TOPIC

European Council

The European Council: A prominent Brussels-based supranational intergovernmental body, the European Council defines the European Union’s overall political direction and priorities. Comprising EU heads of state or government, its President, and the European Commission President, it represents the highest level of political cooperation. Its main activities include setting the EU’s political agenda, addressing complex issues, and shaping common foreign and security policy. Recognised as a strategic, crisis-solving institution, it provides crucial impetus for European integration and appoints key EU officials.

The meeting led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would have been the first dedicated China debate held under the EU’s new “security college” format. Photo: Reuters

China-EU relations

China sidelined: EU shelves rare debate as Middle East crisis takes priority

Delay risks entrenching a policy vacuum as member states diverge and Brussels struggles to evolve its approach.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Fifa

Top ticket price for World Cup final up from US$8,680 to US$10,990 as sales reopen

2 Apr 2026 - 3:25PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran says it has ‘will’ to end war, as Trump zigzags on escalation

1 Apr 2026 - 3:10AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Europe urged to ‘learn to fight for itself’ in case US-China truce collapses

European Council on Foreign Relations calls for Brussels to be prepared and ‘not wait until the next crisis hits’.

31 Mar 2026 - 3:00PMvideocam

With a trade truce in place between China and the United States, Beijing has hit pause on more rare earth restrictions. Photo: Chinatopix via AP

China-EU relations

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

31 Mar 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU’s flagship Africa project under fire over ties to Chinese state-owned firms

Lawmakers demand to know where over US$2.3 billion in funds is going in venture meant to wean off Beijing’s critical minerals chokehold.

31 Mar 2026 - 11:48PMvideocam

European Union

Opinion | Europe’s response to Iran war risks becoming its ‘darkest hour’

By prevaricating on US aggression, Brussels risks forfeiting new partnerships that could help reduce its reliance on Washington.

29 Mar 2026 - 8:30PM

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (left) and Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrive for a summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 19. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

European Parliament heads to China after 8 years and lobbying from Beijing

Chair of consumer protection delegation due in China next week wants to convey ‘that our rules on product standards are to be followed’.

27 Mar 2026 - 6:12PMvideocam

Fifa

Supporters’ group files lawsuit against ‘excessive’ 2026 World Cup ticket prices

It says world football body has abused monopoly position, with cheapest tickets for the final costing seven times those of previous event’s.

24 Mar 2026 - 11:00PM

European Union

EU delays proposal to permanently ban Russian oil imports

The proposal is not cancelled, but would no longer be published by April 15 due to ‘current geopolitical developments’.

24 Mar 2026 - 10:09PMvideocam

The Druzhba oil pipeline between Hungary and Russia at the Hungarian MOL Group’s Danube Refinery in Szazhalombatta, Hungary. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

EU leaders clash with Hungary’s Orban for blocking Ukraine loan

A vital US$103 billion lifeline is being held up by Budapest over a dispute involving a war-damaged oil pipeline.

20 Mar 2026 - 2:42PM

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

European Union

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog Hungary’s block on Ukraine aid

Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has vetoed giving Ukraine its promised US$103 billion EU loan until Russian oil supply is resumed.

19 Mar 2026 - 6:26PMvideocam

China manufacturing

Global EV uptake expected to accelerate as Iran war causes petrol price hikes

With more than half of Chinese new car sales being electric in 2025, the nation could save US$28 billion a year in avoided oil import costs.

19 Mar 2026 - 1:24PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Rules-based order on trial in Europe as Iran war deepens divide

EU leaders have clashed over whether the bloc should still be bound by global norms as Mideast conflict reshapes the geopolitical landscape.

11 Mar 2026 - 1:59PMvideocam

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe could “no longer be a custodian for the old-world order”. Photo: Reuters

European Union

EU eyes nuclear energy again as oil prices soar amid Iran war

It was ‘a mistake’ to turn away from ‘a reliable, affordable source of low-emission power’, says EU chief, amid new funding - and protesters.

11 Mar 2026 - 1:39AMvideocam

A motorist fills up his car at a petrol station in France on Monday. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

Get realpolitik? Von der Leyen questions Europe’s faith in rules-based order

The EU must become more realistic and interest-driven to keep up with the new world order, bloc chief says.

10 Mar 2026 - 4:57PMvideocam

China-EU relations

Weaponise EU market against China or face manufacturing collapse: official think tank

Beijing’s ‘weakness creates opportunities’ for bloc to use chokepoints and leverage for negotiations, researchers say.

9 Mar 2026 - 3:23PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU strips AI, chips and quantum from industrial plan aimed at countering China

Leaked draft shows biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from Industrial Accelerator Act ahead of unveiling.

4 Mar 2026 - 1:16AMvideocam

While China is directly referred to only twice in 93 pages of legislation and annexes, the act is seen as a crucial prong of Brussels’ efforts to de-risk from the Asian giant. Photo: Shutterstock

US, Israel war on Iran

Gulf states take the fight to Iran as missiles target oil, gas and trade

The UAE, Qatar and others had a plan for staying out of a US-Iran war. It relied on the assumption that Iran would leave them out of it too.

3 Mar 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Europe divided, on edge as US-Israel strikes on Iran ripple across the continent

Cyprus hit, oil prices jump and EU leaders clash over legality, regime change and Washington’s role in the widening conflict.

3 Mar 2026 - 6:05AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump threatens more hits, Khamenei dead and Israel mounts new attacks

Beijing says the killing of Iran’s supreme leader is ‘a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security’.

2 Mar 2026 - 12:40AMvideocam

273

Government supporters gather in mourning after state TV officially announces the death of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran on Sunday. Photo: AP

Jeffrey Epstein

Norway’s former PM in hospital following Epstein files disclosures

Thorbjørn Jagland is one of the many prominent figures worldwide named in the files.

25 Feb 2026 - 10:48AM

Thorbjoern Jagland. Photo: Scanpix Norway via Reuters

China-EU relations

EU too slow to act as China rewrites global trade rules, trade chief Sefcovic warns

Commissioner calls for faster trade probes and WTO reform as Brussels confronts overcapacity, subsidies and a US$424 billion deficit.

25 Feb 2026 - 9:18AMvideocam

Hungary

Hungary spoils EU attempt at Russia sanctions package over oil flows

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, has long argued that Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for his economy.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:19PM

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

Unrestrained military AI could doom us all. The window for a global middle-power alliance to rein in the superpowers is closing fast.

21 Feb 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

China-EU relations

Chinese e-commerce giant Shein could face EU ban over ‘childlike sex dolls’

Investigation will also look at the systems the online retailer uses to ensure illegal products are not being sold in Europe.

17 Feb 2026 - 7:40PMvideocam

The investigation will also look at claims the retailer “underestimated the risks” of selling illegal products. Photo: dpa

Munich Security Conference

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

15 Feb 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU seeks independence, survival amid China-US economic dominance

European leaders meet to address the bloc’s economic woes, reliance on China and US, and shielding key industries from protectionist policies.

12 Feb 2026 - 6:05PMvideocam

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European Council

China sidelined: EU shelves rare debate as Middle East crisis takes priority

Delay risks entrenching a policy vacuum as member states diverge and Brussels struggles to evolve its approach.

Top ticket price for World Cup final up from US$8,680 to US$10,990 as sales reopen

Iran says it has ‘will’ to end war, as Trump zigzags on escalation

Europe urged to ‘learn to fight for itself’ in case US-China truce collapses

European Council on Foreign Relations calls for Brussels to be prepared and ‘not wait until the next crisis hits’.

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

EU’s flagship Africa project under fire over ties to Chinese state-owned firms

Lawmakers demand to know where over US$2.3 billion in funds is going in venture meant to wean off Beijing’s critical minerals chokehold.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Europe’s response to Iran war risks becoming its ‘darkest hour’

By prevaricating on US aggression, Brussels risks forfeiting new partnerships that could help reduce its reliance on Washington.

European Parliament heads to China after 8 years and lobbying from Beijing

Chair of consumer protection delegation due in China next week wants to convey ‘that our rules on product standards are to be followed’.

Supporters’ group files lawsuit against ‘excessive’ 2026 World Cup ticket prices

It says world football body has abused monopoly position, with cheapest tickets for the final costing seven times those of previous event’s.

EU delays proposal to permanently ban Russian oil imports

The proposal is not cancelled, but would no longer be published by April 15 due to ‘current geopolitical developments’.

EU leaders clash with Hungary’s Orban for blocking Ukraine loan

A vital US$103 billion lifeline is being held up by Budapest over a dispute involving a war-damaged oil pipeline.

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog Hungary’s block on Ukraine aid

Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has vetoed giving Ukraine its promised US$103 billion EU loan until Russian oil supply is resumed.

Global EV uptake expected to accelerate as Iran war causes petrol price hikes

With more than half of Chinese new car sales being electric in 2025, the nation could save US$28 billion a year in avoided oil import costs.

Rules-based order on trial in Europe as Iran war deepens divide

EU leaders have clashed over whether the bloc should still be bound by global norms as Mideast conflict reshapes the geopolitical landscape.

EU eyes nuclear energy again as oil prices soar amid Iran war

It was ‘a mistake’ to turn away from ‘a reliable, affordable source of low-emission power’, says EU chief, amid new funding - and protesters.

Get realpolitik? Von der Leyen questions Europe’s faith in rules-based order

The EU must become more realistic and interest-driven to keep up with the new world order, bloc chief says.

Weaponise EU market against China or face manufacturing collapse: official think tank

Beijing’s ‘weakness creates opportunities’ for bloc to use chokepoints and leverage for negotiations, researchers say.

EU strips AI, chips and quantum from industrial plan aimed at countering China

Leaked draft shows biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from Industrial Accelerator Act ahead of unveiling.

Gulf states take the fight to Iran as missiles target oil, gas and trade

The UAE, Qatar and others had a plan for staying out of a US-Iran war. It relied on the assumption that Iran would leave them out of it too.

Europe divided, on edge as US-Israel strikes on Iran ripple across the continent

Cyprus hit, oil prices jump and EU leaders clash over legality, regime change and Washington’s role in the widening conflict.

Trump threatens more hits, Khamenei dead and Israel mounts new attacks

Beijing says the killing of Iran’s supreme leader is ‘a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security’.

Norway’s former PM in hospital following Epstein files disclosures

Thorbjørn Jagland is one of the many prominent figures worldwide named in the files.

EU too slow to act as China rewrites global trade rules, trade chief Sefcovic warns

Commissioner calls for faster trade probes and WTO reform as Brussels confronts overcapacity, subsidies and a US$424 billion deficit.

Hungary spoils EU attempt at Russia sanctions package over oil flows

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, has long argued that Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for his economy.

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

Unrestrained military AI could doom us all. The window for a global middle-power alliance to rein in the superpowers is closing fast.

Chinese e-commerce giant Shein could face EU ban over ‘childlike sex dolls’

Investigation will also look at the systems the online retailer uses to ensure illegal products are not being sold in Europe.

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

EU seeks independence, survival amid China-US economic dominance

European leaders meet to address the bloc’s economic woes, reliance on China and US, and shielding key industries from protectionist policies.

Opinion | Europe’s response to Iran war risks becoming its ‘darkest hour’