Author: Olga Winter - EU Newsdesk

Four security force members were killed in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, the country’s Interior Ministry said, after thousands of supporters of imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan defied a police lockdown to march in the city center. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as the protesters broke through a barricade of shipping containers blocking off the national capital. The government warned that security forces would respond with live gunfire if protesters used weapons against them. Prime Minister…

China has been stepping up its involvement in the Myanmar conflict as rebels continue to advance, with Beijing recently asking the junta to allow Chinese private military corporations to operate within the neighboring country. Myanmar’s junta is reportedly still reviewing the proposal. After nearly four years of conflict, Myanmar’s resistance forces now control over half of the country and occupy key trade routes on the Myanmar-China border. The junta has also suffered several military defeats…

Senegal’s ruling party, PASTEF, secured an overwhelming parliamentary majority following the country’s legislative election held earlier this month. PASTEF won 130 of 165 seats, up from the 56 it held before the vote, according to provisional results announced by the national vote-counting commission last week. The win gives President Bassirou Diomaye Faye a clear mandate to implement the ambitious reforms he promised during the election campaign. Elected in March on an anti-establishment platform, Diomaye dissolved the opposition-led Parliament to allow the…

China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, British newspaper Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday. If confirmed, Dong would be the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defense minister to be investigated for alleged corruption. According to FT, the investigation was part of a broader probe into military corruption. Last week, Dong declined to meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense ministers in Laos, citing US actions over…

Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has millions of likes on TikTok and hundreds of thousands of followers. He ran a successful social media campaign to emerge victorious in the first round of the country’s presidential elections. ADVERTISEMENTRomania is reeling from the unexpected rise of far-right extremist Calin Georgescu who won Sunday’s first round of the presidential elections as an independent. His rise went unnoticed by the political system – with his victory representing the first…

Fethullah Gülen, a prominent Turkish cleric and advocate for interfaith dialogue and education, passed away on October 21, 2024, in a Pennsylvania hospital at the age of 86. Known for his emphasis on peace, tolerance, and service to humanity, Gülen dedicated his life to fostering dialogue among religions and promoting moderate interpretations of Islam. His death brings to a close a remarkable chapter in both Turkish history and global Islamic thought. Gülen’s legacy is shaped…

Thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have descended on the Pakistani capital Islamabad this week, staging violent protests and calling for Khan’s release from prison. Several security forces members have already been killed in the unrest, according to the government. The interior ministry said additional personnel has been deployed to protect diplomatic missions within the heavily secured Red Zone, which houses multiple government buildings and embassies in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif…

Across southern Africa, support for long-standing ruling parties has dwindled during the past year. South Africa’s once-strong African National Congress (ANC) had to form a coalition government with the Democratic Alliance (DA) to govern for the first time since independence. Neighboring Mozambique is facing violent unrest after Frelimo’s disputed election win. Opposition parties have recently won in Botswana and Mauritius. Namibia is holding its elections on Wednesday, where the governing South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which…

Today, the Commission has launched a Trusted Investors Network bringing together a group of investors ready to co-invest in innovative deep-tech companies in Europe together with the EU. The Union’s investment comes from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, which is part of the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe. The first group comprises 71 investors from across Europe, including venture capital funds, public investment banks, foundations and corporate venture funds. These investors collectively represent over…

Russia’s record bombing of Ukraine leads much of the bloc’s major news sites this morning as Ukraine’s air force says it has shot down 76 Russian drones in 17 regions, whilst another 95 were lost from their radars or downed by electronic jamming defensive systems in overnights attacks.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel also dominates much of the European news. A formidable feature of European politics, Merkel served Germany for 16 years. Today, her memoir Freedom is released. The highly anticipated memoir confronts criticisms of her policies on Russia and migration, which some say left Germany overly dependent on Russian gas and has fueled the rise of the far right in the Deutschland.

The conclusion of the mass rape trial in France finds plenty of space as prosecutors demand the maximum sentence for Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband and women around the world protesting for an end to violence against women. Much of the European media – including the UK – are running various campaigns and stories around violence towards women, sexual assault and calls for governments to do better.

Record number of Russian drones during the night share-arrowDelaunsaveSparaexpand-leftfull screen Cleanup in a Ukrainian house that was hit by a Russian drone on Monday. Photo: Kateryna Klochko/AP/TTRussia is said to have fired a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight: 188, according to data from the country’s air force.During the day, Ukraine and NATO hold a meeting about a high-profile Russian attack with a new hypersonic robot.Buildings and important infrastructure in several regions have been…

In a phone call on Friday 18 October, President Ursula von der Leyen discussed with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the current geopolitical situation and ways to further strengthen EU-UAE relations. President von der Leyen expressed her concerns about the rising tensions in the Middle East and the risk of further escalation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon, and emphasized the need to…

Japan’s space agency, JAXA, aborted an engine test for the Epsilon S rocket after a large fire broke out at the Tanegashima Space Center on Tuesday. “There was an abnormality during today’s combustion test. We are trying to assess what happened,” JAXA said. Footage on NHK showed flames and smoke rising from the site on the southern Japanese island. Journalists positioned around one kilometer (0.62 miles) away reported a large explosion shortly after the test…

A cargo plane crashed into a house on its approach to Lithuania’s Vilnius Airport on Monday morning, killing one crew member and injuring others. ADVERTISEMENTAuthorities search for answers as they continue their investigation after a Boeing 737 cargo plane crashed into a house near Vilnius Airport in Lithuania on Monday morning. The DHL cargo plane operated by Swiftair, departing from Leipzig in Germany, crashed while approaching the airport in Lithuania’s capital. A Spanish crew member…

Brussels, Europe — In a decisive step towards environmental sustainability, the European Commission has announced a significant investment of more than €380 million for133 new projects under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action. This ambitious funding initiative represents more than half of the total investment requirements of €574 million for these projects, with the remainder sourced from a coalition of national, regional, and local governments, along with contributions from public-private partnerships, businesses, and…

In the first round of Romania’s presidential election, a far-right candidate who opposes NATO has taken an unexpected lead.
Calin Georgescu, an independent, won 22.94% of votes in Sunday’s voting, knocking Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu out of the race.
Georgescu will face center-right contender Elena Lasconi, leader of the opposition Save Romania Union, in the presidential run-off on December 8.

  The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed on 27 October to raise awareness about the significance and preservation risks of audiovisual materials. Audiovisual archives serve as powerful storytellers, capturing the lives, cultures and histories of people from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge, reflecting the cultural, social, and linguistic diversity of our communities. These archives not only…

A third of women in the EU have experienced violence at home, at work or in public. Young women report having experienced higher levels of sexual harassment at work and other forms of violence than older women. Yet violence against women often remains invisible as only every fourth woman reports incidents to the authorities (the police, or social, health or support services).  These are some of the findings of the EU survey on gender-based violence…

A little-known, far-right populist has taken the lead in Romania’s presidential election and will likely face leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks, an outcome that has rocked the country’s political landscape. With around 93% of the votes counted, independent candidate Calin Georgescu was in the lead with around 22% of the vote, while Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), trailed at 20%. Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union…

A number of new retailers have been lined up by the owners of Rushmere Shopping Centre following major refurbishments at the Co Armagh complex. Outdoor gear specialist Mountain Warehouse and Danish lifestyle brand Søstrene Grene are the latest names to confirm new stores. It follows the opening of beauty and wellbeing brand Rituals and confirmation that Spanish fashion group Mango and footwear retailer Schuh will move into Rushmere. Killahoey Limited, which bought the retail site…

What’s on the front page of Bild?The front page of Bild says the Federal Office wants bunker app for cell phones, cellars should be expanded. The costs for funerals have risen sharply in 2023. The reason for this is higher wood and transport costs, according to the Hesse Undertaker Association. Coffins have become a third more expensive,” says association head Dominik Kracheletz. Many cities have also increased cemetery fees. The reason: more expensive urn graves, rising…

Police shoot rioter (34) in NRW Kamp-Lintfort (NRW) – The officers were called because of a disturbance, and the situation suddenly escalated on site. At least one shot was fired. And it was fatal. On Saturday evening around 9:50 p.m., the police in Wesel ( North Rhine-Westphalia ) received a report of a disturbance from an apartment in neighboring Kamp-Lintfort. “According to the current state of the investigation, a 34-year-old man is said to have…

Now the people are turning against Mette-Marit For a long time, the Norwegians stood behind their crown princess. They did not condemn Mette-Marit as a bad mother, but rather Marius as an uncontrollable system breaker. However, the rape allegations against Borg Høiby are now becoming a turning point in support among the citizens. Too much has happened, has been tolerated, accepted, covered up. The people think that enough is enough. Read with BILDplus why even…

What’s on the front page of Le Monde?  The front page of Le Monde reports on the far-right party – the RN – sticks to a posture rejecting measures aimed at combating global warming. The paper says that opposed to climate diplomacy, the National Rally fights the measures proposed by France and Europe at COP29 in Baku at the national level, Marine Le Pen’s troops presented a “counter-budget” which cuts all spending in favour of…

French mass rape trial: Court to hear prosecutors’ sentencing requests With evidence over in the trial of a man who drugged his wife for years so he could invite dozens of strangers to rape her, French prosecutors will from Monday, November 25, set out their sentencing requests to judges. Main defendant Dominique Pelicot has been in the dock in southern city Avignon since September along with 49 other men for organizing the rapes and sexual…