Xinhua
08 May 2025

Slovak PM slams EU plan to halt Russian energy imports as "economic suicide"Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday blamed the European Commission's proposal to completely halt energy imports from Russia, calling the plan unacceptable in its current form.Fico warned that it is simply "economic suicide" to put imports of Russian gas, oil, and nuclear fuel to an end just because "a kind of new Iron Curtain" is being built between the Western world and the Russian Federation.His remarks came in response to the European Commission's unveiling of the REPowerEU Roadmap on Tuesday, a comprehensive plan to eliminate the EU's reliance on Russian gas by 2027. The roadmap outlined a phased plan to halt imports of Russian natural gas, oil, and nuclear materials across the 27-member bloc.According to the roadmap, the EU would immediately stop signing new contracts for Russian gas and terminate all existing spot market deals by the end of 2025. All remaining Russian gas imports would cease by the end of 2027.Belgrade honors Chinese journalists killed in 1999 NATO bombing on 26th anniversaryWreaths and white roses were laid on Wednesday at a memorial plaque in Belgrade to honor three Chinese journalists killed in the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy, as Serbia and China marked the 26th anniversary of the event.The commemoration was held at the China Cultural Center in Belgrade, constructed on the site of the former embassy in New Belgrade. Leading the tribute were Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming.Stamenkovski emphasized that the anniversary serves as a solemn reminder of the innocent lives lost and a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations."Let today be a reminder of our shared suffering, but also of the strength of our alliance," she said. "Only together, united and respecting the choices and will of all peoples, will Serbia and China continue to strengthen their partnership for mutual benefit, in service of our national interests, stability, prosperity, and justice."Renowned international relations scholar Joseph Nye dead at 88Harvard University's distinguished service professor, emeritus and former dean of the Kennedy School of Government (HKS) Joseph S. Nye Sr. died at 88 on Tuesday.HKS Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein announced Nye's death in an email to faculty, staff and students Wednesday afternoon."It is impossible to capture Joe's intellectual contributions in a paragraph or a page," Weinstein wrote in his email to HKS affiliates. "In a century of unprecedented change in global politics, he was among the foremost thinkers to shape our understanding of contemporary international relations."Nye, who served as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs under former President Bill Clinton, is also known for coining the term "soft power" in the 1980s to describe a country's non-military sway on the world stage.U.S. Fed keeps interest rates unchanged at 4.25-4.5 pct as tariffs weigh on growthThe U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday left target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, as the Trump administration's tariff policies are expected to lead to higher inflation and slower economic growth."Uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further," the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the central bank's policy-setting body, said in a statement after a two-day meeting."The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen," the statement read.This marks the Federal Reserve's third consecutive decision to keep interest rates unchanged since the January and March meetings.When asked about the impact of tariffs, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that "we really don't see in the data yet big economic effects."World Central Kitchen says to halt Gaza operations due to supply depletionThe food relief organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) announced Wednesday that it will halt cooking in the Gaza Strip due to the depletion of humanitarian supplies."After serving more than 130 million total meals and 26 million loaves of bread over the past 18 months, World Central Kitchen no longer has the supplies to cook meals or bake bread in Gaza," the Washington, D.C.-headquartered charity said in a press statement."Since Israel closed border crossings in early March, WCK has been unable to replenish the stocks of food that we use to feed hundreds of thousands of Gazans daily," the non-governmental organization stated.WCK's large-scale field kitchens have run out of the ingredients needed to prepare daily meals, and its mobile bakery has no flour left, it said, adding that more than 80 percent of community kitchens in Gaza have run out of WCK-provided stock.