European Union

European Stocks Sink as Trump Puts EU in Tariff Crosshairs

European stock markets tumbled Friday after US President Donald Trump ended a lull in his trade war as he raised the spectre of hitting imports from the European Union with a massive 50-percent tariff. The Paris CAC 40 index and Frankfurt DAX fell by around three percent at one point, with shares in luxury and car companies taking a hit, before ...

Turkey to Increase Energy Exports to Syria, Says Minister

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday in Damascus that his country would ramp up energy exports to Syria to help boost electricity supplies as its neighbour seeks to recover after years of war. "We want to triple our current electricity exports to meet Syria's electricity needs, and realise an electricity export of ...

Syrians Hope for Economic Recovery After West Lifts Sanctions

At a currency exchange in Damascus, Anas al-Shammaa is one of many Syrians hopeful that promised relief from Western sanctions will help revive their country's economy after years of war and isolation. "We were totally cut off from the world," said Shammaa, 45, who has been running the exchange shop since 2008. With the lifting of ...

EU Reaffirms Support for Lebanon’s Reform Efforts During Visit to Grand Serail

The European Union has reiterated its support for Lebanon’s reform process during a visit to the Grand Serail in Beirut by Stefano Sannino, Director-General for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Commission. Speaking Thursday after his meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Sannino reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to its ...

Lebanon, the Doormat of Syria’s Sanctions Lift

Bashar al-Assad has been out of the picture for almost six months now. No one seems to miss him. The chapter is firmly closed. Enter Ahmad el-Chareh – once an Islamist, now a man of compromise – captured smiling alongside Donald Trump in Riyadh. Syria is reinventing itself, trying to appear more approachable. At least, that’s the ...

UK, EU Hail new Partnership deal, but Questions Remain

Britain has hailed Monday's strategic partnership agreement with the European Union as the start of a new era, but the effects of the deal on defense and trade remain unclear. Will the agreement boost UK economic growth?  That is one of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's key arguments for restoring closer ties with the EU. This deal, along with ...

EU to Review Cooperation Deal with Israel over Gaza

The European Union on Tuesday agreed to review its cooperation deal with Israel over alleged human rights abuses in Gaza, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. Kallas said Brussels was acting after "a strong majority" of its 27 member states backed the move in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in a bid to pressure ...

EU Formally Adopts 17th Round of Sanctions on Russia

The EU on Tuesday formally adopted a new round of sanctions on Russia targeting its "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, and threatened more punishment for Moscow for not agreeing a Ukraine truce. "The EU has approved its 17th sanctions package against Russia, targeting nearly 200 shadow fleet ships," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas ...

EU Urges 'Strong Action' from US Against Russia if no Ukraine Truce

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Tuesday called for the United States to take "strong action" against Russia if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. "America said that if Russia doesn't agree on an unconditional ceasefire, then there are going to be consequences. So we want to see those consequences, also from ...

Europe’s Election Sunday Marked by Tension

Sunday, May 18 saw three significant referendums held across the European Union – in Romania, Poland and Portugal. In each case, pro-European candidates came out on top, prevailing over a far right that continues to gain ground across the continent. At a time when Europe is navigating the turbulence of war in Ukraine and increasingly strained ...

With Assad Down and Sanctions Lifted, Are Syrian Refugees Finally Being Pressed to Leave?

The startling decision by United States President Donald Trump to lift economic sanctions on Syria, coupled with the collapse of the Assad regime, could fundamentally reshape how the Syrian displaced population in Lebanon is managed – unless their permanent return to Syria remains excluded from the agreement being brokered among the key parties ...

UK-EU set to Seal Closer ties in First Summit Since Brexit

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to seal a deal for closer ties with the European Union at a landmark summit on Monday, opening a new chapter after Britain's acrimonious exit from the bloc five years ago. EU diplomats said on Monday a deal had been reached on resetting ties with the UK after late night talks to resolve differences on key ...