‘Ordinary spanking’ row lights up Poland’s marathon presidential election debate
A row over spanking children was the highlight of Poland's marathon televised presidential election debate on May 13 that saw one candidate heatedly accuse another…
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Antifascists claim egg attack in bid to thwart MCC think tank conference
'Antifascist' activists have claimed responsibility for an egg attack on Brussel’s Stanhope Hotel on May 12 in protest at a scheduled seminar hosted by Conservative…
French left-wing leader blames ‘political police’ for detention of US streamer Hasan Piker
French left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the US border control agency of becoming "a political police" following detention of an American left-wing…
German public broadcaster under fire for leaking right-wing YouTuber’s identity
Germany's state TV station ZDF has come in for criticism after one of its hosts leaked the identity of a prominent anonymous YouTube personality on air.
Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault
A Paris court has found French movie star Gérard Depardieu guilty of sexual assault.
UK PM Starmer vows migration overhaul to ‘finally take back control’ of UK borders
The United Kingdom would “finally take back control of Britain's borders”, promised Prime Minister Keir Starmer May 12.
‘Algorithms will not raise our children’: France to lead EU coalition to ban social media for children
France said it was working with other member states to prevent children under 15 from accessing social media anywhere in the EU.
Anti-Semitic protests mar Eurovision song contest kickoff
Protesters demanding Israel be excluded from Eurovision overshadowed the 2025 song contest's May 11 opening parade in Basel, Switzerland.
Cocaine claims are ‘Fake news by enemies’, blasts an angry Paris
A viral video accusing French President Emmanuel Macron of hiding a cocaine pouch during a visit to Ukraine was "fake news being spread by France’s enemies", said…
Bulgaria’s government should give their people a voice on the euro
Until fairly recently, it looked like Bulgaria was set to join the Eurozone early next year.
Polish PM Tusk and German Chancellor Merz at odds over Berlin’s tightening of border controls
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have clashed over the issue of border controls on the German-Polish border during their meeting…
German security service unexpectedly suspends ‘extremist’ classification of AfD
German intelligence agency the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has temporarily suspended its May 2 decision to classify the populist…
Chair of US Intelligence group calls for ‘no collaboration’ with Germany over AfD
Tom Cotton, chair of the US Senate Committee on Intelligence, has called for pausing "all intelligence sharing" with German domestic intelligence agency the Federal…
German government refuses to publish secret ‘proof’ that AfD is an extremist organisation
Germany’s domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has determined that the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD)…
Jailed Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu’s X account blocked in Turkey
Access to the X account of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, has been blocked in Turkey in response to a legal…
Record-low road deaths in Belgium, but not for cyclists
Fewer people than ever died in traffic accidents across Belgium last year — but in Brussels, it was a deadlier year for cyclists.
All that is dire in Britain now was seen in the tawdry way it celebrated VE Day
My first thoughts on hearing news of the (inevitable) retaliatory attacks by India on Pakistan were not on the many unfortunate victims (with many more to come)…
French university has funding cut over its ‘Islamo-leftist drift’
All regional public funding to Lyon 2 University has been cut over concerns about "Islamo-leftist drift" within the institution.
New German interior minister orders immediate end to asylum claims at borders
Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s new Conservative interior minister, has ordered a halt of asylum procedures at Germany’s foreign borders effective immediately…
Canton of Zurich offers 90% off for name alterations if combined with change of gender
The Swiss canton of Zurich, an administrative unit of Switzerland, has been offering large discounts on official name changes - if they were combined with a change…
Sweden’s Left Party kicks out MP from group over anti-Semitism accusation
Swedish Left Party MP Lorena Delgado Varas has been expelled from the party's parliamentary group after she made several inflammatory remarks on social media.
Germany’s CDU demands removal of AfD members from public service
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution's (BfV) decision to designate the right-wing AfD party as “definitely right-wing extremist” has caused…
Pro-Palestinian protestors target Dutch WW2 liberation commemorations
Pro-Palestinian protesters have disrupted a ceremony commemorating the Netherlands' liberation from Nazi occupation 80 years ago.
AfD faces calls to be banned after German State brands party ‘extremist’
The German Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution (Bfv) categorised the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as "definitely right-wing extremist", sparking…
Italy sees sudden surge in migrant arrivals by sea
The Italian Government has found itself scrambling to explain a sudden surge in migrant sea arrivals that appeared to upend earlier claims of successful migration…
Parts of Brussels housing market impacted by drugs issues
The Belgian capital Brussels has remained the country’s most expensive region for real estate but concerns over illegal drug activity have driven sharp local price…
Prosecutors pursue Polish football fans over banner mocking PM Tusk’s presidential candidate
Poland’s public prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into banners put up in April by Legia Warsaw football fans during a home game.
Entire AfD party is ‘definitely right-wing extremist’, says German Constitution watchdog
The German Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has announced it categorised the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as “definitely right-wing…
Berlin ‘anti-fascists’ chase minister from Labour Day celebrations
Karl Lauterbach, outgoing health minister in Germany’s progressive traffic-light government, was forced to flee radical Socialist Labour Day celebrations after…
Security without deterrence
As the geometry of international relations alters under the shockwaves emanating from the White House, old assumptions about alliances begin to fray.