The European Union has announced that a new border control system for non-EU citizens, which will end passport stamping, will be implemented in October, reports Teve 1.

The so-called Entry/Exit System (EES) was originally scheduled to come into force in November last year, but was postponed at the last moment because some countries were not yet ready to implement it, reports Danas.

The European Commission has set 12 October 2025 as the start date for the implementation of the EES. From 12 October onwards, the EES will gradually begin to be applied at the external borders of 29 European countries over a period of six months. This gradual implementation will give authorities, travelers, and the transport industry more time to adjust to the new procedures, the EU said.

The system was established in November 2017 and its implementation has been postponed several times. It is expected to apply to around 60 countries, including the Western Balkan countries, for their entry into the EU, as well as to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, which are part of the Schengen Area.

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The Entry and Exit System (EES) will record visitors’ entry and exit dates and will include data on overstays and refused entries. Under the new system, personal and biometric data – facial images and fingerprints – will be collected from travelers.

Passports in all Western Balkan countries are biometric; their chips store fingerprints and a photograph and fully comply with the conditions required by the European Union to grant visa-free travel to the Western Balkan countries.

The implementation of the system has raised fears of long queues and waiting times for people traveling to Europe by train, ferry, and plane. In March, several member states agreed to the gradual introduction starting from 12 October.

“This will increase security… helping us identify people who overstay, prevent irregular movements, and reduce document and identity fraud,” said Magnus Bruner, Commissioner for Migration.

The European Commission said that information campaigns for travelers will be conducted at airports and border crossings across the EU before the system is introduced.

As part of the planned phased implementation, EU member states should start using the system at half of their border crossings after three months and fully implement it after six months.

“Filling in the entry/exit system may take each traveler a few extra minutes, so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border when the system is launched,” the UK Foreign Office said in a travel report.

There is no alternative to resolving the chronic Israeli-Palestinian conflict except the “two-state solution” – the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, so they can “live side by side in peace and security,” France advocated today at the UN headquarters in New York at the opening of an international conference on this issue, which Israel and the US are boycotting.

“Only a political solution with two states can answer the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, calling for “concrete measures” to preserve the prospect of a “viable” Palestinian state.

He said it is unrealistic to expect a longer ceasefire in Gaza without defining the contours of post-war Gaza and a political solution – reports N1.

However, the US sharply criticized this conference today. State Department spokesperson Tami Bruce condemned the “unproductive and inappropriate” initiative, which she described as a “publicity stunt” in the midst of “delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict” that has lasted for nearly two years.

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After President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will officially recognize the state of Palestine in September, there is hope that the conference convened by the UN General Assembly, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, will gain new momentum.

Barrot said other “Western countries” would also express their intention to recognize the state of Palestine during the conference but did not specify which ones.

The United Kingdom has already rejected this idea, with its Prime Minister Keir Starmer stating that recognition of Palestine should be “part of a comprehensive plan.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa stated that all countries have a responsibility to act now and that the authority he represents is ready to deploy international forces to protect the Palestinian population.

According to AFP’s count, at least 142 out of 193 UN member states, including France, recognize the state of Palestine, which was declared in 1988 by the Palestinian Authority in exile.

The 1947 UN General Assembly Resolution decided to partition the region of Palestine, then under British administration, into two independent states, one Jewish and one Arab, and the following year the state of Israel was proclaimed.

For decades, the vast majority of the international community has supported the two-state solution – a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

But after 21 months of war in Gaza, the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and the desire of Israeli officials to annex this occupied territory, there is growing fear that the creation of a Palestinian state is physically impossible. “We are at a breaking point. The two-state solution is further away than ever. Let’s be clear: the creeping annexation of the West Bank is illegal and must stop. The large-scale destruction of Gaza is unbearable and must stop,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, condemning “unilateral” actions that could “forever undermine” the two-state solution.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said that this conference does not encourage a solution but rather “reinforces an illusion.”

Besides creating momentum for the recognition of the state of Palestine, the conference is focused on three more topics: reforming the governance of the Palestinian Authority, disarming Hamas and excluding it from Palestinian power, and normalizing relations with Israel by Arab states that have not yet done so.

International pressure on Israel continues to grow to end the war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

Germany knows that the American army won’t stay on European soil forever, but it is now trying to convince them not to leave too soon, writes Politico.

For decades, the U.S. military presence on German soil has been the backbone of America’s global operations – and a pillar of European defense. But as Washington prepares to reassess where its troops are stationed, officials in Berlin feel increasingly uncertain about what that will mean for them, reports Politico, as cited by N1.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius traveled to Washington on Monday to make sure Germany stays informed about U.S. plans. After meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he made it clear that Berlin expects a change in the American stance.

“Two years ago, I began pointing out that at some point it would become clear that Americans would eventually have less presence here… For now, we in Europe could count on them doing more. But we must acknowledge that they have their own interests – in the Indo-Pacific, in the security of maritime trade routes,” Pistorius told reporters after their meeting.

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What’s missing is clarity on what “less” actually means. German officials say they aim to be part of the coordination efforts. But they have not received any firm commitments about what the U.S. plans to do – or when.

NATO allies are also concerned, and the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, tried to calm the situation on Thursday. Speaking to journalists at NATO headquarters in Brussels, he said he has “daily conversations with our allies about this process.”

“We agreed there will be no surprises and no gaps in… Europe’s strategic framework,” he added.

Berlin Prepares for U.S. Withdrawal

At the heart of these discussions is the Global Posture Review, a broad assessment the Pentagon is conducting again on the worldwide deployment of American forces.

Its goal is to adjust U.S. forces to shifting global priorities – especially rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and pressure to cut American spending abroad. The final report is expected by September.

For Europe, this could mean fewer American troops on the continent. In February, Hegseth stood next to his Polish counterpart and made it clear:

“Now is the time to invest [in your own militaries], because you cannot assume that the U.S. presence will last forever.”

The German government, more than most, has reason to take this warning seriously.

Germany hosts more American troops than any other European country, with around 35,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in about 35 municipalities.

This includes Ramstein Air Base, a central hub for U.S. air operations and satellite communications; Grafenwöhr, which according to military data is the largest U.S. Army training area outside the United States – where Hegseth himself was reportedly temporarily stationed as a soldier – and a key headquarters for military personnel.

For Germany, U.S. military support has long been a cornerstone of national security – from the Cold War to the present, notes Politico.

However, as Eileen Matlé, senior fellow for security policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations, points out, the American presence also serves Washington’s interests.

“Bases like Ramstein are used not only for European defense but also to project power to the Middle East and, to some extent, Africa,” she told Politico.

For example, Europe has served as a “gateway” for U.S. military equipment to other parts of the world, she added.

In Matlé’s view, one likely outcome of the Global Posture Review would be the withdrawal of about 20,000 U.S. troops who were sent to Europe in 2022 under then-President Joe Biden after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The current number of American troops in Europe varies between 90,000 and 100,000, she added.

Germany Seeks to Keep Washington Engaged

This uncertainty is precisely what Pistorius is trying to prevent from turning into a crisis.

These concerns have already led Germany to step up quiet diplomatic efforts. Officials in Berlin have advocated for a phased, transparent approach, emphasizing the country’s growing military investments and its readiness to host U.S. forces.

In June, Germany announced plans to increase defense spending from around €86 billion in 2025 to about €153 billion by 2029 – raising it to roughly 3.5 percent of GDP to meet NATO targets and support commitments related to shared infrastructure.

According to Matlé, the efforts are deliberate – and, so far, moderately successful.

However, what comes next depends entirely on Washington.

Israeli prosecutors have today filed an indictment against a woman suspected of “conspiring to commit a terrorist act” with the intention to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Ministry of Justice announced. “The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against a woman, a resident of Tel Aviv, for attempting to conspire to commit a terrorist act (premeditated murder),” the statement said, specifying that the accused intended to “kill Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Israeli prosecutors filed an indictment today against a woman suspected of “conspiring to commit a terrorist act” with the intention to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Ministry of Justice announced - reports Danas.

“The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against a woman, a resident of Tel Aviv, for attempting to conspire to commit a terrorist act (premeditated murder),” the statement said, specifying that the accused intended to “kill Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

The accused, whose name was not disclosed, is a woman “engaged in mobilization” against the government and, knowing she has an incurable illness, wanted to “sacrifice herself to save the State of Israel,” the statement added.

The prosecution has requested that the accused remain under house arrest.

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She was arrested after contacting a political activist and sharing her plans with him. The activist then contacted a lawyer, who alerted the security services, the statement said.

The woman's lawyer told the media that she had no intention of killing the prime minister.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a major outbreak of the chikungunya virus threatens to spread globally, calling for urgent measures to prevent this.

The WHO stated that it is noticing exactly the same early warning signs as during the large epidemic two decades ago and wants to prevent a repetition.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which causes fever and severe joint pain, often debilitating. In some cases, it can be fatal, writes Science Alert, as reported by Sombor.info.

"Chikungunya is not a widely known disease, but it has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries around the world, putting 5.6 billion people at risk," said Diana Rojas Alvarez from the WHO.

She recalled how from 2004 to 2005 a major chikungunya outbreak spread across the Indian Ocean, hitting small island territories before spreading globally and affecting nearly half a million people.

"Today, WHO is seeing the same pattern: since the beginning of 2025, Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius have reported major chikungunya outbreaks. It is estimated that a third of Réunion's population is already infected," she said at a press conference in Geneva, adding that just like 20 years ago, the virus is now spreading to other places in the region, such as Madagascar, Somalia, and Kenya.

"Transmission is also occurring in South Asia," she added, and imported cases have also been reported in Europe, linked to the epidemic on Indian Ocean islands. Local transmission has been reported in France, and suspicious cases have been detected in Italy.

"Since these transmission patterns were seen during the epidemic from 2004 onwards, WHO is calling for urgent action to prevent history from repeating itself," said Rojas Alvarez.

Symptoms of chikungunya

The symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue fever and Zika virus disease, which makes diagnosis difficult, according to WHO.

The main symptoms of the disease are high fever and body-wide pain, headache, muscle pain, rash, and stomach issues that can last for several months. Severe symptoms and deaths from chikungunya are rare and usually associated with other underlying health problems, according to Wikipedia.

Most people infected with the chikungunya virus develop viral infection symptoms 3–7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, most commonly fever and joint pain. Most patients feel better within a week. However, joint pain, which is often severe and disabling, can last for months.

Groups at risk for more severe disease include newborns, older adults (over 65 years), and people with health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.

Rojas Alvarez noted that the mortality rate is less than one percent, "but when you start counting millions of cases, that one percent can mean thousands" of deaths.

"We are raising the alarm early so that countries can prepare in advance, detect and strengthen all capacities to avoid very large epidemics," emphasized Rojas Alvarez, explaining that in regions where populations have little or no immunity, the virus can quickly cause significant outbreaks, affecting up to three-quarters of the population.

Danger from tiger mosquitoes

The chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, known as tiger mosquitoes. They are spreading northward as the world warms due to human-caused climate change.

They primarily bite during daylight hours, with peak activity often in the early morning and late afternoon.

WHO has urged people to protect themselves by using mosquito repellents and to avoid leaving water standing in containers such as buckets, where mosquitoes can breed.

Confidential information has leaked, and London has found itself in deep trouble.

Old habits die hard in the former empire, writes Edward Lucas, longtime correspondent for The Economist from Berlin, Moscow, Vienna, and the Baltic states, and an internationally recognized expert on espionage, subversion, and the use and misuse of history, in an analysis for the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Murky commercial and intelligence interests in former colonies survived long after formal independence.

In the former imperial capital, secrecy and deception prevailed. How else could the fiction of global importance be maintained?

From intelligence agencies to special units, from nuclear deterrence to military disasters, from crimes to abuses – awkward questions were brushed aside with pompous words about “national security,” by frightening the public with stories of hostile foreign powers eager to seize such information, and, if necessary, through ruthless and broad use of the legal system.

No journalist, activist, or politician thinking independently would be so unpatriotic or so reckless as to poke into these serious matters of high state policy, Lucas argues.

Sound familiar? Many of these elements indeed fit into Russia’s history after 1991.

But recent events point to another candidate: the United Kingdom.

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The biggest military and intelligence scandal in my country in recent decades concerns a database of 18,714 Afghans who applied for relocation after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces in August 2021.

Their contact details, as well as the names of British special forces and intelligence officers who recommended them, were forwarded to some recipients outside state institutions via email sent in February 2022 by an unnamed Ministry of Defence official, allegedly in an attempt to check the eligibility of the applicants.

But when in August 2023 data on nine individuals from that database appeared online – with veiled threats that more information would be released – the government requested a court injunction to prevent further leaks to the public.

It also filed for a “super-injunction,” meaning it was illegal, under threat of severe punishment for contempt of court (including unlimited fines and imprisonment), for anyone, anywhere, to even mention the existence of the first injunction.

Now that the “super-injunction” has been lifted, the entire mess is coming to light.

In the shadow of that secrecy, about 15,000 Afghans – including some who likely did not meet relocation criteria – were brought to Britain under strict secrecy and at enormous cost (about £2 billion / $2.7 billion / €2.3 billion).

Another consequence of secrecy: many more deserving candidates are still languishing in Afghanistan, living in daily fear of being found and punished by the Taliban.

Explaining this to outsiders is quite difficult. How can a court so effectively silence public debate?

Had they found out about it, even MPs could not have raised the issue.

The Speakers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords were informed of the super-injunction’s existence.

But the Intelligence and Security Committee, the only body that independently oversees the security services, was never informed of any of this.

Super-injunctions are otherwise very rarely used, usually to protect the illegitimate children of public figures whose chances of a normal childhood depend on living away from media attention.

Never before had it been used to cover up an administrative error.

In the end, the system somewhat worked. Unlike in Vladimir Putin’s Russia (who really blew up those apartment blocks in Moscow and elsewhere in 1999?), the truth, more or less, came to light.

Perhaps some lower official will be fired or disciplined for the wrong email.

New rules on handling confidential information will be introduced (together, probably, with new ways to circumvent them).

Politicians will wave words around and evade responsibility. This extraordinary saga of incompetence, secrecy, waste, and injustice will remain for years a major stain on Britain’s reputation as a state of responsible, efficient, and ethical governance.

Enemies will mock. The whole story is fodder for conspiracy theorists (how many more super-injunctions exist?).

Allies will, rightly, question the trust they place in the country and its reliability regarding secrets and security, Lucas concludes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today called on the international community to recognize the de facto division of Cyprus, including the militarily seceded Turkish part as an independent state.

Turkey occupied the north of Cyprus in 1974 in response to a failed coup by Greek Cypriot nationalists who wanted to unite the island with Greece.

The Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, effectively governs the south, while in the north the self-proclaimed “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” has been established, which is recognized only by Ankara and is under international embargo.

“We fully support a vision based on a two-state solution,” Erdogan said on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Turkish invasion, speaking in the northern part of Nicosia under Turkish control.

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“It is time for the international community to accept the reality on the ground,” Erdogan said, calling for an end to the isolation of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”

“Diplomatic, political, and economic relations should be established with this (seceded) republic, and the injustice that Turkish Cypriots have suffered for decades must finally come to an end,” he added.

Three days ago, the leaders of Cyprus and the island's Turks met in New York in what the UN described as “constructive.”

While only Ankara supports the two-state solution, a meeting between the two sides in Geneva in March was described as achieving “significant progress” towards restarting reunification talks on Cyprus, which have been frozen since 2017.

Unidentified vehicle plows into crowd in Los Angeles, injuring at least 30 people, some critically, according to the city fire department.

As reported by AFP and AP agencies, more than 100 firefighters responded to the scene in East Hollywood, where three people are in critical condition and six are seriously injured.

According to a preliminary investigation, the driver lost consciousness and drove into the crowd in front of a nightclub, ABC News reported, citing police sources.

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The accident occurred near busy areas – Sunset Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the sidewalk adorned with stars dedicated to famous film and music personalities.