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Why Russia’s economy is unlikely to collapse even if oil prices fall

10 janvier 2026 à 17:00

Hopes that tougher sanctions and lower oil prices could derail Putin’s war effort underestimate how far the Kremlin has rewired its economy

Pacing inside the Kremlin last weekend, as news feeds churned out minute-by-minute reports of Donald’s Trump’s Venezuelan coup, Vladimir Putin may have been wondering what it would mean for the price of oil.

Crude oil has lubricated the Russian economy for decades – far more than gas exports to Europe – and so the threat of falling oil prices, prompted by US plans for control of Venezuela’s rigs, will have been a source of concern.

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© Photograph: Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin Pool/Planet Pix/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin Pool/Planet Pix/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin Pool/Planet Pix/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Thousands of Irish farmers protest against EU-Mercosur trade deal

10 janvier 2026 à 15:25

Demonstration follows similar actions in Poland, France and Belgium as EU states approve accord

Thousands of Irish farmers are protesting against the EU’s trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, a day after EU states approved the treaty despite opposition from Ireland and France.

Tractors streamed into the roads of Athlone, in central Ireland, for the demonstration, displaying signs bearing the slogan “Stop EU-Mercosur” and the EU flag emblazoned with the words “sell out”.

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© Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

© Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

© Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Freedom from China? The mine at the centre of Europe’s push for rare earth metals

10 janvier 2026 à 13:00

Swedish producer is trying to to accelerate the process of extracting the elements vital for hi-tech products

It is deep winter with temperatures dropping to -20C. The sun never rises above the horizon, instead bathing Sweden’s most northerly town of Kiruna in a blue crepuscular light, or “civil twilight” as it is known, for two or three hours a day stretching visibility a few metres, notwithstanding heavy snow.

But 900 metres below the arctic conditions, a team of 20 gather every day, forgoing the brief glimpse of natural light and spearheading the EU’s race to mine its own rare earths. Despite identification of several deposits around the continent, and some rare earth refineries including Solvay in France, there are no operational rare earth mines in Europe.

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© Photograph: ED Torial/Alamy

© Photograph: ED Torial/Alamy

© Photograph: ED Torial/Alamy

Trump Eyes Greenland, and Europe Figures Its Best Bet Is a Negotiation

European officials were stunned that President Trump restated his desire for Greenland after a yearlong effort to dissuade him, according to diplomats and others.

© Ivor Prickett for The New York Times

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. “The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland?” Stephen Miller, one of President Trump’s closest aides, said this week.

Menaces de Trump sur le Groenland: «Nous ne voulons pas être Américains» clament les partis de l'île arctique

10 janvier 2026 à 11:29
« Nous ne voulons pas être Américains », ont réaffirmé tard vendredi les partis groenlandais dans une déclaration commune, après que Donald Trump a affirmé que les États-Unis emploierait « la manière douce » ou « la manière forte » pour acquérir l'immense île arctique.

Trump ramps up Greenland threats and says US will intervene ‘whether they like it or not’

10 janvier 2026 à 00:01

US president doubles down on threats to acquire territory at White House meeting with oil and gas executives

Donald Trump has doubled down on his threats to acquire Greenland, saying the US is “going to do something [there] whether they like it or not”.

Speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House, the US president justified his comments by saying: “If we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor.”

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© Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

© Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

© Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

France taps out as G7 summit moved to avoid clash with White House UFC event

9 janvier 2026 à 21:05

Paris has shifted this year’s Group of 7 summit after Donald Trump confirmed plans for a UFC fight card on the White House lawn on 14 June, his 80th birthday

France has delayed this year’s Group of 7 summit by one day to avoid a scheduling conflict with an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight card planned at the White House on 14 June, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the G7’s preparations.

The summit, hosted by France in the Alpine resort town of Evian-les-Bains, was originally scheduled for 14 to 16 June, a date that coincides with US Flag Day and US president Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. It will now run from 15 to 17 June, a change that has been reflected on the G7’s official website.

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© Illustration: White House

© Illustration: White House

© Illustration: White House

EU states back controversial Mercosur deal with Latin American countries

9 janvier 2026 à 18:27

Agreement after 25 years of negotiations prompts farmers to block roads in Paris, Brussels and Warsaw

European Union member states have backed the biggest ever free trade agreement with a group of Latin American countries, ending 25 years of negotiations but stoking further tensions with farmers and environmentalists around the bloc.

The contentious Mercosur deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay prompted immediate protests in Poland, France, Greece and Belgium, with farmers blocking key roads in Paris, Brussels and Warsaw.

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© Photograph: Wojciech Olkuśnik/East News/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Wojciech Olkuśnik/East News/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Wojciech Olkuśnik/East News/Shutterstock

Anonymous painting bought at auction on ‘hunch’ identified as two-in-one Rubens

Study of man often featured in works by the Flemish master reveals hidden painting of woman beneath model’s beard

Is it a bald elderly man with a big bushy beard and a wine-addled stare? Or a friendly young woman with flowing locks and a crown of braids?

To Belgian art dealer Klaas Muller, an answer to that question mattered less than the fact that this particular take on the duck-rabbit optical illusion was painted by one Peter Paul Rubens.

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© Photograph: Peter Paul Rubens/Klaas Muller/Brafa Art Fair

© Photograph: Peter Paul Rubens/Klaas Muller/Brafa Art Fair

© Photograph: Peter Paul Rubens/Klaas Muller/Brafa Art Fair

Ukraine war briefing: UK earmarks £200m to prepare for possible Ukraine troop deployment

10 janvier 2026 à 03:33

British defence minister says money will be spent on vehicle upgrades, communication systems and counter-drone protection, ensuring troops are ready to deploy. What we know on day 1,417

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© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

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