Author: staff

BRUSSELS — The EU on Friday saved its sanctions on Russian oligarchs, military chiefs, energy bosses and the Moscow elite from collapsing after striking an 11th-hour deal with Hungary, which had threatened to veto the whole framework. As part of the deal, the EU removed four individuals from its sanctions list, relaxing the restrictions on their finance and travel rights, according to four diplomats with knowledge of the talks told POLITICO. Without the compromise, the entire list of more than 2,000 individuals and entities would have expired on Saturday night. The four individuals Hungary got removed on Friday are banker and…

It was all drawn from the playbook that he and his lugubrious Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have used time and again: Obfuscate, delay, muddle, throw in some whataboutism, be sorrowfully unctuous, but make sure to dangle a carrot. Just the day before, Lavrov had given an hour-and-half -long master class in Putin-style diplomacy, which should have been a warning to the White House. His interlocutors — a trio of fellow travelers led by onetime Fox News presenter Judge Andrew Napolitano — were pushovers, nodding and chortling as he complained about (horrors of horrors) being forced to use a unisex bathroom…

Most EU workers believe AI technologies are having a positive impact on their job, but at the same time remain afraid robots might take them away in the future. With AI enforced in nearly half of EU large companies, the latest Eurobarometer paints a nuanced picture of how people perceive its use at work, with a mix of optimism and concern.The survey found that 66% of EU employees think AI and the most recent digital technologies are currently benefiting their work, while 21% claim AI is detrimental to their job. Malta emerges as the most positive country, with an 85%…

The trilateral meeting in Beijing came after Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader aiming to restart negotiations over the nuclear issue. China, Russia and Iran have jointly called on the US and the West to lift sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear enrichment programme.At a meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazoo Gharibabadi. The three called for a termination of US sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program in a joint statement read by China’s Ma. The talks came after…

The apparent deal with the Greens paves the way for up to €1 trillion in new spending for defense and infrastructure. Listen AI generated Text-to-speech Share

The newest contender, the 49-year-old Vallaud, has been president of the Socialists in the National Assembly since 2022 — making him one of the party’s most prominent figures alongside Faure. Vallaud comes from the same crop of French politicians as current President Emmanuel Macron. Both attended the prestigious École Nationale d’Administration and Vallaud succeeded Macron as former Hollande’s deputy chief of staff, a position the current president occupied before he launched his own centrist political party. The stakes are high for the Socialists. For decades, they were France’s biggest left-wing party, and their broad tent encompassed much of the French…

Vibe: No matter the day of the week, The Wild Geese is always decently packed with people, creating a lively atmosphere. The décor is atypical of most Irish bars, with a distinctive ceiling (think Sistine Chapel) and stained-glass accents throughout. Who’s picking up the check? Food prices are standard for a Brussels pub, with main dishes ranging from €15 to €20. A pint of Guinness, however, will set you back an eye-watering €8.90. Spotted: The Wild Geese is a bit of a watering hole for Irish European People’s Party and Renew members of the European Parliament who have been known to bring along…

Updated: 14/03/2025 – 10:17 GMT+1Gaza’s children lost over a year of education due to war damage, with many struggling to resume learning through rebuilt schools and online platforms. … More For 15 months, Gaza’s children were unable to attend school as the ongoing conflict left schools destroyed or repurposed as shelters for displaced families. The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in hundreds of thousands of children losing at least one academic year. Despite the devastating impact, efforts to rehabilitate schools began after the January ceasefire. “We’re trying to salvage what we can of the educational process,” said Mohamed al-Asouli, head of…

Money can’t buy you love, but £18.50 (€22) can buy you a newly minted John Lennon coin… John Lennon is being honoured by a commemorative Royal Mint coin, marking what would have been the musician’s 85th birthday.The Royal Mint, which has an ongoing “music legends” coin series celebrating singers and songwriters, said the coin features a portrait of Lennon that is based on a famous image taken by music industry photographer Bob Gruen in 1974.Designed by Henry Gray, it depicts a side profile of Lennon, taken on the roof of his penthouse in New York.Lennon’s name appears to the left…

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said he would be “shocked” if Donald Trump was in favor of moving American nuclear weapons into Poland. “I haven’t talked to the president about that particular issue, but I would be shocked if he was supportive of nuclear weapons extending further east into Europe,” Vance said during an interview on Fox News. “We have got to be careful.” Vance was responding to comments made by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who called on the U.S. to station nukes in his country to deter Russia from further aggression, telling the FT in an interview: “I think…