Page 19 - European Union

EU braces for Trump's next tariff move as trade tensions escalate

Since inauguration day in January through June have shot past $100 billion - equal to or greater than the largest annual take ever from customs duties

Donald Trump floats 15 or 20% blanket tariffs on most trading partners

Dismissing concerns about the negative impact of tariff hike on stock markets, Trump said he believed the tariffs had been well-received and said the stock market had reached a new high that day

Europe unveils deal for more food, fuel for Gaza; Israeli strike kills 15

European officials reached a new deal with Israel to allow desperately needed food and fuel into Gaza, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Thursday, hours after an Israeli airstrike killed 15 people, including 10 children, waiting for help outside a medical clinic. The children's deaths drew outrage from humanitarian groups even as Israel allowed the first delivery of fuel to Gaza in more than four months, though still less than a day's supply, according to the United Nations. The killing of families trying to access life-saving aid is unconscionable, UNICEF's chief, Catherine Russell, said. These were mothers seeking a lifeline for their children after months of hunger and desperation. The Israeli military said it was targeting a militant when it struck near the clinic. Security camera footage outside the clinic in the central Gaza city of Deir al Balah showed about a dozen people squatting in front of the clinic when a projectile explodes a few meters (yards) away, ...

European Union unveils AI rules to boost safety, transparency and trust

Makers of the most advanced artificial intelligence systems will face new obligations for transparency, copyright protection and public safety. The rules are voluntary to start

Ahead of Beijing summit, EU seeks to slash rare earth reliance on China

EU imports nearly all rare earths from China; experts warn of 'blackmail' risk as bloc faces pressure from Trump tariffs, Beijing's grip ahead of high-stakes EU-China summit

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen comfortably survives confidence vote

European Union lawmakers will hold a confidence vote Thursday on the head of the bloc's powerful executive arm, Ursula von der Leyen, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban leading calls for her to be ousted. The censure motion, the first at the European Parliament in over a decade, was brought against the European Commission president by a group of hard-right lawmakers. To pass, it requires a two-thirds majority vote in favour. Von der Leyen could be forced to resign if she loses, but she is virtually guaranteed to win as most of the political groups in the assembly have signalled they would vote against the motion. She is not expected to attend the vote in Strasbourg, France. The motion contains a mix of allegations against von der Leyen including text messaging privately with the boss of COVID-19 vaccine maker Pfizer, misuse of EU funds and interference in elections in Germany and Romania. Orban said on Facebook that the vote will be the moment of truth: on one side the ...

Trump's MASALA playbook: India faces tough choices in trade deals

Responding to the blowback, the White House softened its stance on April 9, imposing a 90-day pause and a uniform 10 per cent tariff on most imports, excluding China

'Stop Killing Games' petition gets over a million signatures: What is it

The 'Stop Killing Games' campaign is calling for laws to keep purchased digital games playable after shutdowns, but faces scrutiny over fake entries and industry opposition

Apple takes fight against $587 million EU antitrust fine to court retaining

Apple, which had previously said it would seek legal redress, filed its lawsuit on Monday, the deadline for doing so

EU hopes for Trump tariff deal by July 9 deadline after 'good exchange'

It was not immediately clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off the imposition of sweeping tariff hikes on the United States' largest trading partner

How European Union got stuck between Xi's China and Trump's America

Many European countries remain heavily dependent on China for industrial materials. And European exports to China remain substantial, especially from Germany

Biocon Biologics gets UK MHRA nod for biosimilars Vevzuo, Evfraxy

Biocon Ltd on Monday said its arm Biocon Biologics Ltd has received marketing authorisations from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK for Vevzuo and Evfraxy, biosimilars of Denosumab used in the treatment of bone-related diseases. Vevzuo is authorised for the prevention of skeletal-related events (pathological fracture, radiation to bone, spinal cord compression or surgery to bone) in adults with advanced malignancies involving bone, Biocon said in a regulatory filing. It is also authorised for the treatment of adults and skeletally mature adolescents with giant cell tumour of bone that is unresectable or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity. On the other hand, Evfraxy is authorised for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and in men at increased risk of fractures, the company said. In postmenopausal women, this significantly reduces the risk of vertebral, non-vertebral, and hip fractures, it ...

Active negotiations under way with over a dozen countries to finalise BIT

India is actively negotiating bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with over a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Oman, European Union, Switzerland, Russia, and Australia, a government official said. Besides these nations, talks are underway with Tajikistan, Cambodia, Uruguay, Maldives, Switzerland, and Kuwait. These investment treaties help in protecting and promoting investments in each other's countries. With India approaching to become the third-largest economy and a hub for global manufacturing, the government is taking a series of measures to further improve its investment regime that encourages investors. "It is expected that in the next 3-6 months, BIT with some of these countries will be finalised and announced," the official added. The government in the last Budget has announced revamping the current model Bilateral Investment Treaty to make it more investor-friendly and attract foreign players. The country signed BITs with two countries in 2024. La

China retaliates to EU ban with import restrictions on medical devices

Tensions between Beijing and Brussels have been rising, with the European Union imposing tariffs on China-built electric vehicles and Beijing slapping duties on imported brandy from the bloc

DGCA pulled up Air India Express over Airbus engine rule violations: Report

DGCA pulled up Air India Express over Airbus engine, fake compliance record

No trade deal under pressure; India's interest first, says Goyal on US pact

India does not enter into any trade agreement based on deadlines and will accept the proposed trade deal with the US only when it is fully finalised, properly concluded and in the national interest, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. He also said that India is negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) with different countries, including European Union, New Zealand, Oman, the US, Chile, and Peru. FTAs are possible only when both sides get benefitted and it should be a win-win agreement, he told reporters when asked about the proposed interim trade agreement with the US. "National interest should always be supreme. Keeping that in mind, if a deal is made then India is always ready to deal with developed countries," Goyal said. When asked if an interim trade agreement between the two countries is possible by July 9, he said, "India never does any trade deal based on deadline or time frame. When the deal is done properly, and is completely finalised and is in the country's .

Google faces EU antitrust complaint over AI overviews by publishers

The company is making its biggest bet by integrating AI into search but the move has sparked concerns from some content providers such as publishers

China to EU: Russian defeat in Ukraine may push US to target Beijing next

China's Wang Yi told the EU that a Russian defeat would shift US pressure to China, denied aiding Moscow, and hinted at cutting trade dialogue in protest

2 killed in Spanish wildfire as extreme heat wave hits parts of Europe

Europe's continuing heat wave on Wednesday helped fuel a deadly wildfire in Spain while the European Union presented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under scorching temperatures. The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that rose 14,000 metres into the sky, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. Two farmers were killed while apparently trying to flee in a vehicle, local authorities said Wednesday. Firefighters said that the fire spread at 28 kph (17 mph) at one point as it consumed 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) mostly of grain fields. Wildfires today are not like they were before, Salvador Illa, the regional president of Catalonia, said. These are extremely dangerous. From the very first moment, it was considered to be beyond the capacity of extinction. I mean that not even with two or three times the number of firefighters, they have told me, it would have been possib

Google offers new search tweaks to counter EU antitrust scrutiny: Report

The company, owned by Alphabet, will meet its rivals and the European Commission to discuss its proposals during a July 7-8 workshop in Brussels, the document said