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- EU extends economic sanctions against Russia for another year amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- US economy shows signs of stability amid ongoing inflation concerns
- Okanagan man accused of murdering ex-wife presents closing arguments to jury
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards attack Singapore-flagged ship in Strait of Hormuz
- Urgent recall of Squishy Dumplings toys from China over toxic chemical risk
- Michel Barnier clarifies UK’s options for rejoining the EU bloc
- Supreme Court rules Trump can end protections for Haitians and Syrians
- Plane battling wildfire crashes in Northwest Territories with three aboard
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 extends economic sanctions against Russia for another year amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The European Union’s recent decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia for a further year highlights the bloc’s commitment to countering the ongoing aggression in Ukraine. According to a statement from the European Council, this action aims to pressure the Kremlin amid escalating military engagements, marking the sanctions as a critical tool in the EU’s broader foreign policy strategy toward stability in Eastern Europe.
In the business sphere, the EU’s sanctions are anticipated to have significant ramifications for trade with Russia, particularly in energy sectors, as companies brace for tighter restrictions. Market analysts are closely monitoring this situation, especially with an upcoming summit where leaders will discuss further measures and economic strategies in response to Russian actions.
Key developments across Europe
Rome airports threaten to suspend new EU passport system to avoid summer ‘disaster’
EU POLITICS — Rome airports are considering halting a new EU passport management system due to fears of operational failure over the summer.
Authorities in Rome have reported concerns about the readiness of the new system, which aims to streamline processes for travellers. If the system fails during peak times, it could lead to substantial chaos at airports, prompting calls for a halt to its implementation if issues are not resolved.
Iran accuses NATO of ‘complicity’ in US war: What role did EU nations play?
EU FOREIGN POLICY — Iran has alleged that NATO member states, particularly those in the EU, bear responsibility for complicity in the US-led invasion of Iraq.
This claim highlights ongoing tensions regarding Western involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts and raises questions about the accountability of EU nations for their roles in military actions. The Iranian government has underscored the need for a reform in international military engagements, calling for an end to foreign military interventions.
Inside the EU’s latest plan to keep would-be members close
EU POLITICS — The EU has unveiled a strategy aimed at strengthening ties with countries seeking membership.
This plan includes partnerships, economic incentives, and closer political collaboration with aspirant nations, particularly those in the Western Balkans. The strategy reflects the EU’s commitment to expanding its influence while addressing security concerns in the region.
EU-US trade: Council gives final approval for the tariff commitments under Joint Statement
EU TRADE — The Council of the EU has finalised its approval of tariff commitments established in the Joint Statement with the US.
This agreement aims to facilitate trade relations and includes mutual concessions on tariffs for various goods and services. The finalisation is seen as a crucial step towards strengthening economic ties between the EU and the US, addressing trade imbalances and fostering economic growth.
What to watch — Upcoming discussions will focus on the implementation of the new passport system by EU authorities.
Further reading from across European news sources
The Guardian
Rome airports threaten to suspend new EU passport system to avoid summer ‘disaster’
politico.eu
Inside the EU’s latest plan to keep would-be members close
Euronews
Europe’s Taliban Dilemma: the struggle to return Afghan migrants
Reuters
EU warns Turkey over ‘unacceptable’ snub of Cyprus in climate summit preparations
Euronews
Eleven EU countries call for methane rules pause amid energy security fears
October 12, 2024
6:18 am
‘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.”
To downplay the genocide, the israelis claim there’s only 20,000 people left in north Gaza, says
@MahaGaza
: the real number exceeds 400,000
Man of the right wing Nigel Farage taking more second jobs and freebie helicopter rides
Gosh he’ll soon be a true blue Tory at this rate
Or far far worse
The cost-of-living crisis is far from over, yet the government’s 50% increase to the bus fare cap is a political choice, adding hundreds to annual costs.
To address hardship & the climate crisis, the government must keep the £2 cap & make public transport accessible for all.
G20 waters down support for Ukraine amid pressure for peace talks
The Tech Titan Who Led His Company From a 68-Square-Foot Jail Cell
November 23, 2024
8:25 am
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.
November 23, 2024
8:25 am
November 23, 2024
8:17 am
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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