Latest news with #Brussels-based
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
German chancellor to travel to US to meet with Trump
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington next week for his first visit since taking office, where he is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump. Source: Politico, a Brussels-based politics and policy news organisation, citing the German government press service, as reported by European Pravda Details: Merz will travel to the US on 4 May for his first visit under the new German government. His meeting with Trump is set for Thursday 5 June, followed by a joint press conference. At the meeting with Trump, they will discuss the Russo-Ukrainian war, the situation in the Middle East and trade issues. Background: Merz has repeatedly engaged in public disputes with the US administration, particularly after criticism from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance regarding the classification of the far-right Alternative for Germany party as right-wing extremist. Merz stressed that neither Germany nor he personally interfered in the US election campaign or supported any candidate, and he expects the same attitude from the American administration. This week, the German chancellor stated that Europe is ready to fight for its fundamental values – freedom and democracy – thus responding to repeated criticism of the EU by the Trump administration and, in particular, Vice President Vance's infamous speech at the Munich Security Conference. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Donald Trump sees 'unlimited' potential for 'large-scale trade' with Russia when 'bloodbath is over'
US President Donald Trump has put forward the possibility of resuming large-scale trade with Russia once the war in Ukraine ends, but experts say major obstacles stand in the way of such a move anytime soon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Russia wants to do large-scale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic bloodbath is over, and I agree," Trump said in a statement following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED," he added. But the ground reality paints a grim picture for the US–Russia business revival. Reasons behind: US firms remain wary According to the Associated Press, since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of foreign companies, including major US brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks, ExxonMobil, and Ford — have exited the country. Now, more than three years into the war Trump is suggesting that the US-Russia trade could resume if a peace deal is reached. Putin has also said that foreign companies may return "under certain conditions," but analysts warn that the business environment has changed dramatically, and not in favor of foreign investors. Russia now classifies nations allied with Ukraine as "unfriendly states," imposing tight restrictions on withdrawing funds and allowing the government to seize key businesses. Companies that left were often forced to sell assets at half their value or simply write them off. Some, like Danone and Carlsberg, had their assets taken over by the Russian state. Elina Ribakova, a non-resident senior fellow at Brussels-based Bruegel research institute, asserts that Russia's policy decisions and legislative modifications have inflicted "long-lasting damage" to its commercial landscape. According to her assessment, the possibility of American companies resuming operations in Russia remains "not very likely. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Political risk, legal uncertainty While some companies like Renault and Ford left Russia with repurchase agreements, the Russian legal system is now considered too unstable to count on such deals. The Kremlin has signaled it intends to strengthen local companies at the expense of foreign rivals. "We need to strangle them," Putin said recently about Western tech firms like Zoom and Microsoft that limited services in Russia. "After all, they are trying to strangle us: we need to reciprocate. We didn't kick anyone out; we didn't interfere with anyone. We provided the most favorable conditions possible for their work here, in our market, and they are trying to strangle us," he added. Putin assured a representative from Vkusno-i Tochka — the Russian company that replaced McDonald's in the country — that the government would support them if McDonald's ever tried to buy back its old outlets. When asked for comment, McDonald's pointed to its 2022 statement saying that continuing to operate in Russia was no longer viable, AP reported. Economic outlook dim Beyond legal uncertainty, Russia's economy is increasingly centered on military production, with little growth expected in civilian sectors. According to the Bank of Finland, Russia faces one of the lowest projected growth rates globally. Even the lucrative oil and gas sector may not draw American firms back. ExxonMobil wrote off $3.4 billion after its stake in the Sakhalin project was terminated. And while some smaller oil service firms might be interested in returning, they'd need to meet new Russian requirements for local investment and presence. Despite sanctions, over 2,300 foreign companies still operate in Russia, mostly from China and other non-Western nations. Sanctions still a major hurdle Even if the US were to lift sanctions, EU restrictions would continue, creating compliance issues for global firms. American sanctions, which carry the risk of being shut out of the US financial system, remain the most severe deterrent. For now, Trump's vision of a post-war trade boom with Russia appears more political narrative than business reality, at least until there's a dramatic shift in both geopolitics and the legal environment inside Russia.
Ya Biladi
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
«You Are My Mirror» : Amazigh theater and arts unite Morocco and Brussels
The Rif Association for Amazigh Theater in Al Hoceima and Magh Space in Brussels are unveiling the artistic creation You Are My Mirror this Friday in the Moroccan city. The project follows a residency involving five Moroccan and Brussels-based artists from both sides of the Mediterranean. Supported by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, as well as the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and the Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation in Morocco, the production blends stage performance, poetry, rap, and slam in Amazigh. It will be presented at the Moulay Hassan Cultural Center's theater. According to the two organizations leading the project, this work is the culmination of efforts that began in 2023, following meetings between local artists and associations in Al Hoceima with author Fatiha Saïdi—a psycho-pedagogue and gender expert—Belgian-Moroccan singer Fatoum from the Rif, and cultural trainer and facilitator Abderrahim Mekkaoui. The goal was to «offer people living in rural areas the opportunity to engage with a blended culture, with a particular focus on reaching women who face even greater challenges due to the absence or scarcity of cultural venues and limited opportunities to participate in artistic projects or spaces for expression», they told Yabiladi. Moreover, the project aims to energize joint creation through a «participatory and benevolent» approach. It seeks to strengthen the cultural bridge between artistic operators in Brussels and Al Hoceima, promoting the exchange of best practices. The initiative also strives to «raise the profile of local artists and break the cultural isolation they still experience despite recent efforts». Another objective was to «blend artistic expressions by allowing artists to 'give voice' to the sound of the adjoun (bendir)», fostering a musical transmission rooted in tradition. On stage, personal reflections on identity and universality become a collective exploration. «The play also addresses the threats looming over identities—threats that can sometimes be deadly, to paraphrase Amin Maalouf», as the artists invite the audience to witness «their identity writing, starting from a blank page and evolving through multiple artistic mediums». This creative process has forged strong bonds among the members of an intercultural and intergenerational troupe, notably including Rifian actress Dounia Lahmidi (Noomedia), and Rifian singer and musician Abdelaziz Benhaddou, founders of the Twattun ensemble and pioneers of Amazigh song in the Rif. The group also features university researcher and poet Saïd Abbouti, rapper and slammer Mathieu D'Angelo (Maky), neutral mask practitioner Chaib Massaoudi, poet and photographer Yasmine Messaoudi, and graffiti artist and rapper Djamel Oulkadi.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Harris to receive briefing on safety of peacekeepers in Lebanon
The Tánaiste Simon Harris will receive a briefing later today from the new Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy, on the safety of Irish peacekeeping troops in south Lebanon. It follows yesterday's incident, in which a joint patrol of Irish blue helmets and Lebanese soldiers came under small arms fire. The Tánaiste has said the Israel Defence Forces are responsible for the shooting. The Defence Forces have 298 members deployed to south Lebanon in recent weeks to participate in a six-month tour of duty with the 126th Infantry Battalion. Yesterday, a joint patrol, involving Irish peacekeepers and Lebanese Armed Forces, were shot at near the village of Yaroun which had been heavily damaged by the IDF last year. Yaroun is roughly 10km from the main Irish military base, known as 2-45 or Camp Shamrock, which the Tánaiste visited in March of this year. Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Defence, said an IDF patrol in Israel was responsible for firing across the border - something he described as "utterly inappropriate, utterly unacceptable". He told RTÉ News: "This is the latest in a range of what I view as intimidatory behaviour by the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] towards peacekeepers, or as we saw recently, Irish diplomats too. So this is not acceptable." The Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon is expected to convey the Irish government's anger and concern at the shooting directly to the IDF. Later today, the Tánaiste Simon Harris will receive a briefing from the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy, on the safety of Irish peacekeeping troops in south Lebanon. It will be the first formal meeting between the two men. The former Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, has recently taken up the position of chair of the Brussels-based EU Military Committee.
CairoScene
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Select 332: Mixed by Cheb Runner
The Moroccan maverick treats us to a playful analog mix that jumps between Maghreb shaabi, disco, deep techno and dutch gabber. May 29, 2025 Joining us on this episode of our Select mix series is the one and only Cheb Runner. A musical hurricane rooted in Moroccan soil, Cheb Runner is a DJ, composer and producer who represents a new sound of in-betweenness, nurtured by a diverse array of musical influences that run back and forth in time. His sets often feature first-hand recordings from his expansive sample pack of traditional instrumentals. In addition to being a fixture at some of the biggest clubs and festivals across Europe, Cheb Runner is a resident at Ghana's Oroko Radio, a familiar face at Brussels' finest Kiosk Radio, and part of Rotterdam's (A)WAKE collective. Most recently, he has also joined the Brussels-based Not Your Techno family. For his select set, Cheb Runner delivers a playful analog mix, supported by a unique set of synthesisers, where traditional Maghrebi sounds and shaabi rhythms pulse through deep techno, disco and Dutch gabber. Listen to the full set below:
