insert_link South Africa SA’s Electoral Commission Responds to DA’s Appeal for Foreign Assistance in Election Observations The South African Independent Electoral Commission acknowledges the Democratic Alliance's letter to the United States, European Union, and other countries seeking resources for independent domestic observers ahead of the 29 May elections. IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo states that while the commission believes in the importance of election observation, the DA's direct appeal to foreign executives is not in alignment with the typical process of international observation. Mamabolo highlights the unique […] todayMarch 12, 2024 22
insert_link Business / Economics India & EU trade group agree to $ 100 billion deal India's trade minister, Piyush Goyal says the country will remove the majority of import duties on industrial products from four European countries, in exchange for $100 billion in investments. This, according to Rebecca Bundhun, comes after an economic agreement was signed on Sunday, concluding 16 years of negotiations. todayMarch 11, 2024 31
insert_link Videos Ukraine’s accession could cost €136 billion to the EU budget, new report estimates This would represent 0.10% and 0.13% of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP). The projection uses the existing rules and design of the 2021-2027 budget to extract a projection of how much money the war-torn nation would be entitled to after obtaining the coveted membership. Ukraine was first declared a candidate in June 2022 and was given the go-ahead for accession negotiations in December 2023. The findings exclude the enormous […] todayMarch 7, 2024 8
insert_link Environment EU to introduce 10-year prison terms for environmental crimes The European Union has become the first international body to criminalise the most serious cases of environmental damage that are “comparable to ecocide”. Ecosystem destruction, including habitat loss and illegal logging, will be punished with tougher penalties and prison sentences of up to 10 years under the EU’s updated environmental crime directive. Here is local Ecologist Peter Cuningham. todayFebruary 28, 2024 47
insert_link World Free movement in west Africa: three countries leaving Ecowas could face migration hurdles By Franzisca Zanker, Arnold Bergstraesser Institute; Amanda Bisong, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Leonie Jegen, University of Amsterdam For Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, a recent decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has thrown up questions about how they will navigate regional mobility in future. Ecowas covers a variety of sectors, but migration is a major one. The bloc’s protocols since 1979 […] todayFebruary 22, 2024 9
insert_link Videos In seeking re-election, Ursula von der Leyen has one real rival: herself The German politician is ready for another five years at the helm of the European Union's most powerful institution, from which she has shaped the bloc's policies in ways that would have been unimaginable when MEPs elected her in 2019 by a razor-thin margin. Her tenure kicked off amid a continent-wide movement of protests and strikes that thrust climate change to the very top of the agenda. It was therefore […] todayFebruary 21, 2024 10
insert_link World Ukraine war: corruption scandals and high-level rifts could become an existential threat as Kyiv asks for more military aid By Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham and Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy The latest revelations about corruption in Ukraine tell a complex story. A scandal has engulfed the Ukrainian ministry of defence, where 100,000 mortar shells worth about $40m (£31m) were paid for but never delivered. But within days of this story emerging, Ukraine achieved its best-ever ranking in the annual corruption perceptions index complied […] todayFebruary 2, 2024 23
insert_link Local EU-twinning project elevates Namibia’s trade landscape: A boost for economic growth Following an intensive 24-months of facilitation, training, peer-to-peer learning, and diverse events, the European Union-funded Twinning Project titled "Support to the Namibian Standards Institution" successfully concludes on 31 January 2024, marking a significant milestone in boosting Namibia's trade capabilities. This was revealed at the closing event, hosted at Droombos to take stock and celebrate the success of the first of its kind EU funded twinning project in Southern […] todayJanuary 26, 2024 17
insert_link World EU considers imposing more sanctions on Hamas The European Union could impose new sanctions on Hamas next week, according to reports. Earlier this week, it added Hamas leader Yahoo Sinwar to its terror list - effectively freezing his assets in the EU and banning citizens from carrying out transactions with him. Ishan Garg has more from Brussels. todayJanuary 18, 2024 29