Author: staff
In the absence of a consensus at European level, Slovenia is going it alone. On Thursday, it became the first EU country to ban all arms trade with Israel, including transit and imports. In a press release, the Slovenian government explicitly outlined its concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and denounced the EU’s inability to adopt such a measure because of “internal disagreements.” The decision is above all symbolic, since the Slovenian government says it has not issued any arms export permits to Israel since October 2023 because of the conflict. This decision is intended to intensify the pressure…
By Euronews Published on 05/08/2025 – 18:53 GMT+2 The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan aimed at “deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership” of the two countries, the Chinese Defence Ministry said in a statement. The Joint Sea 2025 exercises began near the Vladivostok on Sunday and are set to last three days. They include “submarine rescue, joint anti-submarine, air defence and anti-missile operations, and maritime combat,” China’s Defence Ministry said, adding that four Chinese vessels will participate in the exercises. The Chinese and Russian governments have deepened ties in recent years, with…
“We welcome the U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with equipment, including ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, and we support NATO’s coordination of this effort,” Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said. “Speed is absolutely crucial. That is why we will make our contribution available immediately,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, adding that if Kyiv shows “a need for additional funding at a later date,” Copenhagen is willing to look into that as well. The initiatives follow an agreement made last month at the White House between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and U.S. President Donald Trump, setting up the Prioritized…
EU countries, Gill added, “have insisted to us that only a negotiated solution could ensure stability and protect our shared interests. This was the view of an overwhelming majority of EU member states,” including Germany. A Commission official granted anonymity to speak freely said “only a small minority” of countries wanted to risk a trade war with the U.S. “Member states pushed for this outcome.” Klingbeil is in Washington to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Ahead of the visit, the German minister said of the trade deal: “I think we were too weak, and we cannot be satisfied with…
Published on 05/08/2025 – 16:30 GMT+2 Shortly before last year’s European elections, the parliamentary assistant of Maximilian Krah was arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for China. The news rocked Berlin and Brussels alike, as the German MEP was the lead candidate of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) party. His assistant, Jian Guo, who was dismissed shortly after his arrest, was accused of being employed by the Chinese secret services. German prosecutors allege he handed over around 500 sensitive files to China and provided information about the inner machinations of European lawmaking. Guo’s trial began in the eastern…
Published on 05/08/2025 – 16:38 GMT+2 Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer reported better-than-expected quarterly results on Tuesday and improved its predictions for full-year profits, beating Wall Street expectations. The New York-based company reported second-quarter sales of $14.7 billion (€12.74bn) and earnings per share of $0.51 (€0.44). As of around 16.00 CEST, Pfizer shares were up over 4% at $24.58. “Our business is performing well and I’m pleased with the progress we achieved in the second quarter,” chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. “We continue to be actively engaged with policymakers as we navigate a complicated and rapidly evolving geopolitical…
“Russia and its proxies are now actively focusing their efforts on the Moldovan diaspora,” National Security Adviser Stanislav Secrieru told POLITICO. “The indictment of Guțul is one of the few examples of success within a broader trend to clean up the Moldovan public space of corrupt officials,” said Oktawian Milewski, a political scientist based in Warsaw. According to him, Guțul came to power in Gagauzia after a rigged election in 2023, where politicians were giving out so-called electoral gifts containing food products and basic consumables. “The Gagauz elections of April-May 2023 served as a testing ground for what was to…
The visit comes ahead of what could be a decisive week in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected in Moscow midweek for talks. Trump has set a Friday deadline for Russia to halt its military offensive or face new economic sanctions. The diplomatic impasse shows little sign of resolution. Russia maintains its advance, and Trump has questioned the long-term impact of sanctions. According to the United Nations, over 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the conflict began.
German prosecutors have also charged an apparent accomplice, Jaqi X., who worked for a logistics company at Leipzig airport in Germany. She is suspected of providing Jian G. with information about flights, cargo, and passengers — in particular, on the transportation of military equipment and people linked to a German arms company. Jian G. was arrested in April 2024 and has remained in pretrial detention, while Jaqi X. has been in pretrial detention since September 2024. Krah, who was AfD’s top candidate for last year’s European election, is himself subject to a separate investigation over allegations that he accepted payments…
Published on 05/08/2025 – 12:32 GMT+2 The UK’s Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO) has cancelled its 2026 production of Puccini’s Tosca in Tel Aviv after almost 200 staff condemned the UK company’s “hypocrisy” on the war in Gaza, accusing it of aligning with “a government currently engaged in crimes against humanity”. In an internal message to staff, according to The Guardian, RBO chief executive Sir Alex Beard said: “We have made the decision that our new production of Tosca will not be going to Israel.” Beard acknowledged an open letter, signed by 182 members of staff, including dancers, musicians, singers,…