Italy links Ukraine aid to ‘negotiated settlement’ efforts
Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto says military support for Kyiv should be accompanied by more diplomacy
Crosetto told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that Italy would seek “a dual-track strategy” with military support for Kyiv to be coupled with more engagements towards a “negotiated settlement”.
We must be realistic and cannot ignore the military situation on the field,” Crosetto said as lawmakers approved more bilateral aid to Kyiv. “The time seems to have come for effective diplomatic action.”
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https://www.ft.com/content/e0c9a4bb-903a-48d9-b44c-f26b445499b0
Europe’s biggest economy hit by travel disruption in what ‘looks increasingly like a general strike'
A three-day nationwide strike called by train drivers from Wednesday to Friday evening has added to travel disruption in Europe's biggest economy, which was already reeling from ongoing farmer protests.
"It really looks increasingly like a general strike. We haven't had a general strike in Germany since 1906," Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at advisory firm Teneo, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday.
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France's new PM Attal to choose cabinet as Macron eyes political reset
French President Emmanuel Macron and his new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal worked on Wednesday to pull together a cabinet, a day after Macron appointed the 34-year-old media-savvy loyalist to breathe new life into his second term.
Attal has promised to be bold and fast to help the middle class weather the rising cost of living, signaling a desire by Macron to move beyond divisive reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in European Parliament elections in June.
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France drops renewables targets, prioritizes nuclear in new energy bill
France, like other EU countries, aims to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.
The proposed text, which is slated to go before the cabinet early next month and then be submitted to lawmakers, reaffirms France’s commitment to nuclear power to ensure “energy sovereignty”.
The country became a leader in nuclear power generation after the 1973 oil crisis, building over 50 such power plants that produced around two-thirds of the country’s electricity.
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France’s presidency of the Security Council - Statement by the Quai d’Orsay
France took up the month-long presidency of the UN Security Council on January 1.
It follows Ecuador and commends the work carried out by the Ecuadorian presidency, which ended on December 31.
The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for preserving international peace and security. As a permanent member, France exercises particular responsibility in this area and will continue to do so.
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India-France ties in consolidation phase
India-France relations have the potential to far exceed what was possible in ties with the Soviet Union during the heyday of relations, and far exceed the possibilities in India-US relations now.
Republic Day chief guests have traditionally been invited because India wanted to explore or expand relations with the guest country.
Prominent examples are Georgy Zhukov and Kliment Voroshilov of the Soviet Union in 1957 and 1960, Josip Broz Tito, the Yugoslavian co-parent of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1968 and 1974.
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France report says UK not cooperating enough in immigration measures
France’s Court of Accounts published a report claiming the UK was not cooperating enough with France over questions of immigration policy to successfully reduce the number of irregular crossing in the English Channel on Thursday.
Despite agreements between France and the UK, the report stressed the “disappointing” coordination with the UK.
It says the UK does not communicate “usable intelligence” regarding small boat crossings, only information that is “very general” and has not been counterchecked.
Read ahead at:https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/01/france-report-says-uk-not-cooperating-enough-in-immigration-measures/
One of Austria's largest wind farms wins state approval
The Lower Austrian state government has approved the expansion of the Loidesthal wind farm.
ImWind’s 73MW Loidesthal II will comprise 11 turbines, with initial construction preparations currently planned for the end of the second quarter of 2024. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2025.
Read ahead at:https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1856992/one-austrias-largest-wind-farms-wins-state-approval
Austria boasts Europe’s second-greenest power sector in 2023
Much of Austria’s electricity has traditionally come from hydropower, thanks to dozens of large plants along the country’s rivers. In recent years, however, additional power from ‘new’ renewables such as wind and solar has helped to expand conventional structures.
In 2023, 87% of Austrian power was generated from renewables, Austria’s Environment Ministry said on Friday, up from 78% in 2022.
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Austria's 'super-election year': What will be decided and when?
Austria is having a "super election year" in 2024, with many elections for citizens to vote in. The highlight of the year is the National Council elections, which will determine the new Parliament and Chancellor.
The 2024 legislative elections will take place by autumn, to elect the 28th National Council. The National Council is the lower house of Austria's bicameral parliament.
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https://www.thelocal.at/20240111/austrias-super-election-year-what-will-be-decided-and-when
Sweden says threat level still high: ‘We’re painted as country hostile to Islam'
Swedish security service said its yearly assessment showed that Sweden is still seen as a priority target.
The terrorist threat level against Sweden remains high, security police said on Sunday.
"The image that is painted of Sweden as a country hostile to Islam has strongly contributed to the increased terrorist threat from violent Islamism," it said.
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Sweden to Send 800 Troops to Latvia Despite Pending NATO Membership
Sweden is planning to send 800 troops to Latvia early next year to reinforce NATO’s presence in the country, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced.
Swedish soldiers will guard Latvia’s border to deter Russian forces, joining forces with a Canada-led battle group already in the area.
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https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/01/10/sweden-800-troops-latvia/
IT companies face currency headwinds in Europe
While Europe and the UK were outliers for Indian IT companies for the last few quarters, firms are expected to experience a currency headwind as Pound and Euro have depreciated against US dollar in the range between 1-2% in the third quarter.
As North America continues to be under pressure, Indian IT companies have been recently signing large deals, especially in the UK and Europe. Europe, including the UK, contributes about 20-30% of their revenue.
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Red Sea Shipping Turmoil Leads to a Drop in European Goods Trade
Europe’s economy is starting to feel the first wave from the Red Sea shipping disruptions.
The latest Kiel Trade Indicator released Thursday shows the European Union’s imports dropped 3.1% in December from the previous month and exports were down 2%.
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Lithuania announces €200m aid package for Ukraine
Ukraine's President has kicked off his tour of the Batlic nations with a trip to Lithuania, where he sought support for the ongoing conflict with Russia.
"Ukraine has shown the world that Russia's military can be stopped", President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday as he began a visit to the Baltic nations in search of more help for his country against the Kremlin's larger and better-supplied forces in the 22-month-old invasion.
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Poland's frustrated opposition calls for protests against new pro-EU government
The Justice and Law Party, ousted in recent elections, says the protests are a defense of democracy and free media.
Poland’s right-wing opposition, frustrated over its recent loss of power, urged its supporters to protest Thursday against moves by the new pro-European Union government to take control of state broadcasters and the state news agency.
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Hungary makes fresh demands in exchange for lifting veto on EU financial aid for Ukraine
After derailing December's summit, Hungary has made fresh demands to Brussels in exchange for a lift on its veto on the European Union's proposed €50-billion fund for Ukraine.
The envelope, known as the Ukraine Facility, is meant to provide Kyiv with financial assistance between 2024 and 2027 to plug its ballooning public deficit, sustain essential services and pay for reconstruction efforts.
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Western allies denounce North Korea for providing ballistic missiles to Russia
The European Union and the United States have denounced North Korea "in the strongest possible terms" for providing Russia with ballistic missiles and propping up the war of aggression against Ukraine.
"The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia's war of aggression and undermines the global non-proliferation regime," the two Western allies said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.
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Unemployment in the euro area drops to 6.4%
The latest data from Eurostat shows unemployment rates are getting slightly better in the euro area and the wider EU.
The eurozone's unemployment rate fell to 6.4% in November 2023, down from 6.5% in the previous month and from 6.7% the previous year, according to the latest data from Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.
Read ahead at: https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/01/09/unemployment-in-the-euro-area-drops-to-64
Bosnia's future is in the EU — but it needs help to get there
Our commitment and destiny lie within the EU, but the speed of our journey towards membership will directly impact democracy and the living standards of our citizens, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović writes.
For decades, Bosnians and Herzegovinians have been waiting for good news from Brussels. My compatriots, who are no strangers to ill fortunes, always knew that the road to European Union membership is not without significant obstacles.
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France has a growing gang problem. It's so far failed to tackle it
Macron vows the state will be back in the quarternord of Marseille. What this statement actually implies is that it isn’t there now. One class-action lawsuit is working on bringing this to court.
In the 13th arrondissement of Marseille, one of the quartiers nord (northern neighbourhoods) of the city, a professor walks toward the high school where she runs a geography programme. She pauses briefly, pointing down the road.
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Strikes, sackings and surging prices: Teacher anger rages in Hungary
"I feel as if our government does not want people to think critically," one teacher told Euronews. "They don't want people to have an academic education ... just go to work, do your job and vote like you are told."
“I just don't understand why the government treats us like criminals," teacher Maria Nemes told Euronews. “I love my students. I love my colleagues. I love my high school.”
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US Ambassador warns of rising anti-Semitism in Portugal
“The growth of anti-Semitism in Europe should be a warning sign for everyone and, unfortunately, I think it happened very quickly”, said Levine, in Covilhã, after highlighting that “destabilization in the Middle East is a concern for everyone.”
During a visit to Belmonte and Covilhã, in the district of Castelo Branco, the diplomat introduced herself as “an American Jewish woman”, who feels that also in Portugal there is hostile behavior against people of Jewish origin, in certain cases “a negative discourse, of hate.”
Read ahead at: https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-01-11/us-ambassador-warns-of-rising-anti-semitism-in-portugal/84999
Madrid museum has right to keep Nazi-looted Pissarro, says US court
A US appeal court has said a Madrid museum has the right to retain a painting by Camille Pissarro that was stolen by the Nazis from a Jewish family, in the latest twist in a decades-long legal battle that has pitted the Spanish institution against the heirs of Jewish refugees.
In a decision published on Tuesday, the ninth US circuit court of appeals in Pasadena, California, said the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum may keep the 1897 French impressionist work, Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain.
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Britain’s pavement hell: how messy, broken streets ruin people’s lives
Three years ago, Simon Daws and his guide dog, Lemar, were hit by a car on a street in Suffolk. Lemar had spotted an obstacle on the pavement and navigated his owner around it, but Daws, who is visually impaired, didn’t realize how narrow the pavement was. He slipped off the curb and into traffic.
Lemar was injured and took several weeks to recover. “Fortunately, my injury was very minor, but it could have been a lot worse,” says Daws. “The dog wasn’t at fault – he did his job. If the obstacle wasn’t there, whatever it was, then I wouldn’t have been put into that position.”
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FRANCE | REVISED TAX BRACKETS AND RATES CONFIRMED AHEAD OF DECLARATION DEADLINES
Ahead of tax declaration deadlines in the spring, the French government has announced the annually updated tax brackets and rates applicable to 2023 earnings and income.
France’s sliding tax scales are set annually, and in 2024, the income tax bands have been increased by 4.8%.
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US diplomat Blinken meets Turkey’s Erdogan, kicking off Gaza diplomacy tour
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met senior Turkish officials in Istanbul before heading to Greece, his first stop on a week-long trip aimed at calming tensions that have spiked across the Middle East since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October.
In his meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Blinken “emphasized the need to prevent the conflict from spreading, secure the release of hostages, expand humanitarian assistance and reduce civilian casualties”, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Saturday.
Read ahead at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/6/us-diplomat-blinken-meets-turkeys-erdogan-kicking-off-gaza-diplomacy-tour
Met Éireann's new warning system will include more detailed explanations of colour alerts
Met Éireann is planning a new weather warning system which will take account of higher wind speeds, rising temperatures in a warming climate, as well as specific concrete examples of what people can expect to happen based on their colour-coded alert system.
The meteorology service has come in for criticism over its yellow, orange, and red warning system with some members of the public suggesting alerts were unnecessary, while at other times, people claimed they were not given sufficient warning of potential damage.
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'If we continue, we can turn Denmark against the monarchy'
At the end of last year, Denmark's main republican campaign group nearly shut down for good. With the abdication of Queen Margrethe II, the group's young new chairman is hoping for a revival.
The abdication of Queen Margrethe II has thrust Mads Rundstrøm, the chair of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republik Nu! into the spotlight, with the 27-year-old pulled onto countless TV panels over recent weeks to debate the future of Denmark's royals.
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'Extreme Cold' plan: Brussels creates more places to get homeless people off the streets
Brussels authorities have already activated an 'Extreme Cold' plan for homeless people on Monday. Now they have agreed to extend the plan and increase reception capacity to better meet the needs of those facing freezing temperatures.
Working with local organizations and government departments, the Bruss Help group will increase the number of places available under the plan – which made 145 emergency places available to homeless people across the Capital Region in addition to the existing annual plan of 5,045 places.
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In Liechtenstein, 38,378 of the world's wealthiest people go to the polls
Liechtenstein is, per capita, one of the world's richest nations and is still (partly) ruled by a monarch who is one of Europe's wealthiest men.
Europe’s most powerful monarch still lives in a towering hilltop castle and has the power to dissolve parliament and veto legislation. He is referred to as His Serene Highness.
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News bits compiled by:
Nadia Rawat (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Swapnil Tiwari (B.A. I.R. 1st Year)
Drafted by:
Daney Antonio Martin (B.A. I.R., 1st Year)
Published by:
Alithia Clemency Paul (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
