now giving in to pressure from farmers and the far rightWhen diplomats struck a deal to save nature in 2022, pledging to halt biodiversity loss by the end of the decade, Europe was seen as a c…
Ocean literacy is good for the sea, good for mental health too [Advocacy Lab Content]
Researchers at the University of Plymouth, UK, have found that โbeach cleansโ arenโt just good for the sea, but can also boost mental health and encourage betterย behaviour.
Russia steps up Ukraine attacks with strike on ship in Odesa port
Concerns grow over safety of Black Sea maritime export corridor for Kyivโs agricultural commodities
Gaza likely to get new governing structure in coming year, says Israelโs EU envoy
Haim Regev said his country would “prevail and win” militarily during an exclusive interview with POLITICO, but fretted about Israel’s “legitimacy war” on the global stage.
Sweden to contribute on ground, at sea and in the air to NATO defence, government said
“Sweden’s entry into NATO is one of the biggest geopolitical changes since the fall of the Berlin Wall,” says Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
How the Israel-Hamas war sidelined other world hot spots
Every administration has to readjust to respond to world events, but the Israel-Hamas conflict has been particularly disruptive to Bidenโs other foreign policy efforts.
Donald Trump fans ask: Whereโs Nigel Farage? (And โ who is he, again?)
The Reform UK leader is stuck at home amid accusations he’s been an absent new MP.
Russia launches attacks on Kyiv and Odessa, Ukraine says
The Ukrainian military shot down 56 out of at least 87 drones launched by Russia over various regions of the country, the air force said.
At least 15 killed in severe flooding after heavy rainstorm hits Bosnia
The road and railway connecting the capital Sarajevo with Mostar and the Adriatic Sea have been inaccessible, with domestic media reporting entire sections swept away or blocked by debris.
Russia and Chinaโs cooperation in the Arctic is a rising nuclear threat
While Beijing and Moscow have been working to establish a strategic foothold in the region for more than a decade, Washington and Brussels are just now waking up to the danger.
The fierce battle over the ‘Holy Grail’ of shipwrecks
Colombia and a US firm are fighting over a shipwreck in the Caribbean Sea that could be worth $18bn.
Harris, Trump take an America First tone on dockworkersโ strike
Foreign shipping companies that dominate seaborne trade draw bipartisan criticism as U.S. ports grind to a halt.
Greenland extends detention of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson
The founder of the envorinmental group Sea Shepherd was arrested in July when his ship docked in Greenland to refuel on the way to intecept a Japanese whaling vessel. He is being held on a Japanese arrest warrant pending a decision on his extradition.
Trial of Le Pen and far-right allies over EU embezzlement enters its first day
The trial of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 26 other senior members of the National Front, accused of using fake jobs to embezzle EU funds from the European Parliament, began in a packed courtroom on Monday, with a sea of cameras waiting for the fa…
NESO launched to guide Great Britainโs energy system to net zero
Formally launched today, this independent, public corporation is entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring reliable, clean and affordable energy.
โStrategically erraticโ Putin trumps Cold War danger, Swedenโs new military boss says
โThere are many similarities, but at the same time it is in various ways more unpredictable than the Cold War,โ Sweden’s incoming supreme commander said.
How the Trump-Vance platform could win or lose
Donald Trump never stops talking about immigration, trade and the economy. Those policy areas have animated all three of the former presidentโs campaigns for the White House, and he often finds ways to morph other topics into border security, tariffs, taxes and inflation when heโs riffing on the campaign trail. And for years โ amid [โฆ]
US defense secretary orders forces to be ready to deploy as Middle East heats up
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will remain in the region after Israel kills Hezbollah leader.
Worldโs quandary on climate change: โWho the hell leadsโ if Trump wins?
The potential reelection of the former Republican president is causing anxiety in the global climate community.