European Union countries on Monday gave the final seal of approval to a law to make the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions targets legally binding, as EU policymakers prepare a huge new package of policies to fight climate change. Negotiators from Parliament and EU member states reached a deal in April …
Read More »Germany seeks to ban British travellers from EU on COVID-19 variant worries: The Times
Germany will attempt to ban British travellers from the European Union regardless of whether or not they have had a vaccine, The Times reported on Monday. The German chancellor wants to designate Britain as a “country of concern” because the Delta variant of the coronavirus is so widespread, the newspaper …
Read More »EU citizens in UK to be given 28 days to apply for settled status
People who miss the June 30 settlement scheme deadline will be issued warnings to apply or risk losing their rights.
Read More »Brexit ‘madness’ will wreck UK steel industry: Tories warn
The UK government is dealing a blow to the country’s struggling steel industry in the name of Brexit and free trade, said Tory MPs in “red wall” seats, backed by the Labour party and steel industry leaders, on Saturday.
Read More »EU reaches deal on Belarus economic sanctions, according to Austria, diplomats
The European Union is set to ban new loans to Belarus after reaching a deal on Friday for economic sanctions on Minsk as punishment for forcing down a flight to arrest a journalist, the Austrian foreign ministry and three diplomats said. Broad economic sanctions would be the EU’s strongest response …
Read More »EU envoy for Afghanistan: Time running out for peace process, more efforts needed
The European Union’s envoy for Afghanistan said on Wednesday time was running out for Afghan peace negotiations and more needed to be done to boost the discussions as international forces withdraw from the war-torn nation. The Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have met in Qatar’s capital Doha over the past …
Read More »EU set to add United States to safe travel list
European Union governments agreed on Wednesday to add the United States to their list of countries from which they will allow non-essential travel, EU diplomats said. Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 countries approved the addition of the United States and five other countries at a meeting on Wednesday, with the …
Read More »After NATO, Biden turns to EU for renewal of transatlantic ties
U.S. President Joe Biden will intensify his push to renew relations with Europe on Tuesday after a summit at NATO, meeting with European Union leaders to seek a truce in trade wars and a 17-year-long aircraft subsidy dispute. Seen as another opportunity to re-set ties after four tense years with …
Read More »Ex-EU Brexit negotiator Barnier: UK reputation at stake in Brexit row
Michel Barnier, the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator, said on Monday that the reputation of the United Kingdom was at stake regarding tensions over Brexit. EU politicians have accused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of not respecting engagements made regarding Brexit. Growing tensions between Britain and the EU threatened to …
Read More »AstraZeneca shots should be halted for over-60s too – EMA official
Countries should also avoid giving the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to people over 60, the head of the EU drug regulator’s COVID-19 task force was quoted on Sunday as saying, amid fears over rare blood clotting and as more vaccines become available. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) considers the Astrazeneca shot …
Read More »EU vows to shield itself from Chinese security threats, Michel says
European Council President Charles Michel said on Thursday that the European Union was ready to stand up to aggressive actions by China and Russia, offering support to U.S. President Joe Biden on his first European tour. “We will defend ourselves against practices that pose security risks,” Michel told an online …
Read More »Brussels threatens trade war with UK over Northern Ireland Protocol
After talks in London ended without a breakthrough, European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said patience with the UK was wearing “very, very thin” The EU has threatened to launch a trade war against the UK if it fails to implement checks on goods entering Northern Ireland under the terms of …
Read More »EU, US to end trade tariffs, call for new study into COVID-19 origins, summit draft says
The leaders of the European Union and the United States are set to commit at a summit in Brussels next week to ending their transatlantic trade disputes and to call for a new study into the origins of COVID-19, according to a draft communique. The seven-page draft, seeks to show …
Read More »France suspends aid, military support for Central African Republic
France has suspended aid and military cooperation in the Central African Republic because of what it says is the government’s failure to stop “massive disinformation campaigns” against France that have targeted its officials, the armed forces ministry said. France has cut 10 million euros ($12.18 million) in budget support for …
Read More »With G7 summit the first stop, Biden embarks on 8-day trip to Europe
U.S. President Joe Biden departs for Britain on Wednesday on his first trip abroad since taking office, an eight-day mission to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties strained during the Trump era and to reframe relations with Russia. The trip represents a test of the Democratic president’s ability to manage and repair relationships …
Read More »Malta sees no new COVID cases for first time in 11 months
Malta registered no new COVID-19 cases for the first time in 11 months on Monday, but the Mediterranean island’s health minister urged people to remain careful to prevent any resurgence. “Today is the first day with zero cases since last summer,” minister Chris Fearne wrote on Twitter. “It is essential …
Read More »Biden to warn UK PM Johnson over Northern Ireland -The Times
U.S. President Joe Biden will warn British Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to renege on the Northern Ireland Brexit deal when they meet for the first time at the G7 summit this week, The Times reported on Monday, citing unidentified sources. Preserving the delicate peace in Northern Ireland without allowing …
Read More »German official rebukes Hungary for blocking EU criticism of China
Hungary’s decision to block a European Union statement criticising China’s Hong Kong policy was condemned on Friday by a senior German official, who said the bloc’s foreign policy was being undermined. “Hungary again blocked an EU statement on Hong Kong. Three weeks ago it was in the Middle East. Common …
Read More »EU and UK probe Facebook advertising data use
The European Union and Britain launched parallel competition probes on Friday into whether Facebook uses data from advertisers to unfairly dominate the online classifieds market. The US social media behemoth sells classified advertising on its Marketplace service, but also gathers data from commercial advertising that may give it an unfair …
Read More »US blacklists 3 Bulgarians, 64 companies over corruption
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 64 companies and three Bulgarians over corruption, including an oligarch accused of planning to create a conduit for Russian political leaders to influence the Bulgarian government. A statement by the Treasury Department said the move was its single biggest action targeting graft …
Read More »