Lietuvoje penktadienį prasideda nacionalinės mobilizacijos sistemos pratybos „Vyčio skliautas 2026“.

Penktadienį šalies orus lems jau šiauriau besisukantis ciklonas. Diena numatoma niūroka. Dangų daugiausia dengs žemi ir tankūs debesys, o pragiedruliai daugiausia bus neilgai trunkantys ir nedideli.

The satellite station is used in part to provide internet coverage to neighbouring Ukraine, the government says.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the measures as "common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate".

What's the smallest amount of money you would ask a friend to pay you back?

Recorded incidents of violence and harassment against passengers and rail workers showed a sharp increase in the year to March.

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music European lawmakers this week called for the EU’s artificial intelligence regulations to hold American tech companies liable for the risks their most advanced models pose to humanity. But how much sway does Europe have in an arms race dominated by the U.S. and China? Host Anne McElvoy has been in Berlin attending WELT’s AI Summit, which brings together the AI and tech business leaders from across Europe with other interested parties. They include Cardinal Michael Czerny, who Pope Leo recently appointed to chair the Vatican’s Commission on AI. He tells Anne that European politicians need to heed warnings over the development of frontier AI models and enter a dialogue with the Catholic Church. She also explores the wider questions of AI regulation with Axel Voss, who sits on the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, and Pieter Haeck, senior technology reporter at POLITICO. Questions? Comments? Let us know on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

Welcome to Declassified, a weekly humor column. The United Nations General Assembly is a bit like Christmas with the extended family: hour after hour of extreme tedium, punctuated by the occasional offensive outburst or fistfight. This year’s Most Bored Person at UNGA Award goes to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was caught on camera doomscrolling and posting Instagram reels in the main assembly hall. He’s far from the only one to get distracted during a meeting, of course. In 2012, then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton doodled on her printed remarks at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council (she drew spirals, stars and circles — not offensive caricatures of Donald Trump and Monica Lewinsky). However, the best-ever political doodler is surely South Korean lawmaker Yoo Young-ha, who was caught sketching a gorilla on his laptop during a parliamentary audit session in 2025. To be clear, there wasn’t a gorilla in the parliament for a life-drawing session (and, at the time of writing, my suggestion to release large primates into European Parliament plenary sessions is still being considered by the Conference of Presidents). The excitement at this year’s big U.N. bash didn’t stop at, er, man loses interest and starts looking at social media. Oh, no. There was also the choice of music before Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took the stage to talk about Greenland — “Send in the Clowns.” Denmark said it had nothing to do with the choice of tune. A spokesperson for the European Clown Association said they couldn’t comment until their father returned from sick leave. They clearly had big shoes to fill. But there have been far more explosive moments at the U.N. General Assembly over the years. In 2009, Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi ignored his 15-minute speaking limit and launched into a 96-minute rant, during which he ripped a page of the U.N. Charter in half (and he was introduced as “the king of kings,” which is also my work nickname). And in 2015, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe defended his anti-LGBTQ+ stance by yelling “we are not gays” into the microphone (OK mate, we get it, you don’t like gay people). Most incendiary of all, last year the U.N. appeared to be suffering from the cost-of-living crisis just as much as the rest of us, resorting to using Ikea furniture. What looked suspiciously like a LACK side table — available in black, brown and white, and yours for just €9.99 — was placed between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump during a meeting. Now that’s soft (furnishings) power in action! CAPTION COMPETITION “This year’s ‘Who can find Greenland on a map?’ competition was surprisingly close.” Can you do better? Email us at pdallison@politico.eu or get in touch on X @POLITICOEurope. Last time, we gave you this photo: Thanks for all the entries. Here’s the best one from our mailbag — there’s no prize except the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far preferable to cash or booze. “That guy seems overdressed for having Molson and poutine.” by Ben Turner

Israel’s Prime Minister addressed the UN General Assembly in person, despite having an ICC arrest warrant.

Demonstrators blocked streets and marched towards UN headquarters as the Israeli PM addressed world leaders at UNGA.

In the first half of 2026, the sector’s export volumes fell 11.7% to hit their third-lowest level on record

Donald Trump has railed against European fines as ‘overseas extortion’

Argentina’s poverty rate rose to 32.3% in the first half of 2026 from 28.2% in the previous six months, official data showed on Thursday, as incomes lagged rising prices. Extreme poverty climbed to 7.5% from 6.3%. Among children aged 14 and under, 44.5% were poor.

Pope Leo XIV flies to France on Friday for the Vatican's first state visit to the European nation in 18 years, with artificial intelligence and young believers near the top of his agenda. President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte will be on the tarmac to greet the 71-year-old pope. 

President Donald Trump has welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington, praising what he called their “truly great friendship” as the two leaders opened talks focused on trade, Taiwan, Iran and artificial intelligence.

South Africans in Pretoria are hoping to have cooked up a new Guinness World Record. Hundreds gathered on Thursday to fire up their grills and attempt the largest simultaneous barbecue ever recorded.