Page 5 - Europe

Europe will have to take lion's share of burden for Ukraine security: Vance

European countries have formed a coalition of the willing that would commit forces to guarantee Ukraine's security

India, Eurasian Economic Union ink terms of reference for trade pact talks

India and the five-nation Eurasian Economic Union bloc on Wednesday inked terms of reference to start formal negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement, an official statement said. The five members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The development is important as India is looking to diversify its export markets due to high tariffs imposed by the US. The terms of reference (ToR), the commerce ministry said, provides the framework for negotiations and is expected to unlock untapped trade potential, increase investments and establish a stronger, durable IndiaEAEU economic partnership. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the early conclusion of the agreement and to building a long-term institutional framework for trade cooperation, it said. The two-way trade stood at USD 69 billion in 2024, an increase of 7 per cent over 2023. With a combined GDP of USD 6.5 trillion, the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) is ..

'Great honour' to host European leaders: Trump ahead of Ukraine meeting

US Vice President JD Vance, who attended Trump's meeting with Zelenskiy in February that ended in a remarkable clash, will also participate in today's talks, a source briefed on the matter said

Europe turns to air conditioning as extreme heat becomes new normal

This spring, the owners installed air conditioning - discreet Mitsubishi Compact+ units mounted against the exposed stone walls to preserve the château's traditional charm

Wildfires fanned by heatwave rage across Europe, burning houses, factories

"What does it look like? It looks like doomsday. May God help us and help the people here," said Giorgos Karvanis, a volunteer who had come from Athens to Patras to help.

Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Ireland, police probe violent assault

An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault. Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin. Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: "Go back to your own country". "In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen," Singh told Dublin Live'. "I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he said. A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening. "Garda are investigating an assault rep

Putin says hypersonic missile enters service, to be deployed in Belarus

President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia has started production of its newest hypersonic missiles and reaffirmed its plans to deploy them to ally Belarus later this year. Sitting alongside Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Valaam Island near St Petersburg, Putin said the military already has selected deployment sites in Belarus for the Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile. Preparatory work is ongoing, and most likely we will be done with it before the year's end, Putin said, adding that the first series of Oreshniks and their systems have been produced and entered military service. Russia first used the Oreshnik, which is Russian for hazelnut tree, against Ukraine in November, when it fired the experimental weapon at a factory in Dnipro that built missiles when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Putin has praised the Oreshnik's capabilities, saying its multiple warheads that plunge to a target at speeds up to Mach 10 are immune to being intercepted and a

Key things to know about how Elon Musk boosted hard-right figures in Europe

Elon Musk may have tumbled from political grace in Washington, DC, but as he seeks to build a new political party, his power on X where he commands the most popular account remains unchecked. Musk is a kingmaker on the platform he acquired in 2022 for USD 44 billion. He has used his influence to cultivate hard-right politicians and insurgent activists across Europe. A retweet or reply from Musk can lead to millions of views and tens of thousands of new followers, according to an Associated Press analysis of public data. That fact has not been lost on influencers who have tagged Musk persistently, seeking a reply or a retweet. It has also fuelled concerns in Europe about foreign meddling -- not from Russia or China, but from the United States. Every alarm bell needs to ring, Christel Schaldemose, a vice president of the European Parliament who works on electoral interference and digital regulation, told AP. The Associated Press analysed more than 20,000 posts, which were compiled

Heading to Europe? ₹2,000 travel permit required for each adult soon

Europe is raising the fee for its upcoming ETIAS travel authorisation from €7 to €20, sparking pushback from tourism bodies even before the system launches

Europeans, Iranians meet as return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock

Iranian and European diplomats are set to meet in Istanbul Friday to embark on the latest drive to unpick the deadlock over Tehran's nuclear programme. Representatives from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, will gather at the Iranian consulate building for the first talks since Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved US bombers striking nuclear-related facilities. The talks are centred on the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear programme. The return of sanctions, known as a snapback mechanism, remains on the table, according to a European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),

Europe, China agree to take action on climate change during Beijing summit

China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during an otherwise tense bilateral summit in Beijing on Thursday riven with major disagreements over trade and the war in Ukraine. The two economic juggernauts issued a joint statement on climate change, urging more emission cuts and greater use of green technology and affirming their support for the Paris Climate Agreement as well as calling for strong action at the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil. In the fluid and turbulent international situation today, it is crucial that all countries, notably the major economies, maintain policy continuity and stability and step up efforts to address climate change, the joint statement said. Their climate agreement was a silver lining on a stormy day where European leaders demanded a more balanced relationship with China in talks with President Xi Jinping. They highlighted trade in their opening remarks, calling for concrete progress to address Europe's

Europe and China to hold trade talks; low expectations for major agreements

European leaders are meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing on Thursday to discuss trade, climate change and global conflicts, with observers saying expectations were low for any solid agreements. The talks, initially supposed to last two days but scaled back to one, come amid financial uncertainty around the world, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the threat of U.S. tariffs. Neither the EU nor China is likely to budge on key issues dividing the two economic juggernauts. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antnio Costa will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to mark 50 years of relations between Brussels and Beijing. Von der Leyen and Costa were expected to challenge China's strategies on a number of issues during the talks. They include Beijing's position on Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine; and China's trade imbalance with the EU, persistent cyberattacks and ...

Want to freelance in Europe? Germany's ₹1.9L/month visa route may suit you

Germany's Freelance Visa lets Indians work independently across fields like IT, media and teaching. Here's how to qualify, apply, and what it costs

India ratifies trade deal with EFTA, eyes boost in exports, investment

India on Tuesday submitted the ratification document of the free trade agreement with the four-European nation bloc EFTA to Norway. The pact, officially dubbed as Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), will be implemented from October 1, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said on Saturday. "India deposited the Instrument of Ratification of the TEPA between India and EFTA today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, which is the depository entity of TEPA," according to a post by the Indian Embassy in Norway on X. The two sides signed the agreement on March 10, 2024. Under the pact, India has received an investment commitment of USD 100 billion in 15 years from the grouping while allowing several products, such as Swiss watches, chocolates, and cut and polished diamonds, at lower or zero duties. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

DRI busts racket involved in duty evasion in branded furniture imports

DRI officers have busted a racket involved in undervaluation of imports of branded luxury furniture and arrested three persons for customs duty evasion of Rs 30 crore, the finance ministry said on Tuesday. Investigation conducted thus far revealed that branded luxury furniture was being directly sourced by a beneficial importer from reputed Italian and other European suppliers, and invoicing was being done in the names of shell companies based in jurisdictions such as Dubai. In parallel, fabricated invoices were obtained through a Singapore-based intermediary in the names of dummy importers falsely declaring the goods as unbranded furniture at significantly undervalued rates to Customs. Once cleared through Customs, the goods were transferred on paper to the intended beneficial owner via a local intermediary created for this purpose, while the goods were directly sent to the customer on the instructions of beneficial owner. "Preliminary findings indicate a gross undervaluation of 7

Iran, European nations to hold first nuclear talks since Israel ceasefire

Iran said Monday it would hold renewed talks this week with European nations over the country's nuclear program, with discussions to be hosted by Turkey. The talks, to be held in Istanbul on Friday, will be the first since a ceasefire was reached after a 12-day war waged by Israel against Iran in June, which also saw the United States strike nuclear-related facilities in the Islamic Republic. A similar meeting had been held in the Turkish city in May. The discussions will bring Iranian officials together with officials from Britain, France and Germany known as the E3 nations and will include the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. The topic of the talks is clear, lifting sanctions and issues related to the peaceful nuclear programme of Iran," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in his weekly briefing. He said the meeting will be held at the deputy ministerial level. Under a 2015 deal designed to cap Iran's nuclear activities, Iran agreed to toug

China stood up to Trump, and it's not giving Europe an inch, either

Beijing is betting that economic pressure and diplomatic defiance will force concessions, but its stance could put more strain on its ties with Europe at a crucial time

India-EFTA trade pact to come into force from Oct 1: Piyush Goyal

To generate $500 billion investment in India likely in brownfield or greenfield projects, and maybe in some cases, even mature assets

EU targets Russia's energy revenue, shadow fleet with new sanctions

The European Union approved on Friday a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine, including a lower oil price cap, a ban on transactions with Nord Stream gas pipelines, and the targeting of more shadow fleet ships, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war, Kallas said in a statement. Kallas said the EU move amounts to one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date, linked to the war, which is now in its fourth year. It comes as European countries start to buy US weapons for Ukraine to help the country better defend itself. The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, had proposed to lower the oil price cap from USD 60 to USD 45, which is lower than the market price, to target Russia's vast energy revenues. The EU had hoped to get major international powers in the Group of Seven countries involved in

Paradise lost as climate change remakes Europe's summer weather

As southern Europeans dream of fjords, the traditional hot spots and fixtures of travel agency package deals no longer seem so desirable