France proposes ceiling on value of UK components in €150bn EU defence fund

Negotiations soon to begin on UK’s entry to Safe scheme, which it hopes will secure bigger role for its defence firms

France has proposed limiting the use of British-produced military components in the EU’s €150bn defence fund, in a move that could complicate negotiations over the UK’s entry into the scheme.

Four diplomatic sources told the Guardian that French officials had proposed a 50% ceiling on the value of UK components in projects financed through the EU’s €150bn Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund.

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16 Nations Warn Israel Against Attacking Gaza-Bound Global Sumud Flotilla – Common Dreams

  1. 16 Nations Warn Israel Against Attacking Gaza-Bound Global Sumud Flotilla  Common Dreams
  2. More Than a Boat: The Gaza Flotilla as a Symbol of a Growing Global Movement  CounterPunch.org
  3. Aid flotilla carrying Greta Thunberg sets sail from Tunisia to challenge Gaza blockade  France 24
  4. Global Sumud Flotilla sets sail from Tunisia to break Gaza blockade  Al Jazeera
  5. Greta Thunberg's Gaza-bound flotilla nears Italian port  The Jerusalem Post
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Queensland deputy premier labels BHP ‘unAustralian’ as mining giant blames job cuts on coal royalties scheme

Jarrod Bleijie defends levy as BHP Mitsubishi Alliance moves to mothball Saraji South mine and slash 750 jobs

Queensland’s deputy premier has labelled BHP “unAustralian” and defended the state’s mining royalties scheme after the mining giant blamed it for its decision to mothball a coalmine and cut hundreds of jobs while also reviewing the future of its training academy.

On Wednesday, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) announced a decision to suspend operations at its Saraji South coalmine and slash 750 roles across the state, blaming “unsustainable” royalties and market conditions.

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Chinese and Philippine ships collide near disputed shoal in South China Sea – AP News

  1. Chinese and Philippine ships collide near disputed shoal in South China Sea  AP News
  2. China accuses Philippines of ship collision near disputed shoal in South China Sea  CBS News
  3. Chinese, Philippine ships collide near disputed shoal in South China Sea  Al Jazeera
  4. What is the Scarborough Shoal and what is China planning there?  Reuters
  5. Philippines protests China’s plan for a nature reserve at a hotly disputed shoal  AP News
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Malawi counts votes in a presidential election where economic turmoil was the top issue – AP News

  1. Malawi counts votes in a presidential election where economic turmoil was the top issue  AP News
  2. Malawi election 2025: Voters await results in presidential poll dominated by economic woes  BBC
  3. Malawi counts votes after presidential election amid economic crisis  Al Jazeera
  4. Vote counting underway in Malawi's Presidential election  africanews.com
  5. After a Landmark Election, a Disillusioned Malawi Returns to the Polls  The New York Times
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Malawi counts votes in a presidential election where economic turmoil was the top issue – AP News

  1. Malawi counts votes in a presidential election where economic turmoil was the top issue  AP News
  2. Malawi election 2025: Voters await results in presidential poll dominated by economic woes  BBC
  3. Malawi counts votes after presidential election amid economic crisis  Al Jazeera
  4. Vote counting underway in Malawi's Presidential election  africanews.com
  5. After a Landmark Election, a Disillusioned Malawi Returns to the Polls  The New York Times
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Rocks on train tracks strand 900 Machu Picchu tourists amid protest

About 1,400 visitors were evacuated but hundreds were left stuck because of action linked to bus contract dispute, say Peru authorities

At least 900 tourists were stranded near the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu on Tuesday, Peru’s tourism minister said, after a passenger train service was suspended due to a protest.

PeruRail said service was suspended on Monday because the route in Peru’s mountainous Cusco region had been blocked by “rocks of various sizes” as residents clashed with authorities and bus companies. PeruRail’s local unit also said “third parties” had excavated part of its rail route, which affected the track’s stability and slowed down the evacuation of tourists.

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SBS resists calls to join EU boycott of Eurovision 2026 if Israel allowed to compete

Israeli media had reported nation had been asked to step aside or compete under a neutral symbol due to controversies over Gaza war

SBS has indicated it will not follow the lead of a growing number of European Union countries and boycott next year’s Eurovision song contest if Israel is permitted to compete.

The decision on Israel’s inclusion will be made by the contest’s governing body in December, but SBS told the Guardian on Tuesday it intended to participate in the 2026 event in Vienna, regardless of December’s decision.

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Russia subjecting abducted Ukrainian children to “forced militarization” at 210 facilities, study finds – CBS News

  1. Russia subjecting abducted Ukrainian children to "forced militarization" at 210 facilities, study finds  CBS News
  2. Russia Indoctrinates Children From Occupied Ukraine at 210 Sites, Study Says  The New York Times
  3. Ukraine's Stolen Children: Inside Russia's Network of Re-education and Militarization  Yale School of Public Health
  4. Russia has network of 200 camps for ‘brainwashing’ Ukrainian children – report  The Guardian
  5. Russia’s imperial aggression against Ukraine has reached a terrifying level  The Telegraph
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120 land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared in Latin America last year, report finds – AP News

  1. 120 land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared in Latin America last year, report finds  AP News
  2. ‘We’re still in the dark’: a missing land defender and the deadly toll of land conflict on Indigenous people  The Guardian
  3. More than 140 environmental defenders killed in 2024  DW
  4. An Average Week in 2024: Three Environmental Defenders Murdered or Disappeared  Inside Climate News
  5. New threats target land and environmental rights defenders  Global Witness
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