3 h. ago Europe’s cruel summer: Ursula von der Leyen faces an EU under pressure

European Commission president addresses a parliament reeling from Trump trade deal and escalations in Ukraine and GazaWhen Ursula von der Leyen arrived in the vast semi-circle debating chamber in the European parliament in Strasbourg, she greeted MEP leaders of some of Europe’s political groups warmly. Wearing a trim khaki-green jacket, the European Commission president smiled, shook hands and exchanged air kisses with some of the politicians, who had front-row seats for her annual state of the union address.The hour-long speech on Wednesday had a stark message: Europe must fight for its place in an “unforgiving” world, facing major powers that are either “ambivalent or openly hostile” towards it. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago Trade deal on Scotch whisky ‘very high’ on UK Government agenda – Alexander

US President Donald Trump is due to arrive in the UK for a state visit next week.

Politics

25 h. ago John Swinney 'not surprised' over Lord Peter Mandelson sacking as he makes call on Donald Trump whisky deal

John Swinney does not think Peter Mandelson being sacked as US ambassador will scupper a potential whisky deal with Donald Trump.

Politics

36 h. ago Trump or no Trump, Europe’s relationship with the US will never recover | Nathalie Tocci

Optimists cling to a faith in the old alliance, but the best we can achieve is an amicable divorceIs the transatlantic rupture temporary or structural? Is Donald Trump the cause of the rift, or is the US president only a symptom of underlying trends? Optimists latch on to the hope that the stability we have lost can be restored post-Trump. Having spent the past few days in Washington, I doubt it.Even in recent history, things were not quite so bad for the transatlantic relationship. The current tensions make the first Trump administration look like a walk in the park for Europeans. It is one thing to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump did in his first term. It is quite another to bomb Iran and give Israel the green light for its war against the regime.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...

Politics

36 h. ago Skadden held talks to provide unpaid legal work for Heritage Foundation

Law firm discussed unpaid support for conservative think-tank after striking deal with Trump administration

Politics

46 h. ago Russia is brazenly provoking the west. Putin must be left in no doubt of the consequences | Paul Taylor

Germany and Italy may have legitimate fears of escalation but this was no accident – it was a violation of Nato territoryBy sending a barrage of drones into Polish airspace, Russia is testing Nato’s military response and Europe’s political resolve to stand behind Ukraine with arms and security guarantees in the event of escalation.The timing can hardly have been a coincidence. Less than a week ago, a 26-nation “coalition of the willing” led by France and the UK announced an agreement on a “reassurance force”, intended to help guarantee Ukraine’s security after any ceasefire in Russia’s relentless war of aggression. Vladimir Putin has stepped up the nightly bombardment of Ukraine in defiance of Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal, and rejected any presence of European forces on the ground.Paul Taylor is a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy CentreDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words ...

Politics

47 h. ago John Swinney's 'sob story' statement as he rates chances of a deal on whisky tariffs with Donald Trump

The first minister said he had ‘substantive’ talks with the US president on Tuesday

Economics

54 h. ago Conor McGregor announces deal with Donald Trump's son amid presidency bid

Conor McGregor and Donald Trump Jr have announced a deal which will see the US president's son take on a role art MMA Inc, a company the Irishman is involved in

Politics

68 h. ago MPs and military figures urge Trump to intervene and block Starmer’s Chagos deal

Labour MPs vote to push through Chagos Islands deal but questions raised over legal case as defence secretary John Healey finally reveals details

Events

2 d. ago The moment Israel bombs Hamas leaders as they discuss Trump's Gaza ceasefire deal in Qatar: Building blows up as IDF unleashes Operation Summit of Fire, sparking fury across Middle East

Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, citing Israeli officials, said the explosion in Doha was an assassination attempt against Hamas officials

Politics

3 d. ago Majority in EU’s biggest states believes bloc ‘sold out’ in US tariff deal, poll finds

Average of 77% of respondents across five countries thought agreement would benefit US economy above allWhere there’s a will there’s a whey: cheese producers lean into their craft as Trump tariffs biteA majority of people across the EU’s five biggest member states believe the European Commission sold citizens out when negotiating a “humiliating” tariff deal with Donald Trump that “benefits the US” far more than Europe, a survey has shown.The poll by Cluster17, which is published on Tuesday, found 77% of respondents – ranging from 89% in France to 50% in Poland – thought the deal would benefit above all the US economy, with only 2% believing it would benefit Europe’s. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago Volkswagen ‘nearing US trade deal’ as it says Trump tariffs have cost it billions

Carmaker’s CEO says Porsche is being squeezed by ‘sandwich’ of tariffs and weak Chinese marketBusiness live – latest updatesVolkswagen is closing in on a tariff deal with the US, the boss of the German carmaker has said, as it eyes up the market for affordable electric cars in Europe.Europe’s biggest car manufacturer, which also owns the Audi, Seat and Porsche brands, has been hit hard by Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, announced in April. The levies, combined with a turbulent market, have already cost “several billions”, the chief executive, Oliver Blume, said. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas to accept his Gaza ceasefire deal: ‘There will not be another one’

The US president said Israel has accepted his new proposal to end the war, terms of which will be revealed ‘pretty soon’

Events

4 d. ago Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas to accept Gaza ceasefire deal

President says ‘the Israelis have accepted my terms’ and urges release of hostages to secure peace agreementDonald Trump on Sunday issued what he called his “last warning” to Hamas, urging the Palestinian militant group to accept a deal to release hostages from Gaza.“The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!” Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago A message from Tehran for Britain, France and Germany. You made a big mistake reimposing sanctions: pull back | Seyyed Abbas Araghchi

Europe is wrong to follow Donald Trump’s strategy. We are open to diplomacy and a new deal over our nuclear programme, but sanctions must goFor more than two decades, Europe has been at the heart of the ongoing, manufactured crisis over my country’s peaceful nuclear programme. In many ways, the European role has reflected the state of broader international power relations. Once a moderating force aspiring to restrain a belligerent America with maximalist aims in our region, Europe is today enabling the excesses of Washington.Last week, Britain, France and Germany – or the E3 – said they had activated the process to “snap back” UN sanctions on Iran. The mechanism was set up to penalize significant non-performance under the 2015 nuclear deal signed by Iran, the E3, the US, China and Russia.Seyyed Abbas Araghchi is foreign minister of Iran Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago A message from Tehran to Britain, France and Germany: in your own interests, you should change course | Seyyed Abbas Araghchi

Europe is wrong to follow Donald Trump’s strategy. We are open to diplomacy and a new deal over our nuclear programme, but sanctions must goFor more than two decades, Europe has been at the heart of the ongoing, manufactured crisis over my country’s peaceful nuclear programme. In many ways, the European role has reflected the state of broader international power relations. Once a moderating force aspiring to restrain a belligerent America with maximalist aims in our region, Europe is today enabling the excesses of Washington.Last week, Britain, France and Germany – or the E3 – said they had activated the process to “snap back” UN sanctions on Iran. The mechanism was set up to penalize significant non-performance under the 2015 nuclear deal signed by Iran, the E3, the US, China and Russia.Seyyed Abbas Araghchi is foreign minister of IranDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for ...

Politics

7 d. ago Two women killed after being hit by car while trying to help injured kangaroo on busy freeway

Police say one 30-year-old died at the scene and the other, also 30, was airlifted to hospital but died soon afterwardsTwo women have died after being hit by a car while trying to help an injured kangaroo on a busy freeway in Melbourne’s north.Victorian police said emergency services had been called to reports two females were struck by a car on the Hume Freeway just after 7.30pm. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Trump gives green light for $2m ICE deal with notorious Israeli spyware company

Trump administration appeared to restart frozen Biden-era deal with Paragon Solutions, whose products have been accused of facilitating the surveillance of journalists and activists

Politics

1 week ago Iran accuses Europe of stepping aside and letting Trump dictate nuclear deal terms

Foreign ministry says US will be dictating what happens once UN-wide sanctions are reimposedEurope is on the verge of abandoning its role of a mediator between the US and Iran and instead handing the Iran nuclear file over to Donald Trump’s veto, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said in an interview with the Guardian in Tehran.Esmail Baghaei said that as soon as UN-wide sanctions are reimposed at Europe’s demand in less than 30 days, the US will regain its security council veto over what happens next, including the continuance of the sanctions. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump Intel deal designed to block sale of chipmaking unit, CFO says

US chipmaker has faced pressure to sell lossmaking foundry business struggling to compete with TSMC

Economics