In Davos, Ukraine says it ‘badly’ needs rocket systems

Ukraine's foreign minister said Wednesday (25 May) his country "badly" needed multiple launch rocket systems to match Russian firepower as he pressed Western allies for heavy weapons at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps.

Justice for slain Maltese journalist ‘excruciatingly slow’, complains MEP

The process of justice for murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been “excruciatingly slow and half hearted”, Sophie In’t Veld said on Wednesday following a three day rule of law mission by a European Parliament delegation to Malta.

Hungary’s Orban turns again to windfall taxes on banks, companies to plug budget

Hungary's government will impose windfall taxes on banks and large private companies' "extra profits" in a bid to rein in a swelling budget deficit, turning again to a policy that has helped Viktor Orban avoid raising taxes for families.

EU ramping up efforts for strategic autonomy in raw materials

While Europe's dependency on Russian energy makes headlines, the EU is also increasingly keen decrease its dependency on third states - most notably China - when it comes to essential raw materials.

Commission considers easing rules on crop rotation to grow more wheat

The Commission is open to a German proposal to delay new EU rules on crop rotation in order to increase wheat production in the light of the Ukraine war, after the idea won approval from a number of member states.

Tanks, but no ammo – Germany’s Ukraine pledges show military muddle

Four weeks ago, Germany agreed to send dozens of anti-aircraft tanks to help defend Ukraine from Russia's invasion, in a turning-point after decades of military restraint. Berlin says it can deliver the first Gepard tanks in July.

EU and US criticise Russian gas cutoff, commit to strengthen EU energy security

The European Commission and the United States reiterated their commitment to EU energy security and slammed cutoffs of Russian gas as “unjustified and unacceptable” in a joint statement.

More voices join call for EU grants instead of loans for Ukraine

Experts are calling on the EU to give Ukraine short-term budgetary aid in the form of grants instead of loans, citing concern over the impact of massive debt on the country's economy.

Russia’s VK launches RuStore for apps after exit of Western alternatives

Russian internet group VK launched a home-made app store on Wednesday, the latest in a Kremlin-endorsed drive to create a raft of domestic digital services to replace Western rivals.

Austria to combat deep fakes amid increasing use of the technology

The Austrian government published an action plan to fight deep fakes on Wednesday (25 May), aiming at better tackling disinformation and hate speech. On the EU level, several legislative texts also seek to address the growing issue.

India puts ‘new reality’ on display with Davos street show

Bright colours and bold logos proudly signal where India has set up base on the main street in Davos this year, as the country trumpets its pro-business and foreign investment drive. Inside a pavilion on the Swiss Alpine resort’s Promenade...

Regulator-industry collaboration key for adtech success, Mozilla official says

Breaking down the false binary between competition and privacy, and ensuring closer collaboration between regulators and tech companies will be crucial for success in developing adtech privacy measures, a senior Mozilla official has said. 

Health Brief – Human rights violated, access to health neglected: Roma in ‘mental distress’

Lower life expectancy, limited access to health services, and violation of human rights affect the mental health of Roma people living in Europe. NGOs are sounding the alarm about that.

The Brief – The German fiscal hawk returns

The European Commission's announcement that the EU's rules on debt and deficits will remain suspended for another year has triggered a fierce reaction in Germany, whose finance minister - the liberal Christian Lindner - employed language reminiscent of Berlin’s austerity policy under Angela Merkel.

EU cracks over Ukraine widen ahead of summit as Italy, Hungary urge truce

Italy and Hungary have urged the EU to call for a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace talks with Russia, putting themselves at odds with other member states determined to take a hard line with Moscow ahead of next week's summit.

Texas school killing, deadliest in a decade, prompts Biden call for action

The murder of 19 children and two teachers at a South Texas school has prompted a call to action from US President Joe Biden, who urged Americans to confront the country's gun lobby and pressure Congress to tighten gun laws.

Battle for dominance in heat pump markets reaches Europe

Heat pumps, considered crucial to climate-neutral heating, are another industrial sector in which nations compete over leadership. The EU learnt a harsh lesson from the loss of its solar industry, can it avoid a repeat of history?

Different mentality needed on raw material domestic mining, says EU body

The increasing need for critical raw materials essential to the energy transition and phasing out Russian fossil fuels requires more domestic EU production and a different mentality to mining on EU soil, the largest consortium in the sector warned last week.

G7 leadership is critical to put the brakes on deforestation

Deforestation is happening at a rapid pace and threatening food security everywhere. With the G7 Summit Meeting in June approaching, leaders are responsible for tackling deforestation as a major driver of climate change, writes Ani Dasgupta.  

The Green Brief: No done deal on EU carbon market reform

Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on a major overhaul of the EU’s carbon market last week, but it’s a long and possibly bumpy road to EU legislators shaking hands on the final deal.

Austria sells its first ever green bond

Austria became the latest government to enter the green bond market with a €4-billion debt sale on Tuesday (24 May).

North Korea fires salvo of missiles, including ICBM, hours after Biden leaves Asia

North Korea fired three missiles, including one thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 25 May, after US President Joe Biden left Asia following a trip in which he agreed to new measures to deter the nuclear-armed state.