EURACTIV.com with Reuters
Malaysia takes WTO legal action against EU over palm biofuel curbs
Malaysia is taking legal action at the global trade watchdog against the European Union and member states France and Lithuania for restricting palm oil-based biofuels, the government said.
Trump, in wave of Tuesday pardons, so far not planning to pardon himself
US President Donald Trump at this point is opting not to issue a pardon for himself as he prepares an expansive list of more than 100 pardons and commutations, a source familiar with the effort said.
Zurich Insurance to drop out of Nord Stream 2 project
Zurich Insurance Group will drop out of Russia's Nord Stream 2 project in the face of looming US sanctions against European companies that support construction of the $11 billion gas pipeline, two sources familiar with the situation said.
Swedish court dismisses Huawei appeal over 5G network ban
A Swedish court has dismissed an appeal by Huawei against its exclusion from the country’s 5G network roll out, paving the way for the 5G spectrum auction scheduled for next week to proceed as planned.
Amazon Web Services opens first office in Greece
Amazon Inc’s cloud computing division opened its first office in Greece on Friday (15 January) to support what it said was a growing number of companies and public sector agencies using its cloud services.
US prosecutors says Capitol rioters meant to ‘capture and assassinate’ officials
Federal prosecutors on Thursday (14 February) offered an ominous new assessment of last week’s siege of the US Capitol by President Donald Trump’s supporters, saying in a court filing that rioters intended “to capture and assassinate elected officials.”
US executes man with COVID-19, 12th under Trump administration
The US government on Thursday (14 January) executed Corey Johnson, a convicted murderer, marking one of the final two federal executions planned under President Donald Trump’s administration.
North Korea shows off new submarine-launched missiles after rare party congress
North Korea displayed what appeared to be a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a parade on Thursday night (14 January), state media reported, capping more than a week of political meetings with a show of military might.
Russian prison service says it will seek Navalny’s arrest
Moscow's prison service said it would take all measures necessary to arrest Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after he returns to Russia this weekend, a move that could be a prelude to him being jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Hungary reaches deal to buy China’s Sinopharm vaccine
Hungary's government said it has reached a deal with China's Sinopharm to buy its coronavirus vaccine, the country's latest move to break away from Brussels as it tries to speed up inoculations to lift curbs on the economy.
Greece seeks to send 1,450 migrants back to Turkey
Greece is pushing to return 1,450 people currently in migrant reception centres on Lesbos and other Aegean islands to Turkey, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Thursday (14 January), calling on Ankara to respect asylum agreements with the European Union.
US tells European companies they face sanctions risk on Nord Stream 2 pipeline
The US State Department this month told European companies which it suspects are helping to build Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that they face a risk of sanctions, a spokesperson confirmed.
Scottish fishermen threaten to dump rotten shellfish outside British parliament
Scottish fishermen have threatened to dump rotten shellfish outside the British parliament after their deliveries to the European Union were blocked by post-Brexit red tape.
Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine could be available in Europe in April
Johnson & Johnson could deliver the first doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to Europe in April, an EU official said after a top lawmaker said the US healthcare company was likely to seek EU regulatory approval in February.
EU companies in China warned to ‘prepare for the worst’ in digital decoupling
Digital decoupling between China and the United States could severely impact EU businesses in China and they should "prepare for the worst" and may be forced into a costly separation of their international operations, European business groups said.
A historic second impeachment for Trump
Donald Trump became the first president in US history to be impeached twice, as ten of his fellow Republicans joined Democrats to charge him with inciting an insurrection in last week’s violent rampage in the Capitol.
Watchdogs across EU should be allowed to challenge Facebook, EU court adviser says
The adviser to the EU’s top court has issued a recommendation to allow data protection agencies in any EU country to take legal action against Facebook or any other tech firm even if their regional headquarters are in a different EU state.
Italy targets violent clan in biggest mafia trial in decades
One of Italy’s largest-ever mafia trials kicked off on Wednesday (13 January), with more than 320 suspected mobsters and their associates facing an array of charges, including extortion, drug trafficking and theft.
US executes first woman on federal death row in nearly seven decades
The US government executed convicted murderer Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row, on Wednesday (13 January), after the Supreme Court cleared the last hurdle by overturning a stay.
Kremlin critic Navalny to return to Russia despite risks
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Wednesday (13 January) he would fly back to Russia on 17 January from Germany where he has been recovering after being poisoned, shrugging off potential legal risks that could see him jailed.
Temporary morgues set up as UK hospitals run out of space
British authorities have had to set up a temporary morgues in some areas after local hospital mortuaries ran out of space due to a surge in deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
US imposes sanctions on pro-Russia Ukrainians over election interference
The US imposed sanctions on several Ukrainian individuals, accusing them of US election interference and associating with a pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker linked to efforts by President Donald Trump’s allies to dig up dirt on President-elect Joe Biden and his son.
FBI probes Russian-linked postcard sent to FireEye CEO
The FBI is investigating a mysterious postcard sent to the home of cybersecurity firm FireEye’s chief executive days after it found initial evidence of a suspected Russian hacking operation on dozens of US government agencies and private American companies.