European Union

Ambitions to ship between 2m and 5m tonnes of grain out of Ukraine each month via a safe corridor for international shipping were "achievable", the UN has said. "We're expecting to see a big uptick in applications for transit," from shipping firms, senior UN official Frederick Kenney said in Istanbul Wednesday, Reuters reports. Some 12 ships have so far sailed from Ukraine under a Turkish-brokered deal between Ukraine and Russia.

Greece will be more free to spend its own money and borrow on markets after exiting an "enhanced surveillance framework" on 20 August imposed by international creditors in 2018 after three bailouts worth €260bn. "A difficult chapter for our country comes to a close," Greek finance minister Christos Staikouras said. "Greece returns to a European normality and will no longer be an exception in the euro zone," he added.

Denmark has promised to train Ukrainian soldiers in the UK and at home as part of Western efforts to see Russia lose its invasion of Ukraine. "Denmark will support a British-led training project with 130 Danish soldiers and at the same time offer to train Ukrainian soldiers in Denmark," its foreign ministry said Wednesday. Training will cover urban warfare and tactical operations of soldiers with almost-zero military experience, Denmark said.

Estonia summoned Russia's ambassador in Tallinn Wednesday to complain about violation of its airspace by a Russian helicopter Tuesday. "Estonia considers this an extremely serious and regrettable incident that is completely unacceptable," its foreign ministry said. It made a similar complaint in June, amid mounting Russian assertiveness in the Baltic region, which has also put Nordic countries and Poland on high alert of a potential military clash with Nato armies.

An EU embargo on Russian coal imports came into effect at midnight on Thursday, as part of sanctions designed to starve Moscow of fossil-fuel revenue.

The Belgian parliament's recent decision to ratify its prisoner-exchange treaty with Iran is a grave mistake, and one which exemplifies the many downfalls of dealing with Iran's human-rights abuses on a case-by-case basis.

Kosovo prime minister Albin Kurti has warned of possible armed conflict with Serbia, following heightened border tensions with Belgrade over the past month.

MEPs support updating EU rules on consumer credit to protect consumers faced by new digital options and the difficult economic situation.

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

MEPs support updating EU rules on consumer credit to protect consumers faced by new digital options and the difficult economic situation.

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

Sweden overtook France as Europe's largest net power exporter in the first half of 2022, as deep-rooted problems reduced French nuclear availability to historic lows, Energy analysts EnAppSys said on Wednesday (10 August).

Eighty-five-year-old former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday (10 August) he will run for a Senate seat at next month's election, seeking national office again after a nine-year absence.

In decidedly undiplomatic language, Brazil's economy minister has renewed a spat with France over deforestation in the Amazon, telling the European nation it is becoming "irrelevant" and risks being told where to stick its criticism.

The US Justice Department said Wednesday (10 August) it had uncovered an Iranian plot to kill former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton, and announced charges against a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Brussels is unlikely to back down on its demand that Poland respect the rule of law to receive post-pandemic recovery funds, as despite threats from Warsaw, officials said it could block decision-making within the European Union. Poland would be eligible...

Ukraine accused Russia of firing rockets from around a captured nuclear power plant, killing at least 13 people and wounding 10, in the knowledge it would be risky for Ukraine to return fire.

A Ukrainian ship loaded with 6000 tonnes of wheat arrived at the Albanian port of Durres on Wednesday (10 August) following the agreement brokered between Ukraine and Russia by Turkey and the UN.

Kosovo is prepared to stand against a possible attack by Serbia as worsening strife with minority Serbs could result in a new armed conflict, Prime Minister Albin Kurti told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday (10 August).

Scandal-plagued former premier Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday (10 August) he hoped to return to Italy's parliament in September elections, almost a decade after being forced out over a conviction for tax fraud.

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy, has sought to detoxify the country's post-fascist movement and in doing so has brought it within touching distance of power.

The EU's medicines watchdog said Wednesday (10 August) it aims to approve this autumn a Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine adapted for two fast-spreading subvariants of the Omicron strain.