Newsletter: How to fix Europe’s competitiveness problem?
Good morning, I’m Mared Gwyn writing in the early hours from Brussels. The real heavyweights steering EU policy – top industry chiefs – will join political leaders including the French President and German Chancellor at an annual industry summit in Antwerp later today, in what is set to be a taster session before EU leaders […]
EU leaders grapple with how to build and finance a competitive Europe
Published on 10/02/2026 – 18:10 GMT+1•Updated 11/02/2026 – 7:01 GMT+1 EU leaders will gather on Thursday to informally discuss priorities for Europe’s economic agenda, including how to strengthen the single market and make Europe more economically independent and competitive. Among proposals on the table include dismantling barriers for European Union-based businesses via a “simplification” agenda, […]
Power outages across Spain and Portugal affected millions. How to prepare for a major blackout
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — An unprecedented blackout across Spain and Portugal upended the lives of millions across the Iberian Peninsula, a stark reminder of modern society’s reliance on electricity, and how quickly life can descend into chaos when the grid goes down. Power was nearly completely restored across the region on Tuesday, but the cause […]
Nations puzzle over how to respond to US trade war as global markets gyrate
BRUSSELS (AP) — America’s trading partners wrestled with responses to U.S. President Donald Trump’s blast of tariff hikes and some planned to send negotiators to Washington, while the head of the European Union’s executive commission offered mutual reduction of tariffs – while warning that retaliation was an option too. “We stand ready to negotiate with […]
China punches back as world weighs how to deal with higher US tariffs
BANGKOK (AP) — China hit back with a stiff import tax on U.S. goods as countries and industries around the world weighed their responses to President Donald Trump’s latest tariff hikes that are roiling global trade and world markets. China on Friday took the retaliation route by imposing a 34% tariff beginning April 10 on […]
How to save Britain from a doom loop of decay, decline – and default
And yet the size of the UK’s public sector has inexorably increased, from around 30pc of GDP last century to, during Covid, over 50pc; even now it is around 45pc. The number shows little sign of reducing. Second: along with a large state comes the corollary: high taxes. Over and again, academic studies have shown […]
In Guatemala, At Least, Democracy Is Winning
Democracy could use a win. All around the world, states have been taken over by strongmen dead set on extracting as much wealth as they can from the societies they rule. In Russia and Venezuela, Myanmar and Angola, weak electoral systems have given way to hyper-corrupt autocracies. And democrats haven’t really figured out how to […]
Want to make the EU your home? Here’s how to get permanent residency in France, Spain and Germany
From language tests to integration, this is what you need to apply for permanent residency across the EU. ADVERTISEMENT After you’ve put down roots in a country, you may be thinking about making it more long-term by applying for a permanent residency permit. They often come with more benefits than other kinds of visas and […]