Latest news

The Future of NATO
Analysis: The More the US Withdraws, the More Europe Needs Ukraine

Europe has become the US and President Donald Trump’s favorite punching bag since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. But after decades of close security cooperation with Washington, Europe is now increasingly investing in its own defense, “and the US would be wise to prepare for that change,” write Marina Henke, Iren Marinova and Till Knobloch in an analysis in Foreign Affairs.

According to a new survey by the European Commission, 77 percent of Europeans believe that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses the greatest threat to the continent’s security.

“This sense of insecurity is reinforced by the fact that many Europeans now realize that they can no longer rely on the US,” write the authors of the analysis.

And the weaker the US’s defense guarantees become, the more Europe needs Ukraine. This is what Liana Fix and Paul Stares of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank write in an analysis in Foreign Policy.

“And all the more justified are Ukraine’s demands for something in return, such as full EU membership,” they write.

The authors believe that future NATO membership could also be an option if the alliance is led to a greater extent by Europe, with a smaller or no American role.

“Ukraine still lacks the nuclear capabilities of France and Britain, as well as their air and naval forces. But when it comes to the fight against Russia, no European country is stronger.”

The change of power in Britain
Burnham confirms plans for “Number 10 in the North”

Andy Burnham confirms his plans for a “Number 10 in the North” as part of a ten-year political program. The announcement came in his first major speech since returning to parliament, British media report.

– The change will be the biggest in our lifetime in terms of how the country is governed, he says, according to The Guardian.

“Number 10 in the North” is intended to be a government office in Manchester, as a northern equivalent to 10 Downing Street and a step in decentralizing power from London.

Burnham has long been called “King in the North” by the British media and is expected to take over as prime minister from Keir Starmer in July.

Middle East crisis  Peace talks
US and Iran send delegations to Qatar

The US and Iran have each sent a delegation to Doha in Qatar after the weekend’s escalated attacks in the region. According to President Donald Trump, Iran has requested a meeting on Tuesday, reports the AP.

“It could be important. We’ll see,” Trump said at a press conference at the White House, according to Reuters.

Iran denies, however, that any meeting with the US has been agreed. A senior Iranian negotiator tells the AP that no talks are planned, although an Iranian delegation is on its way to Doha.

Climate threat Extreme weather in Europe
France's morgues under pressure after heatwave

Funeral offices and morgues in France are under heavy pressure after the heatwave that caused over 1000 deaths, reports AFP.

Elisabeth Charrier, head of the national trade association, says that the occupancy rate of the country's morgues is normally between 30 and 45 percent during the summer. Now it has risen to an average of 66 percent nationwide.

In larger cities, several morgues have reached full capacity.

- The biggest challenge is in central Paris, where the only two morgues have been fully occupied since Friday. Relatives are forced to go outside Paris, to the inner or outer suburbs, or even further away, to find a place where they can say goodbye to their loved ones, says Charrier.

She also warns of a domino effect. Graves cannot be dug faster than they are already being dug, and cremation times are quickly booked up, which risks making the situation even worse.

Trump's USA  Mid-term elections in the US
Trump presses Congress for information on postal voting

After the US Supreme Court ruled that postal votes that arrive after Election Day can still be counted in some states, President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass the "Save America" ​​bill. The Hill reports.

The bill would require voters to be able to prove their US citizenship in order to vote. Voters would also be required to show a valid photo ID at the polling station.

Trump also claims that the bill would completely ban postal voting, with the exception of the sick, military personnel and people traveling. However, there is no ban on postal voting in the current text, writes Hill.

"There is no excuse for a politician or anyone else to oppose these three demands. There is only one reason to oppose – CHEATING!" Trump writes on Truth Social.