Sergey Lavrov to visit Malta next month, Russian media reports – POLITICO

Sergey Lavrov to visit Malta next month, Russian media reports – POLITICO

Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Lavrov intended to make the trip to Vedomosti, while Malta’s Embassy in Russia said invitations to the Dec. 5-6 meeting “will be sent to all OSCE delegations in due course.” The last time Lavrov visited an EU country was a trip to Stockholm for an OSCE gathering … Read more

6 Russian jets intercepted over Baltic Sea – POLITICO

6 Russian jets intercepted over Baltic Sea – POLITICO

The German Air Force said separately on Saturday that it had identified five Russian jets flying over the Baltic Sea and had deployed Eurofighters to escort them. This is far from the first time Russian aircraft have wandered toward EU and NATO airspace. Earlier this month, Latvia’s defense ministry said a Russian drone crashed in the Rēzekne … Read more

Ursula von der Leyen unveils her new European commissioners – POLITICO

Ursula von der Leyen unveils her new European commissioners – POLITICO

After a ‘will she, won’t she’ few days, Ursula von der Leyen is on Tuesday set to unveil her top team at the European Commission. But who will get which portfolio? Stay with POLITICO for updates on the big announcement and for instant analysis of what it all means. Read original article here Denial of … Read more

Zelenskyy complains West won’t even talk about shooting down Russian missiles – POLITICO

Zelenskyy complains West won’t even talk about shooting down Russian missiles – POLITICO

Ukraine said there was a double standard earlier this year when Kyiv saw a wide coalition of Western countries helping Israel to repel a massive Iranian attack of missiles and drones. Ukraine has been suffering huge Russian missile and drone strikes almost daily, with some targeting gas storage sites near the EU border, while some … Read more

Latvia says Russian drone that violated airspace came through Belarus – POLITICO

Latvia says Russian drone that violated airspace came through Belarus – POLITICO

Latvia’s defense ministry said Sunday that a unmanned Russian drone had crashed in Rēzekne region in the east of the country, having flown in through Belarus. The country’s armed forces also informed the NATO chain of command about the incident, which it is investigating. “This situation is a confirmation that we need to continue the … Read more

The 24 names we know so far – POLITICO

The 24 names we know so far – POLITICO

The deadline for putting forward names for the next European Commission is the end of August. With that date approaching fast, and now that Ursula von der Leyen is back from her summer holiday in Germany, here are the nominees so far (remember that all of them, except for von der Leyen herself, need to … Read more

Budget doesn’t have to mean bland! Five of Europe’s most bizarre hostels, from a converted Boeing 747 to a former prison so cheap to stay in it’s criminal…

Budget doesn’t have to mean bland! Five of Europe’s most bizarre hostels, from a converted Boeing 747 to a former prison so cheap to stay in it’s criminal…

Budget doesn’t have to mean bland.  As Jill McElroy, StudentUniverse’s travel expert, reveals. Here she shares her top five quirkiest European hostels, from a converted Boeing 747 to a former military prison that’s so cheap to stay in it’s criminal. Jill also reveals an amazing cave-style property in Santorini and a hostel in Portugal with wine-barrel-shaped beds.  … Read more

Von der Leyen is in! Let the fighting over the next European Commission begin.  – POLITICO

Von der Leyen is in! Let the fighting over the next European Commission begin.  – POLITICO

Who wants what? France and Italy are the biggest European powers eying a portfolio that includes one or more of the following: Competition, trade, industry and economic policy, several EU diplomats said, much to the despair of northern, more budget-disciplined EU governments. Ireland and Luxembourg are interested in a financial portfolio, while Spain wants an … Read more

Inside abandoned Soviet ghost town hiding dark past with crumbling buildings left to rot for 30 years

Inside abandoned Soviet ghost town hiding dark past with crumbling buildings left to rot for 30 years

IN the heart of Latvia’s dense forests lies the ghostly remains of an abandoned Soviet town that once stood as a secret sentinel of the Cold War era. Conceived in the tense atmosphere of the 1960s, Skrunda-1 was built to house the operators of an early warning radar system, designed to detect incoming missiles from … Read more

Record 23 countries hit 2 percent defense spending target, NATO says – POLITICO

Record 23 countries hit 2 percent defense spending target, NATO says – POLITICO

The fact 23 countries meet the target — which was set 10 years ago — makes it “more than twice as many as four years ago, and demonstrates that European allies and Canada are really stepping up and taking their share of the common responsibility to protect all of us in the NATO alliance.” It’s … Read more