Europe's culture and cultural heritage are fundamental to EU values and identity, providing space for discussion, engagement and debate. Culture also fosters a European sense of belonging and social cohesion, strengthens communities, and drives innovation and economic competitiveness. The New European Agenda for Culture, which has provided a framework for EU cultural policy since 2018, has become outdated in light of the significant challenges currently facing culture. To address this gap, the priorities of the Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, include the development of an overarching, coherent and ambitious strategic framework for culture. This framework, called a new Culture Compass for Europe, is expected to provide long-term direction for diverse cultural aspects in EU policymaking and to ensure that culture becomes more accessible to all. The Culture Compass can be seen as a new policy approach that places culture at the centre of EU policies, serving as a driver for democracy, security, competitiveness, societal resilience, innovation and international partnerships. The European Parliament has played a crucial role in advancing discussions on culture at the EU level. Parliament has called on the Commission to strengthen EU support for building more crisis-resilient creative and cultural sectors and to provide adequate funding for EU-wide programmes promoting culture. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is the core component of Next Generation EU (NGEU). By promoting the sustainable and inclusive recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic that ensures the green and digital transitions make progress, the RRF is consistent with the European Commission's priorities. Belgium's initial maximum contribution to finance its national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) was set to €5 924 million in grants. The amount was updated in June 2022 and reduced to €4 523 million. In addition, the non-repayable allocation for the REPowerEU chapter to reinforce the NRRP's energy dimension is set at €281 million. Belgium also submitted a reasoned request to transfer part of its allocation from the resources of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to the RRF (€228 million). Finally, Belgium requested a loan support of €264 million. The overall EU financial contribution to the amended Belgian NRRP stands thus at €5 298 million; it represents 0.7 % of the entire RRF, and 1.1 % of Belgium's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. The Council approved Belgium's amended NRRP in December 2023. Other targeted revisions took place in 2024 and 2025. In total, Belgium has received €2.46 billion so far: €915.1 million in pre-financing – 13 % of the initial NRRP (€770 million, all grants) in 2021, and 20 % of the REPowerEU chapter (€102.1 million in grants, €43 million in loans) in 2024; and two result-based instalments – one of €631.6 million (all grants) in September 2024, and another of €909 million (of which €40 million in loans) in May 2025. The European Parliament, which was a major advocate of creating a common EU recovery instrument, participates in interinstitutional forums for cooperation and discussion on RRF implementation and scrutinises the European Commission's work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Third edition. The 'NGEU delivery' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Daniel Anjorin, 14, was cut down as he was walking to school by drug-crazed Marcus Monzo, 37, who believed he was an assassin from a Hollywood film, leaving four others injured.

Two men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after two aircrafts were damaged at RAF Brize Norton, police have said.

Fresh off his shock split from Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom let loose at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's lavish pre-wedding party in Italy on Thursday night.

EXCLUSIVETheir crime empires are worth millions and reach into the UK, Spain and Dubai.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) amber alert will last from midday today until Tuesday at 6pm and covers London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England.

For Colonel Fairoz Bin Hassan, joining the Army was initially a practical decision — a means to fund his education, as his parents couldn't afford the costs.But what began as a necessity gradually transformed into a passion and, ultimately, a calling.Col Fairoz was among 1,282 Ministry of Defence and Singapore Armed Forces personnel promoted over the last two days, and is the second from the Malay community to be promoted to Brigadier General.The promotion will be effective July 1. Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (June 27), the 46-year-old Chief Infantry Officer recounted a pivotal moment that reshaped his perspective — his deployment to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in 2005, soon after the 2004 tsunami, in support of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. «My job was a UN liaison officer, and I was tasked with coordinating all the HADR relief efforts, linking up with what the public needed,» he said.

Get the latest news on President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House and the Republican-led Congress.

WESTERN BUREAU: José A. Freig, vice president of international and inflight dining operations at American Airlines (AA), says the airline is continuing to assess its suspended service to Doha, Qatar, despite the reopening of that country’s airspace...

THE JAMAICA Learning Assistant (JLA), an artificial intelligence (AI) generated platform, is slated to come on stream in September of this year. Education, Youth, Skills, and Information Minister, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, made the disclosure...

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 was designated ‘Academic Conference Day’ under the theme, ‘The Land Part 2 – Ancestral Connections. Indigenous Rights. Stewardship’, at the 17th Annual International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival. Academic papers on...

RECENTLY, A 12-member delegation of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Jamaica, led by 2025 national president, Reneil Clarke, represented the island at the 2025 JCI Conference of the Americas, held in Roatán, Honduras, where hundreds of emerging...

A common feeling of gratitude was expressed by principals and students of the eight schools set to benefit from proceeds of the 2025 European Union 5K and 10K Run. The funds -totalling J$8.34 million, will fund summer literacy intervention camps...

West Bengal's Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, recently captivated social media users with heartwarming images of her feeding a monkey. The photos, posted on her Instagram, show Banerjee offering biscuits to the calm animal while sitting on a pavement. Reportedly taken at Digha beach, the post has garnered significant attention.

Artisans from Maharashtra are protesting Prada's appropriation of Kolhapuri chappals, showcased in their Spring/Summer 2026 collection without acknowledging the craft's origin. A BJP MP is urging government intervention, citing violation of geographical indication rights granted in 2019. They seek recognition and revenue for local artisans, threatening legal action if Prada doesn't collaborate.

A female student was allegedly gang-raped at South Calcutta Law College, leading to the arrest of three individuals—two former students and a staff member. The incident, which occurred on June 25, has sparked outrage and a political clash, with the BJP accusing the TMC of enabling a culture of impunity.

A rape case at a Kolkata law college has sparked political controversy. Trinamool Congress (TMC) blames Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for delaying the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill. BJP accuses the Mamata Banerjee government of inaction due to political reasons. Three men, including students and staff, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Malawi Leader of Opposition, Dr. George Thapatula Chaponda, has condemned the Malawi Police Service for being silent and inactive amid increasing cases of insecurity even during broad daylight. In a statement issued on Friday, Chaponda wondered how can ordinary people could feel safe in their homes or communities when the law enforcement agents are failing […] The post Chaponda Condemns Police Silence, Inaction Amid Growing Insecurity in Malawi appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

While Singapore may not be fighting a war now, that doesn't mean we should be complacent, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said in an interview with the media at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) headquarters at Bukit Gombak on Wednesday (June 25).Chan, 55, highlighted some new developments in the global security order ahead of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day on July 1, stating that there are more conflicts today — not just conventional, but also in cyberspace.«Today we are not at war, but neither are we at peace,» he said. «Today — and every day — the SAF is operating somewhere in-between.»On the cyberspace, the number of threat incidents that we have to deal with every day with other government agencies is not a small number.«Chan, previously Education Minister, was appointed Defence Minister following Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's cabinet reshuffle on May 21.The defence minister added that these »information operations" that are conducted on Singapore or when Singapore becomes a collateral are not something that Mindef will take lightly. 

Libreville, le 26 juin 2025-Le Président de la République, Chef de l'État, Son Excellence Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, a accordé ce jeudi une audience à Monsieur Lucas Abaga Nchama, Ministre de l'Intégration Régionale de la République de Guinée Equatoriale, porteur d'un message spécial de Son Excellence Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Président de la République de Guinée Equatoriale. Transmis au plus haut niveau, ce message s'inscrit dans le cadre du renforcement continu des liens (...) - DIPLOMATIE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

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EXCLUSIVE: Meet the Dublin gangsters' molls - the women whose lives are surrounded by the riches of the brutal gangs that have made billions from murdering, maiming and smuggling.

The run in Arizona by Deja Foxx, 25, against Adelita Grijalva, the daughter of a longtime lawmaker who died in office this year, highlights Democratic tensions.

Recently, there were two instances of concrete blocks falling from ceiling of HDB units.FM Love 972 radio DJ Ho Ai Ling narrowly avoided injury on June 22 when a chunk of concrete fell from the toilet ceiling in her flat at Block 81 Commonwealth Close in Queenstown. Ho moved into her 58-year-old flat 14 years ago.Earlier, an elderly man was struck by falling spalling concrete from the ceiling of his toilet in his Yishun HDB flat on the morning of June 19, sustaining injuries to both his leg and head, requiring more than 10 stitches. The flat was completed 41 years ago.While his family received assistance from Nee Soon GRC MP K Shanmugam with payment for repairs, where exactly does the buck stop when it comes to responsibility for spalling concrete in HDB homes?Is it the owner, HDB, or the town council?Owner's responsibility: HDBHDB has said that spalling concrete is a common issue for older buildings, exacerbated by damp conditions such as those in kitchens or toilets.

EU cooperation with African countries and the African Union (AU) is based on two distinct frameworks: namely (a) the Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and (b) the Joint Africa-EU strategy.The legal basis for the political, economic and development aspects of the partnership between the EU and the ACP states was established by the Cotonou Agreement in 2000. This was replaced, on 15 November 2023, by the Samoa Agreement, which was negotiated to modernise and upgrade the partnership.The Joint Africa-EU strategy has been implemented through multiannual roadmaps and action plans adopted at each EU-AU summit, which traditionally takes place every three years. At the EU-AU summit held in February 2022 in Brussels, EU and AU leaders agreed on ‘A Joint Vision for 2030’, which aims to consolidate a renewed partnership based on solidarity, security, peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity. The third EU-AU ministerial meeting took place on 21 May 2025, with the participation of the new AU leadership. This meeting reviewed progress on the Joint Vision for 2030, and paved the way for the seventh EU-AU summit, which is set to take place in Africa in 2025, marking 25 years of the partnership since the Cairo summit in 2000.The EU is Africa’s most significant donor of official development assistance. This is mainly funded by the EU’s general budget through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021 that prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self-identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. An amendment to the Hungarian Constitution adopted on 14 April 2025 further reinforced this. On the basis of this law, Budapest police decided to ban Budapest Pride. While at first some of the police's decisions were annulled by the Hungarian Supreme Court on procedural grounds and required new decisions, the Supreme Court later upheld these decisions and refused to check the law against the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) or make a preliminary reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The Supreme Court considered that this case is not within the CJEU's jurisdiction. The mayor of Budapest announced that Budapest Pride will be held as a municipal event, but the Budapest police have issued a decision prohibiting this. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed claims of internal disputes and potential political shifts within the state government, refuting statements made by minister KN Rajanna. Rajanna had earlier hinted at possible changes after September due to multiple power centers within the Congress, fueling speculation of a cabinet reshuffle or even a change in CM.

SINGAPORE - In a cohesive society, people understand the impact of their words and take responsibility for what they say publicly, including in online spaces, Edwin Tong said on June 26.«Sometimes, this will mean sacrificing our own desire to be able to say what we want about anything we want, wherever we want, in favour of being more caring about the impact they have on the person next to us,» he added.Tong, who is Law Minister, noted that people should be especially mindful about hateful speech, as conflict can be triggered by words.«If we are more mindful, we will have more open, honest, public discourse, based on facts and not hate and disinformation,» he said.He was speaking at the close of the three-day International Conference on Cohesive Societies held at Raffles City Convention Centre. It was organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, of which Tong was formerly minister.

A woman was recently accused of being «embarrassing» after she used her CDC vouchers to pay for a $100 meal during a date — prompting fresh debate over the intended use of the government-issued vouchers.In a now-viral TikTok post, the woman shared that she had offered to pay for dinner since she was the one who invited her date out. Upon realising the restaurant accepted CDC vouchers, she decided to use them.«Any normal person would be happy. I didn't even know restaurants can use CDC vouchers... so I used la.» PHOTO: Screengrab/TikTok/SG Confessions But the mood quickly soured. As she was leaving the car, her date remarked: «Why did you use CDC vouchers to pay? It's kinda embarrassing, eh.»The incident sparked a flurry of responses online, with many criticising the man's attitude.

The Malawi Law Society (MLS) has issued a blistering statement demanding the immediate dismissal of Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma and Inspector General of Police Merlyne Yolamu, following the violent disruption of peaceful demonstrations in Lilongwe by machete-wielding thugs in full view of state security forces. The legal body is not mincing words. In […] The post Law Society Tells Chakwera: Sack Yolamu and Ching’oma Now Over Protest Violence appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The events that unfolded in Lilongwe this week were not just disturbing—they were a national disgrace. Peaceful Malawians, led by the Citizens for Credible Elections, were exercising their constitutional right to assemble. What they received instead were pangas, chaos, and fear. And while machete-wielding thugs roamed freely, the Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force […] The post Enough is Enough, Mr. President: Fire Yolamu and Ching’oma Now appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.