Pork sausages on the menu as Ireland deports 24 men on first charter to Pakistan
Two of the deportees had been assessed as high risk, one because of previous offending and the other because of behaviour in prison.
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
‘Stay in Europe, ignore some rules’: Bardella explicit RN’s new EU doctrine ahead of 2027
"When the Germans want to defend their interests, no matter how they go about it, they succeed. We have never been able to do the same".
Rutte and Nawrocki welcome US troop boost in Poland after Trump reversal
The deployment had earlier been put on hold as part of a wider reduction of US forces in Europe.
Italian FM Tajani: ‘If we have more children, we need less immigrants’
"We have a problem of demographic decline and we must understand if we want to have more children".
Channel people smugglers shift base to Belgian coast as France tightens controls
"France has become stricter", said Jean-Marie Dedecker, mayor of the seaside town of Middelkerke.
Sanitary ghettos: South Asia’s disposable Christians
The systematic degradation of Christian communities in South Asia is not an accident, but a policy.
Outrage grows in UK after teen bleeds to death in handcuffs as attacker accuses him of racism
Henry Nowak, a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton from Chafford Hundred in Essex.
European Court of Human Rights rules vulgar online insults against officials fall outside free speech
The Court emphasised that the message used aggressive, sexually explicit insults and was posted on a widely used social media platform.
Italy and Spain demand EU sanctions on Israeli minister Ben-Gvir
Both requests have followed a video published by Ben-Gvir on Wednesday in which dozens of activists are seen forced to kneel on the ground.
The rare miracle of order
We live in a world of daily miracles: Walk up to an automated teller machine almost anywhere in the world, insert a card, type four digits, and a small mechanism…
EU approval of ‘return hubs’ migration reform pushed back to June
EU countries and lawmakers failed to reach a deal on a migration reform to create so-called "return hubs" outside the bloc Thursday, with another round of talks…
‘Violent Iraqi ex-soldiers protect people smugglers’, Belgian police chief warns
"Normally, we try to puncture the boat beforehand to prevent the crossing to the United Kingdom".
‘Long-debunked lies’: German CDU denigrates AfD in contentious brochure
The 32-page booklet entitled 'Decline for Germany, not an Alternative' launches a number of wild claims about the country's main opposition party.
Syphilis and gonorrhoea cases hit record highs across Europe
The figure represents the highest recorded rate since the ECDC began monitoring STIs in 2009.
Harsh Israeli treatment of flotilla activists causes global outrage
Several countries have joined calls for an independent investigation.
Bataclan terrorist already granted penitentiary leave in Belgium
Mohamed Bakkali has already benefited from several short permissions since July 2025.
Austria introduces quotas for refugee family reunification
Austria put in place quotas for refugee family reunification today, as part of changes to tighten migration policy as it implements the EU's new pact.
British hypocrisy and envy towards US are alive and well
A piece in the London Spectator of May 2 by Rod Liddle is a reminder of the imperishable spiteful envy towards America that still disturbs the minds of many of the…
France has the European Union’s most overcrowded prisons
Foreign nationals account for about a quarter of inmates — around three times their share of the country's population.
Merkel receives Order of Merit of the European Parliament, calls for more control of social media
The European Parliament has conferred its inaugural European Order of Merit on a group of high-profile figures, including former German chancellor Angela Merkel,…
Italy and Albania reaffirm migrantion deal amid doubts over its future
Meloni has repeatedly framed the agreement not only as a tool for protecting Italy's national borders.
French cinema elite outraged after channel they attacked doesn’t want to work with them anymore
Around 600 actors, directors, producers and technicians accused the conservative billionaire of exerting growing control over the French cinema sector through his…
Yes, Britain today is governed by idiots, but that is not the sole reason it is in trouble
Four score years, roughly four generations: Is that the natural life span of any democratic welfare state?
Sierra Leone’s first lady has social housing in inner London
Council homes in the UK are a form of social housing provided at below-market rents to those meeting eligibility criteria.
Vienna 2026: Did Eurovision ditch wokeness for a return to factory settings?
Two years ago, after the Malmö farce, here in the Brussels Signal comment pages, we issued a warning.
WHO accuses tobacco industry of wanting to ‘hook a new generation of users’ on pouches
"The rapid global expansion of nicotine pouch products, which are being aggressively marketed to adolescents and young people".
German prosecutors charge paediatrician with 130 child sex abuse offences
Most of the offences are alleged to have been committed while the doctor was working at hospitals in Rathenow and Nauen.
Part II: What? Commission says pupils must not ‘question established authority’
The document explicitly sets out three stages of pre-bunking: ‘Forewarning’, ‘microdose’ and ‘refutation’.
German court reopens BioNTech Covid vaccine damages case
The ruling could have consequences for other similar proceedings.
German Green leader says soldiers can ‘desert’ under AfD defence minister
He stressed his political work was aimed at preventing any AfD role in power.