France, Germany and Britain want Iran back at talks
Paris — France, Germany and Britain have written to the UN to say they are ready to reinstate sanctions on Iran if it does not return to negotiations with the international community over its nuclear programme.
The foreign ministers of the so-called E3 group wrote to the UN on Tuesday to raise the possibility of “snapback” sanctions unless Iran takes action, according to a letter shared by the French foreign ministry.
The letter was first reported by the Financial Times and France’s Le Monde newspaper.
“We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism,” the ministers said in the letter.
They added that they had offered Iran a limited expansion to allow for direct negotiations between the US and Iran, but that the offer had remained unanswered by Iran so far. Reuters
Spain backs proposal for coalition to stabilise Gaza
Madrid — Spain signalled support on Wednesday for French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal of an international coalition under a US mandate to stabilise Gaza, calling it “one of the tools” that could bring peace to the region.
Macron said on Monday that such a UN mission would be tasked with securing the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and working in support of unspecified Palestinian governance. He said the UN Security Council should work on establishing the mission, while France would also work with its partners.
“The proposal ... is one of the tools that can help achieve peace and security in Gaza and the Middle East, as is the work of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees,” the Spanish ministry said in an emailed reply to questions from Reuters. Reuters
Germany expects exports ‘to remain subdued’
Berlin — Germany’s economy ministry said on Wednesday the EU’s tariff agreement with the US brings no sign of a noticeable economic recovery, adding that export momentum in Europe’s largest economy is expected to remain subdued.
“Companies’ export expectations brightened somewhat in July, but in view of the now probably permanently higher tariffs on exports to the US, the industrial economy is likely to be characterised by subdued foreign demand for the time being,” the ministry said in its monthly report. Reuters
Poland to upgrade F-16 fighter jets in $3.8bn deal
Warsaw — Poland has signed a contract worth $3.8bn to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, the Polish defence minister said on Wednesday.
Poland has been ramping up defence spending since the start of the war in Ukraine and plans to allocate 5% of GDP to its armed forces in 2026.
The country has 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft which were delivered to the country in 2006-08, state news agency PAP reported. Reuters
Foreign minister admits to fishing without a licence
London — Britain foreign minister David Lammy could be on the hook for a £2,500 fine after his fishing trip last week with US vice-president JD Vance, after admitting he did not have the required licence.
Vance and Lammy were pictured by invited media as they fished in the lake at the foreign minister’s Chevening country residence in southeast England before a bilateral meeting as part of the vice-president’s working holiday to Britain.
The vice-president later joked on camera that the only strain on the US-British special relationship was that while his three children had caught fish, the British foreign minister had not.
All anglers are required by law to have a valid rod licence while they are fishing, regardless of whether they catch anything and whether they are on private land. Breaches can be punished with a fine of up to £2,500.
Lammy's office on Wednesday said he had not purchased the licence before the trip and had since sought to rectify the mistake. Reuters
Groups file lawsuit over US climate change report
Washington — Two major environmental groups announced on Tuesday they have sued the Trump administration for secretly convening a group of climate sceptics, which prepared a report that served as the basis for a reversal of US rules on greenhouse gas emissions without public notice.
The Environmental Defense Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists filed the lawsuit in a federal-district court in Massachusetts, arguing that the so-called Climate Working Group that energy secretary Chris Wright put together, evaded public view, delivered erroneous results and was illegally used to inform the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reverse the scientific finding that served as the foundation for federal climate regulation.
The lawsuit names Wright and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin as defendants. Both were not immediately available for comment. Reuters
Russia restricts Telegram and WhatsApp calls
Moscow — Russia has started restricting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases, the digital development ministry said on Wednesday.
Russia has clashed with foreign tech platforms for several years over content and data storage in a simmering dispute that intensified after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with critics saying that Russia is trying to expand its control over the country’s internet space.
President Vladimir Putin has authorised the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow seeks to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services and reducing its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
“In order to counteract criminals... measures are being taken to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers,” the Interfax news agency quoted communications regulator Roskomnadzor as saying. “No other restrictions have been imposed on their functionality.” Reuters
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