EU-DIGEST: 9/1/22

9/30/22

Ukraine war: Putin announces annexation of Donesk region after Russia's scam referendum

Putin and leaders of the four regions signed treaties to annex Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – a move which has been denounced as illegal by Ukraine and Western powers.

Read more at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/30/russia-ukraine-war-putins-annexation-speech-what-did-he-say

9/29/22

German Russian relations: Angela Merkel warns EU to take Putin's threats seriously

Germany's former chancellor Angela Merkel warned that taking Vladimir Putin's words seriously is "a sign of political wisdom" not weakness.

Merkel, who left office two months before the Ukraine war began, was speaking about an answer she had given in June about Putin's character.

"I replied that one should take his words seriously," said Merkel, while speaking at the inauguration of the Helmut Kohl Foundation.

"And today, in view of the developments of the last few days, I would like to add: taking words seriously, not dismissing them out of hand as just a bluff, but dealing with them seriously is by no means a sign of weakness or appeasement, but a sign of political wisdom."

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

UKRAINE: Russian Sham referendums - EU proposes sanctions

The European Union has proposed a raft of new sanctions against Russia in response to the so-called referendums in four Ukrainian regions.

9/28/22

Carbon Bombs: UK and US banks among biggest backers of Russian ‘carbon bombs’, data shows

US and UK financial institutions have been among the leading investors in Russian “carbon bomb” fossil fuel projects, according to a new database of holdings from recent years.

Campaigners in Ukraine said these institutions must immediately end such investments, to limit the funding of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to avoid climate breakdown.

Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/international

9/27/22

Nucleair war: the return of the Nucleair war

"Our country also has various means of destruction, and, in some cases, they are more modern than those of NATO countries," President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Wednesday. "If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will, of course, use all means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people," he said.

9/26/22

Italy: Hare is wat a Meloni Government could mean for the EU

The far-right victory in Italy's elections is likely to translate into Rome joining Poland and Hungary by adopting a eurosceptic stance on European Union affairs, experts have told Euronews.

"There will be definitely a shift in the positioning of the Italian government compared to the past two Mario Draghi governments," Luca Tomini, a political scientist from Free Brussels University, told Euronews.

"I think what we need to expect is a more Eurosceptic position of the Italian government on several issues. There will be probably a realignment of Italy along with the government of Poland especially," he added.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

9/25/22

The Netherlands: Sitting on top of major gas reserves.

Despite skyrocketing energy prices and a shortage of natural gas supply in the European Union, the Dutch government has taken the decision to proceed with the closure of natural gas wells in the Groningen region. The field is one of the biggest in the world, worth up to 1000 billion Euros. But for now, it's a treasure that will remain untapped for the forseeable future.

The reason the decision was taken was because of seismic shocks triggered by the gas extraction in the area. Some 1200 earthquakes have been recorded so far, with around 27,000 homes being severely damaged and deemed unsafe to live in. That's according Jan Wigboldus, president of the Groningen Gas Council, an umbrella group representing civil society organisations in the impacted region.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

9/24/22

Vatican: Pope calls on young Italian economists to drop their dependance on fossil fuels

Pope Francis on Saturday called for the world to abandon fossil fuels while speaking in the town of Assisi in central Italy.

Read more at: https://m.dw.com/de/themen/s-9077

9/23/22

Ukraine war: Russia mobilisation plan risky, to make Ukraine run out of bullets before Russia runs out of soldiers

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced a partial mobilization to shore up armed forces for his invasion of Ukraine. DW spoke with security expert Gustav Gressel about the strength of the Russian military and its chances for success in light of the partial mobin.

Read more at: https://m.dw.com/de/themen/s-9077

9/22/22

EU to prepare new sanctions against Russia after they delared a partial mobilisation

Vladimir Putin's plans to order a partial mobilisation of reserved army forces to bolster the war in Ukraine and organise "sham referenda" in the country's occupied territories are grounds for a new round of EU sanctions, Ursula von der Leyen has said.

Western leaders fear Putin will use the referenda as an excuse to claim Ukraine's eastern and southern fronts as integral parts of Russia, mirroring the 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea.

At the same time, the Russian leader intends to bring up to 300,000 reserved forces into the Russian army through a decree of partial mobilisation, a move that experts see as a reaction to the lightning counteroffensive recently launched by Ukraine.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

9/21/22

Russia: Putin declares Partial mobilisation to beef up troops Ukraine

Russia will enforce a partial mobilisation of its citizens to further support the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said in a much-expected pre-recorded speech on Wednesday morning.

The mobilisation, effective immediately, will affect army reserves and those who had previously served in Russia's armed forces.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

9/16/22

Technology: Google loses appeal over record EU anti-trust Android fine

An EU court has largely upheld a record fine against Google for using the Android platform to cement its search engine's dominance.

The €4.125bn (£3.5bn) penalty is the largest anti-trust fine ever handed down by the European Commission.

Read more at; https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/MEMO_17_1785

9/15/22

The Netherlands: Health insurance to rise by €10 a month, government sources say

Read

The paper bases its claim on government sources, who suggest the €10 monthly rise will be included in the health ministry budget, due to be announced next Tuesday. The government determines the make-up of the basic healthcare insurance policy and insurers are free to compete on price, top up premiums and other issues such as choice of hospital.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

more at: Health insurance to rise by €10 a month, government sources say - DutchNews.nl

Ukraine - Round-up: Zelensky in freed city, while Scholz says Putin remains undaunted

As Ukraine continued to wage its counter-offensive against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the newly recaptured north-eastern city of Izyum on Wednesday.

During his visit to the city, a key logistics hub, Mr Zelensky thanked troops and oversaw a flag-raising ceremony.

He pledged that the Ukrainian flag would return to every city and village in the country.

9/13/22

E.U. lawmakers advance plan to ban products linked to deforestation

European Union lawmakers have backed a proposal for a law that would ban the sale in the 27-nation bloc of agriculture products linked to the destruction of forests.Read more at: E.U. lawmakers advance plan to ban products linked to deforestation.

Read more at: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/e-u-lawmakers-advance-plan-to-ban-products-linked-to-deforestation

CUBA: Cubans flee island's economic woes by air, land and sea

Cubans are fleeing their country in the largest numbers in more than four decades, choosing to stake their lives and futures on a dangerous journey to the United States by air, land and sea to escape economic and political woes.

Most fly to Nicaragua as tourists and slowly make their way to the U.S. border, often to Texas or Arizona. A smaller number gamble on an ocean voyage. Three men who survived the odyssey spoke to The Associated Press about it.

US Corporations: 76% of Americans Say Corporations "Have Too Much Power"

Open Markets Institute has underwritten a poll with Public Policy Polling gauging public opinion concerning corporate power in America. According to the poll, 76 percent of Americans stated they were "somewhat" or "very concerned" that corporations have too much power over their families and communities. 71 percent of Americans also claimed they were "very concerned" that big corporations too much power over politicians and 65 percent agreed that the government "should do more to break up corporate monopolies."

Read more at: 76% of Americans Say Corporations "Have Too Much Power" — Open Markets Institute

9/12/22

Germany must accept leading military role, says defense minister

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday she believed Germany was obliged to play a leading global role, including in the military sphere, and that the country should not be afraid of the responsibilty.

"Germany's size, its geographical situation, its economic power — in short, its clout — makes us a leading power whether or not we want to be one. Militarily as well," she said in a keynote security address in Berlin.

Her remarks come as Europe is struggling to come to terms with the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Germany rethinking its defense strategy after decades of major dependence on Washington for its security.

"The war in Ukraine has shown everyone, even us Germans who are used to peace, that states need armed forces as a last resort — that is, whenever an enemy is determined to use invasion, destruction, murder and forced displacement" as means to serve its interests, she said.

9/11/22

Russian nationalists rage after stunning setback in Ukraine

Thousands pf Russian Nationalisr demonstrated in Moscow on Sunday for President Vladimir Putin to make immediate changes to ensure ultimate victory in the Ukraine war, a day after Moscow was forced to abandon its main bastion in Ukraine.

Read more at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-nationalists-rage-after-stunning-setback-ukraine-2022-09-11/

9/7/22

As the cost of living soars, defending the living standards of workers and their families has become the primary concern of trade unions.

On Friday, European Union energy ministers will meet in emergency session, to discuss measures to mitigate high energy prices and the state of preparedness for the winter. They must take decisive steps to tackle this crisis: immediate action is needed to support families unable to buy food or heat their homes.

Read more at: https://socialeurope.eu/trade-unions-on-the-frontline-in-the-cost-of-living-crisis

9/6/22

Netherlands Inflation Rate

The Netherlands information rate as of the end of August

The Netherlands' annual inflation rate surged to 12.0% in August 2022 from 10.3% a month earlier. It was the quickest rise in consumer prices since the series began in 1971, mainly boosted by higher prices in energy (151.4% vs 108%), largely due to electricity (149.6%), gas (170.1%). Also, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rising the most on record for second month (13.0% vs 12.2% in July), largely due to oils & fats, milk, cheese and eggs; and coffee, tea, and cocoa. Additional upward pressures also came from prices of housing (22.7% vs 16.8%), clothing and footwear (3.3% vs 1.9%), furnishings & household equipment (8.8% vs 8.6%), and recreation & culture (4.0% vs 4.3%). The annual core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco climbed to a new record high of 5.0% in August from July’s of 4.9%. On a monthly basis, consumer prices were up by 2.0% in August, following a 2.1% rise in July, which was the highest inflation rate since April 1976. source: Statistics Netherlands

Read more at: https://tradingeconomics.com/netherlands/inflation-cpi

9/5/22

France says ready to deliver gas to Germany

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that his country was ready to deliver gas to Germany this coming winter should the energy crisis make such a move necessary.

This would allow Germany to produce more electricity which, in turn, would allow Germany to contribute electricity to the French power grid during peak hours, he told reporters after a video call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

9/3/22

Turkey wildfires: Aid workers rescue tortoise from blaze

Amid scorching heat, low humidity and constantly shifting winds, the wildfires have swept through forests in Turkey's southern and southwestern coasts.

Eight people have died due to the blazes, along with countless animals — but one tortoise emerged unscathed.

Taiwan: US greenlights $1.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan

The United States on Friday announced a potential $1.1 billion (€1.1 billion) arms sale to Taiwan, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The State Department said the arms package aims to boost Taiwan's defense capabilities and includes $355 million for Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

An amount of $655 million would go toward a surveillance radar system to help Taiwan track incoming missiles.

Russia: Thousands pay last respects to Gorbachev in Moscow, Putin a no-show

Thousands of mourners lined up Saturday to pay tribute to the eighth and final Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, lauded in the West for helping end the Cold War, in a farewell burial snubbed by Russian President

The Kremlin's refusal to declare a state funeral reflects its uneasiness about the legacy of Gorbachev, who remains reviled by many at home for the Soviet collapse.

On Thursday, Putin privately laid flowers at Gorbachev's coffin at a Moscow hospital where he died. The Kremlin said the president's busy schedule would prevent him from attending the funeral.

9/2/22

COVID: EU warns ′completely new′ strains possible this winter

European Union officials and health experts urged governments on Friday to step up measures to curb an expected spike in COVID-19 infections this winter.

The urging comes after the EU's medicines agency approved vaccines from Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer that have been updated to tackle the omicron subvariant.

The European Commission published a set of concrete measures and strategies for national governments to adopt as the 27-member bloc heads into autumn and winter.

9/1/22

USA: Twitter and Meta take down pro-US propaganda campaign

Twitter and Meta have removed from their platforms an online propaganda campaign aimed at promoting US interests abroad, researchers say.

This is the first major covert pro-US propaganda operation taken down by the tech giants, says a report by social media analytics firm Graphika and the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO).

They removed dozens of accounts used in the campaign in July and August.

It is not clear who is behind the propaganda operation.

The researchers say Twitter has identified the US and the UK as the "presumptive countries of origin", while Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the US was "the country of origin".

USA: U.S. House committee reaches deal to get Trump financial records from accounting firm

A U.S. House committee seeking financial records from former president Donald Trump has reached an agreement that ends litigation on the matter and requires an accounting firm to turn over some of the material, the panel's leader announced Thursday.

The long-running case began in April 2019, when the House Committee on Oversight and Reform first subpoenaed a wealth of records from Trump's then-accounting firm, Mazars USA. The committee cited testimony from Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, that it said raised questions about the president's representation of his financial affairs when it came to seeking loans and paying taxes.

Read More at: U.S. House committee reaches deal to get Trump financial records from accounting firm | CBC News

Advertise On EU-Digest

9/30/22

9/29/22

9/28/22

9/27/22

9/26/22

9/25/22

9/24/22

9/23/22

9/22/22

9/21/22

9/16/22

9/15/22

9/13/22

9/12/22

9/11/22

9/7/22

9/6/22

9/5/22

9/3/22

9/2/22

9/1/22