Policy
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Germany’s foreign minister condemns Israel’s approval of new West Bank settlements

Lagarde insists she’ll complete her term at ECB

Lula calls on Macron to ‘open your heart’ on Mercosur

Bulgaria disrupts European Parliament’s bill on North Macedonia EU accession

ECB cuts again as it heads into an uncertain future

French far-right lawmakers accused of joining racist content-filled Facebook group
VPN signups surge after Pornhub pulls out of France
Parent company of Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn suspended the sites for French users on Wednesday.
Poland is becoming Europe’s factory for ‘bath salts’ drugs, EU agency warns
In 2023, authorities dismantled 53 production sites across Europe, 40 of them in Poland.
Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ rules breach EU law, top court adviser says
Legal opinion bolsters EU’s challenge against Viktor Orbán’s conservative culture war.
Trump launches probe into whether Biden aides concealed alleged decline
The investigation will look into whether Biden’s aides “conspired to deceive the public” about Biden’s mental and physical state.
How risky is Rachel Reeves’s winter fuel U-turn?
👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈 Sky News’s Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day …
NATO allies cannot rely on America for their defense, warns US defense chief
“It’s deterrence and peace through strength, but it cannot be reliance,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says.
Trump halts entry of foreign students seeking to attend Harvard
The ban is an escalation of his fight with oldest U.S. university.
Europe’s dream to wean off US tech gets reality check
As the Trump administration plays hardball, a new EU strategy puts collaboration front and center.
Britain prepares to go all-in on nuclear power — after years of dither
The U.K. Treasury has run out of road for delaying nuclear decisions, according to Whitehall and industry insiders.
China helps Russia pull ahead in lethal drone war race with Ukraine
Beijing denies helping Moscow, but Russia is scaling up both the production and the sophistication of its drones.
Germany’s Merz ventures into Trump’s lion’s den
Oval Office encounters are always fraught with danger, but these two rich, anti-immigration golfers might just hit it off.
Trump issues new multi-country travel ban
The president’s executive order restricts bars people from 12 countries, while partially issuing restrictions against nationals from seven others.
Putin will ‘respond’ to surprise Ukraine drone strikes, Trump says
President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a Ukrainian drone strike over the weekend.
Meloni’s controversial anti-protest bill becomes Italian law
Security decree gives greater powers to agents of the state and greater protections to police officers.
Ukraine releases new footage of daring AI strikes that crippled Putin’s bomber fleet
Kyiv used artificial intelligence to conduct one of the most audacious attacks on Russia in history.
Trump’s 5 percent defense spending target seemed far-fetched. Now not so much.
NATO defense ministers in Brussels are expected to pave the way for a new defense spending goal — the questions are now when, and how.
French court strips Marine Le Pen of her local mandate
The decision is another reminder of how the far-right leader’s judicial woes are affecting her political career.
EU looks to impose sanctions on Putin simultaneously with US, says von der Leyen
“We have discussed how we can implement European sanctions and American sanctions at the same time,” European Commission chief tells POLITICO.
Abortion: Europe’s not as liberal as you think
While the global focus is on America’s reversal of long-standing abortion rights, a surprising number of European women still have to travel to terminate pregnancies.
EU extends temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees but wants long-term fix
Brussels will appoint a special envoy for Ukrainians in the EU to help to lay the groundwork for their gradual return.
Brussels asks EU countries to use less water
Countries would set their own water efficiency targets under the proposal, which would not be legally binding.
PMQs: Badenoch makes Starmer squirm on welfare
The Tory leader made the most of Labour’s gear changes on winter fuel eligibility and the two child benefit cap — but answers from Keir Starmer were lacking.
World War II bombs trigger huge evacuation in Cologne
“The evacuation is the largest measure since the end of the Second World War,” say local authorities.
EU frees up billions in Covid cash for defense spending
Defense projects can now apply for a chunk of the remaining €335 billion — initially earmarked for climate and digital investment.