BUCHAREST, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Romania's top court on Thursday ordered a recount of votes in the first round of the presidential election and the country's top security body warned Romania was a key target for hostile actions from Russia after a shock result in the ballot. Having polled in single digits before Sunday's vote, independent far-right politician Calin Georgescu, 62, surged to a victory that raised questions over how such a surprise had been possible in the European Union and NATO member state.
Romania's top court orders presidential election recount
- Court acts after surprise win by far-right candidate
- Court ruling raises concerns about electoral process
- TikTok's role in election under scrutiny
- TikTok has dismissed concerns about its role
U.K. is an unfortunate example of how it can really go wrong.
I was just searching for a concise list of elections gone sideways, but unfortunately I haven't found yet the correct algorithm(/s)
I did find some other results, for elections in USA and Brazil. And, also this worrisome international Ipsos report.
Another election possibly gone sideways due to the (abuse of) social media. Reminds me of the same spectacular electoral results in Indonesia, in which Tik-Tok played a mayor role [ see Reuters article )
"There has been a reluctance to acknowledge that this is a systematic, centrally directed sabotage campaign targeting not just one country or another, but the Western world as a whole," he said.
Seems that many people are closing their eyes to these incidents. Separately, these acts of terrorism & sabotage seem" minor" incidents, but add them all up, and it's a coordinated atack.
I wonder when will European Officials have enough of this and react adequately.
According to the plans, and as I understand it, ideally and eventually, absolutely yes. The system is there, but underdeveloped.
The more I think about it, the more I see it's potential.
So, in the "new" Europe, we would like a Norwegian guy to be able to invest easily in a Portuguese startup who is investing in Romania.
Development is key, hopefully we see rapid improvements by 2027 EU leaders to set deadlines on bloc's competitiveness push
Honestly I don't know. .Iirc Draghi's reputation in Italy is somewhat divided though his bio and international reputation is very impressive. Personally I agreed with many points of his analyses in his 2024 report, though I remain a bit critical of his proposed solutions. There was recently another report, also interesting, but i can't remember the name.
Of late,modern monetary theories have shed light on a different approach to the famous 2% EU spending rule. The situation and crises in Europe is a challenge, and something must change and should be done.
This whole topic though a bit abstract for general public is quite relevant to the EU. According to this Press release by the Council of the EU,19 November 2024, Capital markets union: Council adopts revamped rules for EU clearing services.
" Derivatives play an important role in the economy, but they also bring certain risks. This was demonstrated during the 2008 financial crisis, that brought to light the weaknesses in the OTC derivatives markets.
To address the situation, the EU adopted the European market infrastructure regulation (EMIR) in 2012. The aim was to increase transparency in the OTC derivatives markets, mitigate credit risk and reduce operational risk.
On 7 December 2022, the Commission presented a proposal to review European market infrastructure regulation and directive in order to deepen the EU’s capital markets union, improve the existing rules and make the EU’s clearing landscape more attractive.
Adoption by the Council follows an agreement reached with the European Parliament at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure.
This article depicts my worries for especially Europe very well, considering;
- the need to develop EU Capital market ( ex.Draghi plan) & many others external advisers (ex WTF, Mc Kensey)
- American Capital market giants expanding their operations ( ex. blackrock, capital group) and their trackrecords in wreaking chaos
- the need to curb inflation and having competitive and doable interest rates
my question remains, how can we as EU develop our market in a positive way, without crazy money cowboys overuling the capital market?
Remember the global financial crisis? Well, high-risk securities are back
Crosspost worldnews: The shadow banking sector is trying its hand at trading in debt-based products such as collateralised loan obligations
This article depicts my worries very well.
Seems changes keep coming, and more will follow.
Also check for more context this article The Ukraine missile crisis: Putin’s shadow war against the west finally breaks cover
It analyses how the political views and powers are shifting.
Jean-Noël Barrot tells the BBC Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia ‘in the logics of self defence’, but does not confirm if French weapons have already been used. What we know on day 1,005
Here a less sensationalist headline and more nuanced article:
Edit OP:
Update: update guardian
President [Putin] says hypersonic missile ( Oreshnik) fired at Dnipro military site in reply to Kyiv’s strikes in Russia with western missiles
Apperantly, and I'm no expert, after checking various sources, the exact missile type hasn't been confirmed yet, independentally. There seems to be a discussion of two options afaik; a proper ICBM; or another version, sort of it's little brother, which is more of a shorter range missile.
If confirmed, firing of weapon would mark first time missile – which can carry nuclear payload – has been used
Ukraine’s air force has said Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the city of Dnipro, which if confirmed would be the first time the long-range weapon has been used in any armed conflict.
The claim was not immediately accepted by others, however. ABC News reported, citing western officials, that this was an exaggeration and that the weapon was in fact a shorter-range ballistic missile, similar to the types used repeatedly by Russia against Ukraine during the war.
Update: President [ Putin] says hypersonic missile (Oreshnik) fired at Dnipro military site in reply to Kyiv’s strikes in Russia with western missiles
French prosecutors demand jail time, ban on public office for Le Pen over embezzlement charges
French prosecutors said that France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, should face jail time and a ban from public office that would bar her from the 2027 presidential race as she and members of the National Rally party stand trial for using money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party.
Italy is preparing a plan to shield its universities and research from foreign influence, a government undersecretary said on Thursday, to prevent other nations from obtaining valuable scientific and technological knowledge.
There was evidence of hostile agents using "increasingly sophisticated strategies" to gain access to Italy's most advanced knowledge, Alfredo Mantovano, a senior undersecretary in charge of intelligence matters, told a news conference.
The most affected technology sectors are biomedicine, robotics and semiconductors," said Mantovano, a close aide to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, citing sponsorships and donations as among the vulnerable areas deserving attention.
The raid is part of an investigation in France and the Netherlands that began in November 2022.
The Amsterdam office is the headquarters of the company's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The French investigation is being carried out by the National Financial Prosecutor's office (PNF), a special unit used for investigations into high-profile white-collar crime.
It relates to suspicions of "covering up serious tax fraud and off-the-books work", according to the PNF.
The company is also under investigation for tax filings for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Also, maybe it's part of being" neutral", yet the future will tell where this (alleged of human rights abuses) tiktok president is going
" DW Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief Georg Matthes, however, is certain that Indonesia is still trying to remain non-aligned in international politics, despite the exercises with Russia.
"These trainings are quite important for Indonesian military, but it's not something uncommon. They recently conducted a similar training with German naval vessels," Matthes said, also mentioning the massive annual "Super Garuda Shield" exercises that Indonesia has conducted with the United States since 2006.
Voters have backed political forces that favour closer Moscow ties despite seeing their country’s future in Europe
Pro-western politicians in Moldova and Georgia have dismissed Russian invasion fears as scare-mongering orchestrated by the Kremlin, and instead stressed that only the west could guarantee long-term stability. They also reported that pro-Russian forces engaged in widespread disinformation and vote-buying campaigns had created a distorted picture of the actual public sentiment.
Still, the voting in Georgia and Moldova suggests the threat of a Russian invasion resonates at least with certain parts of society, especially in conservative, poorer regions where economic progress has lagged and the promise of Europe feels distant and faint.
making this takeover by a majority Chinese owned company more than a little suspicious.
Tnx for reminder, hadn't thought of that context. And , agreed 100%.
"think the states that provided subsidies"
I hope so. Afaik, the EU has provided subsidies for (some) Chinese European cooperations in the past.
I hear you. The whole thing is quite unfathomable and hard to untangle. But 79% GEELY says enough imo. Seems Volvo, dono which one, has recently bought rights for (majority?) distribution in China per 2024, or something like that.
FYI , found this for context: Volvo Cars is primarily owned by Geely Holding Group, which acquired the company from Ford in 2010 for $1.8 billion. As of 2023, Geely holds approximately 78.7% of Volvo Cars, making it the largest shareholder, but not a full owner. Volvo operates independently, maintaining its Swedish heritage and brand identity while benefiting from Geely's resources and management support. The company was publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange in 2021, further diversifying its ownership structure
Plans are further blow to Europe’s hopes of creating a homegrown electric car battery
A better term would be "developing nations" . The term " third world" refers to not being part of NATO (or not aligned to NATO), and is outdated. Also, there are various sorts of developing countries, richer, poorer, and some are war or conflict zones.
Russia asks at UN: If West aids Ukraine, why can't North Korea help us?
Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya responded: "None of the countries that provide assistance to Ukraine is under Security Council sanctions." "Receiving assistance from the fully-sanctioned North Korea is a brazen violation of the U.N. Charter," he added. "Sending the DPRK troops to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law."
Russia asks at UN: If West aids Ukraine, why can't North Korea help us?
Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya responded: "None of the countries that provide assistance to Ukraine is under Security Council sanctions." "Receiving assistance from the fully-sanctioned North Korea is a brazen violation of the U.N. Charter," he added. "Sending the DPRK troops to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law."
And, I even wonder if anyone would be surprised by this news.
Alleged talks between billionaire and Russian president could have enormous security implications
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who is now central to Donald Trump’s election campaign, has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin for the past two years, according to a report in the US.
The Wall Street Journal, citing several in-post and former US, European and Russian officials, reported that the conversations between the two men ranged from the personal to the geopolitical and included a request from the Russian leader not to activate his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to the Chinese leader and Putin ally, Xi Jinping.
Spain commits 400 million euros to World Bank fund for poorest countries
WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Spain on Thursday announced plans for a contribution of 400 million euros ($433 million) to the World Bank's fund for low-income countries, a 37% increase over the previous International Development Association replenishment cycle.
The Irish hadn't transposed EU regulations yet, says Irish Times
And, the Dutch/ EU law is quite strict with IP, online content and privacy.
Sunday's presidential election is seen as a vote on whether the country looks east to Russia or west to the EU.
“I’m not aware of anywhere else where we’ve seen such a brazen and open attempt to corrupt an election,” Moldova’s chief anti-corruption prosecutor, Veronica Dragalin, told me this week in her office in Chisinau.
We’re talking about a foreign country sending money in an attempt to influence the election,” Ms Dragalin spells it out. She details evidence gained through wiretaps, police infiltrators and witnesses – some of which her office has made public.
How to Manage an Alliance of Autocracies- China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are expanding their collaborations.
There are growing reports that North Korea is sending as many as 3,000 troops to assist Russia in its war on Ukraine. If true, it would not only be the latest example of Pyongyang helping Moscow, but also further proof of a growing closeness between those two capitals, Beijing, and Tehran. It’s been variously called the new “axis of evil,” or the “quartet of chaos,” but whatever the moniker, the four countries are stymieing a range of United States and Western interests around the world.
Press Release: (ECB) Monetary policy decisions ( cutting rates 25 bp)
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purchasing power of the single currency.
The Governing Council today decided to lower the three key ECB interest rates by 25 basis points. In particular, the decision to lower the deposit facility rate – the rate through which the Governing Council steers the monetary policy stance – is based on its updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission.
Red: added some changes to auto title for clarity.
Russia, China bolster defence ties at 'substantive' talks
Oct 15 (Reuters) - Russia and China held "substantive" defence and military talks to bolster ties, Russia's defence minister said on Tuesday, as Moscow and Beijing cement a "no limits" partnership and step up criticism of U.S. efforts to extend its influence in Asia.
ISW: illicit use of Starlink terminals Russian offensive
Russian forces are reportedly relying on illicitly obtained Starlink terminals to improve combat coordination and the effectiveness of their tactical reconnaissance strike complex (TRSC) in Ukraine as part of an overarching effort to reach technological
Russian forces are reportedly relying on illicitly obtained Starlink terminals to improve combat coordination and the effectiveness of their tactical reconnaissance strike complex (TRSC) in Ukraine as part of an overarching effort to reach technological parity with Ukrainian forces.
Ps: adjusted official title to cover content
Tributes paid to Kesaria Abramidze as ruling party and allies are accused of state campaign against minorities
A well-known Georgian transgender model has been murdered, local officials said, a day after the government passed legislation that will impose sweeping curbs on LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
“There is a direct correlation between the use of hate speech in politics and hate crimes,” the Social Justice Center, a Tbilisi-based human rights group, said in its statement reacting to the murder.
The United States and Britain have pledged nearly $1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats.
