From the capitals
West urges Russia and Belarus removal from sport governing boards
Western powers on Tuesday (5 July) called for international sport federations to remove state-affiliated Russians and Belarusians over the Ukraine invasion, after leading events already banned their athletes.
Editor’s take: Free theatre, Westminster-style
Every week seems to bring new turmoil for the ever-beleaguered Boris Johnson. This time, the turmoil will probably be terminal. On Tuesday evening (5 July), he faced the biggest and possibly decisive challenge to his premiership when Chancellor Rishi Sunak...
The ECB greens its monetary policy
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to pay more attention to both its effect on climate change and the effect of climate change on financial stability.
New Innovation Agenda launched to boost EU startup ecosystem
The Commission on Tuesday (5 June) released its new European Innovation Agenda, setting out 5 core channels through which it will seek to boost deep tech investment and innovation within the EU
The Brief – Macron 2.0 goes Bland on Bland
There’s always electricity in the air when a new government is announced in France. Analysts try to bring to light the symbolism of each nomination and search for political wizardry in every decision. Journalists refresh their address books.
French ‘trusted cloud’ label does not bother US tech giants
US tech giants are not letting France's revisited "trusted cloud" label - awarded to companies granting greater protection to users, including the guarantee that US law will not apply abroad - get in the way of their aspirations.OpinionPromoted content
Meeting Mayor Klitschko in Kyiv was a true experience: local leaders don’t hide
When I found myself seating at the same table with Mr Vitali Klitschko in a rooftop restaurant in Kyiv last June, I was able to measure both the charisma and authenticity of the multiple world boxing champion and current Mayor of Kyiv.
Packaging: The fibre edition
Industries involved in forestry, pulp, paper, board and carton production have touted their green credentials, saying they are the only ones to propose packaging which is truly renewable as well as recyclable.
Recycling cannot meet 100% of demand for packaging, EU official cautions
While the European Commission aims to encourage the use of recycled materials in its upcoming packaging law, it also recognises that recycling has its limits and cannot meet all the demand.
Fibre packaging boss: ‘We are looking to keep fossils in the ground’
Makers of cartonboard, corrugated board, and other wood fibre-based packaging are campaigning to get the renewability and recyclability of their product recognised under EU law. They also warn against EU plans to introduce mandatory recycled content targets for new products, saying this could "disrupt a system that is already working very effectively".
Europe urged to invest in LNG infrastructure as winter gas crisis looms
Network operators have called for investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in order to prevent supply shortages as gas flows from Russia hit record lows ahead of a scheduled ten-day maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
Suspect confesses to killing Caruana Galizia, says hit was ‘just business’
The man accused of detonating a car bomb that killed a prominent Maltese journalist has confessed to the crime in an interview with a Reuters reporter and says he will soon implicate others in plotting to assassinate her.
Commissioner hints at enforcement details as EU Parliament adopts DSA and DMA
The EU Parliament adopted voted to adopt the DMA and DSA with a broad majority on Tuesday (5 July). On the same day, Commissioner Thierry Breton provided a ‘sneak peek’ into how the new rules will be enforced.
Russia’s speaker asks parliament to look at scrapping Norway sea treaty
The speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament asked a senior lawmaker on Tuesday (5 July) to look into scrapping a treaty that establishes the country's maritime border with NATO member Norway.
Kyiv calls on EU to ‘positively consider’ green label for gas, nuclear
The Ukrainian energy ministry has weighed into the debate over the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy by calling on the European Parliament to support plans to label nuclear and gas as green energy sources.
Zimbabwe to introduce gold coins as local currency tumbles
Zimbabwe's central bank said it would start selling gold coins this month as a store of value to tame runaway inflation, which has considerably weakened the local currency.
After losing Luhansk, Ukraine forces gather for defence of Donetsk
Russian forces set their sights on their next objectives in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province on Tuesday (5 July) after President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in neighbouring Luhansk province and the five-month long war entered a new phase.
Berlin plans to limit claims of ‘force majeure’ in bid to stabilise energy markets
Following reduced gas flows from Russia, German energy companies are struggling under the strain of record energy prices, prompting the German government to tighten its hold on the market.
A seismic shift: Support for ICE melts as Europe warms to EVs
From 2035 it is now almost a certainty that it will be impossible to purchase a brand new car that runs on petrol or diesel in the European Union.
DMA: Google’s rivals put forth ‘fair choice’ principles for default settings
The chief executives of DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, and Qwant published on Tuesday (5 July) an open letter with a set of ten principles on how to enable consumers to effectively change their default settings.
MEP says health should not be left out of climate change discussion
The debate on climate change’s impact on health should be broadened, according to socialist MEP Sara Cerdas, as health costs for society if we do not act will be unimaginable. Sara Cerdas is a socialist MEP member of the European...
Gaps in CAP monitoring leave it open to fraud, illegal land grabbing, say auditors
Gaps in monitoring mean the EU’s farming subsidies remain vulnerable to fraudulent practices such as illegal land grabbing, according to a report from the EU auditors, who call on the Commission to invest in digital tools to prevent, detect fraud.
Lebanon gas row tops agenda as Israel PM visits Paris
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid makes his first foreign trip as premier on Tuesday (5 July) to Paris, where he will ask President Emmanuel Macron to intervene in a gas dispute with Lebanon.