EU and China to resume trade talks ahead of July summit
The European Union and China will hold a new round of trade talks this month, ahead of a planned EU-China summit in July, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
The EU adopted its 16th sanctions package against Russia, targeting its economy, shadow fleet, and military sector. New measures restrict financial networks, trade, and media, while expanding energy sanctions.
The EU adopted its 16th sanctions package against Russia on Monday, targeting key sectors of its economy and individuals linked to the war in Ukraine. As the conflict enters its fourth year, EU officials aim to weaken Moscow’s military capabilities.
The new measures affect Russia’s shadow fleet, financial networks, and military-industrial complex. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that each sanction package reduces the Kremlin’s war funds. The EU Council sanctioned 83 individuals and entities undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity and expanded criteria to target ships evading oil sanctions, now restricting 153 vessels.
For the first time, the EU imposed a transaction ban on foreign financial institutions using Russia’s SPFS messaging system and expanded restrictions on 13 regional banks. Additionally, 53 entities supplying Russia’s military sector were sanctioned.
New trade restrictions cover drone technology, chemicals, and software for weapons development. Limits were placed on industrial exports and Russian aluminum imports.
The EU also revoked broadcasting licenses for eight Russian media outlets accused of spreading Kremlin propaganda and tightened restrictions on Russian ports, transport, and aviation.
Energy sanctions were extended, banning software for oil and gas exploration and prohibiting temporary storage of Russian crude in the EU. EU leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine, with Kallas emphasizing sanctions as a crucial tool in pressuring Moscow.
Taxi drivers across France are protesting government plans to cut payments for driving patients to medical appointments. These cuts are part of a broader effort by Prime Minister François Bayrou to save €40 billion in the 2026 budget and reduce the country’s large deficit.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
In a major blow to one of President Donald Trump’s key economic policies, a US federal court has blocked the administration’s sweeping global tariff regime, ruling that the White House overstepped its constitutional authority.
The world is headed toward record-breaking heat, with an 86% chance of surpassing the critical 1.5°C warming limit in the next five years, global experts warn.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently met with a delegation from the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT) in Beijing.
At least seven civilians were killed and over 50 injured as Russia launched a wave of drone, missile, and artillery attacks across multiple Ukrainian regions, amid ongoing efforts to bolster air defenses against escalating assaults.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Rome on Tuesday, pledging to strengthen cooperation on key European and international issues following weeks of public friction over Ukraine, trade, and relations with the United States.
The White House congratulated South Korea on a fair election but voiced concern over potential Chinese influence as liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung assumes the presidency.
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Belarus as a true friend of China as he met Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of the sanctions-hit European nation, on Wednesday and urged the Russian ally to join Beijing in opposing "hegemony and bullying".
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