⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Catalan separatists keep their majority: Catalonia’s three pro-independence parties have declared victory after winning an absolute majority of 70 seats in the 135-seat parliament. The unionist Citizens finished as the largest single party in parliament, but its 36 seats were not enough to form a majority government with other parties in favour of Catalonia remaining a part of Spain. If confirmed, the outcome would be a significant setback for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who invoked emergency powers, ousted the Catalan government and took direct administrative control of the formerly autonomous region after its separatist lawmakers declared independence.
theguardian.com, nytimes.com
EU and Mexico fail to conclude trade deal: High-level talks between the EU and Mexico this week failed to reach their goal of striking a political agreement on closing large parts of trade negotiations before the year’s end. European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo held meetings until late Wednesday to seek a breakthrough on critical issues such as geographical indications, rules of origin and public procurement.
politico.eu
EU targets Chinese subsidies for electric bikes: The EU Commission launched an investigation on Thursday into whether Chinese exporters of e-bikes benefited from excessive state subsidies, increasing trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing. The anti-subsidy case supplements an existing inquiry into alleged dumping by Chinese producers of e-bikes in Europe.
reuters.com
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Suspects in Malta blogger’s murder sent to trial: Three men accused of killing Maltese anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia were committed to trial on Thursday by a magistrate hearing preliminary evidence. Brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat were arrested in early December on the strength of phone intercepts and accused of having killed Caruana Galizia in a carbomb as she drove out of her home on Oct. 16.
reuters.com
UN rejects Trump’s Jerusalem decision: The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution criticising the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and begin the process of moving its embassy there. Major allies like Britain, France, Germany and Japan voted for the resolution, though some allies, like Australia and Canada, abstained. In remarks before votes were cast, the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, admonished the world body for its historical criticism of Israel.
politico.eu, nytimes.com
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia tribunal holds closing ceremony euronews.com
Surveillance: EU wants to use drones on the Mediterranean welt.de
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
US allowing Ukraine to buy arms: The Trump administration is now allowing the export of arms to Ukraine, marking a potentially significant turn against Russia. US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the department notified Congress on December 13 that it had approved an export license, which allows Ukraine to buy certain light weapons and small arms from US manufacturers. According to a Unicef report, 220,000 children living in eastern Ukraine are at severe risk of serious injury by landmines and other deadly explosives littering the territory.
cnn.com, dw.com
Winter descends on island migrant camps: Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the Greek government to speed up transfers from refugee and migrant camps on the Aegean islands to the mainland, warning that overcrowded facilities on Lesvos, Chios, Leros, Samos and Kos were ill-equipped to deal with the coming of winter. The Greek government committed in early December to moving 5,000 asylum seekers from the islands to the mainland as an emergency measure, before the onset of winter.
hrw.org
Poland remains defiant: The Polish government remained defiant Thursday in the face of an EU Commission decision to trigger a legal procedure that could lead to Poland losing EU voting rights. Article 7 was added to the EU’s founding treaty in 1999, allowing for sanctions to be imposed on a member country for breaching democratic rights.
focus.de
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UK minister was fired because he lied: British Health Minister Jeremy Hunt said Thursday that deputy prime minister Damian Green was fired because he lied during an investigation into whether pornography was found on his work computer. He was also the subject of controversy last month when Tory activist Kate Maltby accused him of making a sexual advance toward her in 2015. Green was Prime Minister Theresa May’s closest ally and friend in government.
politico.eu
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: Bitkom sucht Referent europäische Digitalpolitik (w/m) *** Int. Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory seeks Innovation Project Manager *** Int. Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory seeks Project Assistant for EU Funded Projects *** PwC seeks Public Affairs Senior Manager Belgium *** Johnson & Johnson seeks Policy Assistant, Government Affairs & Policy EMEA *** Public Policy Manager, Connectivity *** Ryanair offers Public Affairs internship
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
Unicef Photo of the Year Award: The prize is given annually to photos and reports that document the personalities and circumstances of children’s suffering. This year, a portrait by the photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen won the annual competition. Zahra’s gaze has become the symbol of the millions of children caught in humanitarian crises all around the world. It also reflects the battered childhood of a whole generation of Syrians.
dw.com