- EU votes to impose higher tariffs on imported electric vehicles from China.
- US economy shows signs of recovery as unemployment rate drops significantly
- White House reports Trump in excellent health following physical assessment
- Kenneth Law pleads guilty to aiding suicide after selling poison kits globally
- French interior ministry warns anti-religious acts threaten societal balance
- Judge orders Donald Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center memorial
- Louisiana lawmakers approve congressional map that favours Republicans
- U.S. general meets with Cuban military leaders near Guantanamo Bay amidst rising tensions
Hunt for Tube hero who gave blind man his shoes after he lost one through the gap The hunt is on find an ‘absolute hero’
EU votes to impose higher tariffs on imported electric vehicles from China.
The European Commission has approved a €16.4 billion funding package for Hungary, designed to support the newly elected Prime Minister Viktor Magyar’s reform programme. This decision marks a significant diplomatic breakthrough, signalling improved relations between Hungary and the European Union after months of tensions surrounding rule-of-law concerns. The agreement was reached during a meeting of the European Council, reflecting a willingness for collaborative governance despite previous disputes.
In economic news, European markets reacted positively to the Commission’s announcement, with indices showing gains driven by optimism surrounding economic reforms. This package is expected to bolster Hungary’s efforts to enhance investment and economic growth, critical in the face of ongoing challenges from global inflation. Investors should keep an eye on upcoming discussions at the next European Council summit, which may further define the trajectory of EU-Hungary relations and fiscal policies.
Key developments across Europe
EU hails Hungary’s ‘wind of change’ and unlocks €16.4bn for new PM Magyar
EU POLITICS — The EU has approved a significant financial package for Hungary’s new government.
This decision marks a shift in EU-Hungary relations following a change in leadership, signalling optimism about potential reforms. The support aims to bolster economic stability and promote governance aligned with EU standards.
Temu Hit With Fine in E.U. Over Sales of Unsafe Goods
EU BUSINESS — The EU has imposed fines on Temu for failing to ensure product safety compliance.
This enforcement action highlights increasing scrutiny on online marketplaces regarding consumer safety. The fines may prompt Temu to enhance its compliance measures and supply chain transparency.
Is Europe finally waking up to China?
EU FOREIGN POLICY — The EU is reassessing its approach towards China in light of geopolitical tensions.
This shift comes as Europe grapples with challenges related to trade imbalances and human rights concerns. There is a growing call for a unified strategy to address these issues, balancing economic interests with ethical considerations.
EU tax proposals could yield up to €11bn per year, Commission says
EU ECONOMY — The EU Commission’s tax plans could significantly boost annual revenue.
This initiative aims to address budgetary disparities while promoting fiscal responsibility among member states. The proposals reflect a strategic shift towards sustainable funding mechanisms in the wake of ongoing financial challenges.
What to watch — Upcoming decisions from the EU concerning sanctions against Russia are expected to be pivotal in shaping regional stability.
Further reading from across European news sources
Politico Europe
4 ways Europe wants to wean off US tech
Euronews
EU tax proposals could yield up to €11bn per year, Commission says
Financial Times
Germany plans economic stimulus amid slowing growth
Der Spiegel
Germany’s Migrant Challenges: Government Plans for Increased Immigration
The Guardian
NATO and EU ramp up security at borders amid Ukraine conflict
‘Cheer up, you caught the bad guy,’ says killer Virginia McCullough as she is arrested for murdering her parents
A woman who murdered her parents “in cold blood” before hiding them in makeshift tombs for four years told officers to “cheer up, you caught the bad guy” as she was arrested in her home.
Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication and fatally stabbed her mother Lois McCullough, 71, shortly afterwards in 2019.
She ran up large debts on credit cards in her parents’ names and after their deaths, she continued to spend their pensions until she was finally caught in 2023.
In body-worn video footage released by police, a handcuffed – and eerily calm – McCullough told officers: “I did know that this would kind of come eventually.
“It’s proper that I serve my punishment.”
She said she had slipped something into her father’s drink then put his body under a bed on the ground floor, and put her mother’s body in an upstairs wardrobe.
McCullough, having been arrested on suspicion of double murder, told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy.”
She added: “I know I don’t seem 100% evil.”
At the police station, she told officers where a kitchen knife was, which she described as a “murder weapon”, and a hammer which she said “will still have blood on it”.
McCullough, of Pump Hill, Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday with a minimum term of 36 years at Chelmsford Crown Court, after she admitted to their murders between 17 and 20 June 2019 at an earlier hearing at the same court.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard how she hid their bodies in makeshift tombs at the family home in Great Baddow in Essex, then told persistent lies to cover her tracks.
The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and frequently told doctors and relatives her parents were unwell, on holiday or away on lengthy trips.
But concerns over Mr and Mrs McCullough’s welfare were raised in September 2023 by a GP at their registered practice, and Essex County Council’s safeguarding team referred these to police.
The GP had not seen the couple for some time and said Mr McCullough had failed to collect medication and attend scheduled appointments. It was found McCullough had frequently cancelled appointments, using a range of excuses to explain her father’s absence.
Police said a missing persons investigation was initially launched and McCullough lied to officers, claiming her parents were travelling and would be returning in October.
It became a murder investigation, and when officers forced entry to the house in Pump Hill on September 15 2023, McCullough confessed that her parents’ bodies were in the house and that she had killed them.
Nicola Rice, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “McCullough callously and viciously killed both of her parents before concealing their bodies in makeshift tombs within their home address.
“She spent the next four years manipulating and lying to family members, medical staff, financial institutions, and the police, spending her parents’ money and accruing large debts in their name.”
She added: “This was a truly disturbing case, which has left behind it a trail of devastation, and I can only hope that the sentence passed today will help those who loved and cared for Lois and John begin to heal.”
G20 waters down support for Ukraine amid pressure for peace talks
FT.com Tweet
The Tech Titan Who Led His Company From a 68-Square-Foot Jail Cell
WSJ Business Tweet
Defense alliance NATO chief Mark Rutte has met US President-elect Donald Trump to discuss global security issues, according to a NATO spokesperson.
The meeting took place in Palm Beach, Florida.
During his first term as US president, 2017-2020, Trump pushed for European NATO countries to spend more on defense and described the alliance’s cost-sharing as unfair to the US.
Rutte took over as NATO chief from Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg in November.
Before taking office in January, Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth for the post of defense secretary, which has raised eyebrows among many allies.
Hegseth, 44, has served as an infantry captain in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has no senior military or government officer experience.
Multiple missiles were fired in an airstrike towards a densely populated part of Lebanon’s capital early on Saturday.
The huge airstrike targeted Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, and no prior warnings were given by the Israeli military. The largely residential area was struck last month.
At least one violent explosion was heard across the city, Reuters witnesses said, and plumes of smoke could be seen. Scenes of massive destruction at the site were shared online, including a massive crater in the ground.
“Beirut, the capital, woke up to a horrific massacre, as the Israeli enemy’s air force completely destroyed an eight-story residential building with five missiles on Al-Mamoun Street in Basta,” the state-run National News Agency reported.
The health ministry put the initial death toll at four, with 23 wounded. The number is expected to climb in the coming hours as search and rescue efforts continue.
It came after a long day of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been non-stop since last week.
The cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group escalated into a full-blown war in mid-September.
Israel has bombed southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs and the eastern Beqaa region, and has sent ground troops across the border. Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets deeper into Israel.
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