World News

Quoting Irish poet, Biden ends EU trade war in renewal of transatlantic ties

U.S. President Joe Biden ended one front in a Trump-era trade war when he met European Union leaders on Tuesday by agreeing a truce in a transatlantic dispute over aircraft subsidies that has dragged on for 17 years.…

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Liberals say that 2030 climate package is opportunity to turn climate neutrality into EU success story

Renew Europe, the Liberal coalition in the European Parliament, has outlined five flagship messages in a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the…

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EU agenda

Discover the latest events happening across the European insititutions: Tuesday 15 June: Health ministers will meet in Luxembourg. Ministers will exchange views on the pandemic situation. Wednesday 16 June: The…

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After NATO, Biden turns to EU for renewal of transatlantic ties

U.S. President Joe Biden will intensify his post-Trump push to renew transatlantic relations on Tuesday, meeting with European Union leaders to cool trade tensions and join forces to beat COVID-19, uphold democracy and…

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EU parliament president urges EU mechanism for sea rescues

"We must go back to thinking of shared EU actions in the Mediterranean to save people, actions that take ground away from traffickers. There is the need for a European…

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EU clears way for the EU Digital COVID Certificate

Today, the Presidents of the three EU institutions, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission attended the official signing ceremony for the Regulation on the…

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Six arrested for armed robberies of jewellery shops across Europe

An organised crime group behind a sting of violent armed robberies committed across Europe has been dismantled as a result of an international investigation facilitated by Europol. A total of…

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Euro zone economy on right path but too early to debate end of ECB help: Lagarde

The euro zone economy is at a turning point but its recovery must be firm and sustainable before the European Central Bank can debate clawing back emergency support, ECB President…

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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…

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14

Jun

AstraZeneca shots have good risk-benefit profile for over 60s, says EMA official

The head of the EU drug regulator's COVID-19 task force said on Sunday that AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine had a favourable risk-benefit profile for all age groups and particularly for those…

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Macron offers UK’s Johnson ‘Le reset’ if he keeps his Brexit word

French President Emmanuel Macron offered to reset relations with Britain as long as Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands by the Brexit divorce deal he signed with the European Union. Since…

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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…

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UPDATE – ‘Whatever it takes’, UK’s Johnson warns EU over post-Brexit trade

Britain will do "whatever it takes" to protect its territorial integrity in a trade dispute with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday, threatening emergency measures if…

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EU adds another rare blood condition as side effect of AstraZeneca shot

Europe's drug regulator on Friday identified another very rare blood condition as a potential side effect of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and said it was looking into cases of heart inflammation…

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EU leaders to threaten UK’s Johnson with trade war over Northern Ireland – The Times

European Union leaders will threaten British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a trade war over Northern Ireland, The Times reported on Friday, without citing sources. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron will use one-to-one meetings with Johnson on Saturday to demand that…

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Airbus tells EU hydrogen won’t be widely used in planes before 2050

Most airliners will rely on traditional jet engines until at least 2050, with the introduction of zero-emissions hydrogen limited to regional and short-range planes, Airbus told European Union officials in…

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EU warns against using AstraZeneca shot in people with capillary leak syndrome

Europe's medicines regulator said on Friday its safety committee has advised that people who have previously had capillary leak syndrome must not be vaccinated with AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19…

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UPDATED: EU countries clear plan to ease tourism over summer

European Union countries agreed on Friday to an easing of travel restrictions over summer that will allow fully vaccinated tourists to avoid tests or quarantines and broaden the list of…

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EU countries meet to tussle over gas project funding

European Union energy ministers meet in Luxembourg on Friday to debate prolonging EU support for some cross-border natural gas projects, despite the European Commission saying such funding should end to…

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EU Commission says Poland cannot question primacy of EU law

The European Commission has asked Poland not to question the primacy of European Union law over national legislation, as this is the fundamental principle of the 27-nation bloc, a Commission…

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EU lawmakers seek ban on caged farming, foie gras force-feeding

The European Parliament on Thursday called for the European Union to end caged farming of animals and ban force-feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras. The EU assembly…

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EU sees first probes under money for rule-of-law regulation in Sept-Oct

The European Commission could in September or October start its first investigations into whether EU governments sufficiently respect the rule of law to qualify for EU budget and recovery funds,…

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EU parliament votes to sue European Commission over rule-of-law inaction

The European Parliament voted on Thursday to sue the European Commission over what lawmakers say is its failure to uphold the rule of law, in a dispute that could affect…

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ECB maintains copious stimulus even as recovery takes hold

The European Central Bank an elevated flow of stimulus as expected on Thursday, fearing that any retreat now would accelerate an already worrisome rise in borrowing costs and choke off…

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EU Funding: New ESF+ targets specific funds to combat child poverty

The newly approved European Social Fund Plus will be ring-fencing a proportion of funds towards the eradication of child poverty, with states exceeding the EU average being legally bound to…

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EU orders Spain to recover aid given to TV broadcasters for digital rollout

EU competition regulators on Thursday ordered Spain to recover illegal state aid given to TV broadcasters to switch to digital broadcasting from analogue in a new ruling after Europe's top…

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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…

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EU foregoes 100 million J&J vaccines, considers donating other doses

The European Union decided not to take up an option to buy 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and is considering donating another 100 million optional…

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UPDATED: European Parliament turns up heat on Czech PM over conflicts of interest

The European Parliament on Thursday called for a halt in EU funding to the business empire of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis over conflicts of interest. The billionaire leader's firms…

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UPDATED: EU leaders urge unfettered probe into origins of COVID-19

EU leaders on Thursday called for an unfettered investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, first identified in central China, amid criticism of an initial World Health Organization probe.…

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EU eyes fund to protect citizens from new carbon prices

The European Commission will set up a fund to support vulnerable households if their fuel bills increase as a result of its plan to expand carbon pricing to transport and…

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Drugs, weapons, cars and cash: Operation Greenlight/Trojan Shield, the global crime bust in figures

Global law enforcement agencies have busted an international crime network by monitoring encrypted phones used by criminals, leading to hundreds of arrests as well as drug and weapon seizures across…

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Euro zone economic dip milder than expected in first quarter

The euro zone economy contracted by much less than expected in the first quarter of the year, revised data from the EU's statistics office showed, with a buildup of inventories…

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European Commission flags data accumulation concerns over Alexa

Today, the Commission has published the preliminary findings of its competition inquiry into the consumer “Internet of Things”. Sector inquiries help us identify potential competition concerns in markets where…

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European Commission takes Italy to court over unsafe drinking water

The European Commission has decided today to refer Italy to the Court of Justice for failure to comply with the requirements of the Drinking Water Directive. The Directive requires Member States to…

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Google loosens its search engine grip on Android devices in Europe

Google has bowed to pressure from rivals and will let them compete for free to be the default search engines on Android devices in Europe, widening a pledge to EU…

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EU parliament set to sue European Commission over rule-of-law inaction

The European Parliament looked set to back a resolution on Wednesday to sue the European Commission over what lawmakers say is its failure to uphold the rule of law, in…

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EU Commission announces infringement procedures against Malta

The European Commission has announced a number of infringement decisions vis-a-vis Malta in the latest package of infringements announced earlier on Thursday. The infringements vary from the passport selling scheme…

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UPDATED: Berlin faces legal steps as EU aims to ensure primacy of bloc’s law

The European Commission on Wednesday started a legal procedure against Germany, aiming to force Berlin to ascertain the primacy of European law over national court decisions after Germany's highest court…

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UPDATED: EU, U.S. to end trade tariffs, call for new study into COVID-19 origins, summit draft says

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…

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EU Commission sues Italy over unsafe drinking water

The European Commission took Italy to the EU's top court on Wednesday over the country's failure to provide clean drinking water to its citizens. The Commission said it was suing…

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UPDATED: European Commission sues Czechia, Poland over EU citizens’ electoral rights, also sues Poland over public procurement rules

The European Commission took Poland and the Czech Republic or Czechia to court on Wednesday over their laws that ban citizens from other EU countries from joining a political party…

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Why are EU, UK arguing over Northern Ireland?

David Frost, the UK’s minister in charge of ties with the European Union, and Maros Sefkovic, vice head of the European Commission, meet on Wednesday to try and resolve differences…

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UPDATED: Ryanair extends winning streak, court annuls German aid for Condor

Ryanair on Wednesday won its challenge against German state aid granted to charter airline Condor, a third victory in its fight against billions of euros in pandemic support granted to…

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Malta among five Mediterranean countries to give green light to deal on EASO

Ministers from the EU’s Mediterranean countries have given their backing to a temporary deal to strengthen the EU’s asylum agency — the first sign of movement in a migration debate…

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Europeans’ confidence in EU hit by coronavirus response

Confidence in the EU’s ability to handle crises has taken a hit from Covid-19, a major survey shows, but dissatisfaction with national political systems is even higher and most people…

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First bond sale backing EU recovery fund imminent – EU Commission

The first bond sale to finance the European Union's coronavirus recovery fund is expected "imminently", the European Commission said in an investor meeting on Tuesday. The EU last week sent a request to 11…

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Big vs Small – How bigger countries’ tax deal will reveal rift in Europe

A global deal on corporate tax looks set to bring to a climax a deep-seated European Union battle, pitting large members Germany, France and Italy against Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Although the smaller EU…

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EU agenda

Here are the events set to take place in the European Union institutions for the week 8-11 June: Tuesday 8 June: MEPs are set to debate and vote on the…

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Over 800 persons detained global crackdown on organised hi-tech crime

Global law enforcement agencies hacked into an app used by criminals and read millions of encrypted messages, leading to hundreds of arrests of organised crime figures in 18 countries, officials…

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EU veto ‘hostage’-taking on foreign policy must end -Germany’s Maas

Germany's foreign minister said on Monday the European Union should abolish the right of individual member states to veto foreign policy measures as the 27-nation bloc could not allow itself to be "held hostage". His comments, which…

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EU patience wearing thin with UK on N.Ireland, weighing options

The European Union's patience towards Britain over Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland is wearing thin and the bloc will consider its options should Britain continue its "confrontational path", an EU official said on Monday. The European Commission and Britain meet on Wednesday…

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