Eurovision Song Contest host Sweden braces for anti-Israel protests
Malmo, Sweden Reuters Sweden said it plans to host a dazzling Eurovision Song Contest, watched by 200 million people worldwide, but visitors face heightened security amid planned protests over Israel’s participation and a new geo-political backdrop since Sweden joined NATO. The contest, the world’s biggest of its kind, takes place in Malmo from 7th to […]
Ministers to mark 75 years of NATO, discuss more support for Ukraine
Brussels, Belgium Reuters NATO foreign ministers meet on Thursday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their alliance, having agreed to start planning for a greater role in coordinating military aid to Ukraine. On the second day of a meeting in Brussels, the ministers will mark the signing in Washington on 4th April, 1949, of the […]
EU members call for revision of anti-deforestation law
Brussels, Belgium Reuters A group of EU countries led by Austria is calling for urgent revisions to the bloc’s anti-deforestation law set to go into effect at the end of the year, saying it could hurt European farmers, according to a document reviewed by Reuters on Monday. The EU law aims to root deforestation out […]
Gloomy youth pull US and western Europe down global happiness ranking
London, UK Reuters Rising unhappiness among younger people has caused the United States and some large western European countries to fall down a global wellbeing index, while Nordic nations retain their grip on the top spots. The annual World Happiness Report, launched in 2012 to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, is based on […]
Sweden joins NATO as war in Ukraine prompts security rethink
Washington DC, US/Stockholm, Sweden Reuters Sweden joined NATO in Washington on Thursday, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced it to rethink its national security policy and conclude that support for the alliance was the Scandinavian nation’s best guarantee of safety. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed over the final documentation to the US […]
Arctic foxes: Norway gives a helping hand amid climate woes
GLORIA DICKIE and LISI NIESNER, of Reuters, report on a state-sponsored program to restore Arctic foxes…
Sweden clears final hurdle to join NATO as Hungary approves accession
Budapest, Hungary/Stockholm, Sweden Reuters Hungary’s parliament approved Sweden’s NATO accession on Monday, clearing the last hurdle before the historic step by the Nordic country whose neutrality lasted through two world wars and the simmering conflict of the Cold War. Hungary’s vote ended months of delays to complete Sweden’s security policy shift and followed a visit […]
Crew with first astronaut from Turkey launched on flight to space station
Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Reuters Turkey’s first astronaut and three other crew members representing Europe were launched from Florida on Thursday on a voyage to the International Space Station in the latest commercially arranged mission from Texas startup Axiom Space. A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the Axiom quartet lifted off atop a Falcon 9 […]
Essay: Russia’s decision to ditch Cold War arms limitation treaty raises tensions with NATO
In an article first published on The Conversation, KENTON WHITE explains the background to Russia’s recent decision to pull out of the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe…
Brussels gunman who killed two Swedes shot dead by police
Brussels, BelgiumReuters A Tunisian gunman suspected of killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels died on Tuesday after being shot by police in a cafe, hours after an attack which Sweden’s prime minister said showed Europe must bolster security to protect itself. The 45-year-old, who identified himself as a member of Islamic State and claimed […]