- MEP’s urge Greece to do more to investigate spyware scandal | Politics News | Al Jazeera
- Europe’s climate warming at twice rate of global average, says report • Trend of faster warming over last 30 years likely to cause exceptional heat, wildfires and floods, warn scientists
- Danish election paves way for centrist government: exit poll • Incumbent PM Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats lose majority, but could lead with support from new Moderate party.
- A massive barrage of Russian cruise missile and drone strikes hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities, knocking out water and power supplies in apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet.
- Russia suspends Ukraine grain deal after attack on Sevastopol naval base • Move comes after assault by airborne and underwater drones in which flagship may be been damaged
- The invisible migration crisis on von der Leyen’s doorstep • Numbers are reaching 2015 crisis levels again, and are likely to rise further. But will the EU act in time?
- Πώς η υπόθεση της 12χρονης συνδέεται με τη Greek Police Mafia • Το Reporters United αποκαλύπτει σοβαρά τεκμήρια που συνδέουν τον οίκο ανοχής στον οποίο εκδιδόταν η 12χρονη με την υπόθεση της Greek Mafia. Η φερόμενη ως ιδιοκτήτρια συνέλεγε την περίοδο 2015-2016, σύμφωνα με το πόρισμα της ΕΥΠ βάσει του οποίου παραπέμφθηκε σε δίκη, τα χρήματα της «προστασίας» οίκων ανοχής, προστασία την οποία παρείχε αστυνομικός διευθυντής, πρώην στέλεχος της Αντιτρομοκρατικής. Όσο για το «studio», η αστυνομία το άφηνε να λειτουργεί παράνομα, ενώ είχε σφραγιστεί από τον Ιανουάριο του 2020.
- China using illegal police bases in Netherlands to target dissidents • Dutch government investigating ‘undeclared’ stations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, claimed to be part of global network. Most were located in Europe, the report said, including nine in Spain, four in Italy, three in France, two in the Netherlands and two in the UK, in London and Glasgow. It said part of their purpose was to “persuade” dissidents to return to China.
- Rishi Sunak pledges to fix Truss' 'mistakes' after becoming third UK (United Kingdom) PM in seven weeks • Rishi Sunak officially became Britain’s third prime minister in seven week, acknowledging that “mistakes were made” by his predecessor as he sought to bring stability to the UK after months of political and economic turmoil.
- Thousands protest in Germany demanding solidarity in energy relief • Tens of thousands of protesters in six German cities gathered on Saturday to demand a more just distribution of government funds to deal with rising energy prices and living costs and a faster transition away from fossil fuels.
- EU leaders hail breakthrough in gas cap plan to tackle energy crisis • Prices fall 7% after member states agree to finalise details on proposals to lower costs for households and businesses
- Netherlands joins Spain and Poland in move to quit energy treaty • the international energy treaty gives multinationals the power to sue governments if they believe their assets are under threat from legislation or policy changes.
- United Kingdom: Liz Truss resigns as PM and triggers fresh leadership election • Truss says she will step down after a week-long emergency contest to find successor
- United Kingdom: There's fury and confusion among Conservative MPs after chaotic scenes in Parliament during a vote on fracking • Angry discussions took place amid uncertainty over whether it was being treated as a vote of confidence in the prime minister • A Labour MP said he had seen a Tory MP "manhandled", though the MP in question said it was nothing more than a "robust conversation" • Earlier, Suella Braverman resigned as home secretary and criticised PM Liz Truss in a blistering resignation letter
- Russian President Vladimir Putin declared martial law Wednesday in the four regions of Ukraine that Moscow annexed and gave all regional governors in Russia emergency powers that open the door for sweeping new restrictions throughout the country.
- Ukraine's power, water supplies under Russian attack again • Airstrikes cut power and water supplies to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians on Tuesday, part of what the country’s president called an expanding Russian campaign to drive the nation into the cold and dark and make peace talks impossible. • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said nearly one-third of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed in the past week, “causing massive blackouts across the country.”
- Thousands of people took to the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest against soaring prices as weeks of strikes for higher wages at oil refineries spurred demands for a general strike. • The leader of hard-left party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), Jean-Luc Melenchon, marched alongside this year's Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Annie Ernaux. He called a general strike for Tuesday.
- EU report: Frontex covered up migrant pushbacks from Greece • A much-anticipated report by the European Union’s anti-fraud watchdog into the EU border agency Frontex has concluded that Frontex employees were involved in covering up the illegal pushbacks of migrants from Greece to Turkey in violation of their “fundamental rights.”
- Swedish parties agree coalition with backing of far-right • Prospective prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, says three parties will cooperate with the Sweden Democrats
- UK's Truss drops tax cuts, axes Treasury chief amid turmoil • Embattled British Prime Minister Liz Truss sacked her Treasury chief and reversed course on a major part of her tax-cutting economic plan Friday as she struggled to hang on to her job after weeks of turmoil on financial markets. But the market response was muted and the political reaction to what many saw as panicked moves left Truss’ credibility in tatters after only six weeks in office.
- Animal populations experience average decline of almost 70% since 1970, report reveals • Huge scale of human-driven loss of species demands urgent action, say world’s leading scientists
- Why DER SPIEGEL Is Publishing the EU Investigative Report on Pushbacks • The EU border agency Frontex has sought to cover up human rights violations for several years, but an investigation by the European anti-fraud office OLAF has exposed the treatment of refugees at Europe's frontiers. DER SPIEGEL is publishing the report in its entirety.
- Almost 70% of animal populations wiped out since 1970, report reveals • Huge scale of human-driven loss of species demands urgent action, say world’s leading scientists
- France orders oil staff back to work amid fuel strikes • Despite a deal, strikes continue, which Élisabeth Borne says the government ‘cannot accept.’ •
- Why Europe’s defense industry can’t keep up • Billions in new defense spending is here, but European firms don’t have the supply, coordination or speed to match the war-time demand.
- Russia retaliated Monday for an attack on a critical bridge by unleashing its most widespread strikes against Ukraine in months, a lethal barrage that smashed civilian targets, knocked out power and water, shattered buildings and killed at least 14 people.
- Austrian president secures re-election with clear win, avoiding runoff • Former leader of the Greens has projected calm in crises • Incumbent won a much tighter race in 2016 • Closest rival was from far right, as in previous election • Neither main centrist party fielded a candidate
- The cartel, the journalist and the gangland killings that rocked the Netherlands • In a country known for its liberal drugs policies, organised crime operated for years under the public’s nose – until a series of shocking killings revealed how deep the problem went
- France's nuclear-heavy energy strategy faces big problems this winter • A long-standing source of national pride, France generates roughly 70% of its electricity from a nuclear fleet of 56 reactors, all operated by state-owned utility EDF. • In recent months, however, more than half of EDF's nuclear reactors have been shut down for corrosion problems, maintenance and technical issues.
- European Parliament passes legislation introducing universal charger • New law would make USB type-C the standard port for most devices.
- Borissov leads in Bulgaria’s election but faces battle to form a government • No clear end is in sight to the Balkan nation’s protracted political crisis.
- Russia withdraws troops after Ukraine encircles key city • After being encircled by Ukrainian forces, Russia pulled troops out Saturday from an eastern Ukrainian city that it had been using as a front-line hub. It was the latest victory for the Ukrainian counteroffensive that has humiliated and angered the Kremlin.
- ‘This is hell’: two years and no power in Europe’s largest shantytown • In the Cañada Real, close to Madrid, Spain, residents adapt to survive, but there is fear as they look ahead to winter
- Sweden resumes arms exports to Turkey after NATO membership bid | Reuters
- Europe agrees to oil and gas windfall tax amid 'insane race' to tame energy crisis • EU governments agreed Friday to tax the windfall profits of oil and gas companies and to cap the revenues of some electricity generators as the cost of Europe’s energy crisis spirals higher. But energy ministers from the 27 EU member states failed to reach an agreement on a proposal by the European Commission to impose a price cap on imports of Russian natural gas.
- Europe agrees to oil and gas windfall tax amid 'insane race' to tame energy crisis | CNN Business
- Putin announces illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions, pledging people there will be Russian 'forever' | CNN
- Germany will borrow $200 billion to cap consumers' energy bills • The German government announced plans to borrow €200 billion ($195 billion) to cap natural gas prices for households and businesses.
- To Calm Markets, Bank of England Will Buy Bonds on ‘Whatever Scale Is Necessary’ • The purchases are designed “to restore orderly market conditions,” the central bank said, after days of turmoil that followed the government’s plan for sweeping tax cuts and higher borrowing.
- Blasts precede Baltic pipeline leaks, sabotage seen likely • Denmark said Tuesday it believed “deliberate actions” by unknown perpetrators were behind big leaks — which seismologists said followed powerful explosions — in two natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
- Swiss voters support increase in women's retirement age • Swiss have voted in favor of the proposal by a narrow margin in a referendum. Another proposal, on a factory farming ban (imposing stricter regulations on livestock farming), failed to pass.
- Italy's right wing, led by Meloni, wins election, exit polls say • Rightist bloc set for majority in both houses-exit polls • Meloni would be country's first woman prime minister • Early vote follows collapse of Draghi government
- As Russian Losses Mount in Ukraine, Putin Gets More Involved in War Strategy • The Russian president has rejected requests from commanders in the field that they be allowed to retreat from Kherson, a vital city in Ukraine’s south.
- Where Online Hate Speech Can Bring the Police to Your Door • Battling far-right extremism, Germany has gone further than any other Western democracy to prosecute individuals for what they say online, testing the limits of free speech on the internet.
- Pound sinks as investors question huge tax cuts • The pound has fallen to a fresh 37-year low against the dollar as financial markets reacted to the biggest tax cutting moves in 50 years. • UK stocks also dropped after chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng outlined a series of tax cuts and economic measures in a massive shake-up of the country's finances.
- Germany is nationalizing Uniper, its biggest importer of natural gas, as part of an €8 billion ($7.9 billion) plan to prevent an energy shortage this winter.
- Denmark offers ‘loss and damage’ funding to poorer countries for climate breakdown • Denmark ‘gets ball rolling’ at UN ahead of protests as poor nations call for greater collective commitment
- Putin sets partial military call-up, won’t ‘bluff’ on nukes • Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists in Russia on Wednesday, risking a deeply unpopular step that follows a string of humiliating setbacks for his troops nearly seven months after invading Ukraine. • The Russian leader, in a seven-minute televised address to the nation aired Wednesday morning, also warned the West that he isn’t bluffing over using all the means at his disposal to protect Russia’s territory, in what appeared to be a veiled reference to Russia’s nuclear capability. • In his address, which was far shorter than previous speeches about the Ukraine war, Putin accused the West of engaging in “nuclear blackmail” and noted “statements of some high-ranking representatives of the leading NATO states about the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia.”
- Four occupied Ukraine regions plan imminent ‘votes’ on joining Russia • ‘Referendum’ announcements in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson may indicate move to annex territories
- Brussels calls for €7.5B EU funding cut from Hungary over rule of law concerns | Euronews
- Russian retreat from Izyum reveals mass graves and horrors of occupation • Ukrainian officials now back in control of the city worked to unearth evidence of those potential war crimes.
- Explainer: How margin calls came to threaten Europe's energy firms • Producers sell some of their power years in advance, but they have to pay a security deposit. These deposits have risen sharply in line with prices and now companies need at least 1.5 trillion euros to cover the cost.
- Hungary is no longer a full democracy, says European parliament • MEPs back resolution stating country led by Viktor Orbán has become ‘hybrid regime of electoral autocracy’
- Exclusive: As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide • Vladimir Putin's chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia's demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and pressed ahead with his military campaign, according to three people close to the Russian leadership.
- E.U. Scores Major Legal Victory Against Google • A court rejected Google’s appeal of a record-setting antitrust fine related to Android and online search.
- Former Soviet states eye opportunities as Russia suffers Ukraine rout • Moscow’s influence in the Caucasus and central Asia is being unravelled by its ‘special military operation’
- Right-wing bloc wins narrow majority in Swedish parliament • A right-wing bloc that includes a nationalist anti-immigration party won a narrow majority in Sweden’s parliament Wednesday. It was a major political shift in the Scandinavian country that had a decades-long history of welcoming refugees, but is grappling with a crime wave linked with immigration.
- The Critical Moment Behind Ukraine’s Rapid Advance • The strategy behind Ukraine’s rapid military gains in recent days began to take shape months ago during a series of intense conversations between Ukrainian and U.S. officials about the way forward in the war against Russia, according to American officials.
- World heading into ‘uncharted territory of destruction’, says climate report | Climate science | The Guardian
- About 100 troops killed in clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan | Armenia | The Guardian
- Ukraine retakes territory in Kharkiv region as Russian front crumbles • Moscow-installed official acknowledges rapid Ukraine advance • Offensive could shut Russian supply lines -military analysts • Zelenskiy says fierce battles continue in Donbas and south
- US: Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians forced to Russia • The U.S. said Wednesday it has evidence that “hundreds of thousands” of Ukrainian citizens have been interrogated, detained and forcibly deported to Russia in “a series of horrors” overseen by officials from Russia’s presidency.
- New UK leader vows to tackle energy crisis, ailing economy • Liz Truss became U.K. prime minister on Tuesday and immediately faced up to the enormous tasks ahead of her: curbing soaring prices, boosting the economy, easing labor unrest and fixing a national health care system burdened by long waiting lists and staff shortages.
- EXCLUSIVE EU, U.S. step up Russian aluminium, nickel imports since Ukraine war • The European Union and United States have ramped up buying key industrial metals from Russia, data showed, despite logistical problems spurred by the war in Ukraine and tough talk about starving Moscow of foreign exchange revenue.
- Chile's Boric tries to turn page after constitution fails | AP News
- Irish watchdog fines Instagram 405M euros in teen data case • Irish regulators are slapping Instagram with a big fine after an investigation found the social media platform mishandled teenagers’ personal information in violation of strict European Union data privacy rules.
- Russia will not resume gas supplies to Europe until sanctions lifted, says Moscow • Kremlin blames western sanctions for failure to deliver gas through Nord Stream 1 pipeline
- Russia Privately Warns of Deep and Prolonged Economic Damage • Confidential document contrasts with upbeat public statements • Report says key sectors face sharp drop in output, brain drain
- Far-right French 'finishing school' educating its leaders of tomorrow - CNN
- Germany announces €65bn package to curb soaring energy costs • Germany has announced a €65bn (£56.2bn) package of measures to ease the threat of rising energy costs, as Europe struggles with scarce supplies after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- Energy citizenship: Europe’s communities forging a low-carbon future | Energy • From solar panels to biomass burners, boom in green initiatives seen as vital to achieving EU climate targets
- Nord Stream 1: Gazprom announces indefinite shutdown of pipeline • Russian energy company had been due to resume gas delivery to Germany on Saturday morning
- COVID: EU regulator approves BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna vaccines against omicron | News | DW | 01.09.2022
- Insiders reveal how Erdogan tamed Turkey's newsrooms • From an office tower in Ankara, Turkish officials shape the nation's news, media insiders say – always to President Tayyip Erdogan's advantage.
- In pictures: Swiss glaciers have shrunk by half in 85 years - and the melt is speeding up | Euronews
- 'Pre-bunking' shows promise in fight against misinformation | AP News
- Macron warns France of 'the end of abundance' and tough times ahead • After a summer marked by drought, massive wildfires and the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a stark speech on Wednesday at the first cabinet meeting following the summer holiday break, warning of tough months ahead as the world faces a possible "end of abundance".
- Europe's drought the worst in 500 years - report - Two-thirds of Europe is under some sort of drought warning, in what is likely the worst such event in 500 years. The latest report from the Global Drought Observatory says 47% of the continent is in "warning" conditions, meaning soil has dried up. Another 17% is on alert - meaning vegetation "shows signs of stress".
- Dry rivers: Traffic backed up on Rhine as engine failure worsens woes • Rivers and lakes across Europe are suffering from low water levels, affecting transport, electricity production, wildlife and farming. Now, traffic on the Rhine has been blocked by a ship's engine failure.
- Scotland becomes the first country to make access to free period products a legal right | Euronews
- Driver walkout halts trains as UK summer strike wave spreads • Thousands of U.K. train drivers walked off the job Saturday in a strike over jobs, pay and conditions, scuppering services across much of the country. The action was the latest in a spreading series of strikes by British workers seeking substantial raises to offset soaring prices for food and fuel.
- Poland: 'Huge' amounts of chemical waste dumped into river | AP News
- Police brutality in Germany: Killing of 16-year-old sparks debate • Four police operations, four deaths, one week. Germany is once again discussing police violence and racism. The latest victim was a 16-year-old refugee who was shot with a machine gun.
- Sweden's government has decided to extradite a man to Turkey wanted for fraud, it said on Thursday, the first case since Turkey demanded a number of people extradited in return for allowing Stockholm to formally apply for NATO membership.
- Greece to exit EU's 'enhanced surveillance' framework after 12 years | Reuters
- Ukraine’s long-awaited southern counteroffensive begins with a bang in Crimea • While careful not to confirm — or deny — that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the explosions that rocked a Russian airbase, two government officials said the blast marks the start of a major counterattack.
- Norway set to curb electricity exports in blow to European energy supplies • Lack of rainfall has hit Nordic country’s production of hydroelectric power
- Drought conditions hit 60% of European Union and UK land - CNN
- Greece's intelligence chief resigns amid spyware scandal • The head of Greece’s intelligence service and the general secretary of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ office have resigned amid a scandal involving the targeting of the head of an opposition party and a journalist with spyware.
- Bank of England launches biggest interest rate hike in 27 years
- Greek intelligence service admits spying on journalist - sources • The head of Greek intelligence told a parliamentary committee his agency had spied on a journalist, two sources present said, in a disclosure that coincides with growing pressure on the government to shed light on the use of surveillance malware.
- Fiscal Policy Should Return to Fundamentals by Kenneth Rogoff • The longstanding argument that go-go Keynesian fiscal stimulus is the answer to every imaginable economic shock has been exposed as bankrupt. Nevertheless, readjustment of both monetary and fiscal policy needs to take place gradually if we are to avoid an epic recession.
- Russia-Ukraine updates: First grain shipment leaves Odesa • A shipment of grain has left Ukraine — the first such cargo since an agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. It's hoped that more will follow. Meanwhile, the US has announced a new weapons package. DW rounds up the latest.
- Frontex Scandal: Classified Report Reveals Full Extent of Cover-Up • The EU’s anti-fraud office has found that the European border agency covered up and helped to finance illegal pushbacks of asylum-seekers in Greece. The report, which DER SPIEGEL has obtained, puts pressure on the EU Commission – and could also spell trouble for Frontex's new leadership.
- Mediterranean ecosystem suffering ‘marine wildfire’ as temperatures peak • Parts of Mediterranean are 6C warmer than usual for time of year due to global heating, say scientists
- Macron hosts Saudi Arabia’s ‘bone saw’ prince • Campaigners say there’s ‘no excuse’ for giving Mohammed bin Salman dinner at the Elysée, as Europe scrambles for oil.
- Senior European Parliament Member Nikos Androulakis Targeted as Spyware Abuse Spreads • The attempted hack of a Greek opposition party PASOK leader is the first aimed at a European Parliament member to be detected, but he has plenty of company among politicians, journalists and dissidents.
- Factbox: Ukraine's sovereign and corporate debt crunch • the government, squeezed by rising defense costs and dwindling tax revenue, asking creditors to defer payments on its sovereign international bonds. • some state-owned agencies and enterprises, as well as private companies are asking, creditors for a payment freeze.
- EU agrees to cut natural gas use amid Russian supply fears • European Union governments agreed Tuesday to reduce consumption of natural gas this winter to protect themselves against any further supply cuts by Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, although the measure contains exemptions for some countries. • EU energy ministers approved a draft European law designed to lower demand for gas by 15% from August through March. The legislation entails voluntary national steps to reduce gas consumption, but if that does not yield enough savings, mandatory actions in the 27-member bloc would be triggered.
- Eurozone crisis in reverse as southern states scold Germany over gas • Analysis: Southern European countries were unwilling to sign up to homogenous 15% cut in gas • A decade after its government admonished southern European states to “do their homework” of painful fiscal changes to end a sovereign debt crisis, Germany is slowly adapting to the humbling reality of being worst-in-class when it comes to reliance on Russian gas.
- 'A beacon of hope': Ukraine, Russia sign grain export deal • Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for the export of millions of tons of desperately needed Ukrainian grain — as well as some Russian grain and fertilizer — across the Black Sea. The long-sought deal ends a wartime standoff that has threatened food security around the globe.
- Italian president dissolves parliament after PM Draghi′s resignation • President Sergio Mattarella has dissolved Italy's parliament. The move comes after several key parties refused to form a coalition with Prime Minister Mario Draghi, prompting his resignation.
- Little evidence that chemical imbalance causes depression, UCL scientists find • Scientists have called into question the widespread use of antidepressants after a major review found “no clear evidence” that low serotonin levels are responsible for depression.
- Portugal reports more than 1,000 heat-related deaths | Reuters
- 'Historic moment': EU opens accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia
- Russia's Gazprom has told customers in Europe it cannot guarantee gas supplies because of "extraordinary" circumstances, according to a letter seen by Reuters, upping the ante in an economic tit-for-tat with the West over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. • The Russian state gas monopoly said in a letter dated July 14 that it was retroactively declaring force majeure on supplies from June 14. The news comes as Nord Stream 1, the key pipeline delivering Russian gas to Germany and beyond, is undergoing 10 days of annual maintenance scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
- North Macedonia votes to end dispute with Bulgaria, clears way for EU talks • Lawmakers in North Macedonia on Saturday passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria and clearing the way to long-due European Union membership talks.
- Heatwave scorches Europe; health warnings issued • WMO issues warning on air quality in towns and cities • UK declares first red heat warning for Monday, Tuesday • Wildfires ablaze in France, Spain and Portugal
- Pushbacks: For more than a decade, migrants and refugees making the sea crossing from Turkey to Greece have suffered egregious and well-documented violence at the EU’s southeastern frontier, including forced detention, arbitrary arrest, beatings and non-assistance. • Since March 2020, a new method of violent and illegal deterrence has been practiced. Migrants and refugees crossing the Aegean Sea describe being intercepted within Greek territorial waters, or arrested after they arrive on Greek shores, beaten, stripped of their possessions, and then forcefully loaded onto life rafts with no engine and left to drift back to the Turkish coast. • This interactive cartographic platform hosts evidence of 1,018 drift-backs in the Aegean Sea
- 'No, Mario', Italian president urges PM Draghi not to quit • Italian PM Draghi announced he was to resign after the 5-Star Movement didn't back him in a confidence vote over his plan to combat soaring prices. • Italy's president Mattarella rejected the resignation, asking him to instead address parliament to get a clearer picture of the political situation
- The euro and the US dollar are at parity for first time in 20 years • or the first time in 20 years, the exchange rate between the euro (EUU) and the US dollar has reached parity -- meaning the two currencies are worth the same.
- Europe suffers under major heatwave, faces drought and wildfires • Large parts of Europe are bracing for a major heatwave this week, with temperatures expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius across southern and western parts of the continent.
- Uber broke laws, duped police and secretly lobbied governments, leak reveals • More than 124,000 confidential documents leaked to the Guardian • Files expose attempts to lobby Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and George Osborne • Emmanuel Macron secretly aided Uber lobbying in France, texts reveal • Company used ‘kill switch’ during raids to stop police seeing data • Former Uber CEO told executives ‘violence guarantees success’
- UN: Russia and Ukraine are both to blame for nursing home attack • Russian forces assaulted the nursing home trapping elderly and disabled patients without water or electricity. • A few days earlier, Ukrainian soldiers took up positions inside the nursing home, effectively making it a target.
- Estonian PM reaches agreement to regain majority in parliament | Reuters
- Water scarcity: EU countries forced to restrict drinking water access • Severe droughts and scarce rain have forced water restrictions in southern European countries. Climate change is making itself felt across the continent.
- EU Parliament Adopts Landmark Regulation of Internet Platforms • Robust Implementation Needed to Ensure Translation into Rights Protection
- North Macedonia: Protesters clash with police over Bulgarian demands • Nearly 50 police officers have been injured in North Macedonia after France pitched a proposal to incorporate Bulgaria's demands on language and cultural identity into Macedonia's constitution.
- France plans full nationalisation of power utility EDF, says Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, in a move that would give the government more control over a restructuring of the debt-laden group while contending with a European energy crisis.
- Suspect confesses to killing Malta journalist • The man accused of detonating a car bomb that killed a prominent Maltese journalist has confessed to the crime in an interview with a Reuters reporter and says he will soon implicate others in plotting to assassinate her.
- UK PM Boris Johnson loses two ministers in grave blow • Two resignations deal grave blow for Johnson • Other senior ministers show their support • Junior ministers also quit • Zahawi named new finance minister
- ECB top shareholder Germany lays out conditions for aid to indebted states | Reuters
- Spain and Portugal suffering driest climate for 1,200 years, research shows • Effects of human-caused global heating are blocking vital winter rains, with severe implications for farming and tourism
- Italy on Monday declared a state of emergency for areas surrounding the river Po, which accounts for roughly a third of the country's agricultural production and is suffering its worst drought for 70 years.
- Germany records first monthly trade deficit since 1991 as inflation soars • May’s €1bn deficit came as rising prices, falling demand and supply chain disruption hit industrial base
- Russia claims control of pivotal eastern Ukrainian province of Luhansk, after Ukrainian forces withdraw from Lysychansk, their last stronghold there
- North Macedonia backs compromise plan with Bulgaria, opening the way for EU membership • PM had called a French-led compromise ‘unacceptable’ but has now performed a U-turn.
- The European Commission has been unable to find the text messages exchanged between president Ursula von der Leyen and the boss of giant pharmaceutical company Pfizer, the EU executive said. Last year, the New York Times revealed that von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla had been exchanging texts and calls for months to seal a deal for 1.8 billion doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. The messages were then requested by journalist Alexander Fanta. But the commission's refusal to grant access to these communications prompted the EU ombudsman Emily O'Reilly to criticise how the commission handled this freedom of information request.
- EU countries reach deal on climate laws after late-night talks • EU countries reach deals on package of green policies • Countries agree to support 2035 fossil fuel car ban • Compromise on fund to shield citizens from CO2 costs • EU countries and Parliament will now negotiate final laws
- Turkey lifts veto on Finland, Sweden joining NATO, clearing path for expansion • Leaders of Turkey, Finland, Sweden held talks in Madrid • Sweden, Finland, Turkey sign goodwill memorandum • Invitation to join to be made during NATO summit • Western strategic shift after Russian invasion of Ukraine
- “We were slaves” - The Greek police are using foreigners as “slaves” to forcibly return asylum seekers to Turkey
- Οι Σκλάβοι του Έβρου: Πώς το ελληνικό κράτος στρατολογεί μετανάστες για τη βρόμικη δουλειά των pushbacks • Το ελληνικό κράτος συναλλάσσεται με διακινητές για να εισάγει στον Έβρο παράτυπους μετανάστες, με αποκλειστικό σκοπό να τους αναθέσει τη βρόμικη δουλειά των pushbacks, της βίαιης επαναπροώθησης χιλιάδων αιτούντων ασύλου: Οι «σκλάβοι», όπως αποκαλούν τον εαυτό τους, δουλεύουν σε μεθοριακά αστυνομικά τμήματα απ’ όπου δρουν, συχνά με τη χρήση βίας, κατά των συμπατριωτών τους, περνώντας τους τη νύχτα στην τουρκική όχθη του ποταμού. Η πολύμηνη έρευνα του Lighthouse Reports, της Monde, του Spiegel, του ARD και του Guardian, αποκλειστικά στην Ελλάδα από το Reporters United.
- Italy's centre left won the majority of a set of local election run-offs, results showed on Monday, undermining the centre-right in several cities where the bloc has historically been a favourite.
- Realists Saw the Ukraine Crisis Coming • Why Do People Hate Realism So Much? • The school of thought doesn’t explain everything—but its proponents foresaw the potential for conflict over Ukraine long before it erupted.
- Long COVID Could Be a ‘Mass Deterioration Event’ • A tidal wave of chronic illness could leave millions of people incrementally worse off.
- A Golden Decade of Deep Learning: Computing Systems & Applications • The past decade has seen tremendous progress in the field of artificial intelligence thanks to the resurgence of neural networks through deep learning. In this essay, I examine the reasons for this progress, including the confluence of progress in computing hardware designed to accelerate machine learning and the emergence of open-source software frameworks to dramatically expand the set of people who can use machine learning effectively. I also present a broad overview of some of the areas in which machine learning has been applied over the past decade. Finally, I sketch out some likely directions from which further progress in artificial intelligence will come.
- European Union makes Ukraine a candidate for EU membership • The European Union agreed Thursday to put Ukraine on a path toward EU membership, acting with uncharacteristic speed and unity to pull the embattled country further away from Russia’s influence and bind it more closely to the West. Meeting at a summit in Brussels, leaders of the EU’s 27 nations mustered the required unanimous approval to grant Ukraine candidate status. That sets in motion a membership process that could take years or even decades.
- Lysychansk: Ukraine may have endured its worst week since the fall of Mariupol - CNN
- Bulgarian government loses no-confidence vote, early elections loom • Disputes over fiscal policy as inflation soared • Government had strong NATO stance • Petkov hopes for defections to form new government
- Russia threatens ‘serious consequences’ as Lithuania blocks rail goods • Row escalates over Vilnius’s refusal to allow steel and iron ore to cross Russian exclave of Kaliningrad
- Unprecedented heatwave cooks western Europe, with temperatures hitting 43 degrees Celsius | Euronews
- French election: Macron loses absolute majority in parliament in 'democratic shock', well short of the 289 seats needed • Initial results point to hung parliament • Leftwing alliance seen as main opposition group • Far-right scores major wins
- 'Heart breaking' - Brussels dashes Georgia's hopes of timely EU accession • European Commission president Ursula von der Layen announced Friday that Georgia would only move to EU membership candidate status after addressing certain priorities.
- Η απειλή της «προσφυγικής αγέλης» • Τεκμήρια διαχρονικής συνέχειας του αντιπροσφυγικού ρατσισμού
- Greece, Turkey vie for US goods — at the other’s expense • Athens wants to be known as the ‘reliable and predictable ally,’ while Ankara is offering a ready military and connections beyond the West.
- The rule of law is sinking in Greek waters • The government can’t, in good faith, continue to ignore pushback allegations — and it must act now.
- On Russia, Europe Weighs Competing Goals: Peace and Punishment • Arming Ukraine is not turning the tide. Is the answer vastly more weapons, as Ukraine says, or a bitter truce?
- Controversial UK deportation flight to Rwanda grounded after all asylum-seekers removed. • The inaugural flight of a controversial UK government scheme to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda was stopped on Tuesday at the eleventh hour, after an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
- UK reveals plans to ditch parts of EU Brexit deal • It wants to change the Northern Ireland Protocol to make it easier for some goods to flow from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The government is promising to remove "unnecessary" paperwork on goods checks and that businesses in Northern Ireland will get the same tax breaks as those elsewhere in the UK. The bill will also ensure that any trade disputes are resolved by "independent arbitration" and not by the European Court of Justice, it adds.
- President Emmanuel Macron faces a tough fight to win an absolute majority in France's parliament that would allow him to govern with a free hand after a strong showing by a new left-wing alliance in Sunday's first-round election. • Hard-left NUPES bloc led by Jean-Luc Melenchon and Macron neck and neck in initial estimates • Lowest turnout under the Fifth Republic
- Sweden's government survives confidence vote amid NATO tensions with Turkey and surging crime in the country.
- Famine risk rises in Somalia as rains fail, food prices soar, U.N. says | Reuters
- Russian parliament votes to break with European Court of Human Rights | Reuters
- Weakened UK leader Boris Johnson survives no-confidence vote • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a substantial rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader with an uncertain future. • Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Conservative lawmakers in a secret ballot, more than the simple majority needed to remain in power, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs.
- Russia isn’t alone in stealing food — the EU does it too • Evidence suggests the bloc’s fleets have been fishing without permission — and it’s time they stop.
- EXPLAINER: What is behind Turkey's Syria incursion threats?
- Spain to grant more work visas to combat labour shortages • Spain plans to relax work permit rules for foreigners, its social security and migration minister said on Friday, to address labour shortages in industries such as tourism and construction that threaten its economic recovery.
- Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas removed her junior coalition partner from government on Friday and proposed forming a new coalition with two smaller parties with the next election not scheduled until March 2023. • "The security situation in Europe does not give me any opportunity to continue cooperating with the Centre Party, which is unable to put Estonia's interests above those of its party and its various wings," Kallas said • The Centre Party, popular among Russian-speakers, has lost supporters and now stands at 16%
- UN says Yemen’s warring parties agree to renew truce • The United Nations said Thursday that Yemen’s warring parties have agreed to renew a nationwide truce for another two months. The development offered a glimmer of hope for the country, plagued by eight years of civil war — though significant obstacles remain to lasting peace.
- Denmark votes to scrap EU defense opt-out • Almost 67%voted in favor while 33% were opposed • Russia’s war in Ukraine prompts Danes to ditch skepticism about closer security integration.
- Eurozone inflation hits record 8.1% amid rising energy costs | AP News
- Russian oil: EU agrees compromise deal on banning imports • European Union leaders have agreed on a plan to block more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports.
- Germany: Coalition government, CDU agree €100 billion military boost • The center-right opposition has backed the German government's plans to massively increase military spending. The plan was sparked by the war in Ukraine and will help the country meet its NATO commitments.
- Iran seizes 2 Greek tankers in Persian Gulf as tensions rise • Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized two Greek oil tankers Friday in helicopter-launched raids in the Persian Gulf, officials said. The action appeared to be retaliation for Athens’ assistance in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker this week in the Mediterranean Sea over violating Washington’s crushing sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
- Spain's Congress passes bill qualifying all non-consensual sex as rape • The government-proposed legislation, known as "Only yes is yes", merges the crimes of sexual abuse and sexual assault into the same type of crime qualified as rape, and victims will no longer have to prove violence or resistance.
- Germany's Economy Ministry has refused to provide carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) with guarantees to cover new investments in China because of concerns over human rights violations in the Xinjiang region, Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
- Polish Parliament approves judicial reforms to unblock EU funds • Poland's Parliament on Thursday voted in favour of a bill that will replace a contested disciplinary chamber for judges with a new body, clearing the way for the country to get billions in COVID-19 recovery funds from Brussels.
- EXPLAINER: What Turkey's Erdogan could gain in NATO debate • Within a two-week span, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan caused a stir by throwing a wrench in Sweden and Finland’s historic request to join NATO, lashing out at fellow alliance member Greece and announcing plans for a new incursion into Syria.
- UK's Johnson, other leaders faulted for lockdown parties • An investigative report released Wednesday blamed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other senior leaders for allowing boozy government parties that broke the U.K.’s COVID-19 lockdown rules, and while Johnson said he took “full responsibility” for the breaches, he insisted he would not resign.
- Portugal Is the EU's Latest Hotspot for Undocumented Migrants
- Sri Lanka defaults on debt for first time in its history
- Poor Countries Face a Mounting Catastrophe Fueled by Inflation and Debt • Russia’s war in Ukraine is combining with a global tightening of credit and an economic slowdown in China to sow misery in low- and middle-income countries.
- Factbox: How the EU plans to quit Russian fossil fuels • The European Union published plans on Wednesday to end its reliance on Russian gas, oil and coal by 2027, laying out measures to expand renewable energy faster, save more energy and hike imports of non-Russian fuels.
- Sri Lanka down to last day of petrol, new prime minister says - BBC News
- Finland's Parliament approves Nato application in historic vote • Following a 14-hour debate, the motion was passed by 188 votes to 8.
- Russian threats push Finland toward joining NATO alliance • Finland’s leaders Thursday came out in favor of applying to join NATO, and Sweden could do the same within days, in a historic realignment on the continent 2 1/2 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbors.
- Spain’s spy chief sacked after Pegasus spyware revelations • Paz Esteban reportedly loses job after Catalan independence figures were said to have been targeted
- Sinn Féin wins big in Belfast assembly election • Irish republicans overtake divided unionists for first time since Northern Ireland’s foundation a century ago.
- EU censures border agency after reports of human rights abuses in Greece • MEPs refuse to sign off Frontex’s accounts and call for access to inquiry into alleged harassment and misconduct
- Greece is worst EU country for media freedom, report says • European nations have seen press freedom deteriorate, according to Reporters Without Borders report.
- Spanish prime minister's mobile phone infected by Pegasus spyware, government says | Spain
- Russia makes last-minute bond payment to avoid default • Russia staved off a default on its debt Friday by making a last-minute payment using its precious dollar reserves sitting outside the country, U.S. Treasury officials said.
- Head of EU border agency Frontex resigns amid criticisms | European Union • Fabrice Leggeri under fire over agency’s human rights record and anti-fraud investigation
- In major first, EU triggers power to cut Hungary’s funds over rule-of-law breaches • The historic step sends a warning to other countries. The outcome will help determine how that warning is received.
- Ανυπακοή και επαναπροώθηση • Οι ελληνικές αρχές όχι μόνο δεν συμμορφώθηκαν με τη δικαστική απόφαση του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων να μην απομακρύνουν από την Ελλάδα τους 40 πρόσφυγες στον Εβρο και να τους διασφαλίσουν άμεσα νερό, τροφή, ιατροφαρμακευτική περίθαλψη και πρόσβαση στη διαδικασία ασύλου, αλλά προχώρησαν για δεύτερη φορά σε βίαιη επαναπροώθησή τους στην Τουρκία.
- Russia suspending gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria • Officials in Poland and Bulgaria said Tuesday that Russia is suspending their countries’ natural gas deliveries after they refused to pay for their supplies in Russian rubles.
- A.I. Is Mastering Language. Should We Trust What It Says? • OpenAI’s GPT-3 and other neural nets can now write original prose with mind-boggling fluency — a development that could have profound implications for the future.
- Janez Janša suffers heavy defeat as newcomer party wins Slovenian election • Freedom Movement, which was formed last year, received a third of the votes.
- France's Macron beats Le Pen to win second term
- Russian official admits sanctions are crippling the economy as the country grapples with a selloff and mass shortages
- How London became the dirty money capital of the world • Russian oligarchs and companies have been investing in London for two decades, encouraged by British politicians of all stripes, but critics say the 'London laundromat' cleans dirty money from Russia and across the globe. The FT examines why it took Russia's invasion of Ukraine to put the issue in the spotlight and whether new sanctions and measures to tackle the problem go far enough.
- EU sets new online rules for Google, Meta to curb illegal content • Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit Google, Meta (FB.O) and other large online platforms will have to do more to tackle illegal content or risk hefty fines under new internet rules agreed between European Union countries and EU lawmakers on Saturday. • The new rules ban targeted advertising aimed at children or based on sensitive data such as religion, gender, race and political opinions. Dark patterns, which are tactics that mislead people into giving personal data to companies online, will also be prohibited. Very large online platforms and online search engines will be required to take specific measures during a crisis.
- Ukraine war refugees top 5 million as assault intensifies | AP News
- If We Succeed | Since its inception, AI has operated within a standard model whereby systems are designed to optimize a fixed, known objective. This model has been increasingly successful. I briefly summarize the state of the art and its likely evolution over the next decade. Substantial breakthroughs leading to general-purpose AI are much harder to predict, but they will have an enormous impact on society. At the same time, the standard model will become progressively untenable in real-world applications because of the difficulty of specifying objectives completely and correctly. I propose a new model for AI development in which the machine’s uncertainty about the true objective leads to qualitatively new modes of behavior that are more robust, controllable, and deferential.
- Εχθρός του Κράτους: Αποδεικνύουμε ότι η κυβέρνηση Μητσοτάκη παρακολουθούσε τον δημοσιογράφο Θανάση Κουκάκη • Κρατικά έγγραφα στη διάθεση του Reporters United τεκμηριώνουν ότι η ΕΥΠ, επικαλούμενη την εθνική ασφάλεια, υπέκλεπτε τις επικοινωνίες ενός δημοσιογράφου που εκείνη την εποχή ερευνούσε υποθέσεις ελλήνων τραπεζιτών και επιχειρηματιών. Όταν ο δημοσιογράφος το αντιλήφθηκε, το Μέγαρο Μαξίμου προσπάθησε να σβήσει τα ίχνη της υποκλοπής. Λίγο αργότερα, το κινητό του μολύνθηκε με το λογισμικό υποκλοπών Predator.
- Chartbook #111: What about Greece? Charting a future beyond the debt crisis
- Greek authorities are pretending independent journalists don’t exist • Lack of transparency from government poses challenges for journalistic reporting • Among the many challenges faced by independent journalists in Greece, the failure — or, at times, refusal — of authorities to provide information is arguably one of the most disquieting.- International Press Institute
- Putin says Russia will achieve 'noble' aims of its Ukraine military campaign • "On the one hand, we are helping and saving people, and on the other, we are simply taking measures to ensure the security of Russia itself," Putin said. "It's clear that we didn't have a choice. It was the right decision."
- Bucha’s Month of Terror • As the Russian advance on Kyiv stalled, a campaign of terror and revenge against civilians nearby in Bucha began, survivors and investigators say.
- Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Liberal Education • SMBC academia universities teaching
- In France, it's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency • Incumbent Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the country’s election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France.
- EU slashes 10% of Russian imports with new sweeping sanctions • EU bans Russian coal in first hit to energy imports • Existing coal contracts must be terminated by start of August • EU also bans imports of Russian chemicals, vodka, caviar • Exports of technology, jet fuel to Russia banned • More oligarchs, Putin's daughters face asset freezes
- Missile kills at least 52 at crowded Ukrainian train station • A missile hit a train station in eastern Ukraine where thousands had gathered Friday, killing at least 52 and wounding dozens more in an attack on a crowd of mostly women and children trying to flee a new, looming Russian offensive, Ukrainian authorities said.
- Even Before France Votes, the French Right Is a Big Winner • The dominance of right-wing ideas in France’s presidential election campaign follows years of cultural wars waged successfully by conservatives on television, in social media and in think tanks.
- Germany conducts nationwide raids on neo-Nazi groups • Four suspected right-wing extremists have been arrested after police conducted early morning raids. Banned neo-Nazi groups were the focus of the operation.
- Russia faces global outrage over bodies in Ukraine's streets • Moscow faced global revulsion and accusations of war crimes Monday after the Russian pullout from the outskirts of Kyiv revealed streets strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians, some of whom had seemingly been killed at close range.
- Orban scores crushing victory as Ukraine war solidifies support • Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban scored a fourth consecutive landslide win in Sunday's election, as voters endorsed his ambition of a conservative, "illiberal" state and shrugged off concerns over Budapest's close ties with Moscow
- Ukraine claims control over Kyiv region as Russia looks east • Ukraine said its forces had seized back all areas around Kyiv, claiming complete control of the capital region for the first time since Russia launched the invasion. As Russian troops regrouped for battles in east Ukraine, towns surrounding Kyiv bore scars of five weeks of fighting.
- In Hungary, Viktor Orban Remakes an Election to His Liking • The populist prime minister, a hero to many American conservatives, has changed voting rules and legalized ‘voter tourism’ as he stands for re-election
- For Ukraine, Greece erects migration system not always offered to others • The approach reflects a European phenomenon aid workers say is discriminatory, but that authorities defend as simply following the law.
- Russia sets deadline for rouble gas payments, Europe calls it 'blackmail' • Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding foreign buyers pay for Russian gas in roubles from Friday or else have their supplies cut, a move European capitals rejected and which Berlin said amounted to "blackmail". Energy is Russia's most powerful lever against West • Western nations refuse currency switch in gas deals • Russia won't export gas as 'charity', says Putin • Europe already struggling to find alternative supplies
- Russia no longer demanding Ukraine be ‘denazified’ in ceasefire talks • Requests include Kyiv dropping Nato pursuit in exchange for security guarantees and EU membership
- Controlling the Message: Challenges for independent reporting in Greece • MFRR report finds systemic challenges to press freedom
- Russia says main goal is Donbass, suggesting scaled-back ambitions in Ukraine • Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the east as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture towns outside the capital Kyiv. • Russian forces halted for weeks outside Kyiv • 'We insist, first of all, on a ceasefire,' says Ukraine • China's Sinopec halts discussion on investments
- West gives more support to Ukraine, raises stakes for Russia • Trio of NATO, G7 and EU summits showcase unity against Russia • NATO agrees on further troops for its eastern flank • Military aid to Ukraine falls below Kyiv pleas • NATO warns China, EU divided on energy sanctions • Biden calls Putin a "brute"
- Spain hit by yet another mass protest over rising prices • As many as 150,000 farmers, ranchers and hunters marched Sunday through Madrid to protest the Spanish centre-left government's failure to tackle soaring prices exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- War in Ukraine envelops EU rule-of-law fight at home • Officials insist work hasn’t stopped, but fears are mounting that the EU will prioritize wartime unity over policing democratic standards.
- Russia built an economy like a fortress but the pain is real | AP News
- An International Relations Theory Guide to Ukraine’s War • A consideration of which theories have been vindicated—and which have fallen flat.
- EU hails ‘historic’ deal to protect Ukrainian refugees • The move will give Ukrainians instant rights to live and work within the EU.
- Why John Mearsheimer (offensive realism) Blames the U.S. for the Crisis in Ukraine • For years, the political scientist has claimed that Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine is caused by Western intervention. Have recent events changed his mind?
- Russia steps up bombardment of Ukraine’s biggest cities • Vladimir Putin’s forces adopt more aggressive tactics in bid to regain momentum on sixth day of invasion
- Putin puts nuclear deterrent on alert; West squeezes Russian economy • U.S. says nuclear alert 'totally unacceptable' • Putin blames 'aggressive' NATO member statements • Russia-Ukraine talks imminent at Belarus border • Over 360,000 refugees have fled Ukraine, U.N. says • BP gives up Rosneft stake, writing off $25 billion
- SWIFT: White House and EU nations announce expulsion of 'selected Russian banks' from SWIFT • The White House, along with France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, announced Saturday evening that they would expel certain Russian banks from SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world, pledging to "collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."
- US sanctions on Russian oligarchs miss richest of rich • The term Russian oligarch conjures images of posh London mansions, gold-plated Bentleys and sleek superyachts in the Mediterranean, their decks draped with partiers dripping in jewels. But the raft of sanctions on oligarchs announced by President Joe Biden this week in response to the invasion of Ukraine may do little to dim the jet-setting lifestyles of Russia’s ultra-rich and infamous – much less force a withdrawal of tanks and troops.
- Explainer: Western sanctions on banks only scratch surface of Fortress Russia • The United States, the European Union and Britain announced new sanctions on Russia on Tuesday after Moscow's recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent entities. Yet the impact of the new sanctions is likely to be minimal.
- Factbox: Now that Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine and ordered in "peacekeeping" troops, the big question is: where will he stop?
- Ukraine-Russia crisis live news: Putin orders troops into separatist regions; Zelenskiy says ‘we are not afraid’ • Russian president has recognised Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions as independent states: UN security council calls emergency meeting for Monday night
- Revealed: Credit Suisse leak unmasks criminals, fraudsters and corrupt politicians • Massive leak reveals secret owners of £80bn held in Swiss bank • Whistleblower leaked bank’s data to expose ‘immoral’ secrecy laws • Clients included human trafficker and billionaire who ordered girlfriend’s murder • Vatican-owned account used to spend €350m in allegedly fraudulent investment • Scandal-hit Credit Suisse rejects allegations it may be ‘rogue bank’
- A letter to Steven Pinker (and Bill Gates, for that matter) about global poverty — Jason Hickel
- Record-breaking winds blast Europe in the worst storm in decades • The storm has left 110,000 U.K. homes without power. • Record-breaking gusts of up to 122 mph (196 km/h) were recorded in England Friday (Feb. 18) as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and parts of the Netherlands and France face their worst storm in over three decades.
- France and EU to withdraw troops from Mali, remain in region • France announced Thursday that it will no longer have troops in Mali by the summer amid tensions with the country’s ruling military junta, although Paris intends to maintain a military presence in neighboring West African nations.
- ‘It’s an atrocity against humankind’: Greek pushback blamed for double drowning • An investigation alleges two men seeking international protection were pushed from a boat off the coast of Samos
- Swiss referenda: voters approved tighter restrictions on tobacco advertising but rejected a ban on animal testing, rejected scrapping the tax on raising equity and rejected a financial aid plan for the media (Switzerland )
- Armed Nationalists in Ukraine Pose a Threat Not Just to Russia • Kyiv is encouraging the arming of nationalist paramilitary groups to thwart a Russian invasion. But they could also destabilize the government if it agrees to a peace deal they reject.
- France to build up to 14 new nuclear reactors by 2050, says Macron • French president says ‘renaissance’ of atomic energy industry will help end country’s reliance on fossil fuels
- ECB interest rate expectations sting Greek and Italian government debt • Signs of more aggressive stance on inflation from European Central Bank dent bond prices
- Behavioral ad industry gets hard reform deadline after IAB’s TCF found to breach Europe’s GDPR – TechCrunch
- 12 people found frozen to death near Turkey’s border with Greece • Turkish minister claims Greek border guards pushed back people whose bodies were ‘stripped of shoes and clothes’
- EU proposes rules to label some gas and nuclear investments as green • Member states, investors split over EU plan • Green lawmakers launch campaign to veto the rules
- During the first half of 2020, Parvin, a young woman from Iran, entered Greece six times in an effort to claim asylum in the EU, only to be repeatedly pushed back to Turkey. The violence she was subjected to during her pushbacks is diverse in nature, spanning detention, torture and summary expulsions in the Evros/Meriç, apprehensions deep inside the Greek mainland, ‘drift-backs’ in the Aegean Sea, and extended periods of detention in quarantine camps in Turkey. Parvin was also an early witness to the violent events at the Kastanies/Pazarkule border fence in late February 2020, which would leave at least two dead, Muhammad al-Arab and Muhammad Gulzar, and several more injured. Parvin digitally recorded many of her crossing attempts via location sharing, video recordings, voice and chat messages, and photographs. We analysed this material in order to corroborate Parvin’s testimony and reconstruct her journey and experiences of ‘pushback’.
- Οι παράνομες επαναπροωθήσεις στον Έβρο με ντοκουμέντα: «Κατάφερα να τραβήξω βίντεο και φωτογραφίες για να αποδείξω αυτό που μου συνέβη» • To διάστημα Φεβρουαρίου - Ιουνίου 2020, η Πάρβιν, μία νεαρή γυναίκα από το Ιράν, προσπάθησε έξι φορές να περάσει τον Έβρο για να ζητήσει άσυλο στην Ελλάδα. Όπως καταγγέλλει, συνελήφθη, κρατήθηκε σε άθλιες συνθήκες και μετά έγινε ακόμα ένα θύμα παράνομων επαναπροωθήσεων. Η Πάρβιν ωστόσο κατάφερε να καταγράψει, με πλήθος οπτικοακουστικού υλικού, ένα σημαντικό μέρος της ιστορίας της και το διεθνές ερευνητικό κέντρο Forensic Architecture ανέλυσε αυτό το υλικό, επιβεβαιώνοντας τις μαρτυρίες της και ταυτοποιώντας συγκεκριμένα ανεπίσημα κέντρα κράτησης.
- «Χρυσά» Διαμερίσματα: Ο Μηταράκης, οι πρόσφυγες και οι Κινέζοι της Golden Visa • Ο υπουργός Μετανάστευσης οφείλει να εξηγήσει: Πώς μια ΜΚΟ από το πουθενά βρέθηκε να διαχειρίζεται τη στέγαση χιλιάδων προσφύγων; Πώς εκατομμύρια ευρώ από τα ευρωπαϊκά κονδύλια καταλήγουν σε ένα πλέγμα αθηναϊκών εταιρειών real estate, των ίδιων που ελέγχθηκαν για ξέπλυμα και «αθωώθηκαν» χάρη σε μια τροπολογία του Άδωνι Γεωργιάδη• των ίδιων που σήμερα κατηγορούνται από Κινέζους επενδυτές για απάτη. Το Solomon και το Reporters United ξετυλίγουν το κουβάρι.
- Socialists win reelection in Portugal, eye major investments • Portugal’s center-left Socialist Party won a third straight general election Sunday, returning it to power as the country prepares to deploy billions of euros of European Union aid for the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Denmark pulls Mali troops out as junta takes swipe at France • Denmark will start pulling its troops out of Mali after the country's transitional junta government insisted on an immediate withdrawal, a blow to France's hopes to "europeanise" the intervention, as its counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel begins to unravel.
- EU launches WTO action against China over Lithuania dispute • The European Union and China on Thursday stepped up their diplomatic dispute as the EU took a spat over exports problems for member state Lithuania to world trade’s governing body, and accused Beijing of seeking to undermine the 27-nation bloc’s single market.
- Denmark aims to scrap all remaining domestic COVID-19 restrictions next week, following on from similar announcements in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands in the past week despite high numbers of Omicron infections in Europe. (coronavirus)
- What Unites Buddhism and Psychotherapy? One Therapist Has the Answer. - The New York Times
- Explainer: How financial Western sanctions might target Russia • Growing tensions between Moscow and Western powers have raised the prospect of new sanctions on Russia, possibly the severest yet, in the event of a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine.
- A data ‘black hole’: Europol ordered to delete vast store of personal data • EU police body accused of unlawfully holding information and aspiring to become an NSA-style mass surveillance agency
- Far-right ideas are gaining a renewed respectability in France • They have a deep and troubling history