Austria is to hold talks with Egypt this week in an attempt to use the last days of its EU presidency to revive the bloc’s campaign for north African countries to take in more Mediterranean Sea migrants. Source: Financial Times
Author: The Board
China and Russia have modified an important layer of the atmosphere above Europe to test a controversial technology for possible military application, according to Chinese scientists involved in the project. Source: South China Morning Post
In an exclusive interview with Kathimerini’s Sunday edition, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell has sent a clear message to Ankara not to obstruct drilling for hydrocarbons that is under way in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), while hailing Greece as a “fantastic ally” to the United States in the region. Source: Ekathimerini
A historic council of Orthodox bishops in Kiev has created a new Ukrainian church independent from Russia, President Petro Poroshenko announced on Saturday. The announcement came after Ukrainian priests held a historic synod in Kiev’s 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral to work towards establishing an Orthodox church independent from Moscow. Source: France24
Around 5,500 people have rallied in the European quarter in the Belgian capital against the new UN migration pact. Prime Minister Charles Michel’s decision to support the accord has left the government in disarray. Source: Deutsche Welle
Turkey has conducted a new wave of airstrikes in northern Iraq. “7 separatist terrorists who were in preparation to assault our bases were neutralized in northern Iraqi regions of Gara and Hakurk as a result of airstrikes on Dec. 16,” Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 17, referring to the illegal PKK. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Germany’s economy minister said he believed the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline can go ahead while preserving Ukraine’s vital interests, but that Berlin is also in talks to diversify its energy supply with liquefied natural gas. Source: Reuters
A police officer, working in a Republican Security Company (CRS) that intervened in Paris during the mobilisation of the Yellow Vests, gives his testimony.
This exceptional interview, broadcast on Youtube, lasts 20 minutes. Twenty minutes during which a CRS decided to give his testimony on his experience of policing in the face of the Yellow Vests movement. And his confidences are enough to shock the public. The man, who decided to testify anonymously, braved the ban and risks the dismissal of the National Police. It is qualified as a “whistleblower” by its host. Source Actu17
Undocumented migrants in Paris have come out to demand authorities grant them asylum. But they chose a peculiar destination to bring their request to – the historic Comedie Francaise theater, which they attempted to storm. Source: RT
A few hours after Turkish fighter jets flew over the islets of Anthropofagos and Makronisi in the eastern Aegean on Monday, a new overflight by a pair of Turkish F-16 was recorded over the islet of Oinousses, according to defense officials. Source: Ekathimerini
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution proposed by Ukraine on “militarization problem” of Crimea and the waters of the Azov and Black Sea. 66 countries supported the document, 19 were against it, 72 – abstained. The resolution stated that presence of the Russian military in Crimea contradicts the national sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The document also condemns Russia because of constructing a bridge across the Kerch Strait. Source: TASS
Some 380,000 Syrian babies were born in Turkey since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has said, adding that he wished “they could receive Turkish citizenship.” Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Russia says it has built new barracks to house its troops on a disputed island chain near Japan and will build more military facilities there next year. The December 17 announcement by the Defense Ministry is likely to anger Tokyo, which wants Moscow to reduce its military activity on the Russia-administered chain, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kuriles. Source: Radio Free Europe
Turkey may launch a new military operation in northern Syria at any moment, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, adding US President Donald Trump had given a positive response to Turkey’s plans. Source: Al Jazeera
Japan will accelerate spending on advanced stealth fighters, long-range missiles and other equipment over the next five years to support U.S. forces facing China’s military in the Western Pacific, two new government defence papers said. Source: Reuters
The French government was on Sunday hoping the sharp drop in “yellow vest” demonstrators signalled an end to the biggest crisis of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, but conceded “mistakes” had been made. Source: France24
Austria is to hold talks with Egypt this week in an attempt to use the last days of its EU presidency to revive the bloc’s campaign for north African countries to take in more Mediterranean Sea migrants. Source: Financial Times
China and Russia have modified an important layer of the atmosphere above Europe to test a controversial technology for possible military application, according to Chinese scientists involved in the project. Source: South China Morning Post
France is extending the state guarantees for the Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects Yamal LNG and the Arctic LNG 2 projects, Russian media quoted France’s Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire as saying after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Maxim Oreshkin in Paris. Source: Oil Price
North Korea has accelerated a little-known program to use its abundant coal supply to produce synthetic gas, helping the isolated nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil and withstand sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear program. Source: Wall Street Journal
Global coal demand will edge higher until 2023 as growth in India and other Asian countries offsets a decline in Europe and the United States, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday. Source: Reuters
A trilateral Greece-Cyprus-Israel summit will take place in Beersheba on December 20 where host Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras, and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades are expected to boost cooperation between the three Mediterranean countries, especially energy. Source: New Europe
The Italian government will trim its deficit target for next year in its latest proposal that seeks to avoid European Union sanctions for violating the bloc’s budget rules, the Ansa news agency reported. Source: Bloomberg
In an exclusive interview with Kathimerini’s Sunday edition, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell has sent a clear message to Ankara not to obstruct drilling for hydrocarbons that is under way in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), while hailing Greece as a “fantastic ally” to the United States in the region. Source: Ekathimerini
Germany’s economy minister said he believed the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline can go ahead while preserving Ukraine’s vital interests, but that Berlin is also in talks to diversify its energy supply with liquefied natural gas. Source: Reuters
India’s monthly oil imports from Iran plunged to their lowest in a year in November with Tehran dropping two places to become only the sixth biggest supplier after New Delhi cut purchases due to the impact of U.S. sanctions, according to ship tracking data and industry sources. Source: Reuters
British Prime Minister Theresa May wants reassurances that a section of the Brexit withdrawal agreement known as the Irish backstop is temporary. EU leaders say they will at least try to avoid triggering it. Source: Deutsche Welle
China’s November refinery throughput rose from a year earlier, heading for an annual record, official data indicated on Friday, although the runs eased from highs touched in the previous two months as product inventories swelled and sales slowed. Source: Reuters
China’s port city of Zhoushan is planning to challenge Singapore’s dominance of the multi-billion dollar shipping fuel industry, relying on proximity to some of the world’s biggest ports and Beijing’s support to give it an edge. Source: Reuters
