The Iran war has already cost the Pentagon $25 billion, a top Defense Department official said Wednesday, providing the first official price tag for a U.S. military campaign that has stretched two months. Acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst gave the figure during a House Armed Services Committee hearing alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint […]
Continue ReadingAnd while the government lifted the ban on defense exports last September, these exports were still severely limited by a reluctant government, with Zelenskyy even lashing out at some defense producers that struck deals with foreign countries. “I know about some 10 factories, built in different parts of the world behind the state’s back,” Zelenskyy […]
Continue Reading“New own resources are indispensable,” von der Leyen said, using the EU term for raising its own money. “Without them, the choice is stark: higher national contributions or lower spending capacity. In other words, less Europe exactly where Europe needs to do more.” The Commission in July proposed a package of measures that would increase […]
Continue ReadingThe material reportedly included details about Berlin’s military support for Ukraine and insights into the country’s defense industry, particularly companies developing drones and robotics. Authorities also accuse him of photographing public buildings in Berlin and documenting military convoys on German highways, including one linked to a NATO member country. The man is also suspected of […]
Continue ReadingVon der Leyen framed the conflict as further proof that the EU should accelerate its shift away from imported fossil fuels and electrify faster. “The way forward is obvious. We must reduce our overdependency on imported fossil fuels and boost our home-grown, affordable, clean energy supply. From renewables to nuclear, in full respect of technology […]
Continue ReadingShould the platforms be found guilty of breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act, they risk fines of up to 6 percent of their annual global revenue. Meta can now respond to the findings and offer remedies to avoid a fine. Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment. The Commission said the measures Meta […]
Continue ReadingAlready, 2026 is shaping up to be the world’s second-warmest year on record, according to some analyses. For Europe, the past winter was one of the coldest in recent years, but temperatures are rebounding. Last month was the continent’s second-hottest March on record. Wednesday’s report confirmed that 2025 marked Europe’s worst wildfire season on record, […]
Continue ReadingBlanket ban Estonia defines ex-combatants broadly to cover everyone involved in Russia’s war effort, from regular troops to proxy forces such as the Wagner mercenary group. That includes hundreds of thousands mobilized since 2022, as well as tens of thousands who later deserted at risk of a prison sentence. Pevkur rejected concerns that a blanket […]
Continue ReadingPresident Donald Trump assailed the leadership of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on social media Tuesday, as he continues to criticize Europe’s response to the U.S. and Israel’s ongoing war in Iran. Merz, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.” “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump wrote. […]
Continue ReadingWhat he said: “In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time, and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder, through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and […]
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