Author: staff
By Lucy Davalou & AFP Published on 28/04/2026 – 18:15 GMT+2 Finland has become the first country in Europe to host a full lithium production cycle, from mine to refinery, according to the Geological Survey of Finland. The Syväjärvi open-pit mine in Kaustinen will produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide, a critical material for modern electronics, ranging from electric vehicles to smartphones. The appetite for lithium is often compared to the demand for oil at the dawn of the 20th century — and Finland holds some of Europe’s largest reserves of it. Reducing reliance on Asian and Australian imports Keliber CEO Hannu Hautala said the…
PARIS — Pour ceux qui voulaient déjà réformer le fonctionnement des commissions d’enquête, le débat autour du bienfondé de la publication du rapport de la commission sur l’audiovisuel public a apporté bien du grain à moudre. Rappel du contexte : les uns pointant le risque que le rapporteur Charles Alloncle (UDR) se victimise dans les médias Bolloré en cas de non-publication, les autres étant trop dérangés par le contenu du rapport pour accepter d’y être associés, les choses se sont finalement soldées par un petit “oui” arraché lundi 27 avril par Alloncle aux députés enquêteurs. A douze voix contre dix,…
The European Parliament will call for an increase of nearly €200 billion in the next common EU budget, setting the stage for heated political talks over resources. MEPs are calling for an overall increase of around 10% and want to keep the repayment of Next Generation EU — the joint debt issued in 2020 to address the economic impact of COVID-19 — outside of the budget. The Commission pitched €2 trillion in July last as a starting point for talks. The parliament’s position is expected to clash with EU governments, which are reluctant to increase their contributions to the multiannual…
Families from southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs were forced to flee again, setting up tents along the Beirut waterfront after renewed Israeli warnings. Footage shows makeshift shelters, families living in tents and cars, and people washing clothes as displacement continues. Some had briefly returned home during a ceasefire but were forced to leave once more. Displaced residents described destroyed neighborhoods and ongoing hardship, with many uncertain where to go next as tensions persist.
Early in the hearing, McSweeney told MPs that he “didn’t feel” he had got the whole truth back from Mandelson in those three answers. This would be political dynamite, given Starmer pressed ahead anyway. But later in the hearing, McSweeney corrected himself — saying he acquired these doubts in September, after it emerged Mandelson had been better friends with Epstein than he let on (“it was like a knife through my soul”). “I didn’t think he had lied [at the time]. I thought he had told the truth, and that was the basis of which I thought we were going…
According to one of the officials, Weyand will not work at the Secretariat-General but will be sent to the European University Institute in Florence, where she will take up a teaching position while drawing her EU salary. “It’s a three-way musical chairs game,” one EU official said, describing the cascading nature of the changes. Weyand’s departure opens the door for Ditte Juul Jørgensen, previously director-general for energy, to take over DG Trade. Jørgensen’s shift, in turn, creates a vacancy at the energy department, which has been filled by Céline Gauer, the current director-general for reform and investment. Gauer, considered a…
The European Union looks to enforce stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions from ships during high-level talks in London this week, risking a fresh clash with the United States, which last October blocked a global tax on carbon emissions. The London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) had hoped governments would back its “net-zero framework” for shipping, which would impose charges per metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted above certain limits. However, the proposal was rejected during talks at the UN maritime body last autumn, with 57 countries voting in favour of a one-year delay, including the United States, Saudi Arabia and…
British multinational oil and gas company BP’s first-quarter results were boosted by sharp swings in oil prices during the Iran war, which began on 28 February 2026. The company said that underlying replacement cost profit more than doubled to $3.2 billion (€2.7bn) in the first three months of 2026. “Underlying RC profit for the quarter was $3.2 billion, compared with $1.5 billion for the previous quarter,” the company said in a statement, adding that “compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, the underlying result reflects an exceptional oil trading contribution and stronger midstream performance.” BP’s oil trading operation posted strong…
Proposed safeguards include a “sunrise” clause, which would make the removal of the tariffs on U.S. goods contingent on scaling back American tariffs on steel products, and a “sunset” clause under which the deal would expire on March 31, 2028. “On the European side, there are some questions, [a demand for] some safeguards to be able to keep our commitments and to make sure that we can react should the United States fail to honor these commitments,” an aide to French President Emmanuel Macron said last week. France and the MEPs face opposition from a German-led majority of member countries determined…
Beijing is losing sway in Brussels as the European Commission hardens its stance on China. China hawks are gaining ground inside both the Commission’s powerful Directorate-General for Trade and in the cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen, Euronews has learned, with drastic new measures being considered to counter what is seen as unfair competition. The 27 EU commissioners are set to debate on their China strategy on 29 May, with one official saying, “It will be about acknowledging there is a problem and that something needs to be done.” Tensions flared Monday after China’s Ministry of Commerce threatened retaliation…