Raphael Stevens

Washington ignoring WHO advice against trade and travel curbs, says China’s foreign ministry More

Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and the architect of his Middle East peace plan, has trumpeted his knowledge of the decades-long conflict by mentioning that he has read 25 books on the matter. He ​told Sky News Arabia: “I’ve been studying this now for three years. I’ve read 25 books on it, I’ve spoken to every leader in the […] More

A Brussels drive to create an EU-wide minimum wage system has run into opposition from trade unionists in some member states. Portugal’s largest trade union federation, the CGTP, is the latest to speak out – arguing that the proposals are a “trap” and could hurt workers.  Trade unionists from Nordic countries such as Sweden and […] More

The Taliban will implement a 10-day ceasefire with US troops, a reduction in violence with Afghan forces and discussions with Afghan government officials if it reaches a deal with US negotiators in talks in Doha, two sources have said. If an agreement is sealed, it could revive hopes for a long-term solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. […] More

Austria is still refusing to sign up to a key United Nations treaty recognising the rights of migrants, despite a change in government that saw the far-right replaced by the country’s green party.  The new government took office on 7 January this year with conservative ÖVP leader Sebastian Kurz in for his second stint as […] More

Slovakia is set to become the latest European country to come under the influence of the far right, with polls predicting major gains for neo-Nazis in next month’s election. Kotlebovci-ĽSNS has been polling a solid second place since the start of December, up from fifth place in 2016 – with a general election scheduled for […] More

EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Friday to look for ways to avert war between the US and Iran and save the deal to stop Iran getting nuclear weapons. The 28 member states’ foreign ministers ministers gathered for an emergency foreign affairs council meeting to decide the bloc’s approach. Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, told […] More

In the latest phase of the US-Iran confrontation, who came out on top is not clear-cut; both countries made gains and losses from the crisis and some of its the results are still to come. By ordering the assassination on 3 January of general Qassem Soleimani, the head of Quds Force, the external arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, President Trump claims to […] More