.
Europe
France
Monday 12 May 2025 France has shut down a wild conspiracy peddled by the Russian foreign ministry that Europe’s leaders, including Keir Starmer, were doing cocaine together on a train into Ukraine. The claims centre on a video in which French president Macron picks up a white tissue from a table and German chancellor Friedrich Merz retrieves a coffee stirrer. Keir is seen smiling on the opposite side of the table. The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Zakharova wrote a lengthy diatribe on social media site Telegram over the weekend in which she claimed the video was evidence that the trio had spent the train journey doing cocaine and had forgotten to remove the drug paraphernalia. She claimed the tissue was a bag of cocaine and the stirrer was a spoon used to consume the drugs. Russian officials and bloggers have frequently peddled the idea that Zelensky and other major European leaders are regular cocaine users. The French president has been personally targeted on multiple occasions by Russian disinformation, including rumours that he is homosexual, that his wife Brigitte was born a man and that he is part of a deep state cabal backed by Soros, the financier. Theories originated in Russia were claiming Zelensky used US aid to buy two luxury yachts. (Source: The Independent - United Kingdom)
France
13/05/2025 The allegations that the leaders of France, Germany and the UK took drugs while on a train on their way to Kyiv 'are part of a wider Russian disinformation campaign'. 'It looks like a tissue or napkin and a bit of thread, Matheson, professor of substance use at the University of Stirling, told. There's no evidence of cocaine.' (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)
European Court of Human Rights
12.05.2025 Denmark and Italy are urging other European countries to back a letter criticizing the European Court of Human Rights for going too far in interpreting the law, particularly on migration issues. Recent Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights decisions expanded European Convention on Human Rights interpretation beyond its original intent. This expansion limits national governments’ ability to make sovereign decisions on politically sensitive matters such as irregular migration. What was considered right in the past may no longer be applicable in current contexts. The letter is still open to additional signatories and is expected to be released in the coming weeks. Countries such as Czechia, Finland, Poland, and the Netherlands — members of a migration-focused EU bloc — are considered potential backers. All 27 EU member states are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, but the EU itself has yet to accede to the treaty, despite a legal obligation under the Lisbon Treaty. Accession would mean that EU institutions could be held accountable before the European Court of Human Rights, a move still under negotiation. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
'European Union'
12/05/2025 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Brussels prompted a schedule change. Der Leyen, Costa and Metsola flew together on a private plane from Brussels to attend an event in Luxembourg, Friday. The presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament visited the Robert Schuman house, to commemorate Europe Day, accompanied by Luxembourgish Prime Minister Luc Frieden. The extraordinary, high-cost decision of the trio was made for flying rather than driving to Luxembourg - roughly 200 km from Brussels. (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)
Europe
12/05/2025 Gas prices: Which countries are paying more? The EU is feeling the bite of energy prices going up again. Gas reached its highest cost on record in the second half of 2024. The average rate is now €12.33 per 100 kWh, up from €11.04 in the first half of last year. It is also the first time that prices in the EU are climbing up, following the 2022 energy crisis. Price differences range from €18.93 per 100 kWh in Sweden and €16.71 in the Netherlands, to €1.73 in Georgia, €2.13 in Turkey, €3.15 in Hungary, €4.56 in Croatia, €4.92 in Serbia, €5.13 in Bosnia-Herzegovina and €5.41 in Romania. None of the countries with the cheapest gas prices - excluding Croatia and Romania - cut Russian gas supplies. Croatia's liquefied natural gas terminal on Krk became operational in 2021. The country now plans to ramp up gas production by 82% in the next three years. Romania is planning to go completely autonomous, gas-wise. Its Neptune Deep offshore project is expected to become operational in 2027 and is aiming to double Romanian gas production. (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)
Asia
Turkey
(12 May 2025) Outlawed Kurdish group, the PKK has announced it is laying down its arms and disbanding. The move followed a call in February by the group's jailed leader, Ocalan, 76, for the organisation to disband. The group is banned as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and US. The PKK insurgency initially aimed to create an independent homeland for Kurds, who account for about 20% of Turkey's population. The PKK leader has been in solitary confinement in prison on an island in the Sea of Marmara, south-west of Istanbul, since 1999. He wrote a letter from prison in February saying "there is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realisation of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way." There is speculation that he may be paroled. The PKK has been hit hard by the Turkish military in recent years, and regional changes have made it harder for them and their affiliates to operate in Iraq and Syria. President Erdogan needs the support of pro Kurdish political parties if he is to be able to run again in Turkey's next presidential election, due in 2028. Moving away from its separatist goals, PKK is focusing instead on more autonomy and greater Kurdish rights. The decision to disband was an important step towards a terror-free Turkey. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
North America
United States
May 12, 2025 Hours after Washington and Beijing agreed to slash respective punitive tariffs and de-escalate their trade war,. 'European Union is in many ways nastier than China, okay?" Trump said, as he lashed the bloc. 'They treat us very unfairly.' Brussels last week dangled a list of potential concessions and threatened tariffs on €95 billion worth of U.S. goods if talks stall. Trump's trade hawk Navarro condemned the mooted counteroffensive as provocative. As he seeks to repair perceived injustices in the way Europe has treated the U.S., Trump imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff, as well as a 25 percent levy on cars and metals, with more tariffs underway. Trump announced today a new drug-pricing scheme, intended to force companies to sell drugs in the U.S. at the lowest price they offer abroad. (Source: Politico - United States)
May 12, 2025 Stocks and the dollar surged today after the United States and China said they had agreed on a 90-day pause on tariffs and reciprocal duties would drop sharply. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent, speaking after talks with Chinese officials in Geneva, told the two sides had reached the deal that reciprocal rates would drop by 115 percentage points. There is a de-escalation between China and U.S. resulting in a reduction of tariff on Chinese goods to 30% and Chinese tariffs on US goods to 10%. This is very positive news for economies in both countries and for the global economy, and makes investors much less concerned about the damage to global supply chains in the short term. But this is only a three-month temporary reduction of tariffs, a very good starting point. How can Trump credibly raise tariffs when the 90-day pause ends? He has toned down his tariffs faster than anyone thought he could. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)
NATO
12th May 2025 Nato's largest - Ex Formidable Shield, a US Sixth Fleet-led, live-fire, naval - exercise in Europe is underway. The multinational integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) exercise runs from 1-31 May. It will be taking place in Norway and the United Kingdom. Nine allies are participating in the naval-led operation. Norway, the UK and the United States will also participate with their maritime patrol aircraft. Eurofighters from the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force's primary multi-role combat aircraft, will make up the exercise's air assets, along with Norwegian F-35s. The fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon is highly capable and used for a variety of missions, including air policing, peace support, and high-intensity conflict, with a primary role in quick reaction alerts (QRA) for UK airspace. Scenarios include a series of complex ballistic missile defence (BMD) and air defence (AD) missions. The first phase of the exercise will take place at the Andøya firing range in Norway before continuing at the Hebrides Range in Scotland. (Source: British Forces Broadcasting Service /BFBS/ - United Kingdom)
.5 5 14 10:30
