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☆ 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.

☆ Polish ban on Ukrainian grain and food imports includes transit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, April 16 (Reuters) - A Polish ban on imports of Ukrainian grain and other food will also apply to the transit of these products through the country, the development and technology minister said on Sunday. The Polish ban came into effect on Saturday evening. Ukraine's ministry of agrarian policy and food said on Saturday that the Polish ban contradicted existing bilateral agreements on exports, and called for talks to settle the issue. Ukraine's state-run Ukrinform news agency said Ukrainian and Polish ministers are due to meet on Monday in Poland and the transit arrangement would be focused on in the talks. Around 3 million tonnes of grain left Ukraine every month via the Black Sea grain corridor while only up to 200,000 tonnes are moving to European ports through Polish territory, according to the Ukrainian ministry.

☆ Polish government bans grain and food imports from Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Pavlo PalamarchukWARSAW, April 15 (Reuters) - The Polish government has decided to ban imports of grain and other food from Ukraine to protect the Polish agricultural sector, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczyński, said on Saturday. "Today, the government has decided on a regulation that prohibits the entry, importation of grain into Poland, but also dozens of other types of food (from Ukraine)," Kaczyński said during the PiS party convention. The list of these goods will be included in the government regulation, and there are goods "from grain to honey products, very, very many things," he added. But it is the duty of every state, every authority, good authority in any case, to protect the interests of its citizens," Kaczyński said. Kaczyński said Poland was ready to start talks with Ukraine to settle the grain issue and the Ukrainian side had already been notified of the decisions of the Polish government.

☆ Ukraine farmers say protests in EU over Ukrainian grain are political
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Inquam Photos/George Calin via REUTERSKYIV, April 12 (Reuters) - Protests by European farmers are political and shipments of Ukrainian grain are not reducing the profitability of their business, Ukrainian food producers' union UAC said on Wednesday. Poland last week said it would temporarily halt Ukrainian grain imports after farmers' protests led Poland's agriculture minister to resign, but transit would still be allowed. "The political nature of the European farmers' strikes is obvious. "However, certain forces need to demonstrate that this is due to an oversupply of Ukrainian grain," he said, noting that the country faced elections later this year. Ukrainian officials this month said, however, the country may export a further 15.6 million tonnes of grain in the April-to-June quarter, which would lift this season's exports to nearly 53 million tonnes.

[1/4] Chinese President Xi Jinping and France's President Emmanuel Macron meet at the Guandong province governor's residence, in Guangzhou, China, Friday, April 7, 2023. Macron's comments came in an interview on a trip to China that was meant to showcase European unity on China policy, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also taking part, but highlighted differences within the European Union. A senior diplomat from Central and Eastern Europe, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "President Macron is not speaking for Europe or the European Union. The French foreign ministry cancelled a planned debrief on the trip for foreign diplomats in Paris on Tuesday as officials scrambled to make sure they had a consistent message and to limit any fallout with Washington. But even some of those broadly supportive of Macron's agenda lamented the handling of the China trip, in which von der Leyen received a much more muted welcome than the French president.

☆ Polish agriculture minister resigns amid anger over Ukrainian grain imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, April 5 (Reuters) - Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk resigned from his post on Wednesday amid rising anger among farmers over the impact of Ukrainian grain imports on prices. Kowalczyk said he decided to quit the position due to the European Commission's decision to extend duty free imports for Ukrainain grain until June 2024. Polish farmers had called for the introduction of tariffs. "As it is clear that this demand will not be met by the European Commission at this point, I decided to resign from the post of agriculture minister," Kowalczk said. The prime ministers of five states including Poland wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to demand action on Ukrainian agricultural imports.

☆ Trump boasted that he 'got rid of NATO' while president during a Fox News interview. (He meant NAFTA.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump said he had gotten the US out of NATO as president, but meant NAFTA. Trump has repeatedly questioned US membership of NATO, but did not act on threats to withdraw. Trump, who is seeking election again in 2024, boasted about his achievements as president in an interview Tuesday with Fox News' Sean Hannity. Trump as president repeatedly criticised NATO, berating other members for not spending more on defense, and threatened to pull out of the treaty. Trump, since launching his 2024 bid, has sought to portray his likely opponent, President Joe Biden, as in cognitive decline.

☆ European arms imports climb, U.S. dominance in exports grows, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File PhotoSTOCKHOLM, March 13 (Reuters) - European states increased their imports of major weaponry by 47% in the five years to 2022, while the United States' share of global arms exports rose to 40% from 33%, a leading conflict think-tank said on Monday. European states in the U.S.-led NATO alliance increased their arms imports by 65% from the previous five-year period. The United States and Russia have been the world's largest and second-largest arms exporters for the past three decades. U.S. arms exports increased by 14% from 2013-17, and the U.S. accounted for 40% of global arms exports. "It is likely that the invasion of Ukraine will further limit Russia's arms exports," SIPRI's Siemon T. Wezeman said.

☆ Germany’s electricity headache has an M&A cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sorting out a rickety power grid is an especially pressing issue in Germany, but luckily Scholz also has the means to act. Cutting carbon emissions means powering more cars and homes through zero-carbon electricity rather than fossil fuels. It has to transport electricity all the way from wind turbines in the northern regions to its southern industrial heartland, which means the power network is often overloaded. The German power network is also unusually complex. Germany’s historic dependence on Russian gas deepened its energy crisis last year, and underscored the risks of relying on foreign-owned critical assets.

WHO IS INVESTIGATING WAR CRIMES IN UKRAINE? Ukrainian war crimes prosecutors are working with mobile justice teams supported by international legal experts and forensic teams. A total of 296 individuals have been charged with war crimes. War crimes can be defined under customary international law or national law. A number of mostly European states have universal jurisdiction laws that allow them to prosecute Ukrainian war crimes.

☆ Fashion Faces Recycling Fees Similar to Other Industries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Electronics and packaging companies have banded together to help pay for recycling programs under government rules. EPR programs charge producers tiny fees—often a fraction of a penny—on individual items to fund waste collection and recycling. The fees from the relevant products, such as packaging, electronics or clothing, then fund recycling, including infrastructure, collection, sorting and public communications. Recycling successEPR programs can significantly boost recycling rates, according to a study published this month from the Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit group. It is expanding its textile recycling beyond its customer network, which includes Levi Strauss & Co. and VF Corp. -owned The North Face.

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☆ EU countries told to step up defence against state hackers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - European Union countries must step up their defences against cyber attacks on their financial infrastructure as the war in Ukraine raises the risk of hacks by foreign powers, the bloc's systemic risk watchdog said on Tuesday. "The war in Ukraine, the broader geopolitical landscape and the increasing use of cyber attacks have significantly heightened the cyber threat environment," the ESRB said in a report. "There is an increased risk of cyber attacks on the EU financial system by states or state-sponsored actors." "The ESRB will consider which operational policy tools are most effective in responding to a system-wide cyber incident and identify gaps across operational and financial policy tools," it added. Reporting By Francesco Canepa Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Ukraine said it had shot down all 24 drones sent overnight by Russia, including 15 around the capital, and 47 of 55 Russian missiles - some fired from Tu-95 strategic bombers in the Russian Arctic. Eleven people were killed and 11 wounded in the drone and missile strikes, which spanned 11 regions and also damaged 35 buildings, a State Emergency Service spokesperson said. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said electricity substations had been hit as Russia continued to target energy facilities. [1/7] Local residents remove debris from a house of their neighbour damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine January 26, 2023. Both Moscow and Kyiv, which have so far relied on Soviet-era T-72 tanks, are expected to mount new ground offensives in spring.

☆ Analysis: Western military aid girds Kyiv for counterattacks despite tank deadlock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The latest U.S. aid includes 90 Stryker armoured personnel carriers (APC) and 59 Bradley fighting vehicles with powerful canons - adding to 50 Bradleys pledged earlier this month along with French and German infantry fighting vehicles. A group of nine European states, including Britain and the Baltics promised on Thursday to deliver heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles and battle tanks sought by Kyiv. Zagorodnyuk said he believed infantry fighting vehicles were a clear endorsement of Kyiv's counterattack plans, also noting the importance of large donations of ammunition. Berlin said earlier this month that it would send 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles before the end of March; Paris said it would send AMX 10-RC armoured combat vehicles, which are seen as tank destroyers. In an interview with the Economist in December, Ukraine's top general, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said he needed 300 tanks, 600-700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers to help his forces push back the invaders.

☆ Factbox: European states in Estonia pledge weapons for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Ints KalninsJan 19 (Reuters) - A group of 11 European states have pledged to deliver more arms to Ukraine in its war with Russia, saying they would send main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles. The 11 nations were Estonia, Britain, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain. Weapons donations and military support will continue in close cooperation with allies and in accordance with Ukrainian needs. Estonia will continue to provide both basic and specialist training to hundreds of Ukrainian Armed Forces members in 2023. Poland has already donated 42 infantry fighting vehicles along with training package for two mechanised battalions.

In the south, Russian mortar and artillery fire hit several towns, including the regional capital, Kherson, which Russian forces abandoned in November. Russian troops are active at night - we are in great need of night vision equipment." Western countries have produced a steady supply of weapons to Ukraine since Russian forces invaded last Feb. 24 but Zelenskiy and his government are insisting they need tanks. The OSCE is the world's largest regional security organisation, consisting of 57 states, such as the United States, all European states, including Russia and all states of the former Soviet Union. The U.S. State Department estimated last year that between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, have been forcibly deported into Russian territory.

☆ Europe starts 2023 with historic winter heatwave; snow shortage forces ski resorts to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Poland's capital of Warsaw recorded temperatures of 18.9 degrees Celsius on Jan. 1; more than 5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set 30 years ago. A winter heatwave smashed several national temperature records across Europe over the New Year's weekend, prompting meteorologists to sound the alarm, while some ski resorts were forced to close due to an absence of snow. January temperatures reached an all-time high in several European states, with national records set in at least seven countries. Polish capital Warsaw recorded temperatures of 18.9 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) on Jan. 1 — more than 5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set 30 years ago. Warm weather and low snowfall forced some low-altitude ski resorts in the northern Alps and French Pyrenees to close a few weeks after opening.

☆ Niger president calls for job-based immigration quotas in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MILAN, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum said in an interview with an Italian newspaper on Friday that African and European states should agree quotas for African immigrants tailored to employment needs. "In France, Spain and Italy you have many jobs in sectors of employment where Africans can work," Bazoum said. "These numbers need to be established, country by country, and then the consulates entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing them." While numbers have subsided, thousands embark on treacherous journeys to European countries each year in hope of finding safer lives and better economic opportunities. Bazoum said agreements between African and European states would help regulate regular immigration and tackle irregular immigration "that fuels the worst trafficking".

☆ Swiss seek mandatory reporting of cyberattacks on key infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Swiss government proposed on Friday making it mandatory to report cyberattacks on critical infrastructure as a way to help shed light on hackers and sound the alarm more widely. "Successful cyberattacks can have far-reaching consequences for the availability and security of the Swiss economy. The general public, authorities and companies are exposed to the risk of cyberattacks on a daily basis. Swiss stock exchange operator SIX, for example, saw an increase in hacker attacks around the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. European states have raced to protect energy infrastructure ranging from Norwegian energy installations to German power lines after blaming the Nord Stream pipeline leaks in September on sabotage.

☆ EU fails to agree on Russian oil price cap, say diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The legal texts have now been agreed, but Poland still can't agree to the price," one diplomat said. No new date for talks has been set yet, diplomats said, even though the price cap mechanism is to enter into force on Dec. 5. It proposed that the EU and other global customers keep buying Russian crude, but only if its price is at or below a G7 agreed level. Poland, Lithuania and Estonia have been pushing for a price cap of $30 per barrel. Because the world's key shipping and insurance firms are based in G7 countries, the price cap would make it very difficult for Moscow to sell its oil for a higher price.

☆ France's Le Maire: Europe must defend its economic interests against U.S. subsidy package
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Nov 27 (Reuters) - France may try to negotiate some exemptions from the duties and limits imposed by the U.S. anti-inflation act but Europe must act to protect the bloc's economic interests, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday. Le Maire will accompany French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to the United States next week. "France may ask for exemptions on some duties and limits imposed by the U.S administration. Le Maire told France 3 television. "China favours Chinese production, America favours American production, it is time Europe favours European production...All European states must understand that today in the face of these American decisions, we must learn to better protect and defend our economic interests," he added.

☆ Traces of explosives found at Nord Stream pipelines, confirming 'gross sabotage,' Sweden says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Investigators found traces of explosives at the site of the damaged Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic sea, confirming that the pipelines had been subject to “gross sabotage,” the Swedish Security Service said Friday. The statement did not expand on how the explosives might have got there and said an investigation was ongoing. The Swedish statement confirmed preliminary findings by Swedish and Danish authorities in October that “powerful explosions” had caused damage to the Nord Stream pipelines, referring to ruptures in the pipeline in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone. Underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines, which carry natural gases from Russia to Germany under the Baltic sea, in late September. Russia and Norway are the two major European exporters of natural gas, upon whom the rest of Europe has long been dependent.

☆ Factbox: Europe's alternatives if Russia shuts off gas supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Germany halted certification of the new Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia because of the Ukraine war so it never went into operation. Germany, Europe's biggest consumer of Russian gas, can import gas from Britain, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands via pipelines. Southern Europe can receive Azeri gas via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline to Italy and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) through Turkey. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to Europe have increased from producers such as the United States, Qatar and other countries. OTHER OPTIONS TO COPE WITH A GAS SUPPLY CRUNCH?

☆ EU seeks to boost infrastructure protection after Nord Stream blasts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Nord Stream AG FollowBRUSSELS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Tuesday proposed stepping up measures to protect its critical infrastructure, with energy among its chief areas of focus following the possible sabotage last month of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The Commission says EU members should prioritise energy, digital, transport and space infrastructure and accelerate work to improve preparedness for and responses to attacks and to increase international cooperation. In the recommendation, which seeks to guide but does not bind EU countries, the EU executive encourages the bloc's 27 members to accelerate stress tests of entities operating critical infrastructure, particularly related to energy. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEuropean states have raced to protect energy infrastructure ranging from Norwegian energy installations to German power lines after blaming the Nord Stream pipeline leaks on sabotage after they were discovered on Sept 26. EU executive chief Ursula von der Leyen will present the proposal to EU leaders at a two-day summit in Brussels that begins on Thursday.

☆ Russia's attack on Ukraine shows that the US and Europe have to relearn how to fight an industrial war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Alexander Clarkson | World Politics Review | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The military effort to support Ukraine shows how US and European defense priorities have been distorted. The war is a reminder that the US and Europe must fundamentally reassess how they prepare for war. The military responses Western states formulated toward these perceived threats were shaped by wider neoliberal policy approaches shaped by the impact of globalization. This greater reliance on private-sector actors to develop and administer key military functions also reflected a period of tightening defense budgets. An airman secures a GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition on an aircraft at Barksdale Air Force Base in August 2014.

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