Author: staff
The approval notice lays out extensive conditions. For example, employees of Rosatom and TVEL are barred from entering the plant. “Access is only permitted in justified exceptional cases and when accompanied by the nuclear regulatory authority,” explained a spokesperson for the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment. The regulations also stipulate extensive safety inspections of the licensed machines supplied by TVEL and Framatome subsidiary ANF. Framatome employees must adhere to rules governing their interactions with TVEL and Rosatom employees, particularly regarding protection against espionage, sabotage, and recruitment attempts. The green light comes as nuclear power is increasingly seen as essential to wean the…
Now he controls the coffers — and insists he’s “burning with a passion” for the Treasury. Wes Streeting Wes Streeting had long been seen as coveting the top job. So when he quit as health secretary in May, criticizing the government’s “drift” and lack of “vision,” many expected a rapid bid to replace the prime minister himself. Streeting’s allies claimed he had the backing of 81 Labour MPs necessary to launch a challenge to Starmer — but a few weeks later he announced he would back Burnham to become Labour leader and prime minister. There were questions then over what…
Published on 22/07/2026 – 14:43 GMT+2 German carmaker Volkswagen will be focusing more on self-driving technology in China in the coming months. The company revealed on Wednesday that its automated driving branch CARIZON, based in China, would be strengthening its tie-up with Horizon Robotics, according to Yahoo Autos. This is in an attempt for Volkswagen to develop its own sophisticated self-driving technologies more quickly, by using Horizon Robotics’ artificial intelligence model. This includes Level 3 autonomous driving technologies, where drivers can take their eyes off the road, and Level 4 technology, which will be driverless robotaxis. The company plans to…
Published on 22/07/2026 – 21:44 GMT+2 The European Union on Wednesday conditionally approved Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion (€94 billion) takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Citing concerns over the deal’s impact on film distribution in Europe, Brussels said Paramount must terminate its stake in United International Pictures, a joint venture with Universal, in the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the EU’s 27 member states. European regulators said Paramount must not, for 10 years, directly or indirectly enter into any agreement with Universal to jointly distribute films in the European Economic Area (EEA). “These commitments fully address the competition concerns identified…
The military alliance also agreed to raise its common funding budget to “up to EUR 6.5 billion” for next year, and signed off on its investment priorities for the next five years. For 2026, allies had agreed on a budget of €5.3 billion. Countries have held negotiations for months on the revamp of the alliance’s 10,000-kilometer Cold War-era pipeline network, which is designed to connect NATO’s existing system in Western Europe to newer alliance member countries in the east and north. The project, touted as NATO’s largest-ever and most expensive commonly funded scheme, could take up to 30 years to…
Published on 22/07/2026 – 18:42 GMT+2 The former chief executive of UK water company Southern Water has been charged with conspiring to “manipulate” water quality tests, British authorities said on Wednesday. Matthew Wright, who previously led the company supplying water and wastewater services to millions of people across southern England, is accused alongside three others of conspiring to defraud the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat between 2012 and 2017. Prosecutors allege the defendants deliberately manipulated wastewater flows before mandatory water quality tests to influence the results. The charges were made public on Wednesday after the High Court rejected the…
Ambassadors will hold an extra round of negotiations on Thursday morning in a bid to save the package, an EU diplomat confirmed. Ireland, which holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, on Wednesday proposed allowing European gas tankers to export Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries until January 2029. The proposal, seen by POLITICO, capped Russian exports and also banned new contracts. But the Greek government has so far refused the compromise and instead wants an indefinite exception, said three EU diplomats involved in the discussions, granted anonymity to talk about the sensitive negotiations. Greece’s…
The EU is supposed to grow again, but there is still some disagreement about how. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is sticking to his proposal for an associate EU membership status for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkan countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Critics complain that this would be a “waiting room” or a form of second-class membership. Gunther Krichbaum counters that they have apparently not yet understood the model. For the Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office, this is about a clear commitment. He explains: “Why should we not give…
Gianni Infantino would not have a clear path to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations, even with Donald Trump’s backing. According to a report from The New York Post, the US President sees FIFA’s boss as a “respected” potential candidate, with a “special ability to bring people together” demonstrated by the success of the 2026 World Cup. But in any event, his endorsement alone would not be enough to push to the world’s most powerful diplomatic job a person who is not even a career diplomat. Neither Trump nor Infantino have confirmed a candidacy, which, if submitted,…
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