- EU naval mission steps up efforts to intercept Russian tankers in Indian Ocean.
- International Criminal Court ousts chief prosecutor Karim Khan after misconduct allegations
- Federal government stops expansion of Billy Bishop Airport
- Substance in work van of Mexican man killed by ICE tests negative for drugs
- Woman charged after bomb with suspected military-grade explosives seized near Irish border
- International Criminal Court removes chief prosecutor Karim Khan from office
- Trump Orders Warnings on ‘Inaccurate Information’ at Smithsonian Museum
- ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan removed amid sexual misconduct allegations
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 naval mission steps up efforts to intercept Russian tankers in Indian Ocean.
The European Commission has approved a significant reform package designed to modernise the continent’s defence procurement processes, aiming to enhance collaboration among EU member states. This initiative, spearheaded by Defence Commissioner Thierry Breton, seeks to streamline regulations and reduce the time it takes to bring advanced military technologies to market, directly responding to the evolving geopolitical landscape exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Market reactions to this decision have been cautiously optimistic, with defence contractors anticipating increased contracting opportunities across Europe. Analysts predict this could lead to a more integrated European defence market, potentially boosting revenues for firms involved in research and development of military hardware. Attention is now focused on the specifics of the implementation plan and how it unfolds at the upcoming EU Defence Council meeting scheduled for next month.
Key developments across Europe
Trump threatens EU with ‘substantial’ tariffs over fines of US tech giants
EU TRADE — The US may impose significant tariffs on EU products.
This escalation comes after the EU fined American tech firms, prompting a warning from former President Trump. The potential tariffs could strain trade relations further, affecting various sectors in Europe.
21st package of sanctions: EU hits Russian energy, financial services and crypto hard
EU SANCTIONS — The EU has implemented a robust package of sanctions against Russian sectors.
This measures target energy, financial services, and cryptocurrency, reflecting a continued effort to pressure Russia over its actions. This sanctions package represents a significant escalation in the EU’s response to Russian aggression.
FIDE President Dvorkovich added to EU Sanctions List
EU SANCTIONS — The EU has officially sanctioned the FIDE President for involvement in Russian geopolitical strategies.
This decision underscores the EU’s focus on individuals connected to the Russian regime amid ongoing hostilities. Sanctions like these reflect broader geopolitical tensions and the complex landscape of international sports and politics.
EU finds TikTok violates its digital rule book by failing to protect privacy of minors
EU LAW — TikTok has been found in violation of EU regulations regarding child privacy.
This ruling may lead to stricter enforcement of data protection laws against social media platforms. The implications for TikTok include potential fines and increased scrutiny over their user data practices.
EU’s Kallas questions US rationale for tariffs on bloc, seeks clarification
EU TRADE — The EU is seeking a dialogue with the US regarding the justification for recently imposed tariffs.
EU Commission President Kallas expressed concerns over the impact of these tariffs on transatlantic trade relations. This situation highlights the ongoing complexities in EU-US economic interactions and the need for clearer communication between the two entities.
What to watch — Anticipate potential developments regarding the US tariffs and EU responses as discussions progress.
Further reading from across European news sources
The Guardian
Trump threatens EU with ‘substantial’ tariffs over fines of US tech giants
Financial Times
Ireland pushes for breakthrough on EU capital markets reform
Reuters
EU finds TikTok violates its digital rule book by failing to protect privacy of minors
Euronews
EU far right cries foul, but Commission unfazed by Magyar’s ‘Purgatorium’
Politico Europe
Inside the EU’s latest plan to keep would-be members close
‘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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