World
China to probe EU dairy products as anti-subsidy spat escalates
The tit-for-tat anti-subsidy probe is seen as a response to the EU’s tariffs on imported electric vehicles.
China has initiated an anti-subsidy investigation into dairy products imported from the European Union, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Wednesday, in a sign of an escalating trade spat between Brussels and Beijing.
The probe – requested by two state-backed industry groups – was discussed in consultation with the European Commission on August 14, the statement claims. The investigation should be concluded within 12 months but could be extended for another six.
The probe will target EU subsidies in the production of fresh and processed cheese, blue cheese and other cheese, milk and cream products. The Chinese ministry says 20 subsidy programmes in eight member states – Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Italy and Romania – will be under investigation.
These include some subsidy programmes under the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
The tit-for-tat move comes less than 24 hours after the EU executive signalled its intention to slap definitive tariffs of up to 36.3% on the imports of China-made Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), following a nine-month anti-subsidy inquiry.
That probe found Beijing was pumping generous subsidies across its entire BEV value chain, giving Chinese companies an unfair advantage and threatening to suffocate the EU’s domestic industry by artificially deflating BEV prices.
The EU is also investigating the potentially damaging impact of Chinese subsidies for producers of wind turbines and solar panels on the 27-country bloc’s industry.
Beijing has already launched tit-for-tat anti-dumping investigations into EU pork, liquor and chemical products, as well as a probe into the public procurement of medical devices.
Commission spokesperson Olof Gill “took note” of the Chinese government’s decision in a statement shared with Euronews.
“The Commission will now analyse the application and will follow the proceeding very closely, in coordination with EU industry and Member States,” Gill added.
“The Commission will firmly defend the interests of the EU dairy industry and the Common Agricultural Policy, and intervene as appropriate to ensure that the investigation fully complies with relevant WTO rules.”
Borrell warns against ‘systematic confrontation’
On Tuesday, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, said the bloc should avoid a “systematic confrontation” with China, as trade tensions between both sides threaten to spill over.
“Our political systems are different, but that shouldn’t lead to a systemic and permanent rivalry,” Borrell said, speaking during the annual “Quo Vadis Europa?” conference in the Spanish city of Santander. “That’s not in our interest.”
But Borrell, who is set to step down after five years at the helm of the EU’s diplomatic arm this autumn, also warned that a trade war between China and other world powers could be inevitable.
“We have no interest in embarking the world on a trade war. However it’s possible that this trade war (… ) is inevitable,” he explained. “It’s in the logic of things.”
He also indicated that Europe’s interests will not always match those of the US, and urged the bloc should to be more ready to do things its own way.
“When they (the US) take trade measures against China – because they do so – they don’t ask us if it suits us or not (in Europe),” Borrell said
“When they ban the import of Chinese cars, or place deterring tariffs, they don’t ask themselves where these Chinese cars that will not go to the US will go. Where will they go? To which other market can they go? Well of course, to the European market, and that causes a competitiveness problem for our industry,” he added.
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the June 14 event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.
“This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain,” said Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “And that is what is motivating this lawsuit.”
The White House said in a statement that the legal challenge was “an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was “no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.”
UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn. Trump has said the finished UFC project will feature “a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.” Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate spectators at both locations.
The octagon and surrounding structures are the latest project in the White House building boom Trump is leading.
World
Suspected Hamas terrorist arrested in Greece for allegedly plotting attack on Israeli cruise ship
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A suspected Hamas terrorist, reportedly granted asylum a year from the Gaza war, was arrested by Greek police for allegedly plotting an attack on an Israeli cruise line.
The Gaza man, 37, was arrested on the Greek island of Crete on Sunday for his alleged ties to one of four suspected Hamas terrorists previously arrested in Cyprus, having traveled with him to Malaysia, where they allegedly received training in making explosives from commercially available chemical agents.
The Israeli cruise ship MS Crown Iris was the believed target of the attack before it was scheduled to arrive in Crete on Tuesday. Police did not publicly identify the man or name a target in their initial statement.
Searches in homes in both Crete and the Greek capital, Athens, turned up a number of mobile phones, a laptop, external hard drives and bank cards, The Associated Press reported.
3 ALLEGED HAMAS MEMBERS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING AGAINST JEWISH INSTITUTIONS IN GERMANY
A Wednesday protest at the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, opposing the arrival of the Crown Iris cruise ship was a prelude to the arrest of a suspected Hamas terrorist who is alleged to have plotted an attack. (Costas Baltas/Anadolu)
The suspect, an electrician who has been reportedly living in Crete for the past year and working at a hotel there after being granted asylum, will appear before a magistrate later Sunday.
The suspected terrorist had placed an online order for what police said were “chemical agents” that could be used in the manufacture of explosives, according to the report.
State broadcaster ERT, cited by Israeli and Greek media, reported that police also found laboratory equipment.
TWO CONVICTED OF TERRORISM IN DENMARK FOR GRENADE ATTACK NEAR ISRAELI EMBASSY
The case appears to be part of a broader regional counterterrorism probe. Cypriot authorities arrested two Palestinians on May 22 after intelligence led investigators to materials in two residences that police said could be used to manufacture explosives. Two more Palestinian men were detained May 29 as part of the same investigation, according to Greek police.
The Crown Iris has become a recurring flashpoint at Greek ports amid anger over the war in Gaza. Protesters gathered near the ship when it docked in Piraeus on Wednesday, June 3, and demonstrations against the vessel have followed it at Greek ports since last year.
Protesters allege that Mano Maritime, the owner of the MS Crown Iris, is profiting from the Hamas-Israel war by selling tourist services to Israel Defense Forces soldiers during breaks from active duty.
In July 2025, Greek police used tear gas and made arrests as demonstrators tried to block the ship at Agios Nikolaos on Crete.
Greek security forces were forced to protect Israeli tourists traveling on buses to board the Israeli-owned cruise ship MS Crown Iris at the port of Piraeus in Athens on June 3, 2026. (Aggelos Nakkas/AFP)
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The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not announced formal charges against the suspect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Published on
Two cups of ice cream, costing 44 euros. That is what happened to an American tourist couple on 3 June during a visit to the centre of Rome, just a few metres away from Piazza Navona.
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The episode, recounted on social media by Nicole Ann from Florida, quickly drew users’ attention, sparking a heated online debate about the relationship between tourism and price transparency in one of Rome’s most visited areas.
The woman explained that she and her husband had stopped at the “Don Nino” ice cream parlour in Via di Tor Millina to order two cups, each with three flavours. While the ice creams were being prepared, staff are said to have added other products, including macarons and pistachio cannoli, without it being immediately clear that these were chargeable extras. When it was time to pay, a surprise was awaiting.
“I thought they had said 14 euros,” Nicole wrote in a Facebook group offering travel tips for people visiting Rome, explaining that she only realised the actual amount after checking the receipt.
The receipt posted online shows that the two portions, listed as maxi, cost twelve euros each. On top of this came supplements for whipped cream, macarons and pistachio cannoli, bringing the total to 44 euros for an order consumed without table service.
In her post, the tourist described the experience as a “tourist trap”. Responding to the many comments she received, she nevertheless made it clear that she does not intend to contest the payment, admitting that she should have checked the price more carefully before buying. She also said she had travelled to other parts of Italy without ever encountering similar prices for an ice cream.
The post quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of reactions. Hundreds of people commented on the episode, which was shared across the web and picked up by several online newspapers.
Many users expressed solidarity with the American couple, while others pointed out that in areas with the highest concentration of tourists, prices can be significantly higher than in other parts of the city.
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