All Europe
War on a budget: Ukraine becomes hotbed for drone techThe need to protect the homeland and prevail over invader Russia has turned Ukraine into a hotbed for new drone technology.
‘King of the north’: An English mayor fights for his neglected regionAndy Burnham, Manchester’s mayor, leads a drive to spread political power more evenly across England, focusing on the local level where things get done.
First LookTesla strike: Elon Musk butts heads with Scandinavian worker idealsStrikes at Tesla’s Swedish service centers have pitted CEO Elon Musk against the strongly held labor ideals of Nordic countries. None of Tesla’s workers are unionized, but pressure mounts as sympathy for strikers rises.
Finding the humanity in a war zone
In London’s clean-air fight, is burden falling too much on working class?In London, efforts to clean the air have become politically weaponized. But the electoral calculations mask real societal issues, such as whether antipollution burdens are falling too heavily on those who can’t afford to pay for it.
Can AI outsmart Europe’s bid to regulate it?European efforts to regulate artificial intelligence show how hard it is to harness such a fast-moving phenomenon at the heart of global society.
First LookPutin doubles down on war in Ukraine. ‘Victory will be ours.’“There will be peace when we will achieve our goals,” President Vladimir Putin said concerning the Ukraine war. At an end-of-year conference on Dec. 14, the Russian president talked military strategy while reaffirming authority for his reelection campaign.
In Paris, Krispy Kreme takes on the croissantKrispy Kreme opened in Paris last week, the latest in a string of U.S. fast-food joints prospering in the world’s self-proclaimed gastronomic capital.
France debates vaping: How best to separate teens from their ‘puffs’?As France closes in on a ban of e-cigarette puffs to prevent teen smoking, some experts are asking if would it be more effective to try to persuade young vapers to give up the habit.
First LookPoland’s new PM Donald Tusk is pro-EU, committed to helping UkraineCentrist party leader Donald Tusk was elected prime minister by Poland’s parliament after eight years of conservative rule under Law & Justice. He has taken a pro-European Union stance and vows to keep the rest of the world committed to helping Ukraine.
First LookWhy Finland blames Russia for its record number of migrantsFinland’s border checkpoints have seen a sudden surge of Middle Eastern and African migrants in the past month. Finland blames Russia for the surge, saying it is retaliation for Finland’s membership in NATO.
To curb migrant numbers, Italy looks to Albania for helpMigrants seeking asylum in Italy will be assessed in Albania under a new plan by the hard-right-wing government in Rome.
First LookAlbanian Parliament votes amid flares, fires, and stacks of chairsAlbanian lawmakers passed the annual budget in a vote disrupted by flares held by the opposition to the governing Socialist Party. The flares, piling chairs, and starting small fires come as the European Union begins membership negotiations with Albania.
First LookOne year countdown: Notre Dame on track to reopen in December 2024On Dec. 8, workers at Notre Dame will begin the last year of repair before the cathedral reopens. When Olympic visitors descend on Paris for the Summer Games on July 26, the cathedral will have a finished look from outside while interior work continues.
First LookEU leaders in a race against time to agree on first AI regulationsThe European Union has been drafting artificial intelligence guidelines for years, but the emergence of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has upped the urgency. If EU leaders aren’t able to reach a deal this week, negotiators will be forced to pick up the issue next year.
With his ‘Ambulance for Monuments,’ a Romanian preserves his cultureRomania’s cultural heritage is crumbling. Architect Eugen Vaida is inspiring a grassroots ethos of national pride through historical preservation.
In Ukraine, war speeds migration away from Russian languageWith the Russian invasion still ongoing, many Ukrainians see the choice between speaking Ukrainian and Russian as more than pragmatic. It is also about patriotism and affirmation of their identity.
First LookAfter LBGTQ+ activism ban, Russian police raid gay bars in MoscowRussian security forces raided gay clubs and bars across Moscow less than 48 hours after the country’s top court banned what it called the “global LGBTQ+ movement” as an extremist organization.
In Greece, iconic olive crop becomes a climate change front lineGreece’s iconic olive trees are at risk of becoming a victim to the ravages of climate change. So farmers are finding new ways to care for and harvest the crop, and maintain its viability in a warmer world.
First LookRussia outlaws LGBTQ+ activism in landmark Supreme Court rulingA lawsuit filed to Russia’s Supreme Court identified “signs and manifestations of an extremist nature” by the LGBTQ+ movement operating in Russia. It ruled that the movement is extremist and banned LGBTQ+ activism in the increasingly conservative country.
