Germany angela merkel

By the end of 2015, European Union policymakers and officials from member states were eager to prevent a repeat of the large numbers of migrants who reached the European Union that year. A consensus emerged that the EU would have to work to create and increase opportunities in migrants' countries of origin, said Udo Bullmann, a German Social Democrat and a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Development. "There was an awareness that something collectively had to be done," Bullmann said, "especially in Africa." One result of the ensuing negotiations was the EU Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa: roughly €5 billion in "emergency" project funding — mostly redirected from existing development fund. Its purpose was to dispense money quickly to "address root causes of irregular migration" in the recipient countries. Almost a quarter of the EUTF's budget comes from Germany. The fund has been criticized by researchers and policymakers for using development funding to … [Read more...] about How Germany manages EU funds in Africa

Boris Johnson has given the green light for a high speed rail project connecting London to northern England, saying he would take a firmer grip on a project that is behind schedule and running billions of pounds over budget. HS2, the high speed line will slash journey times and add capacity to Britain's crowded network, allowing the UK to catch up with countries like France and Spain which have extensive high-speed rail. But out of date and spiraling over budget, the HS2 project (High Speed 2) has been slammed in an unpublished Government report that warns costs could continue to rise another 20pc. While the first phase of construction has only just begun, the project is already far above its original budget of £34bn. With the line not expected to begin operations until at least 2028, there are fears the new service will be out of date by the time it is ultimately deployed. There are already new technologies being developed that could supplant parts of HS2 or provide … [Read more...] about Here are five new high speed rail technologies that make Britain’s HS2 seem outdated already

Ella Whelan discusses the future of Keir Starmer and Labour Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Ella Whelan, political commentator and journalist, slammed the Labour leader for failing to show the public “what the Labour party stands for”. She accused Sir Keir of failing to provide an opposition to Mr Johnson during the pandemic while the public was “crying out” for a critical opinion. She added that the Labour party’s policies under Sir Keir have “veered from” pro-Corbyn to anti- Corbyn , confusing the public. Related articles Labour braced for 'mad scramble' if Starmer forced out 'Don't be ridiculous!' Ed Miliband hits out … [Read more...] about ‘No personality and no policies’: Starmer slammed for being a ‘pathetic politician’

With vehicle deaths on the rise, President Joe Biden 's administration is steering $5 billion in federal funds to slow down cars via more speed cameras, carve out bike paths and wider sidewalks and urging commuters to public transit. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday announced the availability of money over five years under his department's new Safe Streets & Roads for All program. The aim will be to provide a direct infusion of federal cash to communities that pledge to promote safety for the multiple users of a roadway, particularly pedestrians and bicyclists. Monday marks the six-month anniversary of President Biden's signing of bipartisan infrastructure legislation. It coincides with the 2022 'Infrastructure Week' that opens Monday. The White House on Monday said it has released $110 billion in funding from the $1 trillion infrastructure package that seeks to fix crumbling roads, expand broadband internet and improve the electrical grid. 'We're … [Read more...] about Biden announces $5billion fund to cities for bike paths, wider sidewalks and more speed cameras with road deaths rising

Rebecca Ritters is well known as Neighbours star Hannah Martin and was involved in several high profile storylines including the death of her mum Julie. The actress was eight years old in 1992 when she first appeared on the show as Hannah Martin, and played the character for seven years until 1999. But since then she has ditched acting and taken a very different path in life. Rebecca tried her hand at being model in the earlies 2000s - which saw her feature in a number of steamy photoshoots, including posing provocatively in a boob-baring suede halter top and a belt-like mini-skirt. She also returned to Neighbours for a brief cameo in 2005 and starred in a few episodes of Coronation Street in 2002 as an Aussie backpacker who lived with Les Battersby. After moving away from acting she had a full-time job as a receptionist at Warner Bros Records. And these days she is TV journalist and presenter in Berlin, Germany for DW News, where she has recently been to Ukrainian … [Read more...] about Neighbours Hannah Martin star now – quitting acting, Ukraine war and bullying hell

The UK is basking in the glory of its best Eurovision performance in years, after singer Sam Ryder finished in second place behind Ukraine at the contest in Turin. Sam scored an impressive 466 points for his song Space Man, giving the UK its 16th runner-up spot in contest history – although we’ve had a while to wait for that to happen, with 1998 singer Imaani being the last UK act to finish second. With the 32-year-old TikTok star having turned around the fortunes of the country on the Eurovision stage, following years of dismal results, it’s understandable many would love him to come back for another try in 2023. And he’s said he’d love to do it again , telling BBC Breakfast he would return to Eurovision ‘In a heartbeat,’ before adding: ‘I don’t know if I’d do it next year, I think I’d still be catching up on sleep. It is brutal, the schedule for Eurovision. But can those who have taken part in Eurovision before enter the contest for a second, third – … [Read more...] about Can an act enter Eurovision more than once?

Russian parliament to consider ban on exchanging Ukrainian Azov prisoners Finland to apply for NATO membership Ukraine's military says it is evacuating remaining troops from Azovstal steelworks Turkey's concerns over NATO enlargement need to be addressed, Jens Stoltenberg said This article was last updated at 16:06 UTC/GMT WHO worried about deteriorating health situation in Ukraine The World Health Organization estimates that at least 3,000 people had died in Ukraine because they couldn't access treatments for chronic diseases since the start of the war. "Forty percent of households have at least one member in need of chronic treatment that they can no longer find, resulting in an estimated at least 3,000 premature avoidable deaths," Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said. He said the UN health agency had documented over 200 attacks on healthcare facilities, and few hospitals in Ukraine are currently functioning. "No health professional should have to … [Read more...] about ICC sends war crimes investigative team to Ukraine — live updates

To provide glamour and still be political: that has always been the claim of the most important European film festival in Cannes . But in times of war in Europe, that combination offers the potential for conflict. Artistic director Thierry Fremaux announced early on that he did not want to receive any official Russian delegations at the festival, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. However, Fremaux had reserved the right to include Russian filmmakers in the program. Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov has been invited to the competition with his film "Tchaikovsky's Wife." He had not received any Russian state funding, Fremaux argued. Serebrennikov's latest is 'Tchaikovsky's Wife' starring Alyona Mikhailova This is the third time Serebrennikov has been at Cannes. The Russian, who was under house arrest in his native country for two years, now lives in Germany. The biographical film recounts an episode from the life of the world-famous Russian composer, … [Read more...] about 2022 Cannes Film Festival: Glamour in times of war

It seemed as if he was a good as gone, and as a result there was a sense of shock among the Eintracht Frankfurt fans. Last summer Filip Kostic looked to be on his way to Serie A side Lazio – away from Germany and away from Eintracht. For several days this caused a good deal of turmoil at the club. In the end though, dissatisfied with the money offered by the Italian club, Eintracht refused to let him leave. So Kostic stayed put and the Serbian international got down to the business of playing himself back into the hearts of the Eintracht faithful – especially with his performances in the Europa League . Never to be forgotten by the fans is his brace against Barcelona in the Camp Nou in the quarterfinals, a game he described as "the best game of my career." Now Eintracht are in the final. Better than the legendary Uwe Bein Filip Kostic is the heart of Frankfurt's game . He provides the impetus, hits pinpoint crosses, more than almost anyone else in the Bundesliga. He put the … [Read more...] about Europa League: Filip Kostic and Frankfurt’s fairytale run

Zelenskyy planning to address parliaments in Africa and Asia Ukrainian foreign minister in Brussels for talks with EU counterparts Ukraine restarts gas distribution stations, supplies in Kharkiv Ukrainian troops in Kharkiv reach Russian border These live updates are now closed. Read Tuesday's developments in the conflict by clicking here 19 civilians killed in Donbas in Russian attacks — Ukrainian authorities Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said that "at least 10 civilians" had been killed in Russian shelling in the city of Sievierodonetsk. Previously, Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that nine civilians were killed and six injured in Russian attacks. The Donetsk and Luhansk administrative divisions make up Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which has been contested by Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists since 2014 . Watch video 02:19 Ukraine mounts counterattack in Kharkiv region Evacuated Azovstal fighters arrive in … [Read more...] about Ukraine forces in Kharkiv push through to Russian border — as it happened