Page 12 - Europe

America's allies alarmed by leaked group chat about Yemen attack plans

As wake-up calls go, the alarms don't get much louder. Allies of the United States see the group chat between top US officials about a planned attack in Yemen that accidentally included a journalist as a jaw-dropping security breach which casts doubt on intelligence-sharing with Washington and the security of joint military operations. "Scary" and "reckless" was the verdict of one European diplomat about the discussion on the Signal messaging app about strikes on Houthi rebels. Neil Melvin, a security expert at defence think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, called it "pretty shocking". "It's some of the most high-ranking US officials seeming to display a complete disregard for the normal security protocols, he said. Beyond the security concerns raised by the leaked chat, US officials addressed the country's trans-Atlantic allies with disdain as Vice-President J D Vance complained about bailing out Europe and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed pathetic European ...

US Vice-President JD Vance to join wife Usha in Greenland on March 28

US Vice-President J D Vance has said that he's joining his wife on a Friday trip to Greenland, suggesting in an online video that global security is at stake. We're going to check out how things are going there, Vance said in a video shared on Tuesday. Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it's important to protecting the security of the entire world, he said. US President Donald Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that his country should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark. As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia also seek access to its waterways and the nearby natural resources. The office of second lady Usha Vance said on Sunday that she would depart on Thursday for Greenland and return on Saturday. Usha Vance and one of her three children h

Greenlanders unite to resist US as Trump seeks control of Arctic island

Lisa Solrun Christiansen gets up at 4 am most days and gets to work knitting thick wool sweaters coveted by buyers around the world for their warmth and colorful patterns celebrating Greenland's traditional Inuit culture. Her morning routine includes a quick check of the news, but these days the ritual shatters her peace because of all the stories about US President Donald Trump's designs on her homeland. I get overwhelmed,' Christiansen said earlier this month as she looked out to sea, where impossibly blue icebergs floated just offshore. The daughter of Inuit and Danish parents, Christiansen, 57, cherishes Greenland. It is a source of immense family pride that her father, an artist and teacher, designed the red-and-white Greenlandic flag. On his deathbed he talked a lot about the flag, and he said that the flag is not his, it's the people's, she said. And there's one sentence I keep thinking about. He said, I hope the flag will unite the Greenlandic people." Island of ...

Some Europeans reconsider trips to US in protest against Donald Trump

Europeans splashed $155 billion on travel to the United States in 2023, according to EU figures, while transatlantic travel has bolstered earnings for airlines

European startup Isar Aerospace to launch orbital rocket on 1st test flight

A private European aerospace company is set to make the first test flight of its orbital launch vehicle from Norway on Monday. The launch window for its Spectrum rocket from the island of Andoya in northern Norway is 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm local time, said Isar Aerospace, which is headquartered in Munich. The launch is subject to weather, safety and range infrastructure, and the company said it also could conduct the test flight later in the week. The 28-meter- (91-foot-) Spectrum is a two-stage launch vehicle designed for small and medium-sized satellites. The company largely rules out the possibility of the rocket reaching orbit on its first complete flight, saying it would consider a 30-second flight a success. Isar Aerospace aims to collect as much data and experience as possible on the first integrated test of all the systems on its in-house-developed launch vehicle. The startup, which says it has raised more than 400 million euros ($435 million) in capital, hopes to build up to

Traditional beverage Goli Soda sees strong demand in US, Europe, and Gulf

India's traditional beverage Goli Soda is witnessing strong consumer response in key international markets, including the US, UK, Europe, and the Gulf, driven by strategic expansion and innovative reinvention, an official statement said on Sunday. Under a strategic partnership with Fair Exports, India has ensured steady deliveries of Goli Soda, rebranded as Goli Pop Soda, to Lulu Hypermarket, one of the largest retail chains in the Gulf region, the commerce ministry's arm Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said. "This iconic beverage, once a household staple, is making a remarkable comeback on the global stage, driven by its innovative reinvention and strategic international expansion," it said, adding the product has already made strong inroads in global markets, with successful trial shipments to the USA, UK, Europe, and Gulf countries. The revival of this beverage, which had nearly disappeared due to the dominance of multinational bevera

As Trump cuts funding, Europe looks to poach top researchers from the US

A coalition of 12 European governments is pushing for measures to attract US researchers as Trump's administration enforces deep funding cuts in education and research

We're keen to join India-Middle East-Europe Corridor: Egypt's trade min

Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khatib, on Wednesday said his country is keen to join the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEE Corridor), positioning the country as a vital link in this ambitious trade network. El-Khatib highlighted Egypt's trade infrastructure and strategic location as compelling reasons for its inclusion. Trade corridors are always welcomed, and we feel our location is unique, El-Khatib said, explicitly signalling Egypt's interest in the IMEE Corridor. We told our Indian friends yesterday: you need to look at this. Our infrastructure is already in place, connected to major ports like Alexandria, and it's ready, the Egyptian minister told PTI Videos. Unveiled on September 9, 2023, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the corridor was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union (EU). The

Here's why Europe, Canada are eyeing alternatives to US-made fighter jets

Questions are mounting in Canada and in Europe over whether big-ticket purchases of high-end US weaponry, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, are still a wise strategic choice for Western countries worried about their investment in US defence technology. In less than two months, US President Donald Trump has upended decades of US foreign policy. He has left NATO members questioning whether the US will honour the alliance's commitment to defend each other if other European countries are attacked by Russia. He's also made repeat overtures to Russia and suspended most US foreign aid. And Pete Hegseth, Trump's defence secretary, last month told a gathering of European defence ministers that stark strategic realities prevent the US from being primarily focused on the security of Europe. That could impact foreign sales of the Lockheed Martin-produced F-35 and other advanced US jets like the F-16. As the war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year, it's become clear that Eastern ...

Rakesh Batabyal's 'Idea of Order' examines European history, nationalism

Professor Batabyal's Indian perspective on this most recent period of European history is obviously relevant for his home audience, but the European public can also learn from it

Nato chief Mark Rutte says Russia relations should be restored after war

Rutte is walking a fine line between the US - Nato's most important member - and Europe, which is dealing with an increasingly aggressive Russia

Donald Trump has companies in Europe and Asia walking DEI tightrope

Companies from Roche Holding AG to Nissan Motor Co. have backpedaled on DEI policies in the US

Thousands gather in Serbia's capital for rally that tests Vucic's govt

Tens of thousands of people swarmed the streets in Serbia's capital Belgrade on Friday, staging a joyful prelude to a major anti-government rally on the weekend and dealing a blow to populist President Aleksandar Vucic. The citizens of Belgrade came out to welcome thousands of university students who converged on Belgrade from across the country for the rally planned for Saturday that is expected to draw even more people. Saturday's protest is seen as a culmination of months of anti-graft demonstrations in the Balkan country that have posed the biggest challenge so far for Vucic's decade-long firm grip on power in Serbia. Flares, fireworks and flag-waving crowds filled the downtown streets in stark contrast to weeks of fear-mongering spread by Vucic's populists with an aim to dissuade people from attending the rally on Saturday. The autocratic leader has repeatedly warned that violence is planned at the rally and threatened arrests over any incidents. Vucic's supporters have been .

Europe's troop shortages exposed as Trump warns shift in US security focus

In the year after Russia launched outright war on Ukraine, NATO leaders approved a set of military plans designed to repel an invasion of Europe. It was the biggest shake-up of the alliance's defence readiness preparations since the Cold War. The secret plans set out how Western allies would defend NATO territory from the Atlantic to the Arctic, through the Baltic region and Central Europe, down to the Mediterranean Sea. Up to 300,000 troops would move to its eastern flank within 30 days, many of them American. That would climb to 800,000 within six months. But the Trump administration warned last month that US priorities lie elsewhere. Europe must take care of its own security, and those goals now seem questionable. Mustering just 30,000 European troops to police any future peace in Ukraine is proving a challenge. Billions of euros are being shifted to military budgets, but only slowly, and the Europeans are struggling to fire up production in their defence industries. Beyond ...

Seeing more conversion of proof-of-concept to use case in AI: WNS chief

We are starting to see a lot more use cases of AI and GenAI solutions, which were earlier all proofs-of-concept, said Keshav Murugesh

Amid US-Ukraine tensions, Starlink's European rival sees shares soar 500%

Eutelsat has the infrastructure to expand its role in Ukraine, whose troops rely on Starlink for internet connectivity to operate drones, secure messaging, and real-time coordination

Daylight Saving Time 2025 begins: The history, impact, and ongoing debate

Trump has reignited the debate over Daylight Saving Time (DST), calling it a '50-50 issue' and expressing interest in eliminating it. But what exactly is DST, and what's the history behind it?

Macron's comeback: Handling crisis in France to shaping Europe's defence

French President Emmanuel Macron is back at the centre of global diplomacy, seeking to ease relations with President Donald Trump, championing a Ukraine peace plan alongside his British counterpart, and seeing his longstanding desire to boost European defence turning into reality. Six months ago, Macron seemed weaker than ever after his call for early legislative elections produced a hung parliament, sparking an unprecedented crisis. Known for his nonstop political activism, Macron shifted his focus to foreign policy, leaving domestic struggles largely to the prime minister. Now, he appears as the one leader who speaks to Trump several times per week and takes the lead in European support for Ukraine, while positioning himself as the commander-in-chief of the European Union's only nuclear power. Key world player Macron, 47, is one of the few leaders who knew Trump during his first term in office, maintaining despite disagreements a cordial relationship, which both describe as ...

Ukraine determined to end war with 'just and lasting peace': Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President further said that next week, he will visit Saudi Arabia, where he will hold a meeting with the Crown Prince, followed by a meeting with the American team

Poland plans large-scale military training for adult men to boost reserves

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday that his government is working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe. The military training would create a reserve force that is adequate to possible threats, Tusk said in a major speech on security to Poland's lower house of parliament, or Sejm. He said that there's a need for an army of 500,000 soldiers, which would include reservists. Last year, the Polish government said that the military was made up of around 200,000 soldiers and was to grow to 220,000 this year with the objective of increasing it to about 300,000. But security fears have grown far more dramatic in recent weeks, as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones, and as the Trump administration has withdrawn military and intelligence support for Ukraine while putting its commitments to NATO in question. Today we are talking about the need for a half-million army i