Author: staff
A former colleague during Turner’s time in May’s No. 10 said the ambassadorial pick is “one of those just incredibly accomplished people who seems to achieve difficult things really quickly.” “When he became ambassador to Pakistan, he learned Urdu in about three months, and went from, as far as I know, no knowledge of the language whatsoever, to being able to have detailed conversations about the future of the Pakistani cricket team,” they said. The same former colleague described Turner as “really effective” while also being a good colleague — two qualities which few senior figures possess at the same time. Peter Ricketts, former national security adviser…
Published on 18/12/2025 – 23:27 GMT+1 •Updated 23:35 Following tense negotiations among the 27 member states, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday pushed the signature of the contentious Mercosur agreement to January to the frustration of backers Germany and Spain. The trade deal dominated the EU summit, with France and Italy pressing for a delay to secure stronger farmer protections, while von der Leyen had hoped to travel to Latin America for a signing ceremony on 20 December after securing member-state support. Without approval, the ceremony can no longer go ahead. There is not set date. “The Commission…
EU leaders in Brussels are locked in discussions over whether to use frozen Russian assets to fund a €210 billion loan to Ukraine — and if not, what to do instead. The pessimism that blighted the past few weeks has started to lift a little, with several senior diplomats who have knowledge of the deliberations now predicting an agreement on Thursday night or Friday. Belgium, where most of those assets are held, have been the most vocal holdout since the last EU summit in October, but officials say the country has engaged constructively in Thursday’s negotiations. Leaders’ advisers have been meeting…
By Euronews Published on 18/12/2025 – 9:45 GMT+1 •Updated 10:53 Azerbaijan shipped petroleum products by rail to Armenia on Thursday, marking the first such export in decades and a tangible breakthrough in efforts to normalise relations between the two countries, officials said. The Thursday delivery included 22 rail tank cars carrying 1,210 tonnes of AI-95 petrol produced by Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR, which departed for Armenia via Georgia, Baku-based international outlet AnewZ reported. Officials on both sides said the export represents a significant step beyond political statements and demonstrates the practical economic benefits of peace. The fuel shipment follows an…
Turek had faced criticism from President Petr Pavel over past racist, homophobic and extremist social media posts, and has yet to secure a meeting with Pavel to clear the way for his appointment. Babiš’ new government includes his own populist ANO party, the anti-EU, anti-green Motorists and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy. Under its new PM Czechia has quickly joined arms with regional neighbors Slovakia and Hungary in rejecting aid for Ukraine, and like Bratislava and Budapest now also opposes the bloc’s ETS2 emissions allowances and other climate measures. Macinka will run the environment ministry on an interim basis…
Published on 18/12/2025 – 19:58 GMT+1 The European Union’s top court ruled on Thursday that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal was not “independent and impartial” because of politicised appointments made under the previous conservative government. In its ruling, the EU’s Court of Justice said the Polish Constitutional Tribunal had “infringed the principle of effective judicial protection” and “disregarded the primacy, autonomy, effectiveness and uniform application of EU law.” The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws, policies and international agreements with the country’s constitution. Between 2015 and 2023, Poland’s former ruling Law and…
A woman in Japan has married an AI-generated character based on a video game persona, sparking debates about the intersection of human relationships with artificial intelligence. Yurina Noguchi, 32, a call centre operator, recently exchanged vows with Lune Klaus Verdure, a customised ChatGPT character she created. The ceremony involved her viewing it through augmented reality smart glasses and her wearing a light pink puffy dress. Noguchi’s journey with AI began when she sought advice from ChatGPT about her troubled engagement. Following the chatbot’s recommendation, she ended that relationship, according to local media. Earlier this year, she returned to the platform…
BRUSSELS ―European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU leaders at their summit on Thursday that the Mercosur trade won’t be signed as scheduled on Saturday and instead would wait until next month, two EU diplomats told POLITICO. Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he agreed to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s request to postpone the signature so she can reassure the country’s farmers that they wouldn’t be undercut by cheap poultry and beef, von der Leyen told the group, according to the diplomats. An eleventh-hour turnaround from Meloni threw into disarray a self-imposed objective of signing…
Published on 18/12/2025 – 20:43 GMT+1 The head of the UN refugee agency in Lebanon said on Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their home country. The US Senate voted on Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administration of President Donald Trump temporarily lifted the penalties by executive order. Lawmakers imposed the wide-reaching Caesar Act sanctions on Syria in 2019 to punish al-Assad for human rights abuses during the country’s civil war. The vote came as part of the passage…
Running out of money For weeks, politicians have been unable to agree on which version of a financing plan they want. Belgium, in particular, has been opposed to the main plan of using Russian assets frozen in Europe. Belgium, which hosts the bulk of the funds and fears it is especially exposed to legal action or reprisals from Moscow, has consistently opposed the move. Despite weeks of painstaking negotiations over the assets, efforts to bring Belgium around appeared to be backfiring this week, according to officials. The country adamantly opposes using the Russian money held by Euroclear in Brussels, and…