This subscription does not include access to ft.com or the FT App Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Blow to Starmer’s hopes of post-Brexit reset and efforts to clear asylum claims amid rise of populist right A UK request for access to shared European Union crime and illegal migration data has reportedly been rejected in a blow to Keir Starmer’s hopes of a post-Brexit relations “reset” British negotiators have been hoping to reach a deal on gaining access to the Schengen Information System (SIS) a vital tool for sharing police alerts across borders within the area where 29 countries have abolished passport controls European officials were reported by the Times to have ruled out allowing access to it and to the bloc’s centralised fingerprinting system which stores information on illegal migrants Access to the records would be a significant boost to attempts by the Labour government to clear Britain’s asylum claims and appeals backlog at a time when political opponents on the populist right are on the rise The prime minister suggested last year at an Interpol annual general assembly in Glasgow that EU leaders had shown an interest in giving the UK access to the intelligence database used to identify people seeking asylum Asked whether he could detect enthusiasm from EU leaders about giving the UK access to Eurodac data as part of a new security deal there is an appetite to work more closely with us on this said on Monday that the prime minister had cast his reset of relations with the EU as a “magic bullet” to deliver on Labour’s manifesto pledge to “smash the gangs” when it came to illegal Channel crossings He needs to start taking action in the UK and stop creeping to Brussels,” Lord Moylan added The European Commission has been approached for comment In the absence of a deal on giving access to Eurodac and Schengen data, one area of potential progress revolves around work and travel freedoms. The EU is prepared to make major concessions in negotiations to allow British and European 18- to 30-year-olds to travel and work freely, the Guardian reported last month. there have been suggestions that figures in the British government have made access to EU databases a “red line” in negotiations over such a youth mobility scheme Free newsletterA digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day The previous UK government signed a deal earlier last year for Britain work more closely with the EU’s border agency to stop small boats crossing the Channel But the lack of access to the Eurodac fingerprinting system – which stores more than 7m fingerprint records and was lost to Britain with the ending of the Brexit transition period in December 2020 – limits potential collaboration Access would help returns by proving individuals had rightful residence in other countries is one of the three pillars that the UK government has been working on as part of a touted “reset” of UK-EU relations The others are on foreign policy and security cooperation and growth and trade cooperation BRUSSELS — The spring drought plaguing Europe since March is worsening and spreading to more countries, the European Commission's scientific service warned today A lack of rainfall and warmer than usual weather have dried out soils and sapped rivers across large stretches of Central and Eastern Europe including the continent's grain production powerhouses Poland and Ukraine Dry conditions are starting to spread to almost every corner of the continent the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) said in a new report as well as the eastern Mediterranean region are experiencing broadening warning drought conditions Similar conditions are emerging in north-western Europe," they write The "warning" stage is the second of three drought development categories used by the JRC's European Drought Observatory In the EU, only the Iberian peninsula, southern France and most of Italy have been spared so far, according to the observatory's latest update. In contrast, parts of Cyprus, Greece and the Balkans, as well as Turkey, have reached the red "alert" stage. Forecasts for the coming months suggest higher than usual temperatures up to July, the scientists say. Rainfall predictions are less clear, though some forecasts point to drier conditions over large parts of northern Europe, including the United Kingdom, parts of Germany and the Benelux countries, the JRC report notes. While other factors such as water mismanagement contribute to dry conditions, droughts are predicted to become more frequent and intense in Europe as a result of climate change. People rarely think about Europe’s criss-crossing energy system. We tell you how it works, what went wrong (and right) on Monday and what happens next. There has not been any type of intrusion in the electrical network control systems,” authorities say. Portugal also remains in the dark following mass power outage south of the Pyrenees. The idea will be one of several options Brussels will suggest in May to sever Russian energy links. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2025 at 8:25 AM EDTBookmarkSaveTakeaways NEWThe European Union is set to propose measures to ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027 as the bloc pushes to sever ties with the country that was once its biggest energy supplier The EU is moving ahead with a long-held intention to phase out Russian fossil fuels after earlier this year delaying the release of its “road map” in order to assess the impact of US efforts to end the war in Ukraine according to people familiar with the matter Russian gas flows to Europe dropped sharply in the wake of Moscow’s full invasion in 2022 through a pipeline via Turkey and shipments of liquefied natural gas This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page This interactive dashboard provides a weekly integrated epidemiological summary for influenza respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the WHO European Region The summary for the EU/EEA is provided by ECDC and the summary for the WHO European Region is provided by WHO Regional Office for Europe ERVISS describes the epidemiological and virological situation for respiratory virus infections across the EU/EEA and the WHO European Region and follows the principles of integrated respiratory virus surveillance outlined in Operational considerations for respiratory virus surveillance in Europe Seasonal influenza is a preventable infectious disease with mostly respiratory symptoms It is caused by influenza virus and is easily transmitted predominantly via the droplet and contact routes and by indirect spread from respiratory secretions on hands etc surveillance and laboratory guidance and how to protect yourself and others Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild The EU called for restraint from Israel on Monday after the country’s security Cabinet approved an expanded military operation in Gaza “The European Union is concerned at the planned extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza which will result in further casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population We urge Israel to exercise the utmost restraint,” European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said during a press briefing Monday The Israeli plan reportedly includes capturing and occupying territory in the Gaza Strip where it has been waging war against Hamas militants since October 2023 Responding to a question from POLITICO on whether the EU is considering sanctions should Israel disregard its calls El Anouni said: “I will not enter into any speculations on any foresight or any reactions that we might have and we will be re-calling it as much as necessary The security Cabinet — an inner grouping within Israel’s broader Cabinet focusing on foreign and defense policy — also gave preliminary approval to resume humanitarian aid deliveries through private companies. The United Nations said the move would violate basic humanitarian principles and vowed not to cooperate The new military phase is reportedly set to begin following U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, scheduled for May 13-16. It comes despite repeated warnings from the U.N. that “serious violations” of international law have occurred in Gaza where Israel has killed more than 50,000 people in a retaliatory assault for Hamas’ violent attack on Oct “We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation,’” Israel’s hard-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said during a conference on Monday “Excellent result,” cheers former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict have proved fruitless so far An uptick in gang violence has seen more than a dozen shootings so far this year Russia has yet to prove it wants to end the war The Scientific Council of the European Research Council welcomes the offer of substantial additional budget from the European Commission for the development of a new ERC funding instrument offering larger, longer-term grants. These 'super grants' were announced this morning by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech at the Sorbonne she spoke at the "Choose Europe for Science" conference The operational details of the new funding instrument are being developed by the Scientific Council and will be announced in due course Closing speech by the President at the ‘Choose Europe for Science' event at La Sorbonne Madeleine DrielsmaPress Adviser to the ERC PresidentT: +32 2 298 76 31 Marcin MońkoHead of Media and Content SectorT: +32 2 296 66 44 French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen attend the “Choose Europe for Science” event to encourage researchers and scientists from all over the world to practice in Europe French President Emmanuel Macron attends the “Choose Europe for Science” event French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen as she arrives at the “Choose Europe for Science” event French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech at the “Choose Europe for Science” event European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen delivers he speech at the “Choose Europe for Science” event no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this program,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at the “Choose Europe for Science” event in Paris “No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete with a stroke the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas,” Macron said Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would set up a “super grant” program aimed at offering “a longer-term perspective to the very best” in the field AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports the European Union has launched a drive to attract U.S She said that 500 million euros ($566 million) will be put forward in 2025-2027 “to make Europe a magnet for researchers.” It would be injected into the European Research Council which already has a budget of more than 16 billion euros ($18 billion) for 2021-2027 Von der Leyen said that the 27-nation EU intends “to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law” with a new legal act Europe will not compromise on its principles,” she said The White House responded by describing DEI as “an inherently discriminatory policy.” “If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide rather than focus on real scientific discovery innovation continues to outpace Europe,” said spokesperson Anna Kelly “America will continue to attract and cultivate the best talent in science Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far including work to combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in Alaska’s Arctic region While not mentioning the Trump administration by name von der Leyen said that it was “a gigantic miscalculation” to undermine free and open research “We can all agree that science has no passport “We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected.” vowed that the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and researchers face notably excessive red tape and access to businesses Macron said that science and research must not “be based on the diktats of the few.” Macron said that Europe “must become a refuge” for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: “The message is simple Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed from Washington Top right-wing officials across Europe hailed George Simion’s victory in the first round of Romania’s presidential re-run on Sunday as a major boost for nationalist and euroskeptic forces within the EU “Congratulations to George Simion, Vice President of ECR Party, on the excellent result in the first round of the presidential elections! Wishing you the best of luck in the second round!” said Mateusz Morawiecki former Polish prime minister and current president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament anti-establishment agenda that mirrors MAGA-style rhetoric His victory on Sunday raises the prospect of Romania aligning with anti-Ukraine voices at the EU leaders’ table “In Romania the people finally voted, freely, with their heads and hearts. With all due respect to the ‘gentlemen’ of Brussels and their dirty tricks. Bravo George Simion!” said Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini “Congratulations to our ally George Simion who came out on top in the first round of the presidential election in Romania this evening, with more than 30 percent of the vote,” said Marion Maréchal, a senior official in France’s far-right Reconquête as initial results were announced Sunday evening Simion, founder of the hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), won more than 40 percent of the vote Sunday, defeating his rivals by a wide margin. Centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan came in second with just under 21 percent, narrowly edging out establishment candidate Crin Antonescu, who secured 20 percent. Simion and Dan are set to face off in a runoff election on May 18. “The European Union is concerned at the planned extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza,” a Commission spokesperson says. U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict have proved fruitless so far. An uptick in gang violence has seen more than a dozen shootings so far this year. Russia has yet to prove it wants to end the war, prime minister says. Tuesday World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says France Subscribers only At the trial of Kim Kardashian's robbers Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Opinion Subscribers only 'It is pointless to imagine a significant wave of American academics leaving' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris The 'Choose Europe for science' conference is taking place in Paris on Monday in an effort to offer an alternative to US researchers disenfranchised by Donald Trump's policies French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen arrive to attend the "Choose Europe for Science" conference in the amphitheatre of the Sorbonne University in Paris GONZALO FUENTES / AFP French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen took aim at Donald Trump's policies on science on Monday as the EU seeks to encourage disgruntled US researchers to relocate to Europe Von der Leyen told a gathering at Paris's Sorbonne university that the European Union will launch a new incentives package worth €500 million to make the bloc "a magnet for researchers." "We have to offer the right incentives," she said von der Leyen told the "Choose Europe for Science" conference that the role of science was being put in question "in today's world," and condemned such views as "a gigantic miscalculation." Universities and research facilities in the United States have come under increasing political and financial pressure under Trump including threats of massive federal funding cuts "Nobody could have imagined that this great global democracy whose economic model depends so heavily on free science (...) was going to commit such an error," Macron said "But here we are." He added: "We refuse a diktat consisting of any government being able to say you cannot research this or that." Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research Macron added that Europe "must become a refuge" for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: "The message is simple tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired and foreign students fear possible deportation for their political views The 27-nation EU hopes to offer an alternative for researchers academics and ministers for research from EU member countries are taking part in Monday's conference as are representatives from non-EU members Norway researchers to "choose France." Last month he unveiled plans for a funding programme to help universities and other research bodies cover the cost of bringing foreign scientists to the country Aix Marseille University in the south of France announced in March it would open its doors to US scientists threatened by cuts It says its "Safe Place for Science" scheme has already received a flood of applicants France's flagship scientific research center launched another initiative aimed at attracting foreign researchers whose work is threatened It is also seeking to tempt back French researchers working abroad some of whom "don't want to live and raise their children in Trump's United States" is the fact that while EU countries can offer competitive research infrastructure and a high quality of life research funding and researchers' remuneration both lag far behind US levels But CNRS's Petit said last week he hoped that the pay gap would seem less significant once the lower cost of education and health and more generous social benefits were taken into account Macron's office said France and the European Union were targeting researchers in a number of specific sectors Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial PARIS ― European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday slammed U.S President Donald Trump's campaign against American higher education as she unveiled a half-billion-euro plan to attract foreign researchers “The role of science in today’s world is questioned What a gigantic miscalculation,” von der Leyen said Appearing alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at Paris' storied Sorbonne University on Monday von der Leyen said the “Choose Europe for Science” initiative would put forward a €500 million program from 2025 to 2027 to attract foreign researchers to “help support the best and the brightest researchers and scientists from Europe and around the world.” Macron said the country would commit another €100 million from the France 2030 program to woo researchers and make Europe a “safe haven” for science.  “There can be no lasting democracy without free and open science,” he said Both French Minister of Higher Education Philippe Baptiste and Robert Proctor a prominent professor of the history of science at Stanford called what’s happening across the Atlantic a “reverse enlightenment.”  The head of the European executive did not name-check American researchers or Trump She even framed her speech around the story of Marie Curie — the groundbreaking Nobel Prize-winning scientist who fled Russian-occupied Poland for France.  “We must not downplay what is at stake today No one could have imagined a few years ago that one of the world's largest democracies would abolish research programs on the grounds that there was the word diversity in their programs,” he said “No one could have imagined that one of the world's greatest democracies could strike out the possibility of obtaining a visa for a researcher.” Von der Leyen also announced she would put forward a “European Innovation Act” and a “Startup and Scaleup Strategy” to cut red tape and boost access to venture capital to help turn innovative science into business opportunities She pledged to legally codify the freedom of scientific research on the continent by proposing a “European Research Area Act.” She added that she wants EU countries to spend 3 percent of their gross domestic product on research by 2030, though Brussels has been pushing member states to meet this figure for decades to no avail Macron attempted a similar pitch during Trump’s first term after the U.S president withdrew from the Paris climate agreement but it’s not clear to what extent the “Make Our Planet Great Again” plan worked Macron said Monday that the program allowed France to “welcome the best researchers” whose work on climate science was under threat.  opening a new front in the transatlantic trade war German lawmaker Nils Schmid argues there is no need to open the subject as the U.S has not said it would withdraw its nuclear umbrella “Before aiming for a free trade deal with the U.S. our first demand is that they withdraw their tariffs,” says French official The transatlantic trade war is increasing pressure on France to back a trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2025 at 8:45 AM EDTBookmarkSaveTakeaways NEWFrench President Emmanuel Macron made a plea to US-based researchers who have been affected by Donald Trump’s policies to choose Europe come and do research here,” Macron said Monday at the Sorbonne University in Paris as he attacked US decisions to shut down university programs “No one could have thought that this great democracy whose economic model relies so heavily on free science and its ability over the past three decades to innovate more than the Europeans and to spread this innovation more widely Foreign Affairs has been the leading forum for serious discussion of American foreign policy and global affairs The magazine has featured contributions from many leading international affairs experts SOPHIA BESCH is Senior Fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies RICHARD YOUNGS is Senior Fellow in the Democracy and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Professor of International Relations at the University of Warwick Sophia Besch and Richard Youngs Both Russian aggression and the Trump administration’s political and economic antiliberalism are threatening the continent’s cohesion and stability such as gathering more money for defense—through spending by individual countries and loans from the European Union—and forming smaller coalitions of states to bring together like-minded governments These patches will help Europe muddle through immediate turmoil but will not solve the continent’s most fundamental political and security challenges European governments must design a new regional order through which they can achieve a more secure Europe The EU has struggled to implement much-needed reforms and is hobbled by growing differences among its member states has relied on the United States to organize European security as the alliance’s first among equals An effective security and defense policy depends on a shared sense of political community which a successive string of crises—including the eurozone financial crisis and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—has depleted Europeans must agree among themselves on exactly what they are defending and why Solutions thus far do not reflect the depth and complexity of the adjustments required to safeguard the European order and analysts who continue to insist that the continent can achieve greater unity only through deeper integration within the EU European governments are trying to advance their defense and security interests quickly through ad hoc coalitions of the willing in which small groups of states convene to address specific policy challenges—most recently to discuss solutions for the conflict in Ukraine Although these coalitions may get around the bloc’s lack of political cohesion and offer speed and flexibility to meet urgent challenges and access to institutional budgets and integrated planning European governments must instead embrace a different regional order the continent will not be able to weather the geopolitical storms that have unsettled many of its long-standing strategic assumptions including the notion that it will always enjoy the military backing of the United States To ensure Europe’s long-term security and to address other pressing political challenges European governments need to craft more fluid and flexible alliances Instituting a new system parallel to the EU in which different clusters of European states can cooperate on select areas of policy would cut through many of the bloc’s current bureaucratic and ideological roadblocks and allow Europeans to form a new more democratically accountable alliance that better protects Europe’s liberal order Through many crises over the past two decades EU member states have repeatedly promised to reform the bloc’s elaborate institutional structures and procedures including those related to decision-making Although all European governments believe the EU needs reform Some member states benefit from the current setup more than others and thus resist a redistribution of power and resources and most national governments are reluctant to fully cede their sovereignty favor technocratic management over disruptive change; bureaucratic inertia and legal complexity block ambitious efforts To get around the fact that the EU and NATO both struggle to respond to the kind of political disorder emanating from U.S President Donald Trump’s second administration European governments have been drawn to building coalitions of the willing This strategy has its appeals: leaders get to pick and choose whom they want to consult on any specific issue and can bypass slow and bureaucratic institutional processes A prominent recent example is the coalition focused on Ukraine which began with small meetings of European leaders hosted by France and the United Kingdom in March 2025 to coordinate military aid and postwar planning for Ukraine outside EU or NATO frameworks This model is now often discussed as a silver bullet to circumvent Europe’s strategic paralysis coalitions of the willing are best suited for politics Narrow caucuses composed of countries that can mobilize significant political and economic resources often end up excluding small and medium-sized states This is precisely what happened with the Ukraine grouping: after pushback from excluded states the coalition was rapidly expanded to include 31 countries it now includes several members that are either unwilling or unable to contribute significantly which dilutes its effectiveness and illustrates how a mechanism designed for speed and cohesion can become just as unwieldy as the institutions it seeks to bypass ad hoc coalitions are too flimsy to organize long-term policy discussions and are not able to manage the overlaps between different areas of policy—for example between climate change and security—because they tend to address single issues in isolation Coalitions also do not benefit from the kind of blocwide intelligence sharing or command-and-control structures that are necessary to coordinate multilateral military deployments Nor do they have access to the institutional EU funding critical to financing core objectives What on paper may look like a breakthrough—European governments setting up meetings quickly—is in reality another instance of muddling through problems arising from systemic deficiencies Washington has not only supplied the bulk of the continent’s conventional and nuclear deterrent but also designed the strategic security consensus around which European states have coalesced government that is at best apathetic and at worst antagonistic and that appears set on unilaterally shifting the burden of the continent’s security onto its European allies They have agreed to spend more money to build up European capabilities and ammunition stores But a truly European defense requires strategic coherence on how to organize this effort: where and to what ends this money should be spent Recent objections from some member states to the EU’s ReArm proposals to boost defense spending—in particular to the initiative’s aggressive branding and focus on conventional military buildup over other priorities such as border defense or cybersecurity—illustrate how a failure to find such common ground can undermine important progress The way forward must have some roots in current institutions NATO’s command-and-control structures and defense planning processes currently make up the backbone of Europe’s defense and the EU’s defense-industrial policy levers are essential to effectively organize European and Ukrainian rearmament But these processes can take Europe only so far NATO doesn’t function without the United States and EU member states do not fully trust their institutions in Brussels or one another neither organization is set up to satisfy the myriad needs of European security must be based on shared political values and objectives Neither EU nor NATO membership today suggests a state’s commitment to the basic notions of liberal order The EU has debated the issue of its members not sharing the same foundational values for many years and the cost of its nonresolution has now become damagingly high Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s actions such as supporting Russian positions and styming cooperation with Ukraine not only to democracy in Hungary but to core norms of Europe’s liberal order The EU has in vain sought to persuade the Hungarian government to mend its ways The emerging practice of EU leaders issuing statements on behalf of 26 states—the whole bloc excluding Hungary—is not a durable solution The Slovakian government is moving in a direction similar to Hungary’s More radical ways are needed to move such countries away from vitally important areas of cooperation some non-EU and non-NATO members should be closer to the heart of the European order would benefit from brokering a new political and security alliance to urgently bridge the rifts caused by Brexit and economic support for Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia A relatively modest EU-British security pact is currently in the works A better way is also needed to formally include Ukraine within the European order NATO membership is out of reach and EU accession is too slow and bureaucratically burdensome to be of tangible help to Ukraine’s immediate security imperatives Brussels has pledged to reform the accession process to make it quicker and more immediately beneficial but has yet to fulfill this promise To ensure both strategic autonomy and inclusivity Europe needs a reformed order centered on treaty-based cooperation among the continent’s liberal democracies It should be built around an innovative institutional structure in which different clusters of states participate to varying degrees across all areas of policy this model would be anchored by an institutional core Each cluster would establish its own governance arrangements led by the governments of participating states and would be subject to oversight—by an appointed intergovernmental secretariat or a parliamentary body composed of representatives from the cluster’s member states Countries would join these clusters voluntarily—likely through agreements on certain areas of policy—allowing for some overlap in memberships to different clusters Nordic and Mediterranean states with complementary energy profiles could unite in a climate cluster Ukraine could cooperate fully with European states on foreign and security policies without having to wait for the result of formal EU accession talks There is no need to abandon EU institutions and processes that function well for certain policy areas The body should continue to govern the continent’s tech But the cluster model offers a way to break persistent deadlocks on other by allowing groups of like-minded European states to cooperate more deeply without the constraint of needing EU-wide unanimity Although the core clusters—especially the one focused on security—would require a firm commitment to liberal democratic values the memberships of others could be broader membership would not be static: governments could be suspended or expelled by the cluster if they violate foundational norms And decisions made within a cluster would be binding only to the members of that cluster The flexibility of this model can help the continent establish clear obligations and joint decision-making mechanisms European security experts have been calling for this kind of integration for many years policymakers have doubled down on protecting their own institutions rather than fashioning a much-needed new template for European order The shock of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led Europeans to launch a broad rearmament effort to defend the continent against military invasion The shock of the Trump administration’s ideological attack against European values—expressed most vividly by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference in February—invites European governments to rethink the basic parameters of their regional order It is a highly welcome development that European leaders seem to be stepping up to take over more responsibility but this is not the same thing as comprehensively preparing Europe for a new the “new European beginning” that these leaders have so confidently announced will likely prove to be another false dawn Subscribe to Foreign Affairs to get unlimited access Already a subscriber? Sign In Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage Barry R. Posen Alexander Vindman Alexander Gabuev, Alexandra Prokopenko, and Tatiana Stanovaya Jack Watling Tanisha M. Fazal Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay Tong Zhao Zongyuan Zoe Liu Anne Neuberger * Note that when you provide your email address, the Foreign Affairs Privacy Policy and Terms of Use will apply to your newsletter subscription Published by The Council on Foreign Relations Privacy Policy Terms of Use From the publishers of  Foreign Affairs This website uses cookies to improve your experience You can opt-out of certain cookies using the cookie management page * Note that when you provide your email address, the Foreign Affairs Privacy Policy and Terms of Use will apply to your newsletter subscription Exclusive: British scientists ‘over the moon’ with re-entry to funding scheme after losing out for three years British scientists are “over the moon” to be back in the EU’s flagship science research programme Horizon after a three-year Brexit lockout with new data revealing they have been awarded about £500m in grants since re-entry As the EU secretly draws up strategies for the next seven-year funding cycle in 2027 the UK is hoping its success in the first 12 months since returning to Horizon will leave it in pole position with Germany and France to dominate European science With projects ranging from the research to develop brain catheters inspired by wasps to efforts to create aviation fuel from yeast and greenhouse gases the UK has been catapulted to the top of the league of non-EU beneficiaries by number of grants it looks set to resume its overall place in the coming 12 months EU data shows nearly 3,000 grants were awarded to British science projects in 2024 the first year of the UK’s post-Brexit associate membership after a three-year pause caused by a Brexit row over Northern Ireland “I am absolutely over the moon that we are back in the programme formally,” said Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena, a professor in medical robotics at Imperial College London Taking stock after the first year back in the £80bn Horizon programme Prof Sir John Aston, the pro-vice-chancellor for research at the University of Cambridge said he hoped the embargo “never happens again” “It is really good that we are back inside the tent,” he said adding that it showed the world the UK’s commitment to being a “science superpower” with world-class research and [it shows] that people who get this funding are doing really impressive work.” Prof Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena (left) showed Maroš Šefčovič (right) and Nick Thomas-Symonds (centre) a prototype of the cranial catheter Photograph: Cabinet OfficeRodriguez was among those to meet the European trade commissioner on a visit to Imperial on Wednesday to underline the revived science collaboration with the EU “Everyone is using that opportunity to start thinking with a European hat on about how to leverage these opportunities and reach out to colleagues in continental Europe and so on.” His €11m (£9.4m) Eden2020 research to develop the cranial catheter was driven by an €8m grant for a consortium led by Imperial but involving a hospital and two universities in Italy along with universities in Germany and the Netherlands The UK’s isolation was a “double whammy” to science because he had stopped applying for funding and also collaboration with European partners had weakened While “academia is porous” and the exchange of ideas had continued there was “nothing like joint funding to cement a relationship” Prof Carsten Welsch, the head of accelerator science at the University of Liverpool was one of many who implored the government and the EU to allow the UK back into the Horizon programme The pause cost him his leadership role in a prestigious Marie Curie network on novel plasma accelerators the UK was back in the game and a lead participant in the new €10m project to help optimise plasma accelerator-based compact research infrastructures “We have gone from maintaining presence to driving progress,” he said The EU is developing its strategy for the next seven-year funding programme “It’s all very secretive but it is in full swing and it is important that we position ourselves positively,” said Welsch 2,911 grants worth €574.7m were awarded to the UK which had the highest number of beneficiaries of any of the 19 non-EU members in the programme and the third highest by value in just 12 months The University of Oxford was the top beneficiary and University College London and Imperial with about €28m The Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh received more than €13m each while other organisations were awarded smaller grants of about €275,000 Imperial College London’s 15-year cranial catheter project promises to provide a means of precision delivery of drugs Photograph: Imperial College Eden2020 research projectFresh calls for funding for space and industry open at the end of May with virtual and augmented reality calls later this year something Rodriguez is “eagerly” waiting for The freeze saw UK-based scientists “bumped off” projects altogether who is running eight active research programmes with EU grants It would have been “catastrophic” if the UK had not been allowed back into the programme “We wouldn’t have been able to start new collaborations It would have been bad for post-doctorate developments for training and for the exchange of students.” Ledesma-Amaro’s eight grants centre on sustainable food research including one project titled the “solar spoon”: this uses energy from the sun to generate hydrogen which can then be processed using bacteria to generate proteins that can be used for food Another centres on delaying “yeast death” to develop biotechnological processes around fermented food while another is aimed at creating aviation fuel from yeast Aston pointed to sustainable fuels research aimed at converting solar energy and renewable electricity and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and chemicals last month to show the spread of Horizon projects at Cambridge which also include research into iridescent plant colours and information theory in AI but these are the technologies that are going to solve some of the world’s big problems,” Aston said Cambridge is one of the UK’s best-funded universities but being intertwined again with European universities and private research outfits was vital “We are incredibly fortunate to be in a university where we have amazing expertise across the university but we certainly don’t have all expertise,” he said President Trump’s administration to date has been blunt about its plans to assert US competitiveness and dominance It has also not been afraid to subject itself and others to some bold dares under a volatile political agenda Some are reconciling these high-level policy moves as causing a soon-to-be domino effect on the trillion-dollar digital economy which is underpinned by data privacy commitments The EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) is one such transatlantic data privacy agreement designed to streamline data flows across the Atlantic from “mom-and-pop” to unicorn-sized by allowing those entities that adhere to the framework to certify that they are meeting the data protection obligations on personal data transfers set forth by the European Commission and the US Department of Commerce Given the sheer volume of companies participating in the DPF of which 70% are classified as small-and-medium-sized a transfer mechanism between the countries offers a competitive advantage continuity and streamlined business operations A bulk of both economies back digital data flows and a vast majority of the data flows are fueled by small or medium-sized businesses If those businesses don’t have a low-cost and streamlined data transfer mechanism to depend on This is not a future that is in either country’s best interest recent actions by the new US administration have created uncertainty about the future of the DPF and its adherence of US firms to the framework still operating and a valid data transfer mechanism are driving speculation that the US is shaking the tranquility of the transatlantic economic and trade relationships the new Trump Administration has fired two Democratic Commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the administrative agency that oversees and enforces consumer protection violations including the DPF principles The FTC works with the EU to protect consumer privacy across jurisdictions it creates a vacuum in the role of enforcement action on behalf of the FTC until the rest of the appointments are complete President Trump terminated three Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) an independent intelligence watchdog created in 2007 that provides the Executive branch with independence and oversight on national security interests The PCLOB has been an integral part of the DPF, as it helps align the US signal intelligence practices to the EU legal standards by ensuring necessity and proportionality, which were challenges brought against the DPF’s predecessor, Privacy Shield While mainstream focus remains on the US position on the DPF it should not be forgotten that the ball remains in the EU’s court regarding the validity of the EU-US DPF The European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, recently confirmed that DPF is a valid transfer mechanism putting weight behind the continuity of the DPF The Commissioner also recently met with newly appointed FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson Based on the “one-year look back” that was published by the European Commission in cooperation with US authorities there was clear data demonstrating the heightened structures procedures and protections that are in place to back the DPF The principles that back the EU-US DPF have been in place for decades since the first Safe Harbor framework came into place in 2000 these frameworks had come under court challenges that required the US to strengthen its original framework to support an adequate level of privacy protection with the EU the updates made from Privacy Shield to DPF left all seven principles (notice; choice; accountability for onward transfer; security; data integrity and purpose limitation; access; and recourse enforcement and liability) perfectly intact they focused on strengthening process-related elements (i.e. adding a data protection review court to support a two-level redress mechanism for complaints) Lessons learned from court challenges like the original Schrems case and Schrems II are that even with the invalidation of Safe Harbor and later Privacy Shield many companies knew not to panic and leave to remain in compliance with the principles even under uncertain times The US Department of Commerce also continued in a status quo. At that time, BBB National Programs also continued to offer its services to provide transatlantic data transfer compliance and IRM accountability services Because of the nature of independent accountability and its principles-based role a framework to ensure they have a viable mechanism to transfer data – especially in uncertain times Organizations may find it is better to wait things out and operate under their current commitments and compliance efforts then course correcting if a new privacy framework comes into effect After the DPF came into effect, more companies joined the DPF as compared to when it operated as Privacy Shield, up from 2400 companies to 2800 Perhaps the enforcement of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and an uptick in national privacy laws across global jurisdictions is prompting companies to fulfill fiduciary duty through privacy compliance to customers and key stakeholders Regardless of the data transfer framework in place organizations can and should continue to meet their business obligations with regard to transferring data overseas in a responsible manner it is likely that the framework is not going away for good will only be further strengthened through its next iteration all while being tied to the same uniform foundational principles as we all hold on to our hats and wait to see how the US will act next we should know that the expectations to demonstrate robust data privacy commitments will remain the same to its core especially if backed by accountable privacy practices – regardless of whether it is questioned in truth or dared to improve LOS ANGELES, May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz reminds investors that class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of shareholders of the following publicly-traded companies Investors have until the deadlines listed below to file a lead plaintiff motion Investors suffering losses on their investments are encouraged to contact The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz to discuss their legal rights in these class actions at 310-914-5007 or by email to fcruz@frankcruzlaw.com e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE: ELF)Class Period: May 25 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) contrary to its representations to investors the Company was experiencing rising inventory levels as a consequence of flagging sales; (2) Elf falsely attributed the rising inventory levels to changes in its sourcing practices; (3) to maintain investor confidence and inventory over several quarters; (4) accordingly the Company’s business and/or financial prospects were overstated; (5) all of the foregoing would likely have a material negative impact on the Company; and (6) as a result Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times If you are an Elf shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate Fluence Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNC)Class Period: October 28 Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Fluence’s relationship with its founders and largest sources of revenue had accused the Company of engineering failures and fraud; (3) Fluence’s margins and revenue growth were inflated as Siemens and AES were moving to divest; and (4) as a result If you are a Fluence shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate enCore Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: EU)Class Period: March 28 Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that enCore lacked effective internal controls over financial reporting; (2) that enCore could not capitalize certain exploratory and development costs under GAAP; (3) that its net losses had substantially increased; and (4) that and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis If you are an enCore shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate TFI International Inc. (NYSE: TFII)Class Period: April 26 Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company was losing small and medium business customers; (2) that the Company’s TForce revenue was declining; (3) that TFI was experiencing difficulties managing its costs; (4) that the profitability of its largest business segment was declining; and (5) that If you are a TFI International shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules Ursula von der Leyen during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference in Paris 2025 at 6:25 AM EDTBookmarkSaveThe European Union will propose a €500 million ($566.9 million) package to attract scientists to Europe Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday in Paris “Science is an investment – and we need to offer the right incentives,” the president of the bloc’s executive said during a speech at the “Choose Europe for Science” event at the Sorbonne university attended by French President Emmanuel Macron is meant to “make Europe a magnet for researchers.” Macron and von der Leyen expected to announce protections for researchers seeking to relocate amid Trump’s crackdown France and the EU are to step up their efforts to attract US-based scientists hit by Donald Trump’s crackdown on academia, as they prepare announcements on incentives for researchers to settle in Europe The event, bringing together European academics and European commissioners, is the latest push to open Europe’s doors to US-based academics and researchers who fear their work is threatened by federal spending cuts for universities and research bodies, as well as the targeting of US higher education institutions over diversity policies. France is thought to be particularly keen to attract scientists working on health – particularly infectious diseases – as well as climate research and artificial intelligence wrote to the European Commission urging it to move fast to attract academic talent France launched its own Choose France for science initiative in April with a dedicated platform for applications to host international researchers. The French research ministry told Agence France-Presse: “Some foreign researchers have already arrived in France to familiarise themselves with the infrastructure, waiting for the funds and platform to be set up.” In recent days, France’s flagship scientific research centre CNRS launched a new initiative to attract foreign workers whose research is threatened, as well as French researchers working abroad, some of whom “don’t want to live and raise their children in Trump’s United States”, its president, Antoine Petit, told AFP. In France, Aix-Marseille University launched its “Safe place for science” programme in March. It will receive its first foreign researchers in June. In a letter to French universities in March, Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education and research, wrote: “Many well-known researchers are already questioning their future in the United States. We would naturally wish to welcome a certain number of them.” Challenges remain because research investment in the US – including private-public partnerships – has for many years been greater than in Europe. For decades, Europe has lagged behind the US on investment in universities and research centres. French researchers have regularly raised the issue of the comparatively low salaries and precarious contracts for many researchers in France. On average, an academic researcher in the US is paid more than their French equivalent. Trade unions in France have called for better contracts, better salary provisions and better funding across the board at research institutions. Some in France hoped the pay gap between scientists in France and the US would narrow, once the lower cost of education and health, and more generous social benefits in France were taken into account. Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said last month: “The American government is currently using brute force against the universities in the US, so that researchers from America are now contacting Europe. This is a huge opportunity for us.” Hawks Ursula Von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas tried to use an emergency bypass measure to fast-track part of a $900 billion plan. Luckily, it didn't work. Amid questions of the over-militarization of U.S foreign policy and the illusion of global primacy the European Union is charging headlong in the opposite direction appearing to be eagerly grasping for an American-esque primacist role Not everybody in the EU is on board though. Countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Italy and Spain are known for their less than enthusiastic embrace of the rearmament fervor a voice of dissent came from the European Parliament elected directly by the EU citizens — unlike the Commission As the foreign policy decisions are taken by consensus the purpose of this maneuver is to eliminate potential vetoes from skeptical member countries And Spain and Italy treat migration and failing states in the southern Mediterranean Yet the Commission’s move represents a significant overreach sidelining the Parliament and potentially some member states the Commission seeks to fast-track SAFE without the scrutiny required for such a transformative shift The Legal Committee’s rejection of that route highlights the Commission’s failure to justify this urgency or explain why alternative legal routes were ignored currently the most popular party in France) such as the foreign affairs and defense and security committees have not so far addressed the issue with strategic clarity — such as asking questions about SAFE’s purpose or why such a massive military buildup is necessary with such urgency Even more worryingly, the EU’s militarization drive exacerbates the neglect of diplomacy. While the elites are indulging in these delusions, EU citizens seem to be much more skeptical about dramatic increase in defense spending has neither the capability to sustain this path like being buffered by two oceans and situated between unthreatening neighbors A vote in the Legal Committee won’t address all these issues allowing elected representatives and member states to scrutinize SAFE’s long-term ramifications challenge the Commission’s fear-driven overreach If the Commission persists in its power grab by the European Parliament or member states Today, there are only three global naval powers: the United States, China, and Russia able occasionally to deploy further afield If Donald Trump wants European states to look after their own collective security Britain might be better off keeping its handful of ships in the Atlantic although still able to inflict severe damage on Ukraine few people talk about the real Russian naval capacity to challenge Western dominance how this will increasingly come up against U.S That is an incredible message to our adversaries It is an incredible show of unity to our allies and our commitment to NATO.” almost half of Britain’s fighting ships embarked from Portsmouth and Devonport to much fanfare “the world’s most advanced air defense destroyer,” has been in the dry dock since 2017 I’ve just finished reading “The Royal and Russian Navies, Cooperation, Competition and Confrontation,”written by Britain’s former Naval Attache to Moscow retired Principal Lecturer at the Defence Centre for Languages & Culture at the UK’s Defence Academy The authors argue that while we have focused most of our attention on Russia’s army in Ukraine And thinking about Russia as a relic of its Cold War self is a huge mistake laboring under sanctions and the tight fiscal constraints of the war in Ukraine Russia’s naval yards have built new vessels non-stop for the past decade Russia has taken delivery of 27 submarines Many more are under construction and will arrive by the end of this decade The Royal Navy, on the other hand, has continued to shrink in the teeth of defense cuts, and each new efficiency drive makes it smaller. The two Albion-class landing vessels and negotiations about their sale to Brazil are at an advanced stage The increase in defense spending to 2.5% of GDP will mostly be swallowed by the MoD’s bloated procurement programs that are typically delayed and always over budget It will not produce a rapid conveyor belt of ship-building that has seen Russia overtake Britain at a rapid pace since the Ukraine crisis started The book also underlines the importance of dialogue as a key component of deterrence and reminds the reader of the significant naval cooperation that took place between the two navies after the Cold War When HMS Battleaxe sailed into Baltiysk in 1992 the first Royal Navy ship visit to modern-day Russia it discovered the remnants of the Soviet Navy The Russian Navy had become the main beneficiary of Russia’s state armament program and a Russian admiral was saying the UK’s decision to give up the Nimrod Maritime Patrol Aircraft in 2010 made his “life easier.” practically all direct engagement between the Royal and Russian navies was cut at the instigation of the UK government the UK and Russia have no serving military attachés in their respective embassies in London and Moscow for the first time since 1941 Our modern generation of seafarers are now only able to view Russians through binoculars Britain has literally watched a modernizing Russian navy sail off into a distant horizon as we’ve criticized Russia from an ivory conning tower From his ridiculous photo op on the deck of HMS The Prince of Wales, it’s not clear that Keir Starmer has understood that the world now contains just three global naval powers: the United States of America Russian naval ambitions have now grown in the High North (Arctic) and in the Pacific While Britain’s modest Carrier Strike Group steams east, Russia has already been active in joint naval exercises with China and Iran as well as ship visits to Myanmar and other locations Britain has practically no scope to control Russia’s increasingly assertive naval posture in Asia This decade-long lack of engagement — not just by Britain but by America pre-Trump — has left us sailing blind on how Russian doctrine and tactics have shifted in the forge of war in Ukraine It's clear to me that in this new world order of military burden sharing between America and Europe Britain would be better placed keeping its handful of ships in the Atlantic while America increasingly comes into contact with the Russian Navy in the Pacific In President Donald Trump’s first 100 days his administration has arrested and detained visa holders and other non-citizens in the U.S for speaking out against Israel’s military actions in Gaza That’s not how the administration frames it but that is the connective tissue in each of the cases “We’re either a free society governed by the Constitution Paul was specifically addressing the Antisemitism Awareness Act which would codify a Trump-era executive order declaring that antisemitism is a prohibited form of discrimination in schools and universities and would use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism in assessing cases of antisemitic discrimination through the Department of Education Critics say that it would allow the government to conflate criticism of Zionism and the Israeli government with antisemitism and serve as a dangerous tool to shut down free speech Paul wondered aloud if campus police would be used in enforcing new speech rules As The Jewish Chronicle reported after the vote was postponed Paul was part of “a testy hearing on Wednesday that covered objections to the bill ranging from whether a Christian would be barred from saying that Jews killed Jesus to the acceptability of making contemporary political allusions to Nazi Germany and even the comedy of Jerry Seinfeld and Joan Rivers.” Paul cited the landmark 1969 Brandenburg v. Ohio case in which Ku Klux Klan member Clarence Brandenburg was convicted under two Ohio laws of allegedly inciting violence against Jews and African-Americans with his speech Brandenburg claimed that his punishment violated the First Amendment “Brandenburg was a Nazi and an antisemite and he said horrible things,” Paul said the Supreme Court ruled that you can say terrible things.” The senator compared the American concept of free speech with Europe’s recent crackdowns on speech “That’s unique about our country,” Paul said. “In Europe if you call a boy who thinks he’s a girl a boy If you say something about the Holocaust in Europe Do we want to replicate Europe’s speech laws in the U.S. “We’re codifying what Europe did to speech The Congressional debate is taking place as non-citizen students have been snatched away ostensibly for what they said or wrote about Israel the former co-president of Columbia University’s Palestinian Student Union of using “threatening rhetoric and intimidation” against Jewish students during a protest on campus in 2024 A 34-year-old permanent resident of the U.S who was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank before moving to the U.S Mahdawi was detained by ICE agents while at his naturalization hearing in Vermont on April 14 He was never formally charged with a crime We don't know if the other non-citizen students detained by immigration authorities in the last month have actually been involved in threats or intimidation because the administration has been deliberately vague about its reasons for detaining them Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the administration has the right to deport non-citizens when their "presence and activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S He is invoking a little-used clause in the Immigration and Nationality Act which stipulates that the Secretary of State can determine what kind of activity rises to the level of having “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the country Others are still in detention awaiting hearings Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil claims he was arrested on March 8 for a speech he gave during campus protests, though he too was never charged with anything. A judge has said the administration’s attempt to deport him will be decided in court He has been accused by Department of Homeland Security officials of spreading Hamas propaganda something his family and supporters vehemently deny the detainees’ support for the Palestinians’ plight and criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza appear to be the primary reasons behind their arrests But if America did ignore the First Amendment and allowed rigid UK-style speech laws instead Do the purveyors of the new antisemitism speech legislation on Capitol Hill know that this could boomerang on them when their ideological opponents someday get back into power As journalist Glenn Greenwald observed about the antisemitism legislation “this is not a hate speech code applying to foreign nationals It's a hate speech code that applies to American citizens where people can be punished for the expression of ideas on college campuses cheered for by the right wing faction that has long claimed there's nothing worse than hate speech codes and other forms of suppression of ideas on college campuses.” Carving out one country in the world and making it forbidden to criticize its government is the complete antithesis of the Constitution’s protections and a betrayal of the American tradition The First Amendment allows anyone on American soil to critique the U.S but now condemning a foreign government could land you in jail or deported to another country One would think that putting America first might include putting its First Amendment first The U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement is not a diplomatic breakthrough and will not end the war but it is a significant success for Ukraine both in the short term and — if it is ever in fact implemented — in the longer term It reportedly does not get Ukraine the security “guarantees” that Kyiv has been asking for. It does not commit the U.S. to fight for Ukraine, or to back up a European “reassurance force” for Ukraine. And NATO membership remains off the table. Given its basic positions, there is no chance of the Trump administration shifting on these points But since the Ukraine peace process appeared to run out of steam and Trump threatened to “walk away” from the talks Kyiv and Moscow have been engaged in an elaborate diplomatic dance of semi-proposals and hints to try to ensure that if Trump does walk away he will blame the other side for the talks’ failure This agreement makes it far more likely that he will blame Russia, and therefore that he will continue military and intelligence aid to Ukraine. He may also, as threatened, try to impose additional sanctions on Russia — though given the resistance of most of the world to these sanctions, and tensions over tariffs between the U.S. and Europe it is not at all clear how effective new sanctions would be military and intelligence aid will not win the war for Ukraine nor allow it to drive the Russians from occupied territory It will however help the Ukrainian army to slow down Russia’s advance on the ground and impose heavy casualties on the Russian army This should not be taken by the Ukrainians or their European supporters as an excuse to maintain impossible conditions for peace that will make a settlement impossible; because the military and economic odds are still strongly against Ukraine and a collapse of Ukraine’s exhausted troops is a real possibility it will make it more likely that Russia will abandon or heavily qualify its impossible demands for example for Ukrainian disarmament and withdrawal from additional territory it is clearly far more favorable for Ukraine than Trump’s original — and grotesque — proposal that Ukraine should essentially hand its entire reserves of minerals to the U.S the profits of mineral extraction will be equally shared As Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free … President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” money go to develop mineral extraction in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine keep a lot of bad actors out of the country or certainly out of the area where we’re doing the digging." absolute Western security guarantees for Ukraine after a peace settlement have never really been on offer because the Biden administration and almost every other NATO government stated repeatedly that they would not fight to defend Ukraine will however ensure a strong continued U.S It greatly reduces the risk that in the event of future Russian aggression would simply look away and not respond as it has in this war with military supplies and extreme sanctions But the deal won’t be implemented until the war comes to an end. Thereafter, it will depend on the willingness of U.S private companies to invest in this sector — and that will depend on their assessment of both the risks and the profits involved For it is vital to note that this agreement does not commit the U.S government to invest in Ukraine; and to judge by the present profitability of minerals extraction in the world it is not certain that private investors will see major benefits from doing so China has developed its rare-earth sector on such a scale mainly through huge state-directed investment; and no-one has so far done a thorough analysis of the actual profitability and scale of most of these Ukrainian resources. So, only a tactical success for Ukraine and one over which there hang many questions; but nonetheless one that hopefully will lead Moscow to respond with some serious and acceptable peace proposals of its own. About UsPrivacy PolicyPitchRS@quincyinst.org©2025 Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft ©2025 Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Subscribe now to our weekly round-up and don't miss a beat with your favorite RS contributors and reporters Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) on Friday fined popular video-sharing platform TikTok €530 million ($601 million) for infringing data protection regulations in the region by transferring European users' data to China "TikTok infringed the GDPR regarding its transfers of EEA [European Economic Area] User Data to China and its transparency requirements," the DPC said in a statement "The decision includes administrative fines totaling €530 million and an order requiring TikTok to bring its processing into compliance within 6 months." requires the company to suspend data transfers to China within the time period The penalty is the result of an investigation that was launched in September 2021 that probed the company's transfer of personal data to China and its compliance with stringent data protection laws regarding data transfers to third countries DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said TikTok's personal data transfers to China went against Article 46(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) because it failed to verify and guarantee that the personal data of EEA users was given equivalent privacy protections to that afforded within the bloc Doyle further added that TikTok did not address concerns arising from potential access by Chinese authorities under anti-terrorism and counter-espionage laws in the country that were identified as "materially" diverging from European Union standards The DPC also faulted TikTok for providing erroneous information during the inquiry to the effect that it did not store EEA users' data in Chinese servers only to disclose to the watchdog last month that it identified an issue in its systems in February 2025 as a result of which limited EEA data had indeed been stored on servers in China "Whilst TikTok has informed the DPC that the data has now been deleted we are considering what further regulatory action may be warranted Christine Grahn, TikTok's head of public policy and government relations for Europe, said the decision failed to take into account Project Clover a data security initiative aimed at protecting European user data and that the ruling does not reflect the current safeguards put in place "The DPC itself recorded in its report what TikTok has consistently said: it has never received a request for European user data from the Chinese authorities, and has never provided European user data to them," Grahn said This is the second fine levied by the DPC against the ByteDance-owned company. In September 2023, TikTok was handed a €345 million (then about $368 million) fine for violating GDPR laws in relation to its handling of children's data and SOC security to respond quicker and stop breaches early AI agents boost business—but create risks and strategies from industry leaders – all for free Marcel Ciolacu quits after coalition candidate fails to make it to run-off against nationalist George Simion Romania’s pro-EU prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has resigned after his ruling coalition’s candidate crashed out of a presidential election rerun decisively won by a far-right Trump admirer dramatically deepening the country’s political turmoil “Rather than let the future president replace me told reporters after a meeting at the headquarters of his Social Democratic party (PSD) Ciolacu said the PSD would withdraw from the pro-western coalition – effectively ending it – while cabinet ministers will stay on in an interim capacity until a new majority can be negotiated after the presidential run-off on 18 May Sunday’s first-round vote was convincingly won by ultranationalist George Simion, 38, who sports Maga caps, pushes a socially conservative agenda and has called for the “Melonisation” – referring to Italy’s far-right prime minister – of Europe Simion’s score of 40.96% was almost double that of the second-placed finisher The two will face each other in a runoff that raises the prospect of another disruptive nationalist joining the EU leaders’ club The coalition candidate, Crin Antonescu, finished third in a bitter blow to the government, formed after December elections by the leftist PSD, the centrist Liberals and ethnic Hungarian UDMR to keep the EU and Nato member on a pro-western track Simion’s Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and two other sovereignist parties won more than a third of parliamentary seats and forming a new majority without the far-right bloc will be hard – even more so if Simion is elected president A Simion victory – and a likely change of government – could lead to Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine veering away from the mainstream and becoming another disruptive force within the EU alongside Hungary and Slovakia It would also be welcomed by conservative nationalists in Europe and beyond – including senior Trump administration figures such as the US vice-president JD Vance – who accused Bucharest of denying democracy after the original ballot was cancelled “The problem now isn’t that Romania is in a hard place should George Simion win,” said the political scientist Cristian Pîrvulescu “The anti-European group within the EU will become more substantial.” George Simion socially conservative agenda and has called for the ‘Melonisation’ of Europe Photograph: Action Press/Rex/ShutterstockThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Romania’s voters had sent “a very nice boomerang” to the European Commission president echoing claims Brussels was behind the cancellation of the original vote last year Simion said after the result that his win was “not just an electoral victory It is the victory of those who have not lost hope The far-right candidate added: “I am here to serve Romanians He said he believed in an EU “that thrives as a nest for its diverse and sovereign nations – not as a rigid system enforcing one-size-fits-all policies” whose AUR has grown from an anti-vax movement into the country’s second-largest party finished first in 36 of 47 electoral districts and secured 61% of the large overseas vote a 55-year-old mathematician who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) and campaigned as a pro-EU called the runoff a battle “to convince Romanians that Romania needs its pro-western direction” He said the two weeks leading up to the runoff would be “difficult against this isolationist candidate … It will not be a debate between individuals it will be a debate between a pro-western direction for Romania and an anti-western direction” Experts say Nicuşor Dan may struggle to beat George Simion in the run-off vote Photograph: Mihai Barbu/AFP/Getty ImagesExperts have said Dan may struggle to beat Simion in the runoff because of disagreements between the independent candidate and the mainstream PSD and Liberal parties that could easily deter their voters from switching allegiance Romania’s president has a semi-executive role with considerable powers over foreign policy defence spending and judicial appointments They also represent the country on the international stage and can veto important EU votes Simion promised on Sunday to make Georgescu prime minister early elections or forming a new government coalition Simion denies his policies are far-right but has described his party as “natural allies” of Trump and promised an alliance of EU countries “in the spirit of Maga” but consistently opposed military aid to Ukraine 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A class-action lawsuit has been filed against enCore Energy Corp a uranium exploration and development company alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 represents investors who purchased enCore securities between March 28 Hagens Berman is investigating the claims and urges investors who purchased enCore Energy shares and suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now The firm also encourages persons with knowledge that may assist the firm’s investigation to contact its attorneys The complaint accuses enCore Energy and certain executives of issuing misleading statements and failing to disclose critical financial weaknesses during the class period it alleges that the company lacked effective internal controls over financial reporting and could not capitalize certain exploratory and development costs under U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) These issues reportedly led to a substantial increase in net losses enCore disclosed its fiscal 2024 financial results revealing a net loss of $61.3 million—more than double the $25.6 million loss reported in the previous fiscal year The company attributed this increase to its inability to capitalize certain costs under GAAP which would have been permissible under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) enCore acknowledged identifying a "material weakness" in its internal controls over financial reporting in 2024 citing deficiencies in risk assessment and monitoring processes The financial turmoil coincided with a leadership shake-up at the company enCore announced that Paul Goranson had stepped down as CEO and board member was appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer by the board of directors enCore's stock price plummeted by more than 46% The lawsuit seeks damages for investors who suffered losses during the class period as a result of Defendants’ alleged wrongdoing An investigation has been launched by prominent investor rights firm Hagens Berman into the company’s financial reporting practices a partner at Hagens Berman leading the investigation commented on the allegations: “Investors rely on accurate financial reporting to make informed decisions enCore’s alleged failure to disclose material weaknesses in its internal controls and the impact of improper cost capitalization raises serious questions about whether shareholders were misled about the company’s financial health.” If you invested in enCore and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm’s investigation, submit your losses now » Latest data show dwindling river flows and worsening drought: these conditions are triggered by warmer-than-average weather and lower precipitation across much of the continent since the beginning of the year, according to the Drought in Europe – April 2025 report With forecasts up to June showing drier-than-average conditions in northern and western Europe there are growing concerns about the impact on agriculture river transport Driven by a lack of rainfall and above-average temperatures Similar conditions are emerging in north-western Europe This analysis by JRC scientists also points out that large parts of the Mediterranean and the Middle East remain under warning and alert drought conditions western and central France experienced a rainy winter with northern Italy having a wetter start of the spring affected vegetation and damaged infrastructures Copernicus emergency maps were sent to first responders and regional authorities to help them manage the crises most of Europe experienced warmer-than-average conditions and northern Scandinavia mean temperatures were more than 3°C above normal Scarce rainfall and intense heat dried out the land leaving soils in the eastern Mediterranean and northern Africa significantly depleted of moisture Drought effects became more evident across European rivers by early April Large areas in northern Europe and parts of the western Alps are currently the most affected regions Eastern Mediterranean countries and western Russia are also showing signs of hydrological stress It is worth to highlight how in just a few weeks the conditions along the Rhine River changed significantly with water levels dropping sharply in early April reduced discharge is already impacting river navigation in the Middle Rhine and much of the UK and Ireland recorded very dry conditions in March Similar patterns were seen in southern Ukraine and central-to-eastern Türkiye Compounded with dry conditions in the previous months these trends raise concerns on how the situation may evolve later in spring and summer While vegetation across most of Europe appeared healthy by the end of March stress signs are already visible in parts of northern Africa Early plant development may be masking vulnerabilities that could surface if drought conditions persist into the growing season Forecasts from April to June 2025 point to drier-than-average conditions in northern and western Europe Wetter than average conditions are expected over the Iberian Peninsula There is however some uncertainty in the forecast due to the variability of different modelling systems used Rivers are likely to remain unusually low across eastern Europe through May Across many areas low river flow is already affecting farming The Drought in Europe – April 2025 is based on the latest analysis from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and uses data from the European and Global Drought Observatories, components of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service The information is complemented with data from other climate and drought monitoring tools Drought in Europe– April 2025 Current drought situation in Europe  Faster progress needed to protect waters and better manage flood risks World Drought Atlas '#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + 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