European Union

EU Agrees to Prolong Sanctions on Russian Officials over Ukraine

EU countries on Friday agreed to prolong Ukraine-related sanctions for another six months on over 2,500 Russian individuals and entities, including President Vladimir Putin, diplomats said. Ambassadors from the bloc's 27-member states signed off on the move ahead of a deadline on Monday, after Hungary and Slovakia dropped demands to take a number ...

Lebanese Potatoes: Tubers, Challenges and Export Hopes

In a country where even bread is becoming a luxury, one might think the potato – king of family meals and star of mezze – is guaranteed a smooth ride. Yet behind every plate of crispy “batata” lies the story of farmers digging the soil… and digging deeper into debt. The Roots of the Problem According to the Ministry of Agriculture, ...

Poland Invokes NATO Article 4 for Urgent Talks after Drone Incursion

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the NATO member had invoked the Western defense alliance's Article 4 for urgent talks after Russian drones violated its airspace. Tusk told parliament that Poland had identified 19 violations of its airspace overnight and shot down at least three drones, adding that no one was harmed in the ...

Trump ready to match EU tariffs on China, India to pressure Putin

The United States is ready to broaden tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil -- if the EU takes similar moves -- to hit at revenue Moscow needs for the war in Ukraine, a US official told AFP Tuesday. Dialing in to talks between United States and European Union officials on Tuesday, President Donald Trump raised the possibility of tariffs between ...

Cabinet to Reconvene Thursday in Baabda

The Council of Ministers is set to hold a meeting on Thursday at Baabda Palace to discuss a ten-point agenda, with particular focus on international proposals aimed at securing internet access in Lebanon. The issue, brought forward by Minister of Telecommunications Charles Hage, was previously reviewed during a cabinet session held at the Grand ...

Lebanon Reviews Progress of Education Reform

Lebanon is betting on a comprehensive reform of its education system. On Tuesday morning, the Grand Serail hosted the strategic administrative meeting of the Transition Resilience Education Fund (TREF), during which Prime Minister Nawaf Salam outlined the government’s key priorities for the education sector. In a country where successive crises ...

EU Asylum Applications Down 23% in 1st Half of 2025

Asylum applications to the European Union fell by 23 percent in the first six months of 2025, driven by a massive drop in Syrians seeking protection, the EU's asylum agency said Monday. Data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) showed Syrians lodged around 25,000 requests in the 27-nation bloc plus Switzerland and Norway (EU+), down ...

EU top Diplomat Holds Nuclear Talks with Iran as Sanctions loom

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met Thursday in Doha with Tehran's top diplomat to seek a "negotiated solution" to Iran's nuclear program, as the clock ticks down towards a reimposition of sanctions, the EU said. The meeting came after European powers last week triggered a deadline for sanctions to come back into force on Iran for failing to ...

EU Chief's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Jamming in Bulgaria

A plane carrying EU chief Ursula von der Leyen was hit by GPS jamming as it readied to land in Bulgaria on Sunday, Brussels said Monday, alleging Russia was thought to be behind the incident. The European Commission said Bulgarian authorities suspected the disruption "was due to blatant interference" from Moscow but it was not clear if the ...

France Says US Should not Deny Palestinians Access to UN Summit

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Saturday there should be no restrictions on access to next month's UN General Assembly, after the United States said it would deny visas to members of the Palestinian Authority. "A UN General Assembly meeting... should not be subject to any restrictions on access," Barrot said at a meeting of EU ...

Europeans Tell Iran Offer on Table to Avoid Sanctions

European powers said Friday they were ready to drop a new sanctions push on Iran if it addresses concerns on its nuclear program over the next month, but Tehran denounced the offer as insincere. Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, triggered the so-called "snapback" mechanism the previous day to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran for ...