EU leaders in Brussels for security, economic talks
EU leaders have gathered in Brussels for a one-day summit focusing on security and economic challenges. This, as the war in Ukraine grinds on and uncertainty looms over US commitment to transatlantic security. Leaders are set to discuss how to boost the bloc's defence industry for a sustained and effective response to Russian aggression. Will Denselow reports from Brussels.
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CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore increased security posture amid Israel-Iran conflict: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: Singapore has increased its security posture amid the Israel-Iran conflict, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Jun 28). Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao on the sidelines of a community event in Chong Pang, he said that while there is a ceasefire, "we don't know exactly what will happen after this". "Arising from (the situation) there, you can expect that people in this region, or even others, from extremist organisations, might want to make a point against Israeli, American, or other Western assets, and there could also be attacks from the far right on Muslim assets," he added. Singapore increased its security levels after the Israeli attacks on Iran and the counterattacks, with the police and other agencies stepping up patrols and checks, said Mr Shanmugam. "Singapore, as I have said many times, if we get attacked, you will get international headlines. "So on both sides - the far right, attacking Muslims, or representative of Muslim countries including Iran, is a possibility; and likewise, you could get attacks on Western assets - American, European, Israeli." He said Singapore is working off different scenarios because you can "never be absolutely sure". Security is a joint responsibility, and the government has been trying to increase awareness through the SGSecure programme, added the minister. "We have been trying for years, it goes up and it comes down - because it's safe, people leave their items around," Mr Shanmugam said. "I have asked the security agencies to try with what I call a 'cold start' and leave things in places, see how many people actually pick it up; pick it up meaning they notice it and notify the agencies. I think the results tell us that the awareness is not very high." When asked if there have been "more suspicious activities or extreme activities" being detected, Mr Shanmugam said: "Not that we have picked up here yet. But they need to succeed only once." THAILAND RECRIMINALISING CANNABIS The home affairs minister also spoke about Thailand's move to recriminalise cannabis. On Tuesday, Thailand's health ministry issued an order prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use and making it mandatory for any retail purchase to require a doctor's prescription. Singapore is looking out for possible outflows to the country, Mr Shanmugam said. "The nexus between drugs and crime, and terrorism, also needs to be looked at. Many different issues. We try to maintain our openness and our connectivity, and our business-friendly environment. "Our security agencies have looked at it and up the posture. It is a bit early to say what is going to happen, but we have to be more careful," he added. When Thailand decriminalised cannabis a few years ago, he said some people on "the more liberal side" asked when Singapore was going to change. The Singapore government does not decide on such matters based on what other countries do, he added. "We take a hard look, we look at the science, we look at the social impact, and the actual impact and we run the government of Singapore and the policies in the best interests of Singaporeans. "I am absolutely convinced, the Cabinet is absolutely convinced that the right policy is to be strict on drugs, and you can see, the people who asked for liberalisation, are shutting their eyes deliberately to what is happening around the world and the immense harm," said the minister. He noted an incident at a Moscow airport where a man, who was reportedly drug-traced, had picked up an 18-month-old child and flung the child onto the ground. The child is in a critical condition. For countries that have decriminalised cannabis, including Thailand previously, there are "young children who are high (on drugs)", he said. "Why would we want it? And 85 per cent of our population supports the tough stand that we take - keep it criminal, no decriminalisation, in fact they support the penalties too," he added. The Singapore government cannot be "zig-zagging" on its laws, he said.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
EU plans to add carbon credits to new climate goal, document shows
Wind turbines spin in front of the Atlantic Ocean near Zahara de los Atunes, Spain May 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nacho Doce BRUSSELS - The European Commission is set to propose counting carbon credits bought from other countries towards the European Union's 2040 climate target, a Commission document seen by Reuters showed. The Commission is due to propose a legally binding EU climate target for 2040 on July 2. The EU executive had initially planned a 90% net emissions cut, against 1990 levels, but in recent months has sought to make this goal more flexible, in response to pushback from governments including Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, concerned about the cost. An internal Commission summary of the upcoming proposal, seen by Reuters, said the EU would be able to use "high-quality international credits" from a U.N.-backed carbon credits market to meet 3% of the emissions cuts towards the 2040 goal. The document said the credits would be phased in from 2036, and that additional EU legislation would later set out the origin and quality criteria that the credits must meet, and details of how they would be purchased. The move would in effect ease the emissions cuts - and the investments required - from European industries needed to hit the 90% emissions-cutting target. For the share of the target met by credits, the EU would buy "credits" from projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad - for example, forest restoration in Brazil - rather than reducing emissions in Europe. Proponents say these credits are a crucial way to raise funds for CO2-cutting projects in developing nations. But recent scandals have shown some credit-generating projects did not deliver the climate benefits they claimed. The document said the Commission will add other flexibilities to the 90% target, as Brussels attempts to contain resistance from governments struggling to fund the green transition alongside priorities including defence, and industries who say ambitious environmental regulations hurt their competitiveness. These include integrating credits from projects that remove CO2 from the atmosphere into the EU's carbon market so that European industries can buy these credits to offset some of their own emissions, the document said. The draft would also give countries more flexibility on which sectors in their economy do the heavy lifting to meet the 2040 goal, "to support the achievement of targets in a cost-effective way". A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the upcoming proposal, which could still change before it is published next week. EU countries and the European Parliament must negotiate the final target and could amend what the Commission proposes. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
18 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Berlin to simplify rules in bid to speed up defence surge, draft law says, World News
BERLIN - The German government seeks to speed up defence procurement by simplifying legal procedures, fostering European co-operation and facilitating orders to start-ups to make its military combat-ready, according to a draft law seen by Reuters late on Friday (June 27). The speedy surge of the German military's capabilities "must not fail due to overly complex procurement procedures or lengthy authorisation processes", the document said, while warning of signs that Moscow's war objectives reach beyond Ukraine. "The time factor is crucial." At a Nato summit in The Hague, leaders on Wednesday agreed to hike the alliance's defence spending target to 5 per cent of national GDP, with 3.5 per cent dedicated to core defence and 1.5 per cent to related security issues. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government on Tuesday approved a budget framework which is expected to see Berlin's total military spending rise from 95 billion euros (S$142 billion) in 2025 to 162 billion euros in 2029, equalling 3.5 per cent of GDP. The new defence procurement law is part of efforts to speed up military purchases that in the past have been plagued by lengthy delays, project failures and cost overshoots. The draft law determines that all procurement that contributes to Europe and Natos military readiness inherently touches upon vital national security, which constitutes a basis to invoke an exemption under European public procurement law. That would amplify a trend that Berlin has been following for some time by more often making use of a national security clause under EU law to prioritize domestic procurement, while also seeking to minimise delays caused by legal challenges. The hurdles for cash-strapped start-ups and innovative companies to join competitions are to be lowered by enabling advance payment to these firms, according to the draft, dated June 25. Fostering joint European procurement The paper also makes provisions for a future simplification of European defence procurement rules, something now under discussion at the EU level, by stating that the German law should not be tougher than European law but facilitate joint European defence procurement across the board. [[nid:719514]] The law will entitle contracting entities to limit tenders to bidders inside the European Union or the European Economic Area, and to determine that a certain share of the contracted goods or services must originate in the EU, according to the document. The draft law does not, however, attempt to change the rule that all defence purchases with a volume of 25 million euros or more must be approved by parliament, a requirement seen by many experts as a major hurdle against speeding up procurement. At the start of June, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany would need up to 60,000 additional troops under the new Nato targets for weapons and personnel, effectively expanding the military to some 260,000 troops. The Bundeswehr has not yet met a target of 203,000 troops set in 2018, and it is currently short-staffed by some 20,000 regular troops, according to defence ministry data.
