What's wrong with democracy in Europe?
THIS YEAR reliable old Europe once again did best in the global democracy index, an annual report published by EIU, our sister company. While democracy declined across much of the world—dragged down by emboldened dictators and decaying regimes—Europe's score inched up. Many European voters, however, do not see much to celebrate.
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Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Tommy Robinson kicked out of restaurant because 'staff didn't want to serve him'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Tommy Robinson is upset after being kicked out of a restaurant for making staff 'feel uncomfortable'. The right wing activist – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – was out eating at the Hawksmoor restaurant near Regent Street, central London, before staff realised who he was. Footage taken by EDL member Guramit Singh Kalirai, who was dining with Robinson, shows the restaurant manager explaining 'staff felt uncomfortable'. Kalirai replied: 'Is it because of the colour of my skin?' The manager responded: 'No, no, no. We have a duty of care to our members of staff. We like to look after our people, as I'm sure you can understand. 'I'm very sorry. I hope it hasn't inconvenienced you.' The footage was posted to X, with Kalirai saying: 'Just been kicked out of Hawksmoor steak house for no reason. Literally just had our starters.' The manager could be seen handing Robinson a business card with the CEO of Hawksmoor's details on it 'if he has any questions', and told him the restaurant will cover the cost of the drinks. Metro has contacted the Hawksmoor for comment. Robinson was released from prison last month after he was jailed for repeatedly lied about a Syrian refugee. But he had his sentence reduced, and was released from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: I thought Robbie Williams was overhyped but he can still kick it MORE: What I Own: At 22 and 23, we bought a run down London four-bed for £910,000 MORE: Major US fast food chain to open in London Heathrow airport – a European first
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Germany's Merz says some US lawmakers have 'no idea' of scale of Russia's rearmament
BERLIN, June 6 (Reuters) - Some U.S. lawmakers do not understand the scale of Russia's rearmament campaign, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday, a day after he held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. "I met with some senators on Capitol Hill and told them to please look at the rearmament Russia is doing," Merz told a business conference in Berlin. "They clearly have no idea what is happening there right now," he said, without identifying the senators. Russia has shifted defence plants to round-the-clock production since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has signed arms deals with North Korea and Iran, prompting European officials to warn that Moscow could soon be in a position to attack NATO territory. Russia denies any such intention and says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to protect its own security against what it casts as an aggressive, hostile West. Merz, a conservative who took power in May, is the latest European leader to visit Trump hoping to convince him of the need to back Ukraine against Russia's invasion and continue to help underpin Europe's security through the NATO alliance. Merz said he had been reassured by the words Trump had uttered during their public encounter in the Oval Office, especially the U.S. president's "resounding no" to a question on whether the United States had plans to withdraw from NATO. European countries have been boosting defence spending since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in the continent's bloodiest conflict since World War Two. Merz has backed Trump's demand for NATO members to commit to a target of more than doubling defence spending to 5% of economic output in the future. Trump welcomed that commitment on Thursday and told Merz that U.S. forces would remain in Germany. "Whether we like it or not," Merz said on Friday, "we will remain dependent on the United States... for a long time to come."
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Powys County Times
Ask women if burka is genuinely their choice, says Reform UK's Richard Tice
Women who wear burkas should be asked if it is 'genuinely their choice', Reform UK's deputy leader has said amid a row over calls to ban the garment. Richard Tice said the issue should be subject to a 'national debate' as he entered the count for a Holyrood by-election on Thursday night. His comments followed the sudden resignation of Reform's chairman Zia Yusuf, who had described a call from the party's newest MP to ban the burka as 'dumb'. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, Mr Tice said: 'I think it is right that we should have a debate about whether or not the burka is appropriate for a nation that's founded in Christianity, where women are equal citizens and should not be viewed as second class citizens.' Asked whether he supported a ban, he said he was 'pretty concerned' about whether the burka was a 'repressive item of clothing', adding: 'Let's ask women who wear the burka, is that genuinely their choice?' Wearing face-covering clothes is currently banned in seven European countries – France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and Bulgaria – while other countries have enacted partial bans. On Wednesday, Reform's newest MP Sarah Pochin asked Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions whether he would support such a ban. A day later, Mr Yusuf said on social media that it had been 'dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do'. Shortly after that, he announced that he was quitting as Reform's chairman, saying that working to get the party elected was no longer 'a good use of my time'. Party leader Nigel Farage said he had had only 10 minutes' notice that Mr Yusuf was going to resign, adding he was 'genuinely sorry' that his chairman had decided to stand down. Mr Yusuf's resignation was accompanied by that of Nathaniel Fried, who was announced earlier this week as the head of a party team examining spending at Reform-controlled Kent County Council. Mr Fried said that as Mr Yusuf had 'got me in' it was 'appropriate for me to leave with him'. The resignations came as Reform UK hoped to win or come a close second in a by-election for the Holyrood seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. In the end, the party came third with 7,088 votes, 869 votes behind the SNP and 1,471 behind the winning Labour candidate.
