A sharp diplomatic clash between Washington and Beijing has put Greece in an uncomfortable position, with the strategically vital Port of Piraeus at the heart of the dispute. Guilfoyle described China’s majority ownership of Piraeus as “unfortunate,” noting that China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) was the only bidder during Greece’s...
Poland to close Russian consulate, deploy soldiers after railway sabotage
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said up to 10,000 soldiers will be deployed to help protect critical infrastructure such as railways. Poland said on Wednesday it would close the last Russian consulate in its territory and deploy thousands of soldiers to protect infrastructure in response to a railway explosion it...
Serbia nears end of Russian era in key oil giant
The prospective buyer remains under wraps, with the Serbian side emphasizing the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations. In a pivotal move amid escalating U.S. sanctions, Russia’s Gazprom Neft and Gazprom have agreed in principle to sell their combined 56.15% controlling stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), the state-linked oil and gas...
Romania pivots to accelerated sale of Lukoil assets amid U.S. sanctions pressure
Bucharest abandons temporary nationalisation and opts for a fast-tracked two-stage divestment to safeguard energy security. Romania has abandoned the option of temporarily nationalising the Lukoil-Petrotel refinery, concluding that the state lacks the approximately €200 million in immediate liquidity required to restart operations under public control. After weeks of political and...
Belgium buys Latvian-made drone interceptors after string of incursions
The deal comes after several drone sightings that disrupted Belgian airports, military bases and a nuclear plant over the last month. Belgium has struck a deal to buy Latvian-made drone interceptors, the defence ministry said, after a series of incursions near Belgian airports, military bases, and a nuclear plant. The...
EU grants EUR600M to expand green transport infrastructure across bloc
European Commission has selected 70 projects to receive more than 600 million euros in funding to help decarbonise transport and boost the competitiveness of EU industries through expanded charging and refuelling infrastructure, the Commission. The funding, provided under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), will support the rollout of alternative fuel infrastructure in cities,...
Danish voters turn on PM Frederiksen over housing costs
Mette Frederiksen's ability to remain in power since 2019 has been a success story for Europe's beleaguered Party of European Socialists. Polls predict a drubbing in the very cities that once anchored the party's power. But the biggest humiliation may come in Copenhagen, where the Social Democrats are poised to lose control of city...
The mafia has made performance-enhancing drugs ‘worth more than cocaine’
On a quiet street in Poland, a group of camouflaged police officers have gathered. They carry machine guns, apart from the man at the front, who is driving a handheld battering ram into an unmarked door. The lock quickly snaps and the police pour inside. They have entered a laboratory,...
Polish railway track blast an ‘unprecedented act of sabotage
Warsaw said in October that Poland and Romania had detained eight people suspected of planning sabotage on behalf of Russia An explosion that damaged a Polish railway track on a route to Ukraine was an “unprecedented act of sabotage”, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday as he vowed to...
Czechs and Slovaks commemorate Velvet Revolution rallying for democracy and Ukraine aid
The manifestations underscore a renewed resolve to defend not just domestic democracy, but also the transatlantic bonds that have sustained Ukraine's fight for sovereignty. Thousands of Czechs and Slovaks gathered on 17 November to mark the 36th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution – the peaceful uprising that toppled communist rule...