CDE News - The Dispatch

Irish services growth picks up, bucking euro zone trend – PMI

DUBLIN, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Growth in Ireland's services sector accelerated for the first time in four months in July, a survey showed on Thursday, bucking the deteriorating trend seen across the…

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Greek intelligence service admits spying on journalist

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…

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NATO chief: Ukraine war Europe’s most dangerous time since WW2

UTOEYA, Norway, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The war in Ukraine is the most dangerous moment for Europe since World War Two, and Russia must not be allowed to win, NATO…

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Shipping prices rise as Rhine water in Germany falls again, water level hits output at Staudinger 5 and Datteln 4 plants

HAMBURG, (Reuters) - Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany fell again in hot, dry weather this week and cargo vessels are sailing with reduced loads with transport prices rising, vessel…

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Bank of England raises rates by most since 1995 even as long recession looms

LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Bank of England raised interest rates by the most in 27 years on Thursday, despite warning that a long recession is on its way,…

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UPDATED: Italy unveils new $17.4 billion package against inflation

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy approved on Thursday a new aid package worth around 17 billion euros ($17.4 billion) to help shield firms and families from surging energy costs and rising consumer prices. The scheme, one of the…

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Fire erupts at bomb disposal site in Berlin forest

BERLIN, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Some 15,000 square metres of forested area was on fire in western Berlin on Thursday after a fire broke out at a bomb disposal site…

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Ukraine warns of new Russian offensive, Ukraine calls on China to help end war

KYIV/WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Ukraine said Russia had started creating a military strike force aimed at President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, while NATO moved closer to its most significant…

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Italy police seize assets from architect linked to Russia

Italy's tax police have seized assets worth over 141 million euros ($144 million) from an architect who designed a luxury estate on the Black Sea which has been dubbed "Putin's…

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Swiss adopt new EU sanctions on Russia, allow oil payments

The Swiss government imposed further sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, in line with the European Union's latest measures on gold and gold products, the cabinet said. The…

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Dutch government declares water shortage due to drought

The Dutch government declared a water shortage, following an unusually dry summer with no rain forecast for the coming two weeks. Brutal heatwaves gripped large parts of Europe and the…

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Ukraine says Russia creating strike force aimed at Zelenskiy’s hometown

Ukraine said that Russia had started creating a military strike force aimed at President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih and warned that Moscow could be preparing new offensive operations…

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Volcano erupts near Iceland’s capital in seismic hot spot

(Reuters) - A volcano has erupted on a mountain near Iceland's capital Reykjavik after days of rising earthquake activity in the area, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said. Images and…

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Azerbaijan says it crushed Armenia attack near enclave, EU wants end to fighting

BAKU, (Reuters) - Azerbaijan said its forces had crushed an Armenian attack near the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, prompting international calls for an end to fighting in a…

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U.S. Senate backs Finland and Sweden joining NATO, Italy’s parliament gives final approval

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate approved Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, the most significant expansion of the 30-member alliance since the 1990s as it responds to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.…

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UK services firms slow again, price pressures ease slightly – PMI

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - British services sector activity grew in July at the slowest pace since early 2021 when the country was under a coronavirus lockdown, although there was an easing…

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Italy service sector contracts in July – PMI

ROME, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Italy's services sector contracted in July for the first time since January as new business fell and inflationary pressures rose, a survey showed on Wednesday. S&P Global's…

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Bank of Ireland expects modest income growth this year

DUBLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Bank of Ireland expects modest growth in net interest income this year, having previously forecast that it would be broadly stable year on year, the bank said on…

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Payment holidays, aid fund have left Poland’s banks less resilient, mBank says

WARSAW, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Regulatory changes introduced in Poland have left its banking sector less resilient to potential shocks than it used to be, mBank deputy head Marek Lusztyn told a news conference on Wednesday.…

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Montenegro signs long-disputed contract with Serbian Orthodox church

PODGORICA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Montenegro's government signed a contract regulating its ties with the powerful Serbian Orthodox Church on Wednesday, saying it would help heal deep divisions between pro-European…

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Italy heading for another intense heat wave

After a brief truce, Italy is starting to feel the effects of the latest in a long series of intense heat waves to hit the country this year, exacerbating its…

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Swiss inflation holds steady at 3.4% in July

ZURICH, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Swiss consumer price inflation held steady at 3.4% in July, slightly less than economists had expected after inflation touched a 29-year high in June. The reading -…

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Italy’s right-wing frontrunner asks Draghi to freeze Ita Airways sale

The Brothers of Italy party, leading polls ahead of next month's election, has asked outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi to freeze the sale of a majority stake in state-owned airline…

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Italy’s centre-left sees open electoral race after pact with centrists

Italy's Democratic Party (PD) formed an alliance with a smaller centrist group on Tuesday in a move seen as boosting the centre-left's chances of preventing a right-wing triumph in an…

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NIESR warns millions will join breadline in recession-hit UK

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Britain's worsening cost-of-living crisis will cost millions of households their savings unless the government increases support for households immediately, a leading think tank warned on Wednesday. The…

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Pope says hearing pain of Canada school survivors felt like slaps

VATICAN CITY, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Wednesday he felt the pain of survivors of Canada's residential school system "like slaps" and that the Catholic Church has…

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Italy parliament approves competition bill to unlock European funds

ROME, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Italian parliament has given its final approval to a highly contested bill to promote competition in product and services markets, required to help secure a new…

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“It’s still early days” says underdog UK leadership candidate Sunak

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak said it was still "early days" in the leadership contest to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a day after an opinion…

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Hosepipe and sprinkler ban for UK’s South East Water clients

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Britain's South East Water announced a temporary ban on the use of sprinklers and hosepipes in parts of the south of England, citing record breaking temperatures and…

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UPDATED: Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says first grain ship ‘nothing’, economy in coma

KYIV/ISTANBUL, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy dismissed the importance of the first grain export shipment from his country since Russia invaded, saying it was carrying a fraction of the…

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Turkey’s annual inflation hits fresh 24-year high of 79.6%

ISTANBUL, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Turkish inflation rose to a fresh 24-year high of 79.6% in July, data showed on Wednesday as the lira's continued weakness and global energy and commodity costs pushed…

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German exports surge to record level in June

BERLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - German exports beat forecasts with 4.5% growth in June, hitting a record level thanks to demand from the European Union, the United States and China, data showed on Wednesday.…

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Cyprus records its first monkeypox case, India first death

Cyprus has recorded its first case of monkeypox, the island's health ministry said. The infected man was 40 and had been travelling recently, the ministry said in a statement. The…

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Curbing energy prices in Poland will cost 50 bln zlotys

The cost of curbing energy prices in Poland will amount to around 50 billion zlotys ($10.88 billion) and will be financed largely by taxpayers with energy firms also shouldering some…

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2,171 people infected with monkeypox in France

A total of 2,171 people have been infected with monkeypox in France, health minister Francois Braun said. Braun told parliament France was one of the first countries to start offering…

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Portugal’s airport workers threaten to strike in late August

Portugal's civil aviation workers are threatening to go on a three-day strike in late August, accusing the conglomerate that operates the country's biggest airports of failing to increase wages and…

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Photo Story: Opening of Central European Jamboree in Prague

Scouts take part in opening of the Central European Jamboree in Prague, Czech Republic, on Tuesday evening. Over 1200 scouts from many countries around the world, mainly the Czech Republic,…

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Former German chancellor Schroeder says Ukraine grain deal may pave way for ceasefire

ISTANBUL/LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The deal between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock Ukrainian grain exports may offer a way forward to a possible ceasefire in the five-month conflict, said former German…

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Mark Rutte becomes Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister

Mark Rutte became the longest-serving prime minister in the Netherlands' history , a testament to his energy for the job - as well as the political survival skills he has…

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UPDATED: UK Conservative Party enhance security around ballot for leadership

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Britain's ruling Conservative Party said on Wednesday it had enhanced security around the ballot process to decide its next leader, who will replace Boris Johnson…

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West could trigger nuclear war over Ukraine, Russia says at U.N.

The conflict in Ukraine does not warrant Russia's use of nuclear weapons, but Moscow could decide to use its nuclear arsenal in response to "direct aggression" by NATO countries over…

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Italy’s lower house backs NATO membership for Finland and Sweden

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Chamber of Deputies approved a bill on Tuesday to ratify the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO in a vote welcomed by Giorgia Meloni, whose…

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First grain ship to leave Ukraine anchors off Turkish coast

ISTANBUL, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The first grain-carrying ship to leave Ukrainian ports in wartime safely anchored off Turkey's coast on Tuesday, while a senior official said Ankara expects roughly one grain…

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UK leadership favourite Truss U-turns on pay plan in first big misstep

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - British foreign minister Liz Truss, the frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, was forced to backtrack on one of her most striking pledges a day…

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PD-Azione Pact agreement for Italian elections reached

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 2 - Democratic Party (PD) leader Enrico Letta and former industry ministry Carlo Calenda, the head of the centrist Azione group, on Tuesday reached an agreement…

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Man charged under Britain’s Treason Act over Christmas Day incident at queen’s home

A man arrested with a crossbow at Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle home on Christmas Day last year has been charged with having a weapon with intent to "alarm her Majesty"…

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China says politicians who ‘play with fire’ on Taiwan will pay, finds Russian support

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that those U.S. politicians who "play with fire" on the Taiwan issue will "come to no good end", according to a ministry…

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Race to be next UK prime minister closer than thought, poll shows

Foreign minister Liz Truss, the frontrunner to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has a smaller lead over her rival Rishi Sunak than previously thought, according to a poll of…

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Russia accuses U.S. of direct Ukraine war role, grain ship sighted off Turkey

ISTANBUL/LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday accused the United States of direct involvement in the Ukraine war while the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Moscow's invasion…

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Russia’s supreme court designates Ukraine’s Azov Regiment a ‘terrorist’ group

MOSCOW, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Russia's supreme court on Tuesday designated Ukraine's Azov Regiment as a terrorist group, a Reuters correspondent in the courtroom reported. The Azov Regiment, which has far-right and ultra-nationalist roots, has been one of the…

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