EURACTIV.com with Reuters
Google, Facebook, Twitter rapped for not doing enough in EU fake news fight
Facebook, Google and Twitter were reprimanded by the European Commission on Friday (17 May) for not doing enough to tackle fake news plaguing the election campaign to the European Parliament, seven months after promising to do more.
Pentagon warns EU against blocking US firms from defence fund
In the latest sign of the deteriorating transatlantic relations, Washington has warned its European allies that a new European military pact risks shutting American companies out of defence contracts and undermining NATO, and has hinted at possible retaliation.
China defiant as US tariff war escalates
The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday (12 May) as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any “bitter fruit” that harmed its interests.
Albanian protesters hurl petrol bombs, seek snap polls
Albanian opposition protesters hurled petrol bombs at the entrance of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office on Saturday (11 May), after three months of demonstrations calling for him to quit over alleged election fraud and corruption.
Facebook takes down fake Italian accounts ahead of EU election
Facebook said on Sunday (12 May) it had taken down numerous Italian accounts on its platform that were false or were spreading fake news ahead of a European parliamentary election later this month.
Britain’s Conservatives in fourth place in EU election poll, Farage leads
Theresa May’s Conservative Party has fallen into fourth place in a poll on voting intentions for the European elections, well behind Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party which has more support than Britain’s traditionally two biggest parties combined.
Pompeo to hold talks on Iran in Brussels on way to Russia
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will cancel the Moscow leg of his Russia trip, but will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as planned on Tuesday (14 May), a State Department official said.
Mogherini puts hopes in China and India to save Iran deal
The European Union will defend the Iran nuclear accord despite Tehran's decision to backtrack on its commitments in response to US sanctions, diplomats believe, but European powers expect it to collapse without a deal to sell Iranian oil to China or India.
EU commissioner says agriculture not on agenda for US talks
The European Union intends to keep agriculture off the agenda in its trade talks with the United States and continues to support rules-based, open and predictable international commerce, the EU's agriculture commissioner said on Friday (10 May).
EU nations are living far beyond the Earth’s means, WWF warns
The European Union's 28 countries consume the Earth's resources much faster than they can be renewed, and none of them has sustainable consumption policies, a report released on Thursday said, as EU leaders meet to discuss priorities for the next five years.
May to meet Tory leaders next week to address calls for resignation
British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered to meet leaders of an influential group of Conservative Party lawmakers next week to address growing calls for her to resign, party representatives said on Wednesday (8 May).
Blaming government ‘failure’, Britain’s Labour launches European vote campaign
British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will urge both pro-EU voters and Brexit supporters on Thursday (9 May) to vote for his opposition party at this month's European election, a poll he blamed on the Conservative government's "complete failure" to steer the country out of the bloc.
Germany, wealthy regions are biggest winners of EU single market
The European Union's industrial heartlands, its urban regions and Germany are the biggest beneficiaries of the bloc's single market, according to a study that highlights the economic and social inequalities plaguing the bloc.
Italy accuses EU of prejudice after grim economic forecasts
Italy accused EU authorities of prejudice on Tuesday (7 May) after they forecast the euro zone's third largest economy would stagnate this year and its huge public debt would rise further.
Juncker says ‘unacceptable’ to link Tusk to Hitler and Stalin in Poland
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday (7 May) it was “totally unacceptable” to link fellow top EU official, Donald Tusk, with tyrants Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler, as has been done by Polish state TV.
Pompeo: Russia is ‘aggressive’ in Arctic, China’s work there also needs watching
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday (6 May) that Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China’s actions there had to be watched closely as well, amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals.
EPP divorce looms after Orban rejects Weber as Spitzenkandidat
The leader of Germany's conservatives said she expected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party would quit Europe's main centre-right group after he withdrew support for the bloc's candidate to head the European Commission.
North Macedonia’s pro-Western candidate wins presidential vote
North Macedonia's pro-Western candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, won a run-off presidential vote after a campaign dominated by divisions over a change to the country's name that was agreed to mollify Greece and open the way for EU and NATO membership.
US deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran
The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday (5 May).
Bavarian, Austrian conservatives frown at Orbán’s call to ally with populists
The leaders of Austria and Bavaria rejected on Friday (3 May) a call by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for their centre-right group in the European Parliament to ally with populist, nationalist parties ahead of EU elections later this month.
Pentagon warns on risk of Chinese submarines in Arctic
Deepening Chinese activities in the Arctic region could pave the way for a strengthened military presence, including the deployment of submarines to act as deterrents against nuclear attack, the Pentagon said in a report released on Thursday (2 May).
Tesla expects global shortage of electric vehicle battery minerals – sources
US electric car maker Tesla expects global shortages of nickel, copper and other battery minerals down the road due to underinvestment in the mining sector, the company’s global supply manager for battery metals told an industry conference on Thursday (2 May), according to two sources.
Juncker points the finger at Germany, Austria, Netherlands for impeding eurozone reform
The Netherlands, Austria "and all too often Germany" are preventing deeper euro zone integration, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told German newspaper Handelsblatt.