How a Chinese ‘smart sex toys’ company fed Russian war tech against Ukraine — and exposed an EU sanctions blind spot
and , the EU sanctions-list against Russia. Most are in China and Hong Kong, but have generic names, no websites, and almost no public footprint.
Listen: How are Europeans contributing to the reconstruction of Gaza?
, the 883.6m package announced by the EU is not nearly enough.
Volkswagen benefited from €1.5bn in German EV subsidies as it lobbies EU to hit Chinese cars harder
EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars in 2024. Today, Beijing’s hybrid cars are making record sales in Europe amid fresh German calls to extend the tariffs.
THIS WEEK: Interior ministers discuss Fortress Europe, as Kallas goes to Syria
and the wake of the Ceuta episode, while foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas takes EU diplomacy to Syria.
Chess body FIDE elects Kazakh billionaire, amid Russia’s return to world sports
a Russia-linked billionaire was elected by 110 votes out of 192 in FIDE was a sad reminder that Putin still had friends outside Europe.
Lithuania moves to lift ban on nuclear weapons as ‘Russians do not attack the strong’
this week backed a proposal to lift the constitutional ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons and foreign military bases, opening the way for future deployment of nuclear weapons in the country.
[Interview] ‘Poor but sexy’ Berlin faces worsening housing crisis and bad fixes, warns German economist
the last decade, Berlin rent has spiked 75 percent to €15.78 per square metre. Economist Alexander Kritikos breaks down the bureaucratic nightmare of building housing in the German capital and warned how the Left’s plans to purchase flats from corporate landlords may not yield the desired results.
First blind the Russians, then catch them with robots: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi shows cutting edge of modern warfare (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,674)
and , a tech-heavy Ukrainian corps can threaten not just a single sector near Lyman, but Russia’s wider ability to wage war.
Deadlock on EU pesticides bill after scientists call for pause
the European scientific community and countries outside the bloc, EU officials are under pressure to suspend negotiations on a Food and Feed law.
Shadow fleet tankers flock back to being flagged as Russian, creating more headaches for EU states
Russia, in order to dodge EU crackdowns. So European governments now face the risk that a detained ship could trigger a more direct diplomatic clash with Moscow.
The pay gap isn’t dead, and Brussels is a hotbed for it – even in the NGO sector
and , the proof. Since Brussels attempted to implement its EU Pay directive, their job terminations could have been avoidable. Member states like Belgium are yet to implement the change, where pay discrimination persists – even in the human rights sector.
Listen: How do European authorities deal with misogynism online?
the rise. How are countries dealing with this surge among young men?
Deporting humans becomes big business, as Brussels and Washington race to pay African countries to take them
, The multi-million US dollar business appears to have turned into a race with the Europeans, who are hoping to secure their first deal with the Rwandans.
EU’s Costa calls out ‘dangerous escalation’ by Russia amid increasing hybrid attacks
Russia’s hybrid attacks on Europe are “unacceptable,” EU Council president António Costa said in New York, as threats increase across the continent.
Mining firms’ plea for EU critical minerals budget falls on deaf ears
a dedicated EU budget for critical raw materials, citing ineffective EU financing and the risk of being pushed aside by other priorities. But the European Commission and member states prefer to keep the money flexible.
EU data chief adds voice to unions’ fears of ‘carte blanche’ use of workers’ data for AI
and the ‘digital omnibus’, which includes amendments to EU privacy rules that would allow data harvesting from workers without their permission to feed AI models.
Macron’s ego may just have permanently damaged EU unity on Russia
a history of non-compliance with EU rules, such as its years-long trampling on the Stability and Growth Pact, and is second only to Italy in the number of EU-law infringement cases it has fought in the European Court of Justice over the decades.
Russians dream of encircling Dobropillia, as Ukraine’s Azov force pushes back (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,673)
the highest number of Russian attacks since March 2022, Russian Z bloggers have exaggerated claims of trapping Ukrainian soldiers in “cauldrons” in Dobropillia.
Critical minerals at core of Trump-Xi talks as US ups its game in race to rival Beijing
a two month extension to the US-China trade truce, Washington is trying to quickly close the gap on Beijing’s dominance of critical minerals access.
Orbán dominoes start falling: Hungary’s accountability drive reaches ex-Fidesz ministers (Day 135 of the Tisza government)
a motorway concession worth €65bn under fire, the Tisza government’s push for accountability is starting to hit the wallets and freedom of the Orbán-era elite.
