Europe

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French President Emmanuel Macron says he will not remain in politics after leaving the Élysée Palace in 2027, once his maximum two terms are over.

Original Title: EU moves to ban high-risk inverters from China over cybersecurity threats

The EC will eliminate the use of Chinese-made inverters in EU-funded energy projects with the aim of protecting critical energy infrastructure from possible cyber threats that could trigger power outages.

https://archive.ph/luYZc

European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are meeting in Armenia on Monday for a European Political Community summit focused on security and geopolitical tensions as uncertainty grows…

From the ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) campaign:

Right now, across Europe, 3.1 million young people are working in traineeships. Half of them are unpaid.

They aren't just "learning," they are doing the work of full-time employees without the paycheck, the rights, or the protection. For years, young people have been used as a source of cheap, disposable labour, trapped in a cycle of "experience" that doesn't pay the rent.

We are at a breaking point.

In 2024, a "Quality Traineeship Directive" was proposed to finally ban unpaid exploitation. But for two years, national governments have stalled. They are choosing loopholes over livelihoods, and "flexibility" over fairness.

The Countdown: May 5th

On May 5th, decision-makers are meeting to determine the future of this Directive. If we don’t demand ambition now, we risk another decade of legal poverty for young workers.

National ministers need to feel the pressure today. We cannot afford to wait.

Work is work. It's time to pay us.

Link to the campaign: https://action-europe.org/tell-eu-ministers-ban-unpaid-traineeships

Link to the ETUC webpage about the campaign: https://www.etuc.org/en/document/open-letter-eu-ministers-ambitious-traineeships-directive-now

The US Department of Defence plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, amid a spat between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran.

The decision comes a day after Trump criticised Merz, who suggested the US had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators.

In social media posts on Thursday, Trump said Merz was "doing a terrible job" and had "problems of all kinds", including on immigration and energy. Trump has also suggested pulling US troops from Italy and Spain.

The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/8651247

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The Port of Churchill sits idle for most of the year, blanketed by snow and frozen by the bitter cold climate of Canada's sub-Arctic. It's only operational in the summer for four months, sometimes five.

But where weather is a hindrance, it has geography on its side - the northern Manitoba port sits on the Hudson Bay, a vast body of water with a direct route through the Bay's strait into the Labrador Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean.

From there, cargo ships sail more quickly to Europe, and can reach Africa and South America, delivering goods ranging from food to critical minerals, and even – Canada's leaders hope – liquified natural gas (LNG).

For decades, ambitions of expanding the Port of Churchill have fallen short — derailed, locals argue, under years of poor management as experts openly questioned whether an Arctic port makes good economic sense. Canada is now hoping to change that, guided by the inevitability of climate change, the challenge of US tariffs, and Europe's energy shortage fuelled by ongoing global conflicts.

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The port has already attracted some international support. Its operators signed an agreement earlier this year with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium to collaborate on design, business development and future trade.

Spence, the mayor of Churchill, said the interest from Europe is a sign of the major geopolitical shifts that have been spurred by President Donald Trump's return to the White House.

The last year, Spence said, has also woken up Canada to start looking at the rest of the world.