Archived

Beijing’s bid to enlist Australia to join its side in the escalating trade war with the United States has drawn a frosty response, with the Albanese government vowing to redouble its push to seek new export markets beyond China and the US.

The European Union’s top trade official is set to travel to Australia soon after the federal election to restart negotiations on an elusive free trade pact, after Trade Minister Don Farrell spoke to his counterpart on Wednesday night in an unusual move during an election campaign.

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The focus on trade came as a visiting Pacific leader rejected China’s bid to force it to break with Taiwan, while arguing there was still lingering damage from a decade-old gaffe in which Peter Dutton joked about rising sea levels in the Pacific.

Defence Minister Richard Marles firmly rejected Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian’s offer to “join hands” with Australia to respond to Trump’s tariffs, which the diplomat made in an opinion piece in this masthead on Thursday.

“We’re not about to make common cause with China – that’s not what’s going to happen here,” Marles told Nine’s Today.

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EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic proposed moving towards reopening talks during his hour-long video meeting with Australian counterpart Don Farrell on Wednesday evening.

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Any potential Australia-EU deal would eliminate about 98 per cent of tariffs and reduce red tape for companies doing business across borders. Business groups estimate an agreement would deliver a $6 billion boost to what is already Australia’s third-largest trading partner after China and Japan.

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Micael Johansson, the CEO of Swedish company Saab, confirmed to Swedish media that Portugal and Canada are studying whether to buy the JAS 39 Gripen E/F fighter jet.

The UK supreme court has ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, in a victory for gender-critical campaigners.

Five judges from the UK supreme court ruled unanimously that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 did not include transgender women who hold gender recognition certificates (GRCs).

In a significant defeat for the Scottish government, the court decision will mean that transgender women can no longer sit on public boards in places set aside for women.

Irregular crossings at Europe’s borders have fallen by 30% in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period last year, in a decrease that rights groups partly attributed to EU policies that have emphasised deterrence while seemingly turning a blind eye to the risk of rights abuses.

The falling number of arrivals comes as the bloc has increasingly struck agreements with countries outside Europe, such as Libya and Tunisia, where practices such as beatings, sexual violence and imprisonment have been documented.

“The bottom line is that, insofar as the drop in arrivals is due to the EU’s deterrence measures, those measures are accompanied very clearly by human rights abuse that the EU is therefore complicit in,” said Sunderland.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28297289

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/36493283

EU standards, particularly in relation to food health and safety, will never be part of the negotiation, ‘not with the US or anyone else', European Commission says

Archived version: https://archive.is/20250416105427/https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/04/16/eu-dismisses-us-demands-on-food-standards-and-ties-to-china/

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28294218

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Friday appeared to reject a call from Spain to hold an open debate on Israel’s participation in this Eurovision song contest amid the ongoing Gaza war.

Earlier in the day, the president of Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE sent a letter to the director general of the EBU urging the step. Several hours later, the EBU issued a brief statement in response.

In an apparent effort to assuage RTVE over the decision not to rule in its favor, EBU added that it remains in “constant contact” with the Spanish broadcaster and all other members regarding all aspects of the May singing competition.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28301959

Sitting alone at the end of a dinner party, under chandeliers, next to a table with white roses and leftover wine, Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump are locked in conversation.

Whatever was discussed, however, Meloni appears to be holding sway. Trump later described her as “a real live wire” and someone he could work with “to straighten out the world a little bit”. He may well have received positive reports on her from Elon Musk, with whom the Italian prime minister has met on several occasions and whom she has called “a brilliant man”.

As the relationship progressed, Meloni paid a flying visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida a month later, and was the only European leader to attend his inauguration as US president.

Now her influence over Trump is to be put to the test when the pair reunite in Washington on Thursday for their first bilateral summit. Meloni is the first European leader to meet Trump since he paused some of his planned tariff hikes last week.

The European Commission said it was proposing to designate Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia as "safe countries of origin

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/28684388

In a recent escalation, Berlin authorities ordered the deportation of four pro-Palestine activists – three EU citizens and one American, none of whom were convicted of a crime. Rather, citing Staatsräson, their threatened deportation was for holding anti-Israel views. Although one of these deportations was later deemed invalid by the Berlin Administrative court, the move followed 18 months of cancellations, bans and dismissals of artists, academics and speakers – Palestinians, Jews, Israelis and others – for speaking out against Israel.

In a cruel historical twist, Germany, the perpetrator of the Holocaust, has enabled what numerous observers, including Amnesty International, have identified as a genocide of Palestinians. Rather than learning a universal historical lesson that applies to all people, Germany chose a particularist interpretation of its history, centered on the state's relation to Israel.

The recent deportation order suggest a dramatic escalation in the influence of Staatsräson, which now seems to extends beyond foreign policy. For example, one controversial clause in a draft of the coalition agreement leaked last month proposes stripping dual nationals of German citizenship if they are found to be "supporters of terrorism, antisemites or extremists who jeopardize the free democratic order."

Archived link

On the morning of April 15, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti published — and later deleted — two Telegram posts that appeared to show military drone operators directing strikes against Ukrainian territory from a makeshift control center located inside a residential high-rise in Moscow City, the Russian capital’s business district.

The first post claimed that a “combat FPV drone, controlled from Moscow, struck an Armed Forces of Ukraine target in Chasiv Yar at an ultra-long distance for the first time.” The second post said the UAV, piloted remotely from Moscow, had been launched by the drone unit of the Espanola brigade, which was operating near Chasiv Yar — a city in the Bakhmut District of Ukraine’s Donetsk Region, most of which is under Russian control.

A six-minute video accompanied the posts, showing the coordination of the drone strike in detail. Both posts, along with the video, were removed within 90 minutes of publication. The Telegram channel CHTD first noticed that the posts had been taken down.

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Archived link

The Belarusian and Russian security services are preparing to take “preemptive” measures against Nato member states, the Kremlin’s spy chief has said.

Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, accused Nato of an increase in military activity near the borders of the two countries. Belarus is Russia’s strongest ally in Europe and the Kremlin has used its territory for attacks on Ukraine. Moscow also says it has transferred tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

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Naryshkin, a reputed former KGB officer, gave no other details or evidence for his claim of a Nato build-up near the Belarusian and Russian borders.

Western security officials suspect that agents from both countries have orchestrated dozens of arson and sabotage attacks in Europe since President Putin ordered tanks into Ukraine in 2022.

The Kremlin’s shadow war in Europe is intended to create “political disquiet” in Europe and undermine support for Ukraine, Nato has said. It has been described as “staggeringly reckless” by Sir Richard Moore, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service.

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A recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank said the number of attacks nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024, after quadrupling between 2022 and 2023. It read: “Despite the increase in Russian attacks, western countries have not developed an effective strategy to counter these attacks.”

The report said sabotage was an attractive tactic for Moscow because it allowed the Kremlin “to conduct coercive activities against a state below a threshold that is likely to trigger a costly or risky conventional war”.

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There have been no suspected Russian sabotage attacks in either Hungary or Serbia, the Kremlin’s biggest allies in Europe besides Belarus.

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Not all of the sabotage has been carried out directly by the Kremlin’s agents. Last year a 20-year-old British man admitted an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London on behalf of Moscow, while a Romanian man was arrested this month over a fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham that was caused by a suspected Russian incendiary device.

A 17-year-old Ukrainian refugee has also been charged with terrorism by Lithuania over an arson attack on an Ikea store in Vilnius, the capital. Daniil Bardadim is said to have been offered a BMW and about $11,000 to set fire to the store. It is unclear if he realised he may have been working for Moscow.

Archived

On April 13th, two Russian ballistic missiles struck Sumy in northern Ukraine, killing 35 people and injuring 117. This attack, the deadliest in Ukraine so far this year, came after one on Kryvyi Rih—a city far from active front lines—which killed 20 people, including nine children. Despite Ukraine responding positively to America’s proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire, Russia has openly refused to halt its attacks.

Russia’s current strategy, though seemingly contradictory given ongoing ceasefire talks, is designed to showcase its ruthless commitment to Ukraine’s destruction. Vladimir Putin remains determined to escalate the war on the frontline—where Russian forces are making slow and costly advances—and through terror against civilians, which will pressure the US to push Ukraine into making concessions “to stop the killing”.

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Europeans must now take three decisive steps:

First, they need to accept that Putin has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire or ending the war in Ukraine. European leaders must therefore maintain a wartime mindset, avoiding illusions of an imminent peace, and base their defence planning on the assumption of a protracted conflict. This requires sustained military and financial commitments, such as the long-term allocation of resources and the confiscation of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s defence efforts.

Second, European policymakers need to persuade their American counterparts that Russia’s current posture is yet another strategic bluff. Russia’s greatest asset is not its alliances with China, Iran, or North Korea, but rather the West’s fear of escalation and persistent myths regarding Russian military strength. The EU should caution the US administration against falling into this trap and instead impose “deadly sanctions” to pressure Putin to stop the terror.

Third, Europeans need to commit to a concrete security framework for Ukraine while the war continues at high intensity. This should involve conducting a European capability assessment to ensure it is mobilised for Ukraine’s defence effort, rather than placing the burden on America, which also specifies where US support for defence is indispensable. This is the only realistic approach that might gain traction with Trump, who is questioning why the US should provide Europe with certain systems or protection which it already possesses.

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The strikes in Sumy coincided with Palm Sunday. They hit civilians directly in the streets, in their cars, on public transport, and in their homes. Russia used ballistic missiles packed with cluster munitions, releasing multiple explosive submunitions over wide areas. This form of indiscriminate shelling is especially dangerous for civilians and prohibited under international humanitarian law—which still applies, despite neither Russia nor Ukraine being a signatory of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

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Europol said the investigation, codenamed Operation Bulut, took place across multiple jurisdictions and involved authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. #EuropeNews

Archived

Here is the original Reuters report.

More than one hundred Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian military against Ukraine are mercenaries who do not appear to have a direct link to China's government, [according to reports].

But Chinese military officers have, with Beijing's approval, been touring close to Russia's frontlines to draw lessons and tactics from the war. The officers "are absolutely there under approval," [a former Western intelligence official] said.

China has for years provided Moscow with material support to help aid its war against Ukraine, primarily in the shipment of dual-use products – components needed to maintain weapons such as drones and tanks.

Beijing has also supplied Russia with lethal drones to use on the battlefield. In October, the Biden administration sanctioned for the first time two Chinese companies for providing the weapons systems to Moscow.

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Bits of Freedom, European Digital Rights (EDRi), Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, and Convocation Design + Research are filing a complaint under the Digital Services Act (DSA) against Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram. According to the complaint, Meta violates the DSA’s user protections by not offering easily accessible news feed options on its platforms that are not based on profiling of users.

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The obligation set out in the DSA is meant to enable people to protect themselves against Meta’s sensationalist and toxic content algorithms. By using deceptive interface designs, Meta makes it unnecessarily difficult for people to choose and keep a content feed that is not based on profiling.

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Archived

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The problem is not simply that Europeans have embraced pacifism. Rather, the EU is beset by a dangerous complacency: decades of reliance on the United States have fostered a widespread belief that security is guaranteed, not earned. But Donald Trump’s administration has made it clear that Europe can no longer count on the US to defend it. With security threats proliferating – exemplified by Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s saber-rattling in the Indo-Pacific – Europe must cultivate a collective will to fight.

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This will require political leadership, with Europe’s mainstream parties championing military preparedness not as a show of aggression, but as a bulwark for freedom and the rule of law in open societies. Unfortunately, European liberals are still clinging to the “anti-politics” mindset once championed by the likes of the late Czech dissident-turned-president Václav Havel. While this approach was appropriate in the fight against communism, it is hampering Europe’s ability to confront the threats of today, while enabling populists who flirt with appeasement to gain ground. Public figures, educators, and the media must also contribute to fostering the necessary shift in mindset.

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I sadly don´t know what the original source is (I got it from @susiemagoo@mstdn.social) and while this is clearly aimed at the american people, I´m convinced that this advice is not only helpful for us europeans handling the orange man but als useful handling our own authoritarian characters.

Alt-Text (since it´s to long): Some wise advice circulating:

1. Don't use his name.
2. Remember this is a regime and he's not acting alone.
3. Do not argue with those who support him - it doesn't work and it makes them feel important. It makes them feel they've won something.
4. Focus on his policies. Do not focus on his personality traits, his physical appearance, or his mental state.
5. Keep your message positive; they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow.
6. No more helpless/hopeless talk. The numbers don't lie, there are more of 'us' than there are of them. Feel that support.
7. Support artists and the arts.
8. Be careful not to spread fake news. Fact check it.
9. Take care of yourselves.
10. Resist! Keep demonstrations peaceful. In the words of John Lennon, "When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system's game. The establishment will irritate you - pull your beard, flick your face - to make you fight! Because once they've got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don't know how to handle is non-violence and humor."
11. When you post or talk about him, don't assign his actions to him, assign them to "The Republican Administration". This will have several effects: the legislators will either have to take responsibility for their association with him or stand up for what some of them don't like; he will not get the focus of attention he craves. His representatives will become very concerned about their re-elections.

(Copy to paste to your wall - wider than sharing)

Contents

00:00 – Smokin’ hot Europeans

00:24 – State of the European Climate Report

01:15 - Headlines

02:27 – Extremes

04:16 – Polar impacts

07:50 – Global context

08:54 – Future change

10:02 - What to do

10:56 - Thanks

2024 was the world’s hottest year on record, and Europe is the continent warming the fastest. Extreme events ravaged Europe last year, including floods, wildfires and storms that claimed hundreds of lives and impacted many thousands more.

To find out more, I spoke to Julien Nicolas, a co-author of the European State of the Climate Report, a huge undertaking that was put together by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting on behalf of the Copernicus Climate Change Service and World Meteorological Organisation.

The "no photography" sign will be posted at 25,000 locations, only 3% of which are military facilities. Among the sites that will be off-limits to photography for security reasons is the port of Świnoujście, according to Polsat News broadcaster.

European leaders knew Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president would be a challenge. But the magnitude and speed with which Washington broke from decades-long defense policies forced governments across the continent to confront the unthinkable: Is the U.S. now more of a threat than a partner?

https://archive.ph/gXUDt