⊂ EUROPE ⊃
More than 40 countries pledge to quit coal
- More than 40 countries have committed to shift away from coal, in pledges made at the COP26 climate summit bbc.com
- Twenty countries have agreed to end financing for fossil fuel projects abroad cnn.com
- Indonesia signals about-face on COP26 deforestation pledge reuters.com
- China responsible for 31% of global CO2 emissions welt.de
- Activists gear up for protests in Glasgow this Friday and Saturday faz.net
Climate protection: EU Commission President von der Leyen defends 19-minute private flight. dpa-international.com
Europe once again at centre of Covid pandemic, says WHO
- Uneven vaccine coverage and a relaxation of preventive measures have brought Europe to a “critical point” in the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said theguardian.com
- An antiviral pill found to be effective at treating COVID-19 has been approved by Britain’s medicines regulator Thursday cnbc.com
- Denmark records highest number of daily Covid infections this year thelocal.dk
- Croatia, Slovenia hit highest number of daily Covid infections reuters.com
- Vienna bans the unvaccinated from restaurants as national cases surge reuters.com
- Latvia allows businesses to sack unvaccinated workers theguardian.com
EU Parliament delegation visits Taiwan: The European Parliament’s first official delegation to Taiwan said on Thursday the diplomatically isolated island is not alone and called for bolder actions to strengthen EU-Taiwan ties as Taipei faces rising pressure from China. Beijing responded to the meeting between European lawmakers and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen by immediately warning the EU to correct its „mistake“ if it wanted to avoid a deterioration in ties.
reuters.com, politico.eu
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More Brexit fishing talks next week: French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said his talks on Thursday with British Brexit minister David Frost about post-Brexit fishing rights and Northern Ireland had been “useful and positive”, with more talks due next week.
reuters.com
EU-US announce new agri platform in bid to smooth over deepening cracks: The EU Commission and the US administration have announced the creation of a new transatlantic collaboration platform on agriculture in a bid to boost knowledge exchange and cooperation, but tensions remain over the wider implications of the EU’s push on sustainability.
euractiv.com
Lukashenko moves closer to Putin
reuters.com
- Russia and Belarus edged closer to integrating their economies at a virtual summit meeting on Thursday where presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko affirmed their brotherly ties
- Russian news agencies said the two leaders signed a package of documents on closer cooperation in a series of areas ranging from energy to defence
- Putin celebrated Russia’s National Unity Day on Thursday with a visit to annexed Crimea, drawing a sharp protest from Ukraine reuters.com
- Satellite photos raise concerns of Russian military build-up near Ukraine cnn.com
- Tom Vennink, Russia correspondent for the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant, has been thrown out of the country by Russian authorities politico.eu
Calls for ceasefire in Ethiopia grow
- African and Western nations called for an immediate ceasefire in Ethiopia on Thursday after Tigrayan forces from the country’s North said they made advances towards the capital this week. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he had spoken to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday and offered to help create the conditions for a dialogue reuters.com
- EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell: “The EU remains ready to use all its foreign policy tools, including restrictive measures, to promote peace, adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law, and help end conflict.“ euractiv.com
- US embassy in Ethiopia allows voluntary departure of some staff, family nbcnews.com
UN Security Council renews EU Bosnia military mission as separatism fears grow dw.com
Carbon capture: Europe’s trump card for waste treatment? euractiv.com
Euro zone producer prices make record jump in September – Eurostat reuters.com
Study: Facebook fails to flag climate change denial bbc.com
EU Commission: Why chat control is so dangerous netzpolitik.org
⊂ QUOTE OF THE DAY ⊃
„We are rapidly approaching a crunch point. With the first Horizon Europe grant agreements approaching and new calls soon to be launched, UK association must be finalised without further delay.“
The EU Commission must immediately finalise the United Kingdom’s involvement in the €95.5 billion Horizon Europe research and innovation programme or else risk a “major weakening” of Europe’s “research strength and competitiveness”, a joint statement by the EU’s research and innovation community has warned.
euractiv.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Poland says Belarusian soldiers ‚threatened to fire‘ on border troops: Belarusian soldiers bringing illegal migrants to the border of Poland „threatened to open fire“ on Polish troops, the Poland’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday, in what it described as the latest attempt by Minsk to escalate the situation at the frontier. The ministry said that on Wednesday Polish soldiers located around 250 migrants near a border fence and Belarusian troops “guarding them, threatened to open fire on our soldiers.”
rferl.org
Hungary admits to using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware: A member of parliament from Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party acknowledged for the first time Thursday that Hungary’s Interior Ministry had purchased and used Pegasus spyware. Lawmaker Lajos Kosa, who chairs the parliamentary defence and law enforcement committee, told a journalist after a closed committee hearing that „yes,“ Hungary had purchased Pegasus software from Israeli company NSO Group. Kosa insisted the government had not used the malicious software to spy on Hungarians.
dw.com
Portugal heads for snap election in January: Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday called a snap election for 30 January, after the minority Socialist government was defeated in a key budget vote last week.
politico.eu
Czech President Zeman leaves intensive care unit amid political stalemate: The president of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman has left intensive care at a Prague hospital, officials say. Zeman has now been transferred to a rehabilitation unit, according to the hospital where he is being treated. Under the Czech constitution, the country’s president appoints the next prime minister, but Zeman has been unable to mediate talks on forming a new government from hospital.
euronews.com
Magdalena Andersson moves a step closer to becoming Sweden’s first female prime minister: Sweden’s Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson was on Thursday unanimously elected as the new leader of Sweden’s Social Democrats (SAP) party, paving the way for her to become the country’s first female prime minister.
euronews.com
Son defends French former al-Qaida hostage’s return to Mali: The son of a former al-Qaida hostage has struck back at French government claims that she has put herself and others in danger by slipping back into Mali where she was held for four years.
theguardian.com
Polish minister heads to Prague in last bid to unblock Turów dispute: Newly appointed Polish Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa will visit Prague on Friday to resume bilateral talks between Czechia and Poland in a bid to unblock the Turów lignite mine dispute.
euractiv.com
Austria: Immunity of ÖVP party leader Sebastian Kurz to be lifted on 18 November kurier.at
France: Far left block road for Le Pen euractiv.com
Glacier melt in Italy: Just grey ice with dirt tagesschau.de
Spain: Why Doñana National Park is drying up english.elpais.com
⊂ POLITJOBS ⊃
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⊂ LAST BUT NOT LEAST ⊃
Dutch livestock farmers woo locals amid fears for their future: Addressing climate change is a major priority in the Netherlands. With agriculture to blame for 40% of nitrogen emissions, billions could be spent on reducing livestock to lower ammonia pollution. Feeling in the firing line the agri-food sector is doing everything it can – from free burgers to kids’ entertainment – to get its voice heard.
euronews.com