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* The European Union on Friday voted to adopt definitive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles (BEVs). * "Today, the European Commission's proposal to impose definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China has obtained the necessary support from EU Member States for the adoption of tariffs," the EU said in a statement. * The EU added that it was still working in China to look for "an alternative solution" even as the tariffs are adopted.The European Union on Friday voted to adopt definitive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles (BEVs). "Today, the European Commission's proposal...

<p>A station platform has been cordoned off at Hamburg central station in northern Germany amid fears that a train passenger may have arrived carrying a dangerous virus.</p><p>A fire department spokesman told the Bild tabloid that the man and his girlfriend had developed flu-like symptoms on a high-speed train from Frankfurt.</p>

Democrats have been ramping up the rhetoric, not just about eliminating Donald Trump and MAGA, but about getting rid of the Constitution itself. The first two Amendments of the Constitution are constantly attacked by the left, followed closely by the Electoral College. Your right to speak, to defend yourself, and for people outside New York, California, and deep Blue urban areas to be represented are all under attack. The latest example of this fact is John Kerry, Special Envoy for the President for the Climate (yes, John Kerry is the Earth's representative according to the Biden/Harris administration), bemoaning the fact...

The Taoiseach has told President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas that he will continue to speak out for Palestine in the EU and other international forums, and urge other countries to recognize the state of Palestine. “There is an absolute right to a Palestinian state, a state that can live in peace and security alongside the State of Israel,” Simon Harris said. The two leaders met on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Palestinian leader thanked Ireland for giving formal diplomatic recognition to the state of Palestine earlier this year. […] The Taoiseach said...

Irish President Michael Higgins accuses Israel of leaking the full text of a letter he sent to Iran’s new president as he was sworn in in July, an allegation rejected and denounced by the Israeli embassy. The July 11 letter congratulating Masoud Pezeshkian — whose existence was made public on July 26 by Ireland’s Foreign Ministry but whose full text was then published online on July 29 — drew backlash for its friendly nature; its claim that Iran will play a “crucial role” in achieving Middle East stability, cooperation and “peaceful resolving of disputes”; and its omission of Tehran’s major...

World leaders at the United Nations Summit have officially adopted the so-called “Pact for the Future,” a sweeping agreement that purportedly aims to address the world’s most pressing issues. However, beneath its glossy promises lies a dangerous move towards centralized, top-down control that could have devastating consequences for individual freedoms, national sovereignty, and democratic governance. The Pact, hailed by the UN Secretary-General as a “vision for the future,” includes initiatives like the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. But for many, this reads more like a manifesto for totalitarian governance than a collaborative effort to improve international...

If it were not for the Jews, Jerusalem which be just another ancient city buried under the sand and forgotten. However, ever since King David’s time, around 1000 B.C., the Jewish Bible has kept alive the Jewish commitment to that city, especially the area around the Western Wall, for 3,000 years. Christianity, too, has a tie to the ancient city that cannot be erased by time, for it was there that the corporeal Jesus walked, preached, suffered, was buried, and was resurrected. Mohammed, by contrast, was never in Jerusalem. He just dreamed about it. That was enough, though, for a...

The Irish government has abandoned plans to implement controversial new hate speech laws following widespread backlash from free speech advocates. Justice Minister Helen McEntee confirmed on Saturday that Dublin will drop new hate speech provisions in the proposed Criminal Justice Bill, admitting that the “incitement to hatred” section of the legislation did “not have a consensus,” the Irish Times reports. Critics of the speech restrictions have noted that the government failed to actually define what constitutes “hate” and therefore the law would have given broad powers to the state to crush dissent. The scope of the draconian powers would have...

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution Wednesday that effectively bars Israel from self-defense in any of the territory it captured in a defensive war in 1967, including in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. The resolution refers to a ruling earlier this year by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — led by a judge from Lebanon, which is in a state of war with Israel — in which it declared Israel’s presence in Gaza, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and eastern Jerusalem to be illegal under international law. (Israel angrily rejected the ruling, with Prime Minister...

Budapest will soon be deprived of a share of its EU funds for refusing to pay the fine imposed by the European Court of Justice. The European Commission has triggered a special procedure to deduct the €200 million fine that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has imposed on Hungary over the country's long-standing restrictions on the right to asylum. The fine has to be paid as a lump sum to the European Commission. Budapest missed the first deadline in late August, prompting the executive to send a second payment request with a deadline of 17 September. Since this second...

While Americans have been focused on the election, the European Union has been in the process of passing a new law. It’s called the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and its reach will go far beyond European borders. In fact, “It’s going to impact every single American,” Justin Haskins, author and editorial director of the Heartland Institute, tells Allie Beth Stuckey. “Essentially, what it does is create ESG social credit scores for companies. ... These ESG scores are designed to transform the way companies operate, the kinds of products and services that they can sell, and then, by extension, transform...

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said she wants legislation in place as soon as possible to ban the wearing of masks and balaclavas during protests. The concealment of identities is instilling fear and intimidation and is making the job of the gardaí more difficult, Ms. McEntee said. The proposal comes in response to a rise in violent protests over the past year where some attendees covered their faces with balaclavas and masks. The minister said she is working closely with the Attorney General and the Garda Commissioner to draft legislation. “My priority now is to make sure that the...

A few months ago, anxious American liberals told themselves a cautionary tale about politics in Europe: A seemingly inevitable rightward surge in this summer’s elections there was a dark portent of the political future, for Europeans and for Americans.As it turned out, that surge didn’t really happen. In June voting for theEuropean Parliament, the far right gained only modestly, and the centrist governing coalition held pretty firm. In early July, Britain’s Labour won the second-largest parliamentary majority since World War II, humiliating the center-right Tories and sidelining the farther-right Reform. And a few days later in France, a combination of...

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called off his visit to Germany, planned for later this week, as relations between the two countries worsen. Tusk was due to travel to Potsdam to receive the M100 Media Award, which is given to “personalities who are committed to strengthening democracy, freedom of expression and freedom of the press as well as to European understanding,” according to the German M100 Sanssouci Colloquium organisation. But Tusk cancelled his trip at the last moment, citing domestic commitments, and Justice Minister Adam Bodnar will now travel in his place. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, due to deliver a laudation...

Ireland needs to do more to adapt to climate change, according to the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) which says investment is urgently needed to avoid the worst damage and higher costs that it can bring in future years. The council published its annual progress report on how Ireland is preparing for the impacts of climate change. It said coastal erosion and flooding are the biggest risks. The report suggests part of the budget every year should be ring-fenced for adaptation measures, including making road and electricity networks more resilient to climate change. It predicts coastal flooding will cost €2...

Apple has been ordered to pay Ireland €13bn (£11bn; $14bn) in unpaid taxes by Europe’s top court, putting an end to an eight-year row. The European Commission accused Ireland of giving Apple illegal tax advantages in 2016, but Ireland has consistently argued against the need for the tax to be paid. The Irish government said it would respect the ruling. […] A separate European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on Tuesday also brought a long-running case with Google to a close, with the company ordered to pay a €2.4bn (£2bn) fine for market dominance abuse. […] Apple said in a...

Axe-wielding Algerian was recently arrested and the entrance of a synagogue was set ablaze, adding to tension in the countrySuppressed identity politics has burst into the open in France, a country that hosts Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim population, as attacks against French Jews increase in number and violence. “Words like Jewish, Zionism and anti-Semitism are being used by different people with different intentions,” said Jewish human rights lawyer Arie Alimi. “There isn't enough education about what those words mean.” France's social model, in which citizens are expected to be moulded by Republican values and keep religious beliefs private, is...

A group of about 50 Italy fans clad in all black turned their backs in apparent protest during Israel’s national anthem before a Nations League match in neutral Hungary on Monday. The Italy fans also held up an Italian flag with the word, “Liberta” (Freedom) on it. There were black slashes on other banners put up by the ”ultra" supporters. Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has close ties with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has long promoted Hungary as the safest country in Europe for Jews. Orbán has banned Palestinian solidarity protests, arguing they present a threat to public...

International Bat Night is global celebration of bats, organised by Eurobats. Normally it would take place at the end of August, but with the holiday season in full swing and noisy nights in Casares, they decided to shift it to mid-September this year. Casares will experience the ‘Night of the Bats’ on Friday, September 13. The batty organisation ‘Euro Bats’, as every year at this time, is hosting talks, exhibitions and an evening workshop on bat locations using radio frequency-location devices. Beginning at dusk, they give talks about the important role these mammals play in nature, their benefits and problems....

The Swedish climate activist was arrested in Copenhagen while participating in a demonstration against the war in Gaza, along with the pro-Palestinian movement "Students Against the Occupation"