French prosecutors demand jail time, ban on public office for Le Pen over embezzlement charges
French prosecutors said that France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, should face jail time and a ban from public office that would bar her from the 2027 presidential race as she and members of the National Rally party stand trial for using money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party.
Italy is preparing a plan to shield its universities and research from foreign influence, a government undersecretary said on Thursday, to prevent other nations from obtaining valuable scientific and technological knowledge.
There was evidence of hostile agents using "increasingly sophisticated strategies" to gain access to Italy's most advanced knowledge, Alfredo Mantovano, a senior undersecretary in charge of intelligence matters, told a news conference.
The most affected technology sectors are biomedicine, robotics and semiconductors," said Mantovano, a close aide to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, citing sponsorships and donations as among the vulnerable areas deserving attention.
The raid is part of an investigation in France and the Netherlands that began in November 2022.
The Amsterdam office is the headquarters of the company's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The French investigation is being carried out by the National Financial Prosecutor's office (PNF), a special unit used for investigations into high-profile white-collar crime.
It relates to suspicions of "covering up serious tax fraud and off-the-books work", according to the PNF.
The company is also under investigation for tax filings for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Also, maybe it's part of being" neutral", yet the future will tell where this (alleged of human rights abuses) tiktok president is going
" DW Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief Georg Matthes, however, is certain that Indonesia is still trying to remain non-aligned in international politics, despite the exercises with Russia.
"These trainings are quite important for Indonesian military, but it's not something uncommon. They recently conducted a similar training with German naval vessels," Matthes said, also mentioning the massive annual "Super Garuda Shield" exercises that Indonesia has conducted with the United States since 2006.
Voters have backed political forces that favour closer Moscow ties despite seeing their country’s future in Europe
Pro-western politicians in Moldova and Georgia have dismissed Russian invasion fears as scare-mongering orchestrated by the Kremlin, and instead stressed that only the west could guarantee long-term stability. They also reported that pro-Russian forces engaged in widespread disinformation and vote-buying campaigns had created a distorted picture of the actual public sentiment.
Still, the voting in Georgia and Moldova suggests the threat of a Russian invasion resonates at least with certain parts of society, especially in conservative, poorer regions where economic progress has lagged and the promise of Europe feels distant and faint.
making this takeover by a majority Chinese owned company more than a little suspicious.
Tnx for reminder, hadn't thought of that context. And , agreed 100%.
"think the states that provided subsidies"
I hope so. Afaik, the EU has provided subsidies for (some) Chinese European cooperations in the past.
I hear you. The whole thing is quite unfathomable and hard to untangle. But 79% GEELY says enough imo. Seems Volvo, dono which one, has recently bought rights for (majority?) distribution in China per 2024, or something like that.
FYI , found this for context: Volvo Cars is primarily owned by Geely Holding Group, which acquired the company from Ford in 2010 for $1.8 billion. As of 2023, Geely holds approximately 78.7% of Volvo Cars, making it the largest shareholder, but not a full owner. Volvo operates independently, maintaining its Swedish heritage and brand identity while benefiting from Geely's resources and management support. The company was publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange in 2021, further diversifying its ownership structure
Plans are further blow to Europe’s hopes of creating a homegrown electric car battery
A better term would be "developing nations" . The term " third world" refers to not being part of NATO (or not aligned to NATO), and is outdated. Also, there are various sorts of developing countries, richer, poorer, and some are war or conflict zones.
Russia asks at UN: If West aids Ukraine, why can't North Korea help us?
Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya responded: "None of the countries that provide assistance to Ukraine is under Security Council sanctions." "Receiving assistance from the fully-sanctioned North Korea is a brazen violation of the U.N. Charter," he added. "Sending the DPRK troops to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law."
Russia asks at UN: If West aids Ukraine, why can't North Korea help us?
Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya responded: "None of the countries that provide assistance to Ukraine is under Security Council sanctions." "Receiving assistance from the fully-sanctioned North Korea is a brazen violation of the U.N. Charter," he added. "Sending the DPRK troops to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law."
And, I even wonder if anyone would be surprised by this news.
Alleged talks between billionaire and Russian president could have enormous security implications
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who is now central to Donald Trump’s election campaign, has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin for the past two years, according to a report in the US.
The Wall Street Journal, citing several in-post and former US, European and Russian officials, reported that the conversations between the two men ranged from the personal to the geopolitical and included a request from the Russian leader not to activate his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to the Chinese leader and Putin ally, Xi Jinping.
Spain commits 400 million euros to World Bank fund for poorest countries
WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Spain on Thursday announced plans for a contribution of 400 million euros ($433 million) to the World Bank's fund for low-income countries, a 37% increase over the previous International Development Association replenishment cycle.
The Irish hadn't transposed EU regulations yet, says Irish Times
And, the Dutch/ EU law is quite strict with IP, online content and privacy.
As I understand it, the main reasons for the EU being an issue at all in Moldova; is for more security against the Russians taking over the country, and the much needed economic help they will receive from the EU.
Also, it might facilitate (some) future integration with Romania.
Tnx. So "less worried about appearance ", is being the main difference you reckon?
I checked them out, apart of being pro PS some years ago, they came out very trustworthy and factual.
Yet somehow the paper "reads" completely different to other western media outlets,. It could be what you said.
@[email protected] what's up with El Pais, or has it always been like this?
Exactly.
How can the result of this referendum ever be legitimate anymore? 100 K + voters were paid.
I wonder what the results will be in this llittle country, and how the results wil impact their future. All the best Moldova.
Sunday's presidential election is seen as a vote on whether the country looks east to Russia or west to the EU.
“I’m not aware of anywhere else where we’ve seen such a brazen and open attempt to corrupt an election,” Moldova’s chief anti-corruption prosecutor, Veronica Dragalin, told me this week in her office in Chisinau.
We’re talking about a foreign country sending money in an attempt to influence the election,” Ms Dragalin spells it out. She details evidence gained through wiretaps, police infiltrators and witnesses – some of which her office has made public.
I hope I'm wrong.
I think you and I are right to be concerned.
These soldiers have been spotted doing military exercises in occupied Ukraine, near Marieopol, Donetsk.
Overall, in the news they've mentioned 10K to 13 K NK soldiers off late. And they're probably up to no go good in Donetsk or like some said training for a future conflict in N & S Korea.
I'm unsure as how the western allies will or should respond, except to view this is a new provocation and escalation of war. NK has openly put their boots in occupied Donetsk.
Update According to Guardian , " NIS said North Korean soldiers were given Russian military uniforms and Russian-made weapons and were issued with fake ID cards of residents of Yakutia and Buryatia, two regions in Siberia.
“It appears that they disguised themselves as Russian soldiers to hide the fact that they were deployed to the battlefield,” the agency said.
As to the question what are they doing and what will they be doing; they aren't planning to help rebuild Ukraine or offer humanitarian help, I reckon.
How to Manage an Alliance of Autocracies- China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are expanding their collaborations.
There are growing reports that North Korea is sending as many as 3,000 troops to assist Russia in its war on Ukraine. If true, it would not only be the latest example of Pyongyang helping Moscow, but also further proof of a growing closeness between those two capitals, Beijing, and Tehran. It’s been variously called the new “axis of evil,” or the “quartet of chaos,” but whatever the moniker, the four countries are stymieing a range of United States and Western interests around the world.
Press Release: (ECB) Monetary policy decisions ( cutting rates 25 bp)
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purchasing power of the single currency.
The Governing Council today decided to lower the three key ECB interest rates by 25 basis points. In particular, the decision to lower the deposit facility rate – the rate through which the Governing Council steers the monetary policy stance – is based on its updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission.
Red: added some changes to auto title for clarity.
Russia, China bolster defence ties at 'substantive' talks
Oct 15 (Reuters) - Russia and China held "substantive" defence and military talks to bolster ties, Russia's defence minister said on Tuesday, as Moscow and Beijing cement a "no limits" partnership and step up criticism of U.S. efforts to extend its influence in Asia.
That's what crossed my mind tbh.. Don't care too much for that guy.
ISW: illicit use of Starlink terminals Russian offensive
Russian forces are reportedly relying on illicitly obtained Starlink terminals to improve combat coordination and the effectiveness of their tactical reconnaissance strike complex (TRSC) in Ukraine as part of an overarching effort to reach technological
Russian forces are reportedly relying on illicitly obtained Starlink terminals to improve combat coordination and the effectiveness of their tactical reconnaissance strike complex (TRSC) in Ukraine as part of an overarching effort to reach technological parity with Ukrainian forces.
Ps: adjusted official title to cover content
Tributes paid to Kesaria Abramidze as ruling party and allies are accused of state campaign against minorities
A well-known Georgian transgender model has been murdered, local officials said, a day after the government passed legislation that will impose sweeping curbs on LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
“There is a direct correlation between the use of hate speech in politics and hate crimes,” the Social Justice Center, a Tbilisi-based human rights group, said in its statement reacting to the murder.
The United States and Britain have pledged nearly $1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats.
Patients and relatives turn on doctors and nurses, with 16,000 reports of physical and verbal assaults in 2023 alone
Loreto Gesualdo, the president of the Italian Federation of Medical-Scientific Societies (Fism), has proposed legislation to suspend free access to medical care for three years for those who assault healthcare workers or damage health facilities.
Fism reported more than 16,000 verbal and physical attacks against doctors and nurses in Italian hospitals in 2023 alone.
Also according to Guardian
Daniel Fiott, head of the defence and statecraft programme at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, has summarised the main points in X
90 references to “defence”. Key points:
👉🏻 defence industry too fragmented 👉🏻 too many capability duplicates 👉🏻 not investing in EU suppliers 👉🏻 common procurement needed 👉🏻 defence fuels growth 👉🏻 need more investment 👉🏻 integrate AI into defence 👉🏻 private finance And more.
The former Italian prime minister proposes "radical change" as the bloc faces aggressive competition from China and the US. Draghi touts use of controversial eurobonds; proposed plan for decarbonisation and competitiveness could entail defensive trade measures, he says. #EuropeDecoded
The former Italian prime minister proposes "radical change" as the bloc faces aggressive competition from China and the US. Draghi touts use of controversial eurobonds; proposed plan for decarbonisation and competitiveness could entail defensive trade measures, he says.
RIP " Moonfish" 🙏🏻
Colonel Oleksiy “Moonfish” Mes was a fervent advocate of giving Ukraine the advanced fighters.
KYIV — Ukraine lost the first of its U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets during Monday's massive missile and drone attack by Russia, killing the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Mes, one of the country's first to be qualified to fly the advanced fighters.
Russia faces "difficult fight" to retake Ukraine-held area, says top US spy
"We can be certain that Putin will mount a counteroffensive to try to reclaim that territory," Cohen said. "I think our expectation is that that will be a difficult fight for the Russians."
Putin, he said, "is not only going to have to face the fact that there is a front line now within Russian territory that he's going to have to deal with, he has to deal with reverberations back in his own society that they have lost a piece of Russian territory."
The skirmishes come as Ukraine claimed to be continuing its advance into Russia after shock incursion
Ukrainian troops have dramatically downed a Russian fighter jet over eastern Ukraine as an oil depot was set ablaze by a drone strike more than 100 miles away in Russia.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by Nato, was downed over Kramatorsk, Donetsk, as it fired on Ukrainian troops.
It's always quite peculiar to see these comparisons. Bilateral is US and EU institutions, the UK, and then some European memberstates.
Though U.K. is not EU anymore It's still a military ally and geograohically part of the European continent.
Also, how much did European countries donate in It's totality?
And this just came in : "opposition candidate Edmundo González on Monday announced that his campaign has the proof it needs to show he won the country’s disputed election "
In a way I don't fancy giving guys like Trump and Orbán any platform, considering that we all know what they stand for, and what they have been doing. On the otherhand, we still need to deal with the consequences of their actions. So, here we are.