The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on July 31 said in a Tweet that the new Italian government may be in violation of international law for the repatriation of migrants from Libya, due to the level of instability in the war-torn North African nation. Source: New Europe
Social Policy
France’s parliament signed into law a controversial asylum and immigration bill on Wednesday (1 August), despite opposition on the left which decried an effort to limit arrivals while the far right saw the measure as not going far enough. Source: Euractiv
Just under a quarter of residents of the Bundesrepublik have foreign roots, up 4.4 percent year-on-year, government statistics show. The figures released by destatis on Wednesday show that roughly 19.3 million of Germany’s population had a migrant background in 2017. The number was a record high. Source: The Local
Denmark’s controversial ban on the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces came into force on Wednesday as women protested the new measure which fines anyone wearing the garment. Source: The Local
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the ruling African National Congress must initiate a parliamentary process to enshrine in the constitution a proposed amendment, paving the way for land grabs without compensation. Source: RT
Spain said Saturday it had rescued more than 1,200 migrants from the sea in two days as the country’s interior minister called for a European-wide solution to illegal immigration. Source: The Local
Libya rejects a European Union’s plan to establish migrant centers there to stop asylum seekers arriving in western Europe and it will not be swayed by financial inducements, Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said. Source: Reuters
Called for a fight in progress, it was actually nothing …All started from a call to “17” this Sunday afternoon, shortly after 15 hours. A call signaling a fight street Jena La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendee). The policemen from La Garenne police station then went there. But once on the scene, they did not find anyone. It was then that about twenty individuals whose faces were concealed by scarves or hoods, attacked them. A real ambush. The attackers threw stones and firecrackers on the police. Source Actu17
China has denied a request for a U.S. warship to visit Hong Kong, the U.S. consulate in the Chinese city said on Tuesday, amid rising tension between Beijing and Washington over trade and a U.S. decision to sanction the Asian nation’s military. Source: Reuters
France is not ready for now to let the Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius dock and disembark dozens of migrants at the port of Marseille, France’s finance minister said on Tuesday. Source: France24
Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven will have to stand down after losing the support of parliament. The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD) backed the vote to remove him, weeks after a general election that delivered a hung parliament. Source: BBC
Open Society Foundations is taking the Hungarian government to court over legislation that makes it illegal for individuals or organizations to support asylum seekers, claiming the law undermines democracy and establishes a “dangerous precedent.” Source: Politico
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against delivering an advanced air-defense system to Syria, saying it will further destabilize the war-torn region. Source: Radio Free Europe
Within two weeks Russia will complete the delivery to Damascus of an S-300 air defense system previously suspended on a request by Israel as part of response to the downing of a Russian plane amid an Israeli air raid on Syria. Source: RT
A year after winning over 66 percent of French voters, Macron’s support has fallen to just 29 percent, according to a new poll. The president’s policies are now seen by some as favoring big business and the rich. Source: Deutsche Welle
A ‘deadly and unforgiving revenge’ for attack that killed 29 people, says Iranian elite force as UAE denies involvement. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has vowed to revenge the attack on a military parade that killed 29 people, including the four attackers, and wounded 70 others. Source: Al Jazeera
“Engaged in an attack zone , on a settling of accounts in a city, or to hospitalize an armed psychiatric patient, these are different types of interventions for which our teams were far from being protected as it should be”, explains Samu du Var in a statement. Source 20 minutes
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has welcomed the passage of Ukrainian warships to the Sea of Azov, noting that the vessels will be part of a new naval base of the Ukrainian fleet in the area. Source: UNIAN
President Macron promised French households a €6 billion tax cut as he launched plans designed to reinvigorate his flagging presidency. The tax cut, earmarked for next year, would be paid for in part by cutting more than 4,000 public-sector jobs as well as reducing pensions and benefits. Mr Macron said that it would help to usher France towards a new era of prosperity and shore up his credibility within the European Union. Source The Time
China has reacted with anger to the news that the United States is ready to approve a $330 million arms sale to neigboring Taiwan. Source: CNBC
The European Union said late Monday that it would establish a special payment channel to allow European and other companies to legally continue financial transactions with Iran while avoiding exposure to U.S. sanctions. Source: The Wall Street Journal
COSCO shipping lines, China’s largest state-owned international and domestic container shipping and related services company, is opening its first branch in Sarajevo on Tuesday. Source: Balkan Insight
Swedish truckmaker AB Volvo has stopped assembling trucks in Iran because U.S. sanctions are preventing it from being paid, a spokesman for the company said on Monday. Source: Investing
Turkey’s Fatih drilling vessel is reportedly in danger of being left without a scientific team and the necessary technology needed to commence operations in the Eastern Mediterranean. Source: Ekathimerini
Saudi’s Aramco Trading Company (ATC) expects to increase its oil trading volume to 6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, 50 percent higher than current levels, the company’s top official said on Monday. Source: Reuters
OPEC’s leader Saudi Arabia and its biggest oil-producer ally outside the group, Russia, ruled out on Sunday any immediate, additional increase in crude output, effectively rebuffing U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for action to cool the market. Source: Reuters
China’s largest lithium producer, Ganfeng Lithium, said on Friday that it had signed a three-year deal to supply Tesla with lithium hydroxide for batteries—another lithium supply agreement for Tesla as it tries to stay ahead in raw materials sourcing before the coming massive EV competition from legacy carmakers. Source: Oil Price
The world’s two first hydrogen-powered trains have begun service in Germany. The trains, which operate in between northern German towns, are a step away from traditional diesel power. According to a press release from Alstom, the trains’ French parent company, they are are “equipped with fuel cells which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Source Popular Mechanics
U.S. President Donald Trump linked American support for Middle Eastern countries to oil prices on Thursday as he again urged OPEC to lower prices. Source: Reuters
