Russian invasion TOPNegotiations
Meloni: Time for Europe to talk to Russia
Europe must start holding its own talks with Russia about the war in Ukraine. This is what Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says in her New Year's speech, Italian media reports.
She does not go into details and mentions that there must be European unity on the issue.
- Otherwise, Putin would benefit, she says according to la Repubblica.
At the same time, Meloni emphasizes that she does not want Russia to be allowed into the G7, the organization that was called the G8 before Russia was excluded, again.
Colombian president warns of US intervention: “Real threat”
There is a “real threat” of a US military intervention in Colombia, the country’s President Gustavo Petro tells the BBC.
The statement comes after Donald Trump said earlier this week that a military operation in Colombia “sounds good”.
Petro, who has strongly criticized the US intervention in Venezuela, says that the US treats other nations as part of its empire. Through his actions, Trump risks isolating the US from the rest of the world, according to the Colombian president.
Trump and Petro spoke on the phone on Wednesday and afterwards Trump described the conversation in positive terms. However, the BBC notes that Petro’s statement rather indicates that nothing has changed in the presidents’ cool relationship with each other.
Netherlands approaching minority government
Rob Jetten, party leader of the left-liberal D66, wants to form a minority government in the Netherlands, Dutch media report.
Jetten and D66 won the election in October after becoming slightly larger than the far-right PVV party led by Geert Wilders.
For several months, the country's parties have been holding talks to reach an agreement. Jetten's first choice of coalition did not receive sufficient support in parliament.
D66 now wants to form a government with the liberal VVD and CDA. The three parties together have 66 out of 150 seats.
Winter weather
Winter storm Goretti paralyzes Europe – urged to stay home
Storm Goretti has a tight grip on large parts of Europe on Friday, causing chaos in air traffic, closing schools and power outages. In France, winds of up to 213 kilometers per hour were measured overnight Friday, according to Reuters. England and Wales had winds of 160 kilometers per hour.
In Britain and Germany, citizens are urged to stay indoors as the snowfall and winds increase in force.
London’s Heathrow Airport canceled 50 departures, affecting thousands of travelers, AFP writes. More than 57,000 households were also left without power on Friday.
In Germany, where the storm is called Elli, schools were closed in Hamburg and Bremen and train services were canceled. Reuters reports that the German state railway is calling the storm the worst in decades.
Hundreds of thousands of French households without power
Around 380,000 households in France are without power due to storm Goretti, reports TT.
The most vulnerable areas are in northern France. In Normandy alone, 266,000 households are without power. But according to French authorities, no serious damage has been reported during the night, writes Le Monde.
Strong gusts of wind have raged during the night, some with speeds of over 55 meters per second. But during the morning, the night's red warning has been downgraded to orange.
Schools will be closed on Friday, and people in the affected areas are urged to stay indoors. Over 2,000 technicians have been mobilized.
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