On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch A water leak struck the Louvre Museum’s Denon gallery on Thursday evening, affecting an area displaying valuable paintings but sparing Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa. A spokesperson for […]
Continue ReadingAntónio Costa, the president of the European Council, watered down expectations of a two-speed Europe as a magic bullet to break the impasse on economic reforms, a day after the proposal came to the fore in an informal summit of EU leaders. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING “It’s a non-issue,” Costa said on Friday in a press briefing […]
Continue ReadingLeaders are gathering at the Munich Security Conference as transatlantic relations remain under close scrutiny. This year, the United States is represented by Marco Rubio, whose early remarks suggest a more conciliatory and cooperative tone toward European allies. That contrasts with the impact of last year’s speech by JD Vance, which strongly criticised EU policies […]
Continue ReadingVisitors have begun entering the restored Villa Poppaea, a luxury Roman residence near Pompeii, where new frescoes and artworks are being uncovered after centuries buried by the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The villa, once home to Poppaea Sabina, wife of Nero, is revealing vivid decorations, including a peacock fresco linked to the Roman […]
Continue ReadingFeb 13, 2026, 4:48 p.mFeb 13, 2026, 4:48 p.m There has been another flood at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The incident took place in the Denon wing, which has large collections of Italian and French paintings. There had already been a flood in the Louvre around two months ago.Image: keystone A ceiling painting […]
Continue ReadingFeb 13, 2026, 4:43 p.mFeb 13, 2026, 4:43 p.m NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has compared the pace of Russia’s advance in Ukraine to that of a garden snail. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks at the Munich Security Conference.Image: keystone “This so-called Russian bear does not exist,” he said at the Munich Security Conference. […]
Continue ReadingGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz has proclaimed that the rules-based international order is “over” in stark opening remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, 13 February. In a comprehensive speech, the German chancellor implied that in a period of intense rivalry, even the US lacks the strength to stand alone without the backing of NATO […]
Continue ReadingMerz also drew a lesson from Germany’s own history. “We Germans know a world in which might makes right would be a dark place,” he said. “Our country has gone down this path in the 20th century until the bitter and dreadful end.” Most strikingly, the chancellor confirmed discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron about […]
Continue ReadingFeb 13, 2026, 4:19 p.mFeb 13, 2026, 4:19 p.m After two dead newborns were found in a freezer in a small French community, their mother is in custody, according to media reports. The public prosecutor’s office announced that an investigation had been initiated against her for the killing of minors. The two frozen babies were […]
Continue ReadingFriedrich Merz has told the Munich Security Conference that the world order as it has stood for decades “no longer exists” – and warned the United States that it will not be powerful enough to “go it alone” in the new age of great power politics. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING The German Chancellor alluded to the title […]
Continue Reading