Starmer to Meet Xi for ‘Pragmatic’ Talks

Greece (Brussels Morning) What once appeared to be an unbreakable partnership now shows clear signs of strain. The alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, forged at the outset of the Yemen war, has been tested by diverging strategic priorities, particularly over the role of Yemeni separatist forces.
While Riyadh has doubled down on its support for Yemen’s internationally rec

USA (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Canadian political leaders offered sharply divided reactions after US strikes on Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand claimed in a social media post that Canada has “refused to recognize any legitimacy of the Maduro regime and opposed its repression of the Venezuelan people, including the persecuti

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, says the EU

“stands in full solidarity with Switzerland”

following the tragic fire at Crans Montana which has claimed at least 40 lives, many of them young people.
She also pledged that the Union will help offer aid to the victims and their families after the tragedy.
She said,

“This is a tragic start of the year for so many famil

Reaction came from Renew Europe, another mainstream political group in the EU Parliament.
A statement from the group said,

“Nicolás Maduro is a ruthless, illegitimate dictator, who remained in power to persecute Venezuelans despite losing the July 2024 presidential elections – which both the UN Panel of Experts and the Carter Center confirmed were won by Edmundo González Urrutia. The European

The United States conducted a significant military operation against Venezuela early Saturday, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as announced by President Donald Trump.
The mission, carried out by Delta Force special operations troops, marks the first U.S. military intervention to remove a sitting head of state since Panama in 1989. The Trump administration has accus

Skopje – The “Railways of the Republic of North Macedonia – Transport” and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have finalized a loan agreement totaling 20.9 million euros for the acquisition of electric locomotives along with spare parts, aimed at enhancing goods transport and generating revenue for the company.
Prior to the agreement signing, it was noted that

“There are attempts to remove Malyuk, but nothing has been decided yet,” a Ukrainian official said to POLITICO. “Talks are still ongoing, but if Malyuk leaves the SBU, it would significantly weaken Ukraine’s defense capabilities,” said the official on condition of anonymity.
“Malyuk is effectively positioned, and the security service’s achievements prove it. He made the SBU an ef

Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Around 4,500 people joined Ostend’s New Year’s Day dip, entering knee-deep due to high waves. 5 needed brief medical attention, while the rest completed the icy plunge safely.
As VRT News reported, in Ostende this afternoon, Jan 3, 2026, around 4,500 people gathered along the coast for the city’s traditional New Year’s Day dip in the North Sea. Organisers ha

Venture capital investors are cautioning that 2026 will be a pivotal year for AI in the workplace, marking the shift from productivity tool to direct human job replacement.
Enterprise investors surveyed by TechCrunch have spontaneously noted workforce impact, indicating a consensus that labor disruption is inevitable.
MIT research highlighted that 11.7% of U.S. jobs could be automated with curren

Brussels – EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated on X that she urged “restraint” in her phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the situation in Venezuela.
Kallas emphasized, “The EU has consistently indicated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy and has supported a peaceful transition” in Venezuela, sharing details of her discussion with Rubio.
She also stressed, “I