Israeli strike kills senior Hamas official in Beirut: Reports – POLITICO

A strike apparently carried out by Israel on Tuesday killed Saleh al-Arouri, a senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Beirut, according to Hamas and Hezbollah officials cited on Lebanese state-run media and Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV and according to U.S. officials cited in U.S. media outlets. Al-Arouri was a senior official for Hamas … Read more

Iranian warship enters Red Sea as tensions rise – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Iran dispatched a naval frigate to the Red Sea amid an escalating standoff between Western nations and Tehran-backed militants that has seen maritime traffic attacked by drones, missiles and speedboats. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Monday that the warship Alborz crossed the Bab el-Mandeb … Read more

Biden’s foreign policy headache in 2024 – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, is CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and host of the weekly podcast “World Review with Ivo Daalder.” United States President Joe Biden starts 2024 in circumstances that any incumbent would envy. The economy is … Read more

Security has improved in Nigeria since I assumed office – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said the nation’s security challenge has improved since he assumed office. He stated this in his New Year broadcast on Monday. Mr Tinubu assumed office on 29 May 2023, about seven months ago. The president said his administration has been working silently to free captives from abductors. He said though it … Read more

Bulgaria, Romania get official green light for partial entry into Schengen – POLITICO

EU member countries reached agreement Saturday on removing air and maritime internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania, but the two countries’ full entry into the bloc’s passport-free Schengen zone remains subject to further discussions. Controls at sea and air borders with Romania and Bulgaria will be lifted as of March 31, the Council of … Read more

Democracy is in peril in the world’s bonanza year of elections – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Is 2024 the year when democracy hits a tipping point and slides toward autocracy? It may seem like an odd question to ask at a time when countries representing nearly half the world’s population, or an estimated 3.8 billion people, are sending their voters … Read more

Israel green-lights Cypriot aid plan for Palestinians as military pounds Gaza – POLITICO

Israel will allow ships from several European countries to deliver aid directly to war-torn Gaza, the country’s top diplomat said Sunday, as the Israeli military ramped up large-scale air attacks across central Gaza. Ships from countries including France, Greece, the Netherlands and the U.K. can “immediately” start shipping aid packages via a proposed sea corridor … Read more

Russia hammers Kharkiv with New Year’s Eve strikes after Ukraine’s attack on border city – POLITICO

Russia launched a fresh wave of missile attacks against Ukraine’s second-largest city on Sunday, just hours after Moscow accused Kyiv of pounding Russian border areas and killing civilians. At least 28 civilians were injured after Moscow hit Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight with six missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said … Read more

For Israel, Gaza is a preventative war – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe. Israel’s top politicians sense a possible near-term election. And in their preparation, they have started complicating Israel’s war on Hamas, making relations with the country’s key Western ally, the United States, more difficult. In fact, currently, … Read more

POLITICO Europe’s most-read stories of 2023 – POLITICO

Well, here we are folks, at the end of another turbulent year. When we put this list together at the end of 2022, its contents largely covered something many of us thought we would not see again in our lifetime: a major war in Europe. Now, we are grappling with two wars in our immediate … Read more