Six EU countries are intensifying calls for a bloc-wide windfall tax on oil companies as profits surge amid the war in the Middle East, according to a letter seen by Euronews.

The finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Austria, Poland, and Portugal, along with Spain's economy minister, sent a joint letter to Ireland's finance minister, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. The ministers urged that a levy be added to the agenda for next month's meeting of EU finance chiefs in Dublin.

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Berlin’s backing for Israel in the current context has irrevocably ruined Germany’s international standing.

At the same time, as a result of Germany’s neoliberal restructuring, processes of de-democratisation have been ongoing for years.

The deliberate erosion of democracy has paved the way not only for the selective application of international law, but also for the restriction of fundamental rights within Germany itself.

The German population is firmly against their country’s participation in the extermination of the Palestinian people. In a recent poll, 73 percent said they had a negative view of Israel, while 80 percent have rejected further weapons exports to Israel. Despite this, German arms export licenses to Israel have surged, enabling the state to continue committing war crimes.

While the German government’s blatant disregard for the will of its own people already points to a process of de-democratisation, this is exacerbated by domestic restrictions on fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly, freedom of opinion and speech, and academic freedom, alongside violations of due process - all in the service of the Zionist slaughterers.

Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Sunday warned that hybrid warfare attacks had become a daily threat to the country.

"We're not at war, but we are the daily target of hybrid warfare," Dobrindt told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag following the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

"Espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, or covert operations by foreign powers aimed at destabilizing Germany or inflicting direct harm are a constant reality," Dobrindt said.

He also noted that the country is stepping up research into drones to address new security threats.

A new drone security research center will be established later in August at a German Aerospace Center (DLR) test airport in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, Dobrindt said.

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On Saturday, Germany's armed forces confirmed that two drones had been spotted late on Thursday over a German military base in Mechernich in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia near the Belgian border.

The drones were detected at around 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) over the Bundeswehr base, a German armed forces spokesperson said.

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While German government officials have refrained from publicly blaming any foreign country over the Leipzig incident, some lawmakers have pointed fingers at Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since ​its full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.

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The Foreign Ministries of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement regarding the Russia-Georgia War. The joint statement was published on social media by the British Embassy in Georgia.

As stated in the joint declaration, the Foreign Ministries reaffirm their full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

“August 7th is a date when we remember the grave consequences of Russian imperialism. On this day in 2008, the Russian Federation took military action against Georgia, further damaging Georgia’s territorial integrity by occupying the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

18 years after the Russian aggression, we reaffirm our full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. We welcome the Republic of Naoero’s decision to withdraw its recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We urge states that have established diplomatic relations with these entities to follow this example.

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In October 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found the Russian Federation guilty of many violations committed in the occupied breakaway regions, including excessive use of force, ill-treatment, unlawful detention and unlawful restrictions on day-to-day movement across the administrative boundary line between Georgian-controlled territory and Russian-occupied territory. We urge Russia to implement the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights relating to this situation and to fully fulfil the commitments it made on August 12 and September 8, 2008,” the statement reads.

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Furthermore, the Foreign Ministries of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom expressed grave concern over the recent agreement signed between Moscow and the de facto authorities of South Ossetia, describing it as a clear violation of international law.

“We are concerned about the latest developments in South Ossetia. The “Agreement on Deepening Alliance and Cooperation” signed on May 9, 2026, between Moscow and the de facto authorities of South Ossetia further violates Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in clear breach of international law. This document, as well as the appointment of a Russian citizen to head the region, raises concerns about a possible full-fledged annexation of the region, which would not go unanswered.

We reaffirm our support for the “Geneva International Discussions” (GID) platform, co-chaired by the European Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations. This is the only framework that will enable the parties to work towards conflict resolution. We commend the work of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and we will continue to support the role of the mission,” the joint statement concludes.

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Cross posted from https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/42126522

good riddens 😍

Cross posted from https://lemmy.world/post/46305320

President Donald Trump said “yeah, I probably will,” when asked whether he would consider pulling U.S. troops from Italy and Spain. “Why shouldn't I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible,” he replied, doubling down on his argument that NATO allies have not supported the U.S. during the Iran war. “We helped them [Europe] with Ukraine… but when we needed them, they were not there. We have to remember that.” As of December 2025, there were 12,662 U.S. active-duty personnel stationed in Italy and 3,814 in Spain, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). While Spain has yet to respond to Trump mulling over the troops, Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has pushed back. “I wouldn't understand the reasons behind it. As is clear to anyone, we haven't used the Strait of Hormuz. And we've even offered to carry out a mission to protect shipping—a gesture that, incidentally, was greatly appreciated by the U.S. military,” he told Italian ANSA news agency.

Cross posted from https://lemmy.world/post/46307004

President Donald Trump has announced he plans to increase a tariff on cars and trucks imported from the European Union effective next week, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. “I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to trade deal, next week I will be increasing tariffs charged to the European Union for cars and trucks coming into the United States. The tariff will be increased to 25%,” he wrote Friday. “It is fully understood and agreed that, if they produce cars and trucks in U.S.A. plants, there will be NO TARIFF.” Trump did not elaborate on his specific grievances over the EU and their supposed noncompliance with the trade deal. It comes despite an agreement reached last July between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which established a 15% tariff on the majority of goods.

Cross posted from https://slrpnk.net/post/37151514

This effectively means no new fossil fuel equipment within a few years

Cross posted from https://slrpnk.net/post/36938814

Speaking later, von der Leyen said she thought it would be possible to disburse the first tranche of the €45bn funding planned for 2026 in this quarter, meaning by the end of June. The first payment, she indicated, would fund Ukraine’s domestic drone production – “drones from Ukraine for Ukraine”.

Cross posted from https://feddit.org/post/28901474

Cross posted from https://feddit.uk/post/47842441

Celebrated musicians including Massive Attack, Kneecap, Brian Eno, Sigur Rós, Nadine Shah, and many more have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation.

Campaign groups No Music For Genocide and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel are calling for a boycott of this year’s highly divisive Eurovision Song Contest.

More than 1,000 artists, including Massive Attack, Kneecap, Brian Eno, Sigur Rós, Nadine Shah, Mogwai and Hot Chip, have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of Eurovision 2026 in protest of Israel’s participation.

The letter calls upon the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ban KAN – the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation – from the upcoming contest.

“For the third consecutive year,” the letter states, Israel will be “celebrated onstage despite its ongoing genocide in Gaza, while Russia remains banned for its illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

“We refuse to be silent when Israel’s genocidal violence soundtracks and silences Palestinian lives,” the letter reads. “When children in Israeli prisons endure beatings for humming a tune. When all that’s left of nearly every stage, studio, bookshop and university in Gaza is piles of rubble, under which slaughtered bodies still await recovery and proper burial.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for No Music For Genocide said: “People of conscience around the globe are fighting complicity in every industry for a free Palestine and a freer world. While many of us in the industry make light of Eurovision or doubt our own power as cultural producers, genocidal Israel’s leaders speak openly about the contest’s geopolitical value.”

Continue reading HERE

Cross posted from https://lemmy.nz/post/36620751

Cross posted from https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/58639613

Cross posted from https://sh.itjust.works/post/58632248

Cross posted from https://lemmy.zip/post/62643507

The United Kingdom and the European Union have finalized an agreement allowing Britain to take part in the bloc's Erasmus+ student exchange scheme.

More than 100,000 people are expected to benefit when they become eligible on January 1, 2027, the British government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The agreement is currently only for one year, and Britain will contribute 570 million pounds (€655 million, $774 million) towards the scheme's costs in 2027.

Cross posted from https://feddit.org/post/28429156

Cross posted from https://lemmy.ml/post/45732031

Cross posted from https://lemmy.world/post/45377802