Outgoing Polish President Duda says he supports Ukraine joining EU and NATO after meeting Zelenskyy
Polish leader Andrzej Duda said Saturday that he supports Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO during a news conference in Kyiv.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Thousands defy ban on Budapest Pride
Protesters in Budapest are marching against a ban on Pride events across Hungary. People came from 30 different countries to show support under scorching heat, organizers said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Capability to dictate Australian defence spending
Lifting the federal defence budget will be based on what Australia's military can achieve, rather an arbitrary dollar figure, a senior minister says. Pressure has mounted on the Albanese government to lift defence spending, after NATO allies agreed to boost theirs to five per cent of GDP. While Australia has pledged to increase its spend to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34, the US has called for a rise to 3.5 per cent. But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia was already lifting its spending on the military, which would also centre on the ability of the armed forces to protect the country. "We start with the capability, we don't start with the dollars, and that's how we work with every financial decision that the government makes," Mr Burke told Sky News on Sunday. "With those capability decisions, we are already spending more than was spent before we came to office." Despite the push from the US, Mr Burke said Australia's relationship with America was not at risk. "The relationship with the United States is really important," he said. "We have mature, decent, respectful conversations with the United States, but as I say, the conversation doesn't start with the dollars at our end." Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said the instability seen around the world reinforced the need for countries like Australia to spend more on defence. "We are seeing authoritarian regimes across the globe flexing their muscles, and open, democratic societies like ours need to stand up for what we believe in, and need to make sure we achieve peace through deterrence," he told Sky News. "There's a range of things that are very clear that we need to spend on ... and there's a whole series of areas which we're seeing are underfunded right now." Before the federal election, the opposition had pledged to increase the defence budget to three per cent of GDP. However, there was uncertainty about where the extra money would come from. Mr Taylor said the budget for the military should be increased, regardless if there was pressure from the US. "If a government is not in a position to keep its people safe, then it has failed as a government," he said. "This is a disaster for Australians and for Australia, we need to get serious about it, and I'm going to continue to hold the government to account on this, because this is a failure from our government."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Starmer: Foreign affairs delayed me dealing with welfare rebellion
Sir Keir Starmer has said he did not get to grips with the growing rebellion over welfare reforms earlier as he was focused on international affairs. He also said he took ownership for his decisions and believed as leader he should 'carry the can' when things do not go well. The Prime Minister said he was occupied with the G7 and Nato summits and the escalating tensions in the Middle East for much of the past two weeks. He said he was 'heavily focused' on what was happening with Nato and the Middle East all weekend and that his 'full attention really bore down' on the welfare bill on Thursday. He defended the eventual U-turn, which came after more than 100 MPs launched a bid to kill the legislation with an amendment. 'Getting it right is more important than ploughing on with a package which doesn't necessarily achieve the desired outcome,' Sir Keir told The Sunday Times. He said all the decisions were his and that 'I take ownership of them'. There have been reports that rebel MPs blamed Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney for the Government's approach. Sir Keir said: 'My rule of leadership is, when things go well you get the plaudits; when things don't go well you carry the can. 'I take responsibility for all the decisions made by this government. I do not talk about staff and I'd much prefer it if everybody else didn't.' Ministers had hoped the reforms would get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year, but the concessions made leave Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to find money elsewhere and point to possible tax rises in the autumn. On Saturday, the Prime Minister told the Welsh Labour conference the 'broken' welfare system must be fixed 'in a Labour way'. He said: 'We cannot take away the safety net that vulnerable people rely on, and we won't, but we also can't let it become a snare for those who can and want to work.' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch will hit out at Sir Keir as 'incapable of sticking to a decision' after he backed down on his plans. The reforms would only have made 'modest reductions to the ballooning welfare bill', but the Prime Minister was 'too weak to hold the line', the Conservative Party leader is expected to say in a speech next week. The Government's original welfare package had restricted eligibility for Pip, the main disability payment in England, as well as cutting the health-related element of universal credit. Existing recipients were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier move that was seen as a bid to head off opposition. Now, the changes to Pip will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only, while all existing recipients of the health element of universal credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. The concessions on Pip alone protect some 370,000 people currently receiving the allowance who were set to lose out following reassessment. As a year in office nears, more than half of voters think Labour has underperformed in that time, polling released on Saturday showed. The Opinium survey showed 54% think Labour has done a worse job than expected, while 18% think the party has exceeded expectations.
