EURACTIV.com with Reuters
EU launches new COVID-19 fundraising to address concerns over equal access
The European Commission launched a new global fundraising campaign on Thursday (28 May) to finance the development and worldwide distribution of testing, vaccines and treatments against COVID-19, seeking to address concerns they may not be equally shared.
NSA warns of ongoing Russian hacking campaign against US systems
The US National Security Agency on Thursday (28 May) warned government partners and private companies about a Russian hacking operation that uses a special intrusion technique to target operating systems often used by industrial firms to manage computer infrastructure.
French contact-tracing app approved by lawmakers, to launch this weekend
The French government’s contact-tracing app project was approved by the lower house of parliament on Wednesday (27 May), paving the way for a weekend launch of a tool developed independently of the more widely used Apple/Google platform.
Recovery fund brings EU one step closer to fiscal union
A European Commission plan to issue large amounts of common EU bonds under a coronavirus recovery fund potentially marks the first step towards the euro zone finally getting a region-wide safe-haven asset, investors said.
EU boosts ‘just transition fund’, pledging €40 billion to exit fossil fuels
The European Commission has increased five-fold its proposed EU fund to wean carbon-intensive regions off fossil fuels, with fresh cash from a new recovery fund to help Europe's ailing economies rebound after the new coronavirus pandemic.
Approval of Trump’s COVID-19 response stays steady as death toll surpasses 100,000
Public approval of President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic remained steady this week as the number of US deaths from the illness surpassed 100,000, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday (27 May).
US military says Russia flew 14 MiG 29s and Su-24s to Libya
Russian military personnel flew MiG 29 and SU-24 fighter planes to a Libyan airbase escorted by other Russian fighter jets, the US military said on Wednesday (27 May), detailing a deployment of air power that could have a big impact on Libya’s war.
Putin sets new date for Red Square military parade postponed over coronavirus
President Vladimir Putin set a new date of 24 June for a grand Red Square military parade he was forced to postpone over a coronavirus outbreak that is still triggering thousands of new infections each day.
Kosovo president rejects EU mediator for talks with Serbia
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi said on Tuesday (26 May) he would not take part in talks on normalising ties with Serbia led by an European Union special mediator, calling instead for an increased US role in the dialogue.
Ryanair challenges Lufthansa’s bailout package
Low-cost carrier Ryanair challenged Germany's €9 billion rescue package for Lufthansa on Tuesday (26 May), saying it distorted competition, while the German carrier moves towards finalising the deal next month.
Russian gas transit via Poland has almost halted
Russian natural gas transit via the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which traverses Poland, has almost dried up, Interfax cited gas pipeline operators as saying on Monday (25 May), days after a gas transit deal between Moscow and Warsaw expired.
Germany prepares to open up to 31 European countries on 15 June
The German government wants to end a travel warning for tourist trips to 31 European countries from 15 June if the coronavirus situation allows, magazine Focus on Tuesday (26 May) cited dpa news agency as reporting.
Polish health minister denies wrongdoing in mask procurement spat
Polish Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski denied on Monday (25 May) any wrongdoing as he reacted to accusations of inadequate supervision over procurement of equipment to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Americans spend holiday at beaches and parks as virus death toll nears 100,000
Americans sunbathed on beaches, fished from boats and strolled on boardwalks this holiday weekend, even as the US death toll from COVID-19 fast approaches 100,000.
Defiant Netanyahu goes on trial in Israel charged with corruption
Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (24 May) became the first serving Israeli prime minister to go on trial, proclaiming his innocence in the corridor before walking into court to face charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Irish regulator reaches preliminary decision in Twitter privacy probe
Twitter may be the first big technology firm to face a fine by the EU’s lead regulator under the region’s tougher data protection rules after it submitted a preliminary decision in a probe into the social media firm to other member states.
‘America first’: US secures 300 million doses of potential UK COVID-19 vaccine
The United States has secured almost a third of the first one billion doses planned for AstraZeneca's experimental COVID-19 vaccine by pledging up to $1.2 billion, as world powers scramble for medicines to get their economies back to work.
Estonia starts testing digital immunity passport for workplaces
Estonia has started to test one of the world's first digital immunity passports, created by a team including founders of global tech startups Transferwise and Bolt, seeking a safer return to workplaces following the coronavirus lockdown.
Coronavirus creates repair headache for oil and gas industry
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted maintenance at oil and gas projects and refineries from Russia’s Far East to the coast of Canada, storing up problems for an industry already reeling from slumping prices, analysts say.
Uzbekistan pushes back against Russian criticism over language policy
Uzbekistan on Monday (18 May) pushed back against Russian criticism of its plans to enforce the use of the Uzbek language in the civil service, in a rare rebuke of Moscow by Tashkent amid otherwise warm ties.
Italy to reopen borders for EU tourists in early June
Italy will reopen to European tourists from early June and scrap a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, the government said on Saturday (16 May), as it quickened the exit from the coronavirus lockdown.
Vestager: Discrepancy in state aid distorts single market, hampers recovery
The European Union's competition chief Margrethe Vestager has expressed concern about the "huge differences" in coronavirus state aid among member states, saying they were starting to distort the bloc's single market.
Portugal suspends foreign trash imports to cope with own waste surge
Portugal, which usually attracts huge mounds of rubbish from other European states because of its low waste management fees, has suspended imports of trash until the end of 2020 to protect domestic landfill capacity, the government said on Saturday (16 May).