EU officials sidestep ‘Pentagon memo’ on booting Spain from Nato
“We don’t discuss internal issues of Nato”, said the EU’s Costa in Cyprus on US threat to Spain, as most EU leaders also ignored Trump ‘squeaky toy’ Pentagon memo.
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Eight drones enter a flat in Donetsk – how Ukrainians attacked the FSB (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,520)
Ukrainian forces carried out a high-precision operation in occupied Donetsk, utilizing a “train” of eight drones to strike an apartment allegedly housing 12 FSB officers. While the front remains largely static, Ukrainian defenders in Kostyantynivka are facing a critical shortage of personnel. Recent battlefield footage highlights these dynamics.
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Inspired by Macron’s speech, Czechia’s Babiš wants in on nuclear deterrence initiative
In a strategic about-face, the Czech Republic is looking to join French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to build a pan-European nuclear deterrent.
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EU plugs anti-Al Shabaab mission in Somalia with €75m new cash
A new €75m contribution from the EU to an anti- Al Shabaab mission in Somalia takes the bloc’s total funding to €2.8bn.
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71 years without a military strategy, Germany just wrote one
Responsibility for Europe reads differently from Bratislava than from Brussels. The new German defence strategy is worth reading carefully, particularly from the capitals whose security still depends on German territory. Responsibility for Europe will be defined in the next decade by what Berlin does if Washington no longer underwrites European defence at previous levels. Germany has now stated, in writing, that this is the planning horizon.
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Listen: What will happen to Syrians refugees in Europe?
The EU has relaunched contact with Syria after years of frozen relations.
But what does it mean for Syrians in Europe? -
‘Hormuz crisis shows need for new nuclear power’. Does it really, though?
One nuclear expert told me he didn’t want to write an op-ed on the possible dangers of a meltdown of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. He then added he’d stocked up on iodine tablets.
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EU hits Russia with new sanctions as €90bn aid flows to Ukraine by June latest
EU member states approved a new package of sanctions against Russia and unlocked €90bn in funding for Ukraine, with disbursements expected to begin by June at the latest.
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Oil is raining on people in Tuapse. Ukrainians, why are you doing this to us? Locals complain (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,519)
“Everything around was covered with a greasy coating and black pellets. At first we thought it was just ordinary dust, but then we realised it looked more like traces of burnt oil,” said one local resident.
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Malta’s notorious gambling laws ‘incompatible’ with single market: EU court top lawyer
A legal opinion by the European Court of Justice’s top lawyer could spell the end for Malta’s controversial online gambling laws.
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After first disappearing, Hungarian minister Szijjártó speaks out, alleging foreign interference (11 days after the election)
In this week’s digest of Hungarian politics after the election: foreign minister Péter Szijjártó breaks his silence to give a three-hour TV interview, where he claims he doesn’t know how his oldest friend got €718,000 from the foreign ministry, or his own wife €15,000 of jewellery. Meanwhile, suspicions over €20m in state jackpot payouts, new Tisza cabinet appointments, and an investigation into the Hungarian National Bank.
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![“‘Fuck AfD [Alternative for Germany]’ reads a placard at a German demo against the far-right party, which in 2023 secretly advocated for ‘remigrating’ millions of German citizens (Photo: Unsplush)](https://static.euobserver.com/2024/05/b2c619b6-b2ca-4dd7-a490-ac7070c7dc94-8b882efc-c4a2-41db-af80-e18ae66508e0-aa58df87-50f7-4989-aa68-bc706e74cbc9.jpeg)
Last year the far-right looked strong in Europe. Now, the cracks are starting to show
The war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran is exposing a growing problem. What once looked like a coherent far-right political alignment is increasingly strained by the realities of governing in a volatile global economy. Ideological affinity is one thing, but national interest is quite the other.
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Listen: What does the EU put on the table to fight the energy crisis?
The European Commission is doubling down on clean energy to solve the price crisis. But since the transition won’t happen overnight, what’s the plan?
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Wind and solar cut EU electricity prices by 24% – but gas still rules market
Spain and Portugal today are 53-percent less exposed to gas prices than three years ago, driven in large part by a 74 percent surge in solar capacity that now contributes roughly a fifth of total generation – equalling gas.
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Russian Su-57 warplanes sidelined, as bomb effectiveness drops (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,518)
In one axis, the Russian air force dropped 727 various types of guided bombs, but only 419 hit their target.
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EU promises €100m for Africa’s healthcare as countries count cost of aid cuts
The EU Commission wants to use its Global Gateway investment programme to finance healthcare projects across Africa, but sharp drops in aid budgets risk leaving millions to die.
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We have no other planet. 10 charts showing the state of the globe to mark Earth Day
Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970. To mark the occasion, we present 10 charts that show the current condition of humanity’s only home.
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Hungary and Slovakia quietly drop Russia vetoes, freeing up EU’s €90bn for Ukraine
“The Hungarian and Slovakian ambassadors briefly took the floor,” said one EU diplomat, as Hungary’s veto on a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine fell.
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‘Sold to highest bidder’: Migrant woman alleges abuse in Tunisian detention
Rose Tchapet Souchtoua, a 39-year old from Cameroon, speaking to journalists in Brussels at the European Parliament, said she was raped and sold as a slave to the highest bidder during her detention in Tunisia.
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‘Made in Europe’: an industrial worker perspective
industriAll Europe’s message is clear: public investment must serve the public interest. ‘Made in Europe’ must become a genuine tool for re industrialisation with quality jobs, social cohesion and long term resilience at its core—not a hollow slogan.