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In an open letter to EU leaders, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has highlighted why Europe should strive to maintain good trade relations with both the US and China. European car giants including Mercedes-Benz and BMW have asked the European Commission to agree to a “grand bargain” with incoming US president Donald Trump, in order to protect the European car industry. The plea comes as tensions worsen between the EU and US, with the risk of an escalating trade war.Trump will be sworn in as the US president on Monday. He has already revealed that he intends to impose substantial…

And he added: “I have been clear that we would like to have discussions about a trade deal with the U.S., that we don’t accept the argument that there’s a binary choice between a reset with the EU and a deal with the U.S. and obviously the time for those decisions will be in the weeks and months to come.” While the incoming Trump administration is still formulating its trade policy, the president-elect has threatened duties of up to 20 percent on all global imports to the U.S. Some trade experts and opposition Conservative MPs argue the U.K. will need…

With environmentally destructive activities such as illegal logging and waste disposal among the largest areas of organised crime worldwide, Berlin is bankrolling a collaboration between civil society and the international police body Interpol. Germany’s environment ministry has earmarked €5m for a collaboration with the global police cooperation body Interpol and green group WWF that it says will help bolster cross-border law enforcement and protect civil society groups probing environmental crime.The three-year project, announced on Thursday (17 January) is aimed at identifying criminal activity in the areas of fishing, forestry, mining, pollution and the illegal trade in wildlife.Federal environment minister Steffi…

In Finland, restraining orders are typically issued to protect individuals from harassment, threats or unwanted contact. They can be requested to prevent the subject of the order from approaching or communicating with the petitioner. According to Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, police suspect that the man stalked Marin from the beginning of December last year until the Christmas holidays. The man had been previously charged with stalking in another case, Iltalehti reported. Marin served as Finland’s leader from 2019 to 2023, becoming the world’s youngest female prime minister. After losing an election in April 2023, she stepped down as chair of her Social…

European stock markets continued their climb, with the DAX repeatedly reaching new highs this week. Performance was driven by expectations of loosening monetary policy and strong corporate quarterly earnings. Global stock markets are poised to end the week on a positive note, buoyed by cooling inflation and robust quarterly earnings on both sides of the Atlantic. European stock markets outperformed their US counterparts, most likely because of expectations of a more accommodative policy stance from the European Central Bank compared with the Federal Reserve.The US dollar retreated from a two-year high, lifting other currencies and boosting metal prices. Global government…

Setbacks at the eleventh hour threatened to derail the agreement Thursday, with Netanyahu’s office accusing Hamas of trying to “extort last minute concessions.” Israel also launched airstrikes on Gaza overnight on Thursday after the cease-fire had been announced, killing at least 73 people, according to local authorities in Gaza. Along with the release of hostages, the deal — which arrives after 15 months of war — will allow Gazans to return to what remains of their homes and permit massive amounts of aid to flow into the ravaged territory. Israeli troops will also pull back as the fighting stops. Israel…

Exports have surged as companies and consumers rush to beat potential US tariff hikes. However, some economists say China’s economy is growing at a slower pace than official estimates show. China’s economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2024, slower than the year before but in line with Beijing’s target of “around 5%” growth, thanks to strong exports and recent stimulus measures.The economy picked up speed in the last quarter, the government reported on Friday, growing 5.4% between October and December.Exports have surged as companies and consumers rush to beat potential tariff hikes President-elect Donald Trump may impose on…

Despite all that, the Labour leader’s mind already appears to be made up that British personnel will be there in some role when the time comes. “I don’t want to get ahead of discussions about precise roles, but we will play our full part,” he said.  “Obviously there are many conversations [about] what that means. For me, what matters is that we bear in mind the principles: This has got to be enduring, it’s got to be effective and it’s got to be a deterrence because the worst of all worlds is a cessation of hostilities that isn’t enduring and…

And while they’re at it, it’s downright rude to ask about her condition, or about how she’s centralized power at the Commission, or what she has planned for her second mandate in general. Trust the process, they say, let go of your inner child’s fears and choose to believe. Or maybe that was the life coach I watched on YouTube. It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference. There’s one appointment von der Leyen did not need to cancel because of her health: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. That’s because she was never invited — unlike Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni…

Who’s in charge? What von der Leyen’s absence reveals about the EU – POLITICO Skip to main content