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Sweden and Finland want to tie EU farm subsidies to rule of law

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Sweden and Finland want to tie EU farm subsidies to rule of law

The call comes after Brussels blocked billions in funds to Poland and Hungary due to concerns over judicial reforms and democratic backsliding.

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Access to the EU budget should be tied to countries respecting the rule of law and fundamental rights without exception, ministers from Sweden and Finland have said.

The call comes after Brussels blocked billions in funds to Poland and Hungary due to concerns over judicial reforms and democratic backsliding.

“All member states must adhere to our common values, notably rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights,” Sweden’s Jessica Rosencrantz and Finland’s Joakim Strand, both ministers for European affairs, wrote in a joint letter to the European Commission ahead of a ministerial meeting due Tuesday (24 September).

“All member states have of their own free will signed up to these values. However, unfortunately, reality has shown the need for an active rule of law policy,” they added.

Contentiously, they say the overhaul should also cover billions in subsidies given out each year under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which are jealously protected by farmers, especially in big producers like France, Italy and Spain.

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The CAP allocates €264 billion for the 2023-2027 period, including €189bn in direct income support and €66bn for development of impoverished rural areas, but without the oversight afforded to other EU spending.

Access to other EU funding programmes such as cohesion funding is subject to meeting common “enabling conditions”, such as a member state respecting the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, without which funds can be frozen or suspended.

After a controversial judicial reform in Poland, those provisions were previously used to paralyse €76.5 billion in EU funds, an impasse which was solved earlier this year. In Hungary, a series of legal breaches immobilised almost €22 billion under the same Common Provisions Regulation, half of which still remains frozen.

Now Rosencrantz and Strand argue this system should be further expanded as a “general feature in all areas of the EU budget.”

Their letter also calls on the Commission to make “full use” of a conditionality mechanism which can freeze cash in cases where the bloc’s financial integrity is at risk, and which has so far been used just once, to deal with concerns over corruption in Hungary.

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“Instead of listening to calls to weaken conditionality for administrative reasons, rule of law conditionality should be made stronger. Our taxpayers need to trust that the EU’s common funds are used appropriately and responsibly,” the ministers wrote.

Their call comes as the Commission is reportedly preparing to take action against Slovakia in reaction to legislative changes brought in by Prime Minister Robert Fico, including the abolition of the Special Prosecutor’s Office that deals with corruption-related crimes.

In political guidelines for her second term published in July, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to build a “closer link” between EU funds and respect for the rule of law.

The latest edition of the EU’s report on the rule of law, published later in July, showed that Hungary and Slovakia had made little to no progress on the previous year’s recommendations.

Von der Leyen also pledged radical overhaul of the EU budget, with programmes adapted to country circumstances and dependent on reforms.

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Remains recovered of US soldier who went missing in military exercises in Morocco, 2nd soldier still missing

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Remains recovered of US soldier who went missing in military exercises in Morocco, 2nd soldier still missing

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The remains of a U.S. Army officer who went missing during military exercises in Morocco were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, while the search continues for a second missing soldier, according to military officials.

The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, of Richmond, Virginia, were recovered Saturday, U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced Sunday. Key, a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer, was one of two U.S. soldiers who reportedly fell from a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike near the Cap Draa Training Area on May 2.

A Moroccan military search team found Key in the water along the shoreline at about 8:55 a.m. local time Saturday, roughly one mile from where both soldiers reportedly entered the ocean, the Army said.

“Today, we mourn the loss of 1st Lt. Kendrick Key, whose remains were recovered in Morocco,” Brig. Gen Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in a statement. “Our hearts are with his Family, friends, teammates, and all who knew and served alongside him. The 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Family is grieving, and we will continue to support one another and 1st Lt. Key’s Family as we honor his life and service.”

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LONG-LOST SOLDIER’S GRAVE DISCOVERED AT REMOTE US NATIONAL PARK AFTER 150 YEARS

The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. were recovered. (U.S. Army Europe and Africa)

Key and the second soldier were reported missing on May 2 after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise hosted across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal.

The two were reported missing around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, a terrain featuring mountains, desert and semi-desert plains, the Moroccan military said.

The disappearance of the two soldiers led to a search-and-rescue mission involving more than 600 personnel from the U.S., Morocco and other military partners. Ships, helicopters and drones were deployed as part of this operation.

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Search efforts will continue for the second missing soldier.

PENTAGON HONORS AMERICAN TROOPS KILLED IN OPERATION EPIC FURY: ‘NEVER BE FORGOTTEN’

The two soldiers were reported missing after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

A U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the military exercises ended on Friday to provide command and control and to support the ongoing search and rescue mission.

Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, according to the Army.

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His decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School the following year as an Air Defense Artillery officer. He later completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Key is survived by his parents, his sister and his brother-in-law.

Search efforts will continue for the second missing soldier. (Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP via Getty Images)

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African Lion 26 is a U.S.-led exercise that began in April across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, with more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations.

For more than 20 years, it has been the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa.

In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed, and two others injured during an MV-22 Osprey crash near Cap Draa while participating in Exercise African Lion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump says Iran’s reply to US peace plan ‘totally unacceptable’

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Trump says Iran’s reply to US peace plan ‘totally unacceptable’
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Tucker Carlson on ‘SNL’ Critiques the Met Gala and Slams the ‘Michael’ Movie for Ignoring ‘The Part When He Was a White Man’

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Tucker Carlson on ‘SNL’ Critiques the Met Gala and Slams the ‘Michael’ Movie for Ignoring ‘The Part When He Was a White Man’

What are we doing? Come on. Is this who we are now? “Saturday Night Live” featured player Jeremy Culhane once again showed up on “Weekend Update” in his spot-on impression of right-wing talker Tucker Carlson — and this time his target was last weekend’s Met Gala.

“A night of fashion and fun. Huh. Really. Come on, everybody, let’s all prance around in our $100,000 clown outfits and watch the American empire crumble. What are we doing? Come on,” Culhane-as-Carlson said in opening the segment.

When “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost noted that Carlson clearly didn’t like the event, “Tucker” sarcastically responded: “Oh no, I loved it. Because when I go to a museum, I don’t want to learn about history. No, I want to look at The Rock in a skirt. Do you smell what the Rock is cooking? Because I do. It’s gender confusion. That’s the rule. That’s the goal now.”

Then, he took on Madonna: “She named herself after the Virgin Mary. And you want to know my favorite thing about the mother of Jesus Christ? The big pirate ship on her head. And I have to be attracted to this?”

No, Jost said, you don’t. Was there anything you liked? What about Heidi Klum’s outfit?

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“Oh yeah, the left has finally gotten what they’ve wanted. They put the Statue of Liberty in a burqa,” he said. “What’s next? Is the Chrysler Building going to become the antichrist-ler Building? What are we doing? Is this the New York we want to live in, Colin?”

Jost noted that Carlson actually lives in Maine. And then “Tucker” went on a tangent about the silent “e” in Maine.

“I’m glad you brought that up. Colin, what does the E even stand for? Oh, I know: ‘Euphoria.’ And, no, I’m not talking about the feeling I get when I press one for English.” Cue Tucker’s maniacal laugh.

Then came Carlson’s take on Jafar Jackson, the star of the new “Michael” film. Carlson had an issue with the film — but of course, not because of the controversy surrounding the King of Pop’s behavior and alleged crimes.

“Oh, yes, right. Some people were upset about the movie,” Jost noted.

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Said Carlson: “And they should be. The movie ends in 1988, so obviously they avoided something serious that needs to be acknowledged. The part of Michael Jackson’s life no one wants to talk about anymore. The part when he was a white man. Sorry, kids, Michael Jackson doesn’t get to live a beautiful white life anymore. Who does that remind me of? Oh, that’s right, all of us. ‘Shamona,’ yeah. More like ‘shame on ya.’

After a brief commercial break by Carlson (“Round bananas. Want to eat a banana without looking gay? Try round bananas!”), he left his most offensive hot take for the end.

“Now let’s talk about A$AP Rocky’s outfit. He was on the red carpet — wearing my least favorite color, African American.”

What are we doing?

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