Browsing: International – UK/Europe
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libyan counterpart Abdulhamid Dbeibah discussed yesterday strengthening energy co-operation at a time when Italy is looking to diversify energy supplies due to the turmoil in the Gulf.Italy, highly dependent on imported energy, is particularly exposed to the surge in global fuel prices triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.”(The leaders) discussed ways to further strengthen the already solid bilateral co-operation, with particular reference to economic relations and investment in the energy sector,” Meloni’s office said after the talks in Rome.”The two leaders then reaffirmed their shared commitment to managing migration.”Libya is Rome’s biggest supplier of crude oil, accounting for nearly a fifth of Rome’s total crude oil imports. However, Libya’s gas exports to Italy dropped to around 1bn cubic metres in 2025, from 1.4 bcm in 2024.The drop was largely the result of supply-side constraints in Libya — including rising domestic demand, repeated disruptions to infrastructure and political instability — which kept the Greenstream pipeline to Italy running well below capacity.Members of Italy’s influential parliamentary security committee visited Libya in late April, and discussed with Dbeibah the importance of “increased investment to allow a significant rise in Libyan gas production and, consequently, exports to Italy”, according to a statement.Italian state-controlled Eni has been present in Libya since 1959 and is the country’s leading international operator, with an equity production of approximately 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025 and three development projects currently in execution, two of which will start up in 2026. Source link
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reach to shake hands as they meet in the Oval Office at the White House…
The British Department for Transport announced that airlines will be allowed to combine passengers from different flights onto fewer aircraft as part of temporary measures aimed at reducing jet fuel consumption.The department explained that the new amendment allows for the merging of flights on routes that have more than one flight per day to the same destination, allowing passengers to be transferred to similar flights if there are vacant seats, instead of operating flights that may be not full or are threatened with cancellation.The move aims to reduce fuel waste resulting from operating aircraft with fewer passengers than their operational capacity, as well as to enhance the operational efficiency of airlines.The Department for Transport confirmed that these amendments also aim to enhance the stability of flight schedules and give travelers greater confidence in the regularity of travel.These measures come at a time when warnings are increasing about a possible shortage of jet fuel as the holiday season approaches, amid supply chain disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions and their impact on fuel supplies from the Middle East. Source link
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reaffirmed the importance of the transatlantic military alliance with the United States, after US President Donald Trump said his administration was considering reducing the number of American troops stationed in Germany. In remarks reported by German radio, Merz said the German military made an essential contribution to a strong and united NATO, alongside the United States and other allies. He added that the partnership served mutual interests and was rooted in deep transatlantic ties. Germany’s “compass” remained firmly directed towards maintaining a strong alliance and a reliable partnership, Merz said, describing the transatlantic relationship as highly valued by Berlin. Related Story Source link
A special barge carrying a humpback whale that was stranded in Germany had entered Danish waters by Wednesday afternoon and is expected to reach the North Sea in two days, local officials said.The whale, dubbed ‘Timmy’ by German media, was coaxed into the vessel in a last-ditch rescue attempt on Tuesday after a weeks-long struggle for survival on the Baltic Sea coast.The ship Fortuna B, which is towing the barge, was located between the islands of Langeland and Lolland in southeastern Denmark at around 1400 GMT, according to the VesselFinder website.’If everything goes well, he'll be in the North Sea in two days. The very worst is already behind him now,’ Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, told the Bild daily.Speaking to reporters on the island of Poel, where the whale was most recently stranded, Backhaus said the animal was ‘doing well’ and had made sounds during the night.Backhaus thanked rescuers for their ‘wonderful’ effort in ‘an exceptional situation that is hardly comparable anywhere in the world in this form’.The whale had been struggling for more than a month around the German coast, getting stuck on sandbanks and then managing to free itself again several times.At the start of April, officials gave up on trying to rescue the animal, saying they believed it could not be saved.But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to approve a privately financed rescue plan proposed by two wealthy entrepreneurs.The barge idea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.The rescue effort was seen as a long shot and criticised by experts who said it would only cause the animal more distress.The whale's ordeal has sparked a media frenzy — with non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers — but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories. Source link
Britain yesterday sought to uphold a ban on pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, which it has designated a terrorist organisation, after a court ruling that the move unlawfully interfered with freedom of expression. Palestine Action, which had increasingly targeted Israel-linked defence companies in Britain with a particular focus on Israel’s largest defence firm Elbit Systems, was proscribed under terrorism laws last year. London’s High Court ruled in February that the ban was unlawful, although it remains in force pending the outcome of the government’s appeal, which began yesterday. Lawyers for Britain’s interior minister, Shabana Mahmood, told the Court of Appeal that the finding that the ban had a significant impact on freedom of expression was “overstated and wrong”.Huda Ammori, who co-founded Palestine Action in 2020 and brought the successful challenge, argues proscription has imposed “severe restrictions on the fundamental free speech and assembly rights of vast numbers of people”. Palestine Action was banned shortly after a June break-in at the Royal Air Force’s Brize Norton air base, in which activists damaged two military planes.More than 2,700 people have since been arrested for holding signs in support of Palestine Action, though charges could be dropped if the High Court’s ruling is upheld. After February’s decision, London’s Metropolitan Police said it would pause arrests while reviewing its position, but resumed enforcement earlier this month, arresting over 500 people.The High Court’s decision was announced shortly after six people charged over the 2024 raid on Elbit were all acquitted of aggravated burglary. Source link
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech in North-West England, yesterday. (Reuters) British lawmakers will vote on whether embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer should face a parliamentary probe over the Peter Mandelson scandal, the House of Commons speaker announced yesterday. Members of Parliament will debate today on whether to refer Starmer to a committee to consider if he misled parliament over the appointment of the former associate of the late convicted US criminal Jeffrey Epstein, Lindsay Hoyle said. It is the latest development in an unrelenting scandal that has plagued Starmer’s government for months and led to calls for him to resign. Hoyle added that his decision followed requests from “numerous” lawmakers, including opposition Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch, Hoyle added. Badenoch has accused Starmer of misleading lawmakers by insisting “due process” was followed ahead of the 2024 appointment of Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US despite having failed his security vetting. Starmer has sacked the most senior civil servant in the foreign ministry for not telling him or other ministers that Mandelson had not passed the checks. He has also denied claims that his office applied pressure on the foreign ministry to approve the appointment. Starmer commands a large majority in the lower house of parliament, meaning that lots of MPs from his ruling Labour party would have to vote for an inquiry for one to be launched. A spokesman from the prime minister’s office called the debate “a desperate political stunt by the Conservative party”, insisting that “their claims have no substance”. The Privileges Committee was responsible for former prime minister Boris Johnson’s exit from frontline politics after it investigated him for misleading parliament over the so-called “partygate” breaches of Covid-19 laws.He quit as an MP in 2023 before the committee published a report recommending his suspension.Starmer sacked Mandelson in September 2025 after a fresh batch of revelations over the latter’s friendship with Epstein came to light.UK police are currently investigating Mandelson over allegations he committed misconduct in office while serving as a Labour minister more than a decade ago by leaking information to the late disgraced financier. Source link
Buckingham Palace said yesterday that the four-day trip to the United States by King Charles and Queen Camilla would go ahead as planned following a shooting at a dinner attended by President Donald Trump. “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned,” a palace spokesperson said. “The king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow,” the spokesperson added. Source link
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkiye could consider taking part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States. Fidan said any demining work would be carried out by a technical team from various countries, formed after a possible Iran-US peace agreement Turkiye would have “no problem” with participating in mine-clearing operations under those conditions Fidan cautioned that Turkiye would reassess its position if any future technical coalition of countries became a party to renewed conflict Fidan also said he believed issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme could be resolved at the next round of talks in Pakistan. Source link
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the day of a summit of the European Union and regional partners’ leaders in Nicosia, yesterday. (Reuters) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni yesterday urged Nato allies to stick together, after a report that the US was mulling action against Spain over its refusal to support operations against Iran.”Nato must remain united. I believe it is a source of strength,” Meloni told reporters as she attended an EU summit in Nicosia, Cyprus.The Reuters news agency cited an anonymous US official saying the Pentagon had outlined potential measures to punish allies over their response to the Iran war, including suspending Spain from the alliance.There is no provision in the Nato treaty allowing for the suspension or expulsion of one of the alliance’s members.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against Nato allies for refusing to help out more with the Iran war, saying he viewed it as a betrayal.Some of them — France, Spain and Italy — did not allow US military aircraft deployed for the war to overfly their territories or to use bases.Britain initially also refused, but later allowed US flights from its bases for “defensive” missions in the conflict.Trump also tried, in vain, to get European Nato members to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed with military threats and attacks.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose country was reportedly singled out for suspension, said yesterday he was “not worried”, stressing his country was a “reliable member” of Nato.Meanwhile, as Trump deepens questions over whether Washington would help defend Nato allies, the EU is set to lay out a “blueprint” for how its own mutual assistance clause works if a country is attacked.Meloni insisted that Nato would remain central to Europe’s defence, but that European nations needed to play a bigger role in their own security.”We must work to strengthen Nato’s European pillar which must clearly complement the American one,” she added. Source link