Author: staff

Merz, in his TV interview, referred to that comment as an “absurd observation” and suggested he may choose to raise the issue in a scheduled call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. Asked whether he would deal with Trump by using charm or straight talk, Merz said he would “openly represent” German and European positions. “Together, we are even bigger than the U.S.,” Merz said, speaking of the European Union. “The number of consumers here is greater than in America and Canada combined. So, we have something to offer here. We can do something. We are united, to a…

The European Commission referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not complying with EU laws on migrant smuggling on Wednesday, claiming in a statement that Hungary violated its obligations to impose effective sanctions for people smuggling offences.The European Commission recalled that in April 2023 Hungary adopted a government decree that converted prison sentences related to migrant smuggling into “reintegration detention”. As a consequence, more than two thousand foreign nationals left Hungarian prisons early and quit the country.”This Government Decree undermines the objective to effectively tackle migrant smuggling, the deterrent factor of the EU Facilitators legislation…

The US trade deficit soared to a record $140.5 billion (€123.6bn) in March as consumers and businesses alike tried to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s latest and most sweeping tariffs — with federal data showing an enormous stockpiling of pharmaceutical products.The deficit — which measures the gap between the value of goods and services the US sells abroad against what it buys — has roughly doubled over the last year. In March 2024, that gap was just under $68.6bn (€60.3bn), according to the US Department of Commerce. According to federal data released on Tuesday, US exports for goods and…

The Pulitzer Prizes, which honour excellence in journalism, literary achievements and musical composition, have named this year’s winners.Percival Everett’s novel “James,” the American author’s radical reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of the enslaved title character, has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.Everett’s Pulitzer has accelerated the 68-year-old author’s remarkable rise after decades of being little known to the general public.  Since 2021, he has won the PEN/Jean Stein Award for “Dr. No,” was a Pulitzer finalist for “Telephone” and on the Booker shortlist for “The Trees.” Before Monday, “James” had already won the National Book…

The Israeli system of distributing aid “does not appear to be compatible with the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and would not allow for the unconditional and unhindered distribution of aid to people in need.” Veldkamp went on to demand a review of Israel’s compliance with the association agreement, saying: “I withhold the support of the Netherlands for extending the EU-Israel Action Plan pending a review of Article 2.” The EU-Israel Action Plan, which aims to implement the association agreement, requires unanimous support from all 27 EU countries to renew. The Action Plan came up for renewal in…

Ursula von der Leyen has ruled out, in no uncertain terms, the possibility of resuming purchases of Russian fossil fuels after the conclusion of the war in Ukraine, warning that doing so would represent a “mistake of historic dimensions” for Europe.”To be very clear: the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe is coming to an end,” the president of the European Commission said on Wednesday morning as she addressed lawmakers in Strasbourg.Her categorical refusal comes amid Donald Trump’s push to strike a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, an effort that has seen the White House embrace many of…

Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 59 people, including women and children, hospital officials have said as Israel prepares to ramp up its campaign against Hamas militants.The strikes included an attack on Tuesday night on a school sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians, which killed 27 people, officials from the Al-Aqsa Hospital said, including nine women and three children.It was the fifth time since the war began that the school in central Gaza has been struck.An early morning strike on another school turned shelter in Gaza City killed 16 people, according to officials at Al-Ahli Hospital, while strikes on…

The strange reproductive habits of a large, carnivorous New Zealand snail were once shrouded in mystery. Now footage of the snail laying an egg from its neck has been captured for the first time, the country’s conservation agency said on Wednesday.What looks like a tiny hen’s egg is seen emerging from an opening below the head of the Powelliphanta augusta snail, a threatened species endemic to New Zealand.The video was taken at a facility on the South Island’s West Coast, where conservation rangers attempting to save the species from extinction have cared for a population of the snails in chilled containers…

Following the bombshell announcement made by Donald Trump earlier this week stating he would be athorising 100 per cent tariffs on films made outside the US, the president seems to have softened his plans. Maybe.  Trump previously wrote that: “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything…

He added: “What president ever talks like that? That’s not who we are.” Trump used the February meeting in the Oval Office to accuse Ukraine’s president of being insufficiently grateful for American support. The meeting ended without an agreement, though the pair later met at Pope Francis’ funeral and the two countries have now agreed a minerals deal. Biden branded Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine “modern day appeasement.” “Listen to what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said when he talked about going from Kyiv into Ukraine. And why. He believes it’s part of mother Russia,” Biden added. Amid signs…