Morocco flaunts power to stop EU-bound migrants
Morocco has shown it can stop people swimming to Spanish enclaves if it wanted to, amid fears in Spain and Portugal it was abusing the crisis to extort political concessions.
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Russia killed Austria’s dream of peace, but military service is also cheap labour
As Austria’s leaders insist Russia’s war means longer duty for young men, critics warn the plan quietly doubles as a cheap-labour fix for struggling hospitals and emergency services.
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[Interview] EU’s carmakers face their own Nokia challenge to survive Chinese threat, says industry expert
China turns years of state‑backed EV strategy into a global export offensive. Europe is scrambling to defend not only Volkswagen and its satellites, but its wider geopolitical leverage in the green tech race.
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Morocco emboldened by strong US ties, amid fears of second migrant surge into Spanish enclaves
Morocco seeks to build a ‘golden age’ in relations with the United States in a bid to push for new concessions on the status of two Spanish enclaves in North Africa.
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Southern Europe leads boom in young, high-growth firms, as Germany falls behind
Startups in the EU have struggled to scale-up, but recent growth in unexpected parts of Europe, has reduced pessimism on Silicon Valley’s long-overshadowed counterparts.
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Ukrainian drones wipe out elite US brigade in drills, as Europe bankrolls Kyiv and US aid falls to zero (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,632)As Washington cedes both military aid and battlefield know-how to Europe and Ukrainian instructors, Moscow probes for breakthroughs around Chasiv Yar and Kostyantynivka that could redraw the eastern front.
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German spies to get offensive powers, breaking post-Cold War taboo on ‘secret police’
Germany’s spies, long mocked as passive note‑takers, are suddenly being groomed for a far more dangerous role – one that even some of their political backers now fear has “overshot the mark”.
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Europe’s climate-elephant in the room: What to do with left-over emissions when we get to net zero?
As Brussels hails its 2040 climate target, officials quietly admit that without a clear plan for the “leftover” emissions from farming, industry, and aviation, Europe’s promise of climate neutrality risks becoming a statistics charade.
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As new president András Baka arrives, is Orbán preparing to leave Hungary? (Day 94 of the Tisza government)
Not even the energy crisis or the extreme heat could slow down Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar and his party’s, Tisza’s, transformation of the political system. Although not without missteps, the new prime minister followed through on the campaign he launched in April to replace the president of the republic, completing it by mid-August.
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September meeting aims to seal five EU-country deal on Uganda migrant return hub
Five EU countries are pressing ahead with talks with Uganda to open a refugee return centre for the EU’s failed asylum seekers.
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Meta and Ray-Ban’s ‘pervert glasses’ prompt criminal complaint in Germany
Meta’s Ray-Bans can film you whether you’re aware of it or not. Rights groups have argued this poses a threat of non-consensual sexualisation, and are taking legal action to ensure regulation catches up to tech.
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EU risks winter gas-price spiral, as stocks run low
A leading British forecaster said it will revise up its European gas price forecast next month, to an average of close to €60 per megawatt hour this winter, up from €45.
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Silence ended: Ukraine reveals its largest liberation of territory in four years (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,631)Ukraine’s stealth advance has forced Russian troops, warships, and missile batteries onto the defensive, potentially easing pressure on frontline communities and cities far from the front.
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‘Muslim Nato’ could see Saudia Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan clash with Israel or Iran
A new defence pact by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan promises to shield hundreds of millions of people from regional wars, but could just as easily drag their countries into a clash with Iran or Israel.
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EU’s new packaging regime locks small publishers out of single market
The EU’s new packaging regulation, which came into force this week, could see independent publishers unable to make cross-border deliveries due to costs of compliance.
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EU’s invisible, €2bn border-check system needs public scrutiny
A little-known EU agency now controls €1.99bn in tech contracts and algorithms, working with major tech companies such as IDEMIA, IBM, and Leonardo SpA at the EU’s borders — even though most people being scanned have no idea how the system works or how it judges them.
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[Interview] From cheap drones to AI targeting: Ukraine’s robots still answer to human commanders
The same cheap civilian drones you can order online are being retooled into weapons faster than defences can adapt, creating a war zone where human control still exists on paper but is increasingly hollow in practice.
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Rwanda revealed as EU’s first migrant return hub, but what’s in it for Kigali?
Rwanda is seeking to host EU migrants, in return for a free pass on its abuses in DR Congo and at home. But the idea is “all show and no substance”, say critics, who believe the scheme is doomed to fail.
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What is now happening at the viral Moscow refinery whose ‘roof flew off’ in a blast in June? (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,630)After the “roof-flew-off” video from Kapotnya went viral, cooler satellite images, duelling frontline maps, and haunting drone footage of doomed lorry drivers revealed a far grimmer, longer game, unfolding behind the clips.
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EU double standards on pesticides exposed, amid warning of coffee and citrus price spikes
The EU’s plans to liberalise rules on pesticide use at home contrast with new restrictions on imports of produce containing pesticide residues. Yet the EU continues to sell banned pesticides to countries outside the bloc.