Euobserver.com

Russia's president and foreign minister should personally face justice for "aggression" against Ukraine, the Czech Republic's foreign minister has said.

Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday called on Iran's leadership to listen to the women protesting in the streets over the death of a woman in police custody, Reuters reported. Mahsa Amini, 22, fell into a coma and died while waiting with other women held by Iranian morality police, who enforce strict rules requiring women to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes. Her death has sparked popular unrest.

The EU strongly condemns Russia's plans to hold referenda in parts of Ukraine and will not recognise the results of the votes, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on Tuesday. "Russia, its political leadership, and all those involved in these 'referenda' and other violations of international law in Ukraine will be held accountable, and additional restrictive measures against Russia would be considered," Borrell said.

Swedish minister for European affairs Hans Dahlgren told EUobserver no decision can be expected on majority vote next year. Mikuláš Bek, the Czech minister for European affairs, said enlargement and changes to the decision-making are politically interlinked.

Referendums organized by Moscow in occupied areas of four Ukrainian regions will have no effect, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday, after Russian-backed officials announced the plans. "The Russians can do whatever they want. It will not change anything," Kuleba told reporters in New York, according to Reuters. "Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say," he tweeted.

Belgian bishops on Tuesday published a document allowing the blessing of same-sex unions, Reuters reported. The text suggested a ritual including prayers and a benediction for stable same-sex union, but specifying that it is not what the church considers "sacramental marriage". The Vatican previously refused to give religious approval to same-sex marriage in the church, although Pope Francis has supported civil rights legislation to offer same-sex couples legal protection.

The European Commission unveiled on Tuesday a plan to ensure that the majority of the EU population who qualify for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings are offered such checking by 2025. Nearly €100m in total would be made available to help EU countries implement the new recommendations, which include extending the age target-groups, and ensuring equal access to screening as well as timely diagnosis, treatments, psychological support, and after-care.

The EU wants to expand its so-called 'solidarity lanes' to help Ukraine exports its goods towards member states. EU officials briefing reporters say around 2.6 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural goods were exported via such lanes in August.

Germany's data-retention law — aimed at combating major online crime — is not compatible with EU law, the European Court of Justice ruled.

Notwithstanding the remarkable Ukrainian advances, a Russian defeat would not necessarily translate into regime change in Moscow. It is likely Putin will try to spin his military setbacks as evidence of the existential threat facing Russia.

The current energy crisis is a good example of "emancipatory catastrophism" — the idea that humanity only moves forward out of fear for a catastrophe. Sometimes one needs a looming disaster to change what should have been changed long ago.

The Malta-based EU asylum agency is facing abuse allegations from disenfranchised employees who accuse the leadership under Nina Gregori of nepotism and the mishandling of harassment claims, reports the Financial Times newspaper. The Financial Times says the complaint has been received by the EU's anti-fraud office Olaf. The agency has denied any wrongdoing.

The EU throws away more food than it imports, according to a report from the environmental group Feedback EU published on Tuesday. While the bloc imported almost 138 million tonnes of agricultural products in 2021, it is estimated that the EU wastes 153.5 million tonnes of food every year. Responding to these figures, NGOs have called on the commission to introduce legally-binding targets to halve food waste by 2030.

EU countries are planning to drop calls for an "independent" inquiry into the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in a watershed meeting with Israel next month.

Critics point out that Hungary will continue to receive substantial inflows of EU funds since the proposed suspension applies only to around 22 percent of total EU subsidies earmarked for Hungary in the bloc's current budget for 2021-2027.

The price of bread across the EU in August was on average 18 percent higher compared to last year, according to figures from the bloc's statistics agency Eurostat released on Monday. The highest increase in bread prices was recorded in Hungary, followed by Lithuania, Estonia and Slovakia. Global food prices have been increasing since the start of the pandemic. Export disruption in Ukraine has pushed prices even higher.

The Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI) introduces a staged, step-by-step, approach — providing emergency powers to the EU Commission to tackle any potential threat which could trigger disruptions or shortages of key products within the EU.

What would happen if Russia were to fire a nuclear strike? Most likely it would be a tactical strike, with a smaller nuclear missile.

The far-right Brothers of Italy, which dominates the conservative alliance, is set to be the largest single party, and has widened its lead over the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).

Civil society organisations are taking legal action against the European Commission for the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the EU taxonomy.