Τρίτη 18 Αυγούστου 2026
5 άρθρα
EU’s 1,600-Name Sanctions Bet
Brussels plans to target Russia’s weapons producers, procurement middlemen and brokers without imposing new industry-wide bans. That narrower design may ease unanimous approval by October, but its impact will depend on whether national customs agencies, banks and exporters can detect the rerouted supply chains still feeding Russian arms plants.
Cyprus Faces 63% of Cable Costs
Political backing for the €1,200-kilometre interconnector now stretches from Brussels to Washington, but its financing remains unresolved. Cyprus is assigned 63% of the Greece-Cyprus leg’s costs, while its regulator has approved only 32% of ADMIE’s claimed spending for recovery through electricity bills. Meridiam’s investment terms and any US financial support remain undisclosed.
France’s 10-Year Yield Overtakes Italy
Investors briefly demanded 4.05 percent to lend to France, pushing its borrowing cost above Italy, Greece and Spain. The reversal reflects both rising global rates and mounting concern over French finances, as a €3.536 trillion debt pile and higher interest payments leave Paris with less room for public services, tax relief and defence.
Five governments test an Uganda return hub
Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece will meet on 4 September to explore moving rejected asylum seekers outside the EU, with Uganda the leading candidate for a pilot. EU law now permits such transfers in principle, but no host agreement, enforcement system or evidence of higher return rates exists—and Brussels is not involved.
Rhine’s 5-centimetre bottleneck throttles BASF
Barges crossing Kaub now carry barely a third of their normal loads, starving Europe’s largest integrated chemical complex of essential raw materials. BASF has cut production and cannot fully supply some products, while the disruption could erase 0.1–0.2 percentage points from German growth this quarter.