Latest news with #EUCommissioner
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness pulls out of presidential race
Fine Gael's nominee for the presidential election, Mairead McGuinness, has pulled out of the presidential race. In a statement, she described the decision as "very difficult" and that it was taken on medical advice. Advertisement The former EU Commissioner has led every opinion poll so far. She added that her decision to pull out was not taken lightly, and was made following a stay in hospital last week. "My priority now is my health. Given that the election is in a short couple of months, I do not believe that I have the strength to give the campaign my all," Ms McGuinness said. "I am taking this decision on medical advice and while it is extremely difficult, it is the right decision for me and my family. Advertisement "I appreciate that this will come as a shock and disappointment to party members and colleagues in Fine Gael, but our political family is strong." She said she has spoken to Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, and thanked him for "his support and understanding". "My focus now is my health and my family, and I ask for privacy in the time ahead," Ms McGuinness's statement finished. In a statement released following Ms McGuinness's announcement, Mr Haris said that she "has made an incredible contribution to public life in Ireland and in Europe. Advertisement "It was our clear view in Fine Gael and the view of many people across Ireland that Mairead would make an excellent President of Ireland," the Tánaiste's statement said, before adding that her "health will now not allow this". "This has come as an awful shock to us all. Mairead is a valued member of our Fine Gael family. It is absolutely essential that she now prioritises her health and I know I speak for everyone when I wish her all the very best on that journey." In the coming days Fine Gael is to "consider further" the presidential election, convening their Executive Council to do so, Mr Harris said. "But that's for the time ahead, not for today. Today I want to pay tribute to Mairead. I want to thank her for all she has done. I want to wish her and Tom and their family all the best at this time and she knows we are all sending her our very best." Advertisement Mr Harris had previously said that Ms McGuinness, who was a former TV presenter and farming journalist before becoming an MEP and EU commissioner, 'possesses all the attributes to bring our nation together'. Ms McGuinness was the first official nominee in the presidential race to replace Michael D Higgins this autumn, after he served the maximum, two seven-year terms as President of Ireland.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lammy and counterparts accuse Israel of depriving Gazans of ‘human dignity'
David Lammy has joined other foreign ministers in condemning the Israeli government for depriving Gazans 'of human dignity' as they called on the war to 'end now'. The Foreign Secretary and counterparts from 24 other nations including Australia, Canada and France, plus the EU commissioner for equality, urged the Israeli government to 'immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid'. They also described proposals to move 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called 'humanitarian city' in Rafah as 'completely unacceptable'. In a statement shared on Monday afternoon, the politicians said: 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.' The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. Alongside 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now. We need an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and a full resumption of — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 21, 2025 They said it is 'horrifying' that hundreds of Palestinians 'have been killed while seeking aid' and that the 'Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable'. The foreign ministers reiterated calls for the remaining people being held hostage by Hamas to be released and asked for 'all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law'. Earlier this month Israeli defence minister Israel Katz laid out plans for the 'humanitarian city' in Rafah, Gaza's most southern city which has been heavily damaged through the war. He reportedly said that the military would initially move 600,000 Palestinians there, with the aim of eventually transferring the whole population to Rafah. 'Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a 'humanitarian city' are completely unacceptable,' the foreign ministers said on Monday. 'Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.' The signatories also pledged that they would be 'prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire'. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry have said dozens of people were killed trying to access food aid over the weekend.
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
EU migration delegation ordered deported from eastern Libya on alleged entry violations
CAIRO — Authorities in eastern Libya refused entry to three European ministers and the EU commissioner for migration on alleged entry violations, apparently after they stopped first in the rival Libyan capital of Tripoli in the west. A statement from the prime minister of the eastern part of Libya, Osama Hammad, said the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, Malta and the EU migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, were 'persona non-grata' after they were denied entry shortly after their arrival in Benghazi. It said the ministers had entered illegally and had not followed Libyan diplomatic conventions.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
EU Needs Rare Earths Strategic Reserves against China Threat
European Union countries should create joint reserves of rare earths to prevent supply chain disruptions and economic blackmail from China, the EU's Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, Stephane Sejourne, told the Handelsblatt newspaper. Sejourne also said he would launch further tenders this year to promote alternative raw material sources, the German newspaper said. "All European countries today have strategic reserves for oil and gas. We should do the same for strategic raw materials," Sejourne was quoted as saying on Monday. The European Union in June announced 13 new raw material projects outside the bloc to increase its supplies of metals and minerals essential to its competitiveness in the energy transition as well as defense and aerospace. The announcement followed China's decision in April to impose export curbs on rare earth magnets until new licenses are obtained, leaving diplomats, carmakers and other companies from Europe and elsewhere scrambling to secure meetings with Beijing officials and avert factory shutdowns. Sejourne also warned Beijing that the EU has the tools to defend itself in a potential trade war. "Europe must finally use the same weapons as its competitors," he said. China in June said it attached great importance to the EU's concerns and would look into speeding up the approval process to ship rare earth exports to the EU.
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Indonesia Expects to Conclude Free Trade Talks with EU by End of June
Indonesia said on Saturday that free trade negotiations with the European Union, which have been going on for nine years, are expected to finish by the end of June. Airlangga Hartarto, the chief economic minister for Southeast Asia's biggest economy, met with EU Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Friday. "Indonesia and the European Union have agreed to conclude outstanding issues and we are ready to announce a conclusion of substantial negotiations by the end of June 2025," Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement. He did not disclose details about what agreements may have been reached. Denis Chaibi, EU Ambassador to Indonesia, said: "Negotiations are ongoing and substance will determine timing. We will communicate in details when we have an outcome." The EU is Indonesia's fifth biggest trade partner, with total trade between the two reaching $30.1 billion last year. Indonesia had a $4.5 billion trade surplus, Airlangga said. Indonesia and the EU have previously disagreed on EU trade rules for products with potential links to deforestation that could affect Indonesian palm oil, as well as Jakarta's ban on exports of raw minerals. Indonesian officials have been motivated to accelerate talks on free trade agreements, keen to diversify the country's export destinations as they deal with US tariff challenges. Seeking to end US trade deficits worldwide, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs that have since been paused until July. Indonesia is facing a 32% tariff rate.
