Colin Stevens

by H.E. Roman Vassilenko, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the European Union On May 9th, the European Union celebrates Europe Day, commemorating the historic Schuman Declaration of 1950. In the aftermath of the Second World War, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed a bold plan to place Franco-German coal and steel production under a common authority. […]

What began as allegations circulating in international financial circles concerning an “Astor”-branded lending operation has now escalated into a criminal prosecution in the United States. In a significant development, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has indicted Vladimir Sklarov — also known as “Val Sklarov”, “Gregory Mitchell” and “Mark […]

A fierce debate over the future of European tobacco policy is intensifying after European Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi (pictured) suggested that alternative nicotine products such as vapes, heated tobacco devices and nicotine pouches may cause the “same level of damage” as traditional cigarettes. The comments, delivered during a Health Policy Conference in Brussels and later […]

How a Russia-linked businessman accused of facilitating sanctioned networks appeared to evade scrutiny — and why the case exposes critical gaps in Western sanctions enforcement What initially appeared to be a breakthrough in the disruption of Russian-linked transnational networks has instead evolved into a troubling case study of how sanctioned actors can allegedly erase their […]

New research from global B2B payments and invoicing network TreviPay has highlighted significant changes taking place across the international payments landscape, with businesses increasingly turning to AI-driven solutions and invoice-based payment systems to improve efficiency and strengthen supplier relationships. The findings were shared during an industry event attended by EU Reporter, where TreviPay outlined several […]

Europe may have lost the global artificial intelligence race to Silicon Valley and China, but across the continent a quieter revolution is underway — one that could fundamentally reshape the fight against corruption. From Rome to Kyiv, Brussels to Tirana, governments and prosecutors are deploying artificial intelligence not to build the next ChatGPT, but to […]

Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with President Xi Jinping has ended with both sides claiming success — but Europe should be cautious before celebrating. After two days of talks, Trump described the visit as “great” and said the two leaders had reached “fantastic trade deals”. Beijing, meanwhile, framed the summit as the start of a new […]

Entrepreneur Ajit Chambers ' Brompton Road Report' is now with the London Police Fraud Unit, with access provided directly to Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. 'Chambers' is the man who decided to open London's 26 abandoned tube stations, known as 'Ghost Tube Stations', making them into tourist attractions that created £200 million profit, to which he pledged […]

Kazakhstan has taken a bold step to reposition the history of the Great Steppe at the centre of Eurasian civilisation, hosting a major international symposium in Astana dedicated to the legacy of the Golden Horde — the vast mediaeval empire that once connected East and West across Eurasia. The event, titled “The Golden Horde as […]

This interview provides an in-depth look at Meridiam's strategy, operational practices, and commitment to sustainability. Fadi Selwan, Deputy CEO, outlines the core pillars of his role, which range from asset management to overseeing ESG and human resources teams. He discusses the firm's focus on long-term value creation, stakeholder engagement, and strict adherence to environmental and […]