Europe
Bulgaria: von der Leyen’s plane subjected to electronic jamming
On 1 September, In what authorities suspect was Russian interference, Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was subjected to GPS jamming while landing in Bulgaria,. The flight, which landed safely using paper maps, highlighted…
Ukraine: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia all willing to contribute troops for security guarantees
Estonia’s president, Alar Karis, has said it is prepared to contribute troops to an international reassurance force that the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ plans to send to Ukraine as a post-ceasefire security guarantee.…
Lisbon: funicular railway crash ‘due partly to overtourism’
A tragic derailment of Lisbon’s historic Glória funicular railway has left 16 dead and 21 injured, after a carriage broke free and crashed into a hotel. The popular railway, dating back to 1885…
Big Tech: Trump increases pressure on Europe over digital regulations
Donald Trump is intensifying pressure on the EU and other nations over digital regulations and taxes which he argues unfairly target American technology companies. Threatening new tariffs and restrictions on exports, he has…
Ukraine: Trump stirs more controversy, hopes for trilateral meeting
Donald Trump has stirred controversy by suggesting Ukraine is to blame for confronting a nation ‘ten times’ its size, despite Russia being the aggressor in the ongoing war. He downplayed Russia’s responsibility for…
Europe: increasing number of mosquito-borne diseases
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned that Europe is entering a ‘new normal’ of longer and more intense mosquito-borne disease transmission. Rising temperatures, extended summers, milder winters, and…
Trump warns of ‘severe consequences’ if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire
Donald Trump has warned of ‘very severe consequences’ if Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska on 15 August. While not detailing the measures, Trump…
Greece: wildfires threaten large city, European heatwave
Fast-moving wildfires have reached the outskirts of Patras, Greece’s third-largest city, forcing mass evacuations, including a children’s hospital, and destroying thousands of hectares in the surrounding region. Entire villages have been emptied, homes…
France: Macron admits violence against Cameroon independence movement
Emmanuel Macron has publicly acknowledged the violence committed by French forces in Cameroon during and after the country’s independence struggle from 1945 to 1971. A joint report by Cameroonian and French historians has…
Ukraine: Trump claims ‘great progress’ in talks with Putin
Donald Trump has described talks on 6 August between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin as ‘highly productive’, claiming that ‘great progress’ has been made toward ending the Ukraine war. The Kremlin…
