Macron calls on EU to ‘defend European interests’ in US tariff talks
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday condemned US President Donald Trump's threat to impose 30-percent tariffs on the European Union, calling on the bloc to "resolutely defend European interests."
Spain PM Sanchez says Gaza in ‘catastrophic situation of genocide’
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday said Gaza was in a "catastrophic situation of genocide" and urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel.European, Iranian diplomats to meet as Trump mulls joining Israel campaign
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with his French, German, British and EU counterparts in Geneva on Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme.Trump says EU not offering ‘fair deal’ on trade
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the European Union had yet to offer a "fair deal" on trade, as Washington negotiates tariff agreements with friends and foes alike.Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
Madrid will host 20 countries as well as international organizations with the aim of "stopping this war, which no longer has any goal", Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told France Info radio. Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza "massively, unimpeded, neutrally, so that it is not Israel who decides who...Trump fires new 50% tariff threat at EU, drawing stiff response
Washington, United States - President Donald Trump rekindled the US trade war on Friday, threatening to impose a 50 percent tariff on the European Union -- and drawing a strong response from European politicians. If they come into effect, the new duties on Brussels would dramatically raise Washington's current baseline...Why Israel gets support from central, eastern Europe
Their solidarity came to the fore on Wednesday, when Austria and Germany broke ranks with European Union peers to argue against a review ordered by Brussels of an EU-Israel cooperation deal.EU to lift all economic sanctions on Syria to help the war-torn country
EU countries agreed Tuesday to lift all their remaining economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help the war-torn country recover after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.‘Something new for the honey market’: Austria trials DNA testing to uncover fraud
Voels, Austria -- At a laboratory in Austria's mountainous Tyrol province, scientists are DNA testing about 100 honey samples a month to learn about their composition -- and in some cases to determine whether they have been adulterated. With fake honey flooding markets, and only a few European laboratories running...European Union and UAE agree to launch trade deal negotiations
Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan "and I just decided to launch negotiations on an EU-UAE free trade agreement," the European Commission president wrote on X. "This agreement will strengthen our bilateral relations and contribute to the prosperity of the broader region."Trump stings friends and foes alike in his tariffs war, countries eye trade talks
The tariff announcements rattled stock markets while safe haven gold hit a new record high, oil prices fell and the dollar slumped against other major currencies.From cars to champagne: Trump’s expanding tariffs trigger trade war fears
Paris, France -- From champagne to steel and now cars: it is getting harder to keep up with US President Donald Trump's growing tariff target list and the retaliatory measures by trade partners. Here is a rundown of what has been implemented, threatened and coming next in an escalating trade...EU skewers Google, Apple over tech rules – despite Trump threats
The European Union defied US threats of retaliation Wednesday by accusing Google of violating its digital rules -- which could trigger hefty fines -- and ordering Apple to make its iPhone interact better with rivals' devices.US trading partners hit back on steel, aluminum tariffs
The steep 25-percent levies came into place after midnight with no exemptions despite countries' efforts to avert them, in a step up from fresh duties Trump already imposed on Canada, Mexico and China since returning to the White House. The European Commission swiftly unveiled retaliation starting in April, while Canada...Trump condemned for ICC sanctions over Israel, US probes
The United Nations and the European Union also urged Trump on Friday to reverse the decision ordering asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees and their family members, along with anyone deemed to have helped the court's investigations.TikTok under fire: Espionage claims, election influence campaigns and controversies
The platform faces accusations of espionage in the United States, while the European Union has launched an investigation into claims it was used to sway Romania's presidential election in favor of a far-right candidate.European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad’s fall
While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Vienna signaled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria.Iran slams new EU, UK sanctions as unjustified: foreign ministry
ran's foreign ministry Tuesday slammed as unjustified the new sanctions by the European Union and Britain against Tehran over its support for Russia's war on Ukraine.Helpless! Top EU diplomat regrets failure to ‘stop’ Netanyahu
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell voiced regret Friday that no power, including the United States, can "stop" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he appears determined to crush militants in Gaza and Lebanon.UAE’s e& bends to European Union foreign subsidy rules
Brussels, Belgium -- The European Commission gave the green light Tuesday for an Emirati group to acquire the assets of a Czech telecom operator -- after it agreed not to use foreign subsidies to distort competition in the EU.Emirates Telecommunications (e&), whose majority stakeholder is the United Arab Emirates government, signed...World leaders gather at UN as Mideast tensions explode
Escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah threatened to overshadow US President Joe Biden's final appearance at the UN's signature annual event on Tuesday as diplomats scrambled to avert an all-out regional war.COP29 finance draft: Arab nations ask developed nations to commit $441bn
Paris, France -- The UN has published a draft on climate financing due to be presented at the COP29 in November, laying out the conflicting positions from which the main country blocs will try to clinch the next climate deal.The document, which AFP consulted Friday, is the basis for negotiating an...Apple makes changes to App Store after EU warning
From the autumn, Apple said developers in the EU "can communicate and promote offers for purchases" wherever they want, for example, via an alternative app marketplace. But in Thursday's announcement, Apple said the changes mean developers will have a new fee structure for customers linking out of an app for...Norway, Ireland, Spain to recognize Palestinian state
The announcement is the second diplomatic blow this week after the International Criminal Court prosecutor said he would seek arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and Hamas leaders.Lebanon resumes ‘voluntary’ repatriations of Syrians
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that an unspecified number of people had arrived from Lebanon as part of the initiative to repatriate several hundred Syrians .Italy PM Meloni visits Tunisia for migration talks
Meloni's latest visit to Tunisia came as part of her so-called Mattei Plan, a program aiming to posit Italy as a key bridge between Africa and Europe.UN Security Council to vote this Thursday on full Palestinian membership
Against the backdrop of the grinding conflict in Gaza, a city largely devastated by more than six months of war and a siege on its 2.4 million people, the Security Council is expected to take up the matter of full Palestinian UN membership this Thursday, several diplomatic sources told AFP....US, EU to impose fresh sanctions on Iran following recent missile attack on Israel
The United States announced Tuesday that it was preparing new sanctions on Iran's missile and drone program after last weekend’s attack on Israel, and the EU's foreign policy chief signaled the bloc would levy new punitive measures as well.Iran has characterized its attack on Israel as an act of self-defense...EU to tell big tech firms to curb election risks or face fines
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – The EU will put more pressure on the most popular online platforms, like X and TikTok, to tackle the risk of election disinformation or face fines, an EU official said on Friday.The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, is expected to adopt new guidelines, likely on Tuesday, ahead...GCC and EU hold talks to boost economic, political ties
Brussels, Belgium-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union have held talks in Brussels in order to enhance relations between the two blocs.In this connection, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), today held a discussion session with members of the European Union (EU) Political...EU members to discuss Bosnia entry into Union
Brussels, Belgium - A group of EU countries including Germany on Tuesday pushed for a green light to start membership negotiations with Bosnia, but others such as France seemed reluctant to proceed.The EU's 27 leaders will debate at a summit on Thursday a proposal from the bloc's executive to launch the...Spain announces US$21.87m in funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency
Madrid, Spain--Spain said Thursday it would give an additional $21.87 million to the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, which is facing a cash crunch after several nations suspended their funding.The agency has been at the centre of controversy since Israel accused about a dozen of its employees of involvement in the...UNRWA head seeks General Assembly support after backlash
The head of the UNRWA is set to defend his organization's work at the General Assembly, after crippling backlash over accusations that some employees were involved in Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. Philippe Lazzarini warned in a letter to the General Assembly's president that his agency is at a...EU queries Meta about ad-free subscriptions, shadow banning
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The EU on Friday used new regulatory powers to query Meta about ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram as well as claims some voices are suppressed online in a phenomenon known as "shadow banning".The European Commission made a request for information under the mammoth content moderation law known as...Europe gives accent to instant payments across the union
Brussels, Belgium - Bank customers will soon be able to transfer money across Europe within seconds after the EU adopted a law on Monday forcing banks to offer bloc-wide instant payments.Under the new rules, people in Europe will be able to transfer money within 10 seconds at any time of the...Price of natural gas in Europe falls to a 3-year low
LONDON, UK – The price of natural gas in Europe fell again on Friday, taking it to its lowest in almost three years as mild winter weather continues and European stockpiles hold up.Mid-morning on Friday, the benchmark Dutch TTF futures contract was down 3.2 percent at US$24.3 (22.45 euros) a megawatt-hour...Broad support among G20 for two-state solution in Middle East: Brazil
There was "virtual unanimity for the two-state solution as the only possible solution," Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told journalists at the close of a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the world's biggest economies. "The only reason (Vieira) didn't simply say 'unanimity' is that not every speaker addressed the...West Bank situation an obstacle between Israel-Palestine peace, says EU
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the situation in the Israel-occupied West Bank posed a major obstacle to finding a long-term solution for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "The West Bank is the real obstacle for the two-state solution," Borrell said at the Munich Security Conference.GCC and Sweden look to ramp up cooperation in ‘several areas’
Munich, Germany-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Sweden have discussed ways to ramp up cooperation in several areas, besides looking to enhance ties between the GCC and variou European nations.In this regard, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, and Tobias Billström, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom...EU seeks 90 percent drop in greenhouse emission by 2040
Strasbourg, France - The EU on Tuesday urged a 90-percent cut to its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, even as the bloc's transition to a greener future was clouded by a widespread farmers' revolt."Based on the best available science, and a detailed impact assessment, we are recommending that the 2040 target should...EU adopts cavalier approach in its desire for primacy
For EU leaders, it is their way or the highway as the wealthy, powerful bloc seeks to tame opposition and browbeat defiant countries and individuals into submission.Israel says will seek to stop UN agency’s activities in Gaza after war
UNRWA said Friday it had sacked several employees accused by Israel of involvement in Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack, prompting the United States to suspend critical funding. The head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, vowed to hold "accountable, including through criminal prosecution" any UNRWA employee found to have taken part...‘Victory for justice’: World reacts to ICJ’s Gaza genocide case ruling
"Today marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people," said the foreign affairs ministry of South Africa, which brought the case before the ICJ.Apple to make changes to App Store in Europe
iPhone users can download alternative app stores.Libya requires $1.8bn to rebuild flood-devastated areas, says report
TRIPOLI, LIBYA - The flood that devastated Libya's eastern port city of Derna last year has impacted up to 1.5 million people and will require $1.8 billion for reconstruction, according to a new report.On September 10, Storm Daniel hit the east coast of Libya, causing floods that collapsed two dams in...Israel pounds Gaza as Netanyahu rejects hostage release deal
Abdelrahman Iyad, wounded in Gaza and now being treated aboard the French helicopter carrier Dixmude, docked in Egypt, said he did not have time to leave his house before it was hit. "I was with my parents, my brother, my sister, my second sister and her husband and their daughter....EU worried Red Sea attacks could spark inflation
European Union economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned that violence in the Red Sea sparked by Houthi attacks on shipping could push up energy prices and inflation in the bloc. "We know that we're starting this year with subdued growth, increasing concerns on the downside risks caused by the geopolitical tensions,"...EU court’s adviser says $2.6bn fine on Google be upheld
Google suffered a legal blow at the European Court of Justice when the body's adviser recommended that a US$2.6 billion fine levied on it for anti-competitive practices be upheld. Although such opinions are not binding, they do carry weight and are often followed by EU judges in their rulings.India’s Russian oil imports fall to 11-month low as price cap rises
Indian refiners bought 1.45 million barrels per day of Russian oil last month, their lowest amount since last January and down nearly 16 percent from November, according to global energy trade intelligence platform Kpler.EU reaches agreement on reforming bloc’s migration laws
Spain, which chaired the lengthy negotiations in its role holding the EU presidency, said on X, formerly Twitter: "A political agreement has been reached on the five files of the EU new Pact on Migration and Asylum." European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said: "It's been a long road to...EU clinches ‘historic’ deal on AI law after long negotiations
The EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. called the deal as historic, regulating artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT. Negotiators in Brussels nailed down curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, which they said would not hurt innovation in the sector nor the prospects for future European AI...