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The former conservative leader is accused of taking millions of euros from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 election campaign. Listen AI generated Text-to-speech Share

As the US rolls out new tariffs, the European Commission is preparing its response. The latest measures will factor in the car tariffs announced on Wednesday night, along with the reciprocal tariffs expected next week, as trade tensions between Brussels and Washington escalate. The day after the announcement of new US tariffs on car imports, the European Commission stated on Thursday that it is awaiting the US’s reciprocal tariffs, set to take effect next week, before deciding on any countermeasures.“If necessary, we will deliver firm, proportionate robust, and well calibrated and timely response to unfair and counterproductive measures from the…

Calls to reinstate compulsory military service are growing louder in Berlin’s political circles. But is drafting thousands of 18-year-olds the answer to Germany’s defence challenges? At the beginning of March, Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) defence policy spokesman Florian Hahn called for the reintroduction of compulsory military service before the end of the year. “We can’t just sit back and watch as the world around us becomes more insecure,” he told German tabloid Bild.With the German parliament approving a historic debt-financed bill for defence and infrastructure, attention is now turning to conscription. But what would…

Volkswagen, whose premium carmaker Porsche manufactures all of its models in Europe, but sells the most models in the U.S., is particularly vulnerable. But it’s not just German carmakers that will be harmed by the new tariffs. Thanks to a long-standing North American free-trade agreement, automakers and their suppliers have developed a complex supply chain with parts and cars often crossing between the U.S., Mexico and Canada multiple times before landing at a dealership. European carmakers are part of that trade. “Modern vehicle manufacturing is not confined to national borders. Automotive transatlantic value chains today are deeply interwoven,” Matthias Zink, president…

The European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, has called for more investment and ‘less red tape.’ The European Commission and Parliament are trying to tackle the housing crisis across the EU.Rising property prices combined with a shortage of available housing have made access to affordable housing for many increasingly difficult. The situation is critical. “We need more efforts to create more investments in the housing sector. We also need to look at other regulations that are today hindering that more houses are being built,” Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, told Euronews, calling for “less red tape”.Rent…

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched several long-range missiles at Israel since the ceasefire in Gaza broke down last week. Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the Houthis later confirmed firing two missiles, one allegedly hypersonic, at Ben Gurion Airport and a military site in Tel Aviv.US forces have been targeting Houthi strongholds in Yemen since 15 March, with President Donald Trump vowing to hold Iran accountable for attacks carried out by its proxies in the region. The barrage also affected commercial flights, with Italy’s ITA Airways forced to divert a flight, though it landed safely in Tel…

Parliament members and their assistants have offices at the institution’s premises in Brussels, where regular parliamentary activity takes place, as well as at the institution’s official seat in Strasbourg, France, where it holds its plenary sessions. Two offices in Brussels were already sealed and searched earlier this month and were handed back to their tenants. Belgian prosecutors are investigating whether Huawei made illegal payments to get an open letter written, signed by eight European parliamentarians, which defended the Chinese tech giant’s interests, according to judicial documents seen by POLITICO. Four people have been charged with corruption and criminal organization and…

A US team that spent nine months on Cyprus has produced a detailed report outlining specific recommendations and proposals including additional staff training, upgrading high-tech systems and amending existing legislation. Authorities in Cyprus have said they will adopt the recommendations of a security initiative developed with help from the US to fight money laundering, sanctions evasion and other financial crimes.The announcement comes after a team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was seconded to the Mediterranean island nation for nine months.The FBI team helped to train Cypriot police to identify and prosecute cases of illegal financing and attempts to evade…

Updated: 27/03/2025 – 17:52 GMT+1European leaders convened in Paris on Thursday to explore military and diplomatic strategies for bolstering Kyiv’s position in ceasefire talks with Russia amid escalating negotiations. … More Leaders from across Europe gathered in Paris on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen Kyiv’s position in ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Russia. Hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, the summit brought together nearly 30 countries, alongside NATO and EU officials.The talks come at a pivotal moment in the three-year-long conflict, as diplomatic efforts gain momentum under pressure from US President Donald Trump. Among the key…

The expansion in the last three months of 2024 was supported by a surge in consumer spending and is an improvement on previous estimates. United States’ GDP jumped by 2.4% in the last quarter of 2024, slightly higher than the 2.3% previously estimated.But it’s unclear whether the US can sustain solid growth as President Donald Trump wages trade wars, purges the federal workforce and promises mass deportations of immigrants working in the country illegally.The Commerce Department said that growth in gross domestic product decelerated from a 3.1% pace in July-September 2024.For all of 2024, the economy, the world’s biggest, grew…