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☆ Hungary central-bank chief sees chance for euro adoption only after 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, June 2 (Reuters) - Hungary should not consider adopting the euro before 2030 as joining the single currency zone before its economy is duly prepared would backfire, central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy said on Friday. Matolcsy said once Hungary reaches about 90% of the EU's average level in terms of economic development, then the adoption of the single currency could be put on the agenda. "It is dangerous to enter the club of the rich while the economy is unprepared for it," Matolcsy told state radio. "Perhaps around 2030 or a bit later we could reach ... 90% of the EU's average in terms of development, then it's worth entering (the euro zone) as the euro has many advantages," Matolcsy said. The National Bank of Hungary is currently fighting the EU's highest inflation rate, running at an annual 24% in April, while the economy is slowing sharply.

Persons: Gyorgy Matolcsy, Matolcsy, Mihaly Varga, Krisztina, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: National Bank of, EU, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, National Bank of Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia

☆ Hungary cbank chief sees chance for euro adoption only after 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

☆ How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Every sport in Europe – from soccer to fencing to UFC – has had to grapple with the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tennis is no exception. Player tensionFor some Ukrainian players, having to face opponents from Russia and Belarus has been a point of frustration. 2 said she struggled to understand the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations with some players following Russia’s invasion. The “Z” symbol is viewed as a sign of support for Russia, including its invasion of Ukraine. Last year, she told CNN Sport that Russian and Belarusian players have a responsibility to take a stance against the war.

Persons: UFC –, Toby Melville, Daria Kasatkina, ”, Marta Kostyuk, Aryna Sabalenka, Sabalenka, won’t, ” Sabalenka, ” Kostyuk, Kai Pfaffenbach, Lesia Tsurenko, Iga Świątek, Daniil Medvedev, “, ” Tsurenko, Poland’s Świątek, Slovakia’s Anna, Karolína, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina –, Świątek, Tim Clayton, Svitolina, Anastasia Potapova, Srdjan Djokovic, Novak Djokovic, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, UFC, ATP, WTA, Wimbledon, Reuters, BBC, Belarus, Aryna, –, Kostyuk, Sabalenka, Ukrainian, ”, Russian Government, Miami, de Strasbourg, Spartak Moscow, Melbourne, CNN Sport Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Kyiv, Reuters Ukrainian, Indian, Vladimirec, Kostyuk, ” Russian, Australian

NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) surveillance aircraft will watch the skies over the summit venue through Friday, the alliance said in a statement. Missile debris from the war in Ukraine has been found in Moldova several times since Russia invaded 15 months ago. "NATO AWACS can detect aircraft, missiles and drones hundreds of kilometres away, making them an important early warning capability," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. The summit will also touch on a range of strategic issues, ranging from energy to cybersecurity and migration. Reporting by John Irish, Andrew Gray and Alexander Tanas; writing by John Irish; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Nicu Popescu, Ana Revenco, Oana Lungescu, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Maia Sandu, Ursula von der, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, ” Borrell, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Alexander Tanas, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: High Representative, European Union for Foreign Affairs, Moldova's, Russia, NATO, Kyiv, Control Systems, European, Kosovo, EU, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Ukraine, Kosovo, Moldovan, Romania, Russia, Ursula von der Leyen, KOSOVO, Slovakia, defusing, Serbian, Europe, Azerbaijan, Armenia

HONG KONG, May 31 (Reuters) - An absence of women among China's top leadership is concerning, the United Nations said in a report, as it recommended China adopt statutory quotas and a gender parity system to quicken equal representation of women in government. The committee said that while China's representation of women in political and public life has increased, it was concerned that women only represent 26.54% of deputies to the 14th National People's Congress. It urged China to increase the number of women in all government bureaus including the judiciary and foreign service, particularly at decision making levels. The committee said it was concerned about the excessive restrictions on the registration of non-governmental organisations as well as reports of intimidation and harassment against women human rights defenders. Feminist voices have also been muzzled and in recent years, the government has increasingly emphasized the value of traditional roles for women as mothers and carers.

Persons: Xi, Martin Pollard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: United Nations, quicken, UN, Leste, National People's, Communist, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Germany, Iceland, Sao Tome, Principe, Slovakia, Spain, Timor, Venezuela, Beijing

CNN —Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti told CNN on Tuesday that he would not surrender the country to what he described as a Serbian “fascist militia,” following violent protests in its north over the installation of ethnically Albanian mayors in a disputed election. “We are not facing peaceful protesters, we are facing a mob of extremists,” Kurti told CNN. Disputed electionsMonday’s violence erupted after tensions bubbled for months in northern Kosovo over controversial local elections. More than a decade on, these municipalities have not been created, leaving disputes over the degree of autonomy for Kosovo’s Serbs to fester. “Kosovo is a success story of NATO intervention – that is what bothers both Belgrade and the Kremlin,” Kurti told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, Albin Kurti, ” Kurti, –, Valdrin Xhemaj, Antony Blinken, Kurti, ” Blinken, Emmanuel Macron, ” Macron, CNN’s Isa Soares, Kosovo’s, Aleksandar Vucic, “, Meliza, Quint, ” Haradinaj, Laura Hasani, Slobodan, Milosevic, ”, Putin, Vucic, ” Bosko Jaksic, we’ve Organizations: CNN, CNN — Kosovo’s, NATO, Serbian, NATO’s Kosovo Force, KFOR, Reuters, “, US, Kosovo, Kosovar, Albanian, European Union, Serbs, Kremlin Locations: Serbian, Zvecan, NATO’s, Albanian, United States, Kosovo, Slovakia, Pristina, Kosovo’s, Belgrade, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Reuters Kosovo, Brussels, Serbia, fester, Yugoslavia, Montenegro, “ Kosovo, Ukraine, ”, He’s

South Korean companies do not disclose the unit prices for their weapons, which are often sold with support vehicles and spare parts. That will include building South Korean arms on license in Poland, officials in Seoul and Warsaw said. "It may work for some countries at very, very low volume," he added of Polish-brokered South Korean weapons sales, discussing challenges the joint operation might face. The 2022 arms deal began with South Korean companies signing a framework agreement with the Polish government. Seoul has since approved at least some South Korean weapons components for use in Ukraine.

☆ Japanese city of Hiroshima rose from the ashes and now it welcomes millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Within the bomb’s hypocenter, only the half-exploded Genbaku Dome – formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall – was left standing as the bombing razed Hiroshima city to the ground. A man relaxes alongside the river on a bench overlooking the Genbaku Dome. ET), Hiroshima city lost roughly 40% of its population, which numbered around 300,000 people at the time. Full-scale reconstruction only began in August 1949 after the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law was promulgated, allowing the national government to extend special financial support to Hiroshima. “It’s impressive how Japanese people rebuilt the city from scratch again – building a beautiful city full of green spaces.

☆ Ukrainian firms venture abroad for growth as war hits home
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The ongoing conflict has prompted several Ukrainian firms to focus abroad to reduce their reliance on a shrinking home market and to tap into the millions of people who have left. Ukraine, which had a pre-war population of about 40 million, has seen its domestic economy turned upside down, with corporate investments and growth now rare. "Our choice was to go to Poland, mainly because Poland hosts now the highest number of Ukrainians who fled from the war." In September, 8.5% of all companies opened in Poland had Ukrainian capital, compared with 0.8% in January 2022. "The main goal is to grow abroad much faster than we planned for ourselves in the pre-war period," Vovk said.

May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden informed G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, a senior administration official said, a key endorsement as Kyiv seeks to boost its air power against Russia's invading forces. Training on the U.S.-made jets will take place in Europe and will require months to complete, the official said. U.S. officials have estimated the most expeditious time needed for training and delivery of F-16s at 18 months. The U.S. hopes to begin the training, which will be conducted on fourth-generation fighters including F-16s, in the coming weeks, the official added. Ukraine, which does not possess any Western-designed jets, says the F-16s are far more effective than the Soviet-era fighters it currently has.

☆ Black Sea grain deal: A crucial pact aimed at averting a global food crisis has been extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A crucial deal aimed at averting a global food crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been extended for two months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday an agreement has been reached with Russia and Ukraine to extend the Black Sea grain deal. Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesWhat is the Black Sea grain deal and why is it important? The Black Sea grain deal was first reached in July 2022. The Black Sea grain deal was an agreement made between Russia and Ukraine – however, it was not a direct agreement.

☆ Factbox: Why Ukraine is bidding for F-16 jets and will it succeed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WHAT KIND OF FIGHTER JETS COULD UKRAINE GET? Ukraine wants F-16s, which it says are "four or five times" more effective than Soviet-era jets it currently has. However, Polish President Andrzej Duda reiterated on Tuesday that Poland has too few F-16 jets to be able to give any to Ukraine. Britain will not send jets to Ukraine, a spokesperson for Sunak has said, since Britain does not have the F-16s that Ukraine wants. Denmark said in February it was "open" to the idea of sending fighter jets to Ukraine.

☆ Italy and EU allies "have the numbers" to block Euro 7 emission rules, Salvini says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VERONA (Italy), May 16 (Reuters) - Italy's transport minister said on Tuesday that Italy and its allies in the European Union can block the Euro 7 regulation which tightens vehicle emission limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide from 2025. The proposed Euro 7 regulation was "clearly wrong" and not even helpful from an environmental pint of view, said Italy's Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League coalition party in Italy's right-wing government. "Italy, with France, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary, has the numbers to block this leap in the dark," Salvini said during an automotive dealer conference in Verona. European carmakers have been fighting back against the proposed emission regulations they argue are too costly, rushed and unnecessary. The European Commission says are needed to cut harmful emissions and prevent a repeat of the Dieselgate scandal.

☆ Czech president: Ukraine could have our L-159 jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE, May 10 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic could give Ukraine some of its L-159 fighter jets to support its planned counter-offensive, Czech President Petr Pavel was quoted as saying on Wednesday. "It is worth considering whether we could provide Ukraine with our L-159 aircraft," Pavel told Czech public radio in an interview. "As direct combat support aircraft, (the planes) could also help Ukraine significantly in the counteroffensive," he said. Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte said last week that talks on a potential donation of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine were progressing, but no decision has been made. Slovakia and Poland provided Ukraine with Soviet-era MIG-29 fighter jets in March.

☆ Explainer: Why the EU is restricting grain imports from Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Poland, meanwhile, received 2.08 million tonnes of corn, 579,315 tonnes of wheat and 44,114 tonnes of barley in 2022. They have, however, faced increased competition in local markets from Ukrainian grain and oilseeds. Ukrainian grain was shipped to 95 countries that season with major buyers including China, Egypt, Pakistan, Spain and Libya. This is partly because Russian wheat exports have actually risen following a record harvest last summer. A decline in Ukraine's corn exports has also been offset by a jump in shipments from Brazil.

Farmers in Poland and other eastern European countries who held out for higher prices have been hit by a perfect storm. A jump in exports from Brazil and Russia helped to drive global grain prices lower while the EU opened its borders to tariff-free Ukrainian grain imports in a show of solidarity after Russia blocked the country's Black Sea ports. After opening its borders to Ukrainian grain, Poland imported 2.08 million tonnes of maize and 579,315 tonnes of wheat last year, up from just 6,269 tonnes of maize and 3,033 tonnes of wheat in 2021. If the grain corridor due to expire this month were to collapse, Ukrainian farmers would have little option but to send all their grain exports through eastern Europe. European wheat prices hit post-harvest highs in October 2022 of more than 350 euros a tonne but since then prices have dropped to pre-invasion levels of about 235 euros.

☆ ECB may need to raise rates for longer than anticipated: Kazimir
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, May 9 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank may need to raise interest rates for longer than currently anticipated, and September could be the earliest moment when policymakers can judge whether past rate hikes have been effective, ECB policymaker Peter Kazimir said on Tuesday. The ECB has lifted rates at each of its past seven meetings to fight a historic surge in consumer prices and policymakers have signalled further hikes to come as inflation pressures continue to build. "Based on today's data, we will have to keep raising interest rates for longer than anticipated," Kazimir, Slovakia's central bank chief, said in a blog post. The ECB sees inflation falling under 3% by the final quarter of this year, then taking almost two more years to ease back to its 2% target. "The development of core inflation, the continued buildup of wage pressures, and high-profit margins call for vigilance and reconfirm the need to continue on our path," Kazimir said.

☆ China poses greatest risk to Europe's carmakers - Allianz Trade study
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Allianz SE FollowTesla Inc FollowLONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) pose the greatest risk to Europe's carmakers and could cost them 7 billion euros ($7.7 billion) a year in lost profits by 2030 unless policymakers take action, according to an Allianz Trade report. Europe's carmakers face a dual threat from the prospect of falling sales of their own vehicles in China, where local EV makers have been growing market share, and from rising sales of imported Chinese EVs - made by Chinese or Western carmakers. A crowded market for all-electric SUVs in China is putting pressure on local carmakers to export more vehicles to Europe. "The stakes are high for Europe's automotive industry: four out of five cars sold in Europe are assembled locally," the report added. The report said the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) had made Europe a target for Chinese exports.

☆ Slovak caretaker PM quits months before early elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Heger is due to meet President Zuzana Caputova, who has the power to appoint a new caretaker prime minister, later on Sunday. Heger has faced opposition calls to make way for a technocrat administration to lead the central European country until early elections to take place in September. Polls find the public favours the biggest opposition party, which is led by former prime minister Robert Fico and has opposed increasing military aid to neighbouring Ukraine. Heger lost a no-confidence vote in December last year and in January he agreed to early elections as the best solution, leaving him in a caretaker role. It was not certain whether Caputova would name a new prime minister on Sunday.

☆ Slovak's caretaker PM quits after political wrangling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 7 (Reuters) - Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Sunday he had asked the president to relieve him of his duties, after ministers' resignations weakened his cabinet that is serving in a caretaker capacity before elections in September. Heger is due to meet President Zuzana Caputova, who has the power to appoint a new caretaker prime minister, later on Sunday. Heger has faced calls from the opposition to make way for a technocrat administration to lead the central European country until early elections to take place in September. In common with other European states, Slovakia has provided households and companies with payments to mitigate the impact of high energy costs and wider inflation. Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Poland to call for EU sanctions on imports of Russian farm products
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, May 6 (Reuters) - Poland will demand European Union sanctions on imports of Russian farm products, its ambassador to the EU Andrzej Sados was quoted as saying on Saturday by PAP news agency. "Europe isn't threatened by disruptions in supply chain of farm products now, contrary, we have a problem of surpluses. We are resolving a problem of increased imports of farm products from Ukraine," Sados said, according to PAP. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, the EU has adopted 10 sanctions packages against Russian individuals and companies. Poland in April proposed a new set of punitive measures against Moscow, including a ban on pipeline oil and diamond imports.

☆ Slovak foreign minister quits in fresh blow to ailing cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Slovakia's foreign minister offered his resignation on Friday, the president said, dealing a fresh blow to the centre-right cabinet which has already been serving in a caretaker capacity ahead of elections in September. Rastislav Kacer's departure follows a string of other ministerial resignations and piles pressure on Prime Minister Eduard Heger, who had been facing mounting opposition calls to quit and make way for a technocrat government. Caputova, whose role gives her the power to appoint a new prime minister, said she would discuss the situation with Heger and parliament speaker Boris Kollar on her return. SaS joined a leftist opposition party in voting through a no-confidence motion in December, accusing the government of not helping people cope with the higher energy costs. The prime minister said he would not comment until he meets the president.

☆ Former F-16 pilot says he would not want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, arguing 'there is no fighting chance'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine has repeatedly asked the US for fourth-generation fighter jets like the F-16. A former F-16 pilot said these jets don't have a fighting chance given Russia's air defense systems. One former F-16 pilot told Insider he wouldn't want to attempt to fly missions over Ukraine right now, asserting that the aircraft can't outmatch Russia's air defense systems. Fourth-generation fighters "have no business in a modern-day battlefield," John Venable, a 25-year veteran of the US Air Force, told Insider in a recent interview. F-16 fighters would likely be outmatched by Russian air defense systemsThe airspace above Ukraine remains contested after 14 months of war.

☆ Eurozone Prices Rose in April, as Central Bank Seeks to Tame Inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Across the countries that use the euro currency, inflation rates varied. Food prices remained stubbornly high, while government intervention to tame the inflated cost of energy began to take hold. That deal is expected to set a precedent for other pay talks and could threaten the European Central Bank’s forecast that eurozone wage growth will peak this year. What’s Next: A decision by the European Central Bank. The inflation data will influence the European Central Bank’s decision on whether to continue raising interest rates in an effort to bring down inflation.

☆ Ukraine says grain import restrictions are 'unacceptable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday it had sent notes to the Polish Embassy and EU representative office in Kyiv on Friday expressing dissapointment with the situation and saying restrictions on its grain exports via the European trade bloc were "categorically unacceptable". The European Commission said on Friday afternoon it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five EU countries that had imposed restrictions. Asked if the announcement had changed the ministry's position, he said: "There must be (unhindered) export for all Ukrainian goods". In imposing restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, those five countries have cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries have ended up in their local markets, pushing down prices for local farmers. A Polish foreign ministry spokesman said he had not yet seen the note.

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