Author: Daily Sabah With DPA

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Tuesday a new fund that could mobilize close to €800 billion ($841.5 billion) for defence investments in the European Union, including for military aid for Ukraine. “We’re living in the most momentous and dangerous of times,” von der Leyen told journalists in Brussels. Pressure on the EU to significantly increase defence spending and aid to Ukraine intensified further after US President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Monday that it would temporarily suspend US military aid to Ukraine. “We are in an era of rearmament, and Europe is ready to massively boost…

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of the consequences of an end to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. “Every effort must be made to maintain the ceasefire so that lives are spared from hostilities, humanitarian aid enters Gaza, and more families are reunited,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said in a statement published on Sunday. “Any unravelling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair,” she added. On Sunday, Israel said it has halted all deliveries into Gaza following the conclusion of the first phase of…

Egypt has criticized Israel’s decision to halt all aid deliveries into Gaza, as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty said on Sunday that starvation should not be used as a weapon. “The deal includes a full flow of aid, and it cannot be allowed or accepted that aid is used as a weapon for collective punishment and starvation,” he said. “This is considered as a blatant and clear violation of international humanitarian law,” Abdel-Atty told a press conference. “If the first stage has ended, then we must now begin talks about the second phase,” he said, adding that mediators will continue…

Russia is “undermining the authority and independence” of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, whose experts monitor the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Kyiv said on Sunday. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over restrictions imposed on its monitoring mission at the plant. The protest followed the arrival of a new IAEA team, which, for the first time during the war, travelled through Russian-controlled territory, according to Russian state media. The team had been delayed for weeks due to military activity around the site, with each side blaming the other…

The European Union on Saturday expressed its “grave concern” about the repercussion of the Israeli military operation against Palestinian resistance groups in the northern West Bank. The 40-day offensive, which has mainly taken place in refugee neighbourhoods, has resulted in numerous deaths, the displacement of around 40,000 Palestinians from their homes, and the “destruction of vital civilian infrastructure,” the EU statement said. The EU called on Israel to comply with international law by ensuring the protection of civilians during military operations and enabling the safe return of displaced persons to their homes. Israel must also take firm action against settler…

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has fiercely criticized US President Donald Trump, describing the angry White House encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as beyond belief. “Diplomacy fails when negotiating partners are humiliated in front of the world,” Steinmeier told dpa on Saturday during a flight to Uruguay. “The scene at the White House yesterday took my breath away. I would never have believed that we would ever have to defend Ukraine from the United States,” Steinmeier said, eschewing his usual diplomatic subtleties. Steinmeier said that Europeans remain committed to freedom, democracy and the rule of law. “We must prevent Ukraine…

The fasting month of Ramadan began on Saturday for hundreds of millions of Muslims. In Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, March 1 was declared the first day of fasting. The start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon, which can vary by country. In Iran, where Shia Islam is the state religion and the second-largest branch of Islam, Ramadan begins on Sunday. During Ramadan, devout Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity from dawn until sunset each day. In the evenings, people traditionally gather for a meal to break their…

The European Commission is looking to accelerate the return of irregular migrants, with plans to introduce a new law aimed at creating a more effective European repatriation system. In an interview with Sunday’s edition of Die Welt newspaper seen in advance by dpa, the European Union’s commissioner for migration, Magnus Brunner, said that he planned to propose legislation that would require returnees to cooperate with authorities, with harsh penalties for non-compliance. The result must be that a return decision is actually enforced, Brunner said. He said that currently, only about one in five individuals subject to a return decision actually…

Pope Francis has suffered a setback in hospital, the Vatican said. The 88-year-old “experienced an isolated episode of bronchospasm,” according to a medical bulletin published Friday evening. Bronchospasm occurs when the muscles that line the bronchi in the lungs tighten. This led to an episode of him inhaling vomit and “a sudden worsening of his respiratory condition,” the bulletin added. Pope Francis was given non-invasive mechanical ventilation. “He has remained alert and aware at all times, cooperating with therapeutic treatments,” the Vatican added. But the prognosis “remains guarded,” the bulletin concluded. Reports Friday evening indicated that it would take another…

Bayern Munich claimed a 3-1 comeback victory at VfB Stuttgart on Friday to go 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and boost morale for next week’s Champions League date with Bayer Leverkusen. Michael Olise in the 45th, Leon Goretzka in the 64th and substitute Kingsley Coman in the 90th overturned Stuttgart’s lead from Angelo Stiller in the 34th. Bayern’s second and third were gifts of sorts. Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel first played the ball to Stiller who couldn’t control it under pressure from Goretzka, and Coman then stole the ball from Josha Vagnoman and hit the empty…