The EU strikes back. The European Commission has rejected Italy’s budget proposal, telling Rome to submit a new one in three weeks. If Italy refuses to make the necessary changes – something the government said it would not do – the EU would open an excessive deficit procedure that could result in sanctions against Rome by next year. A lot can happen between now and then, but the fact remains that the European Commission has done something it has never done before: It has rejected a budget of a member state, and not just any member state, but the third-largest economy on the Continent.
Turkey admonishes Saudi Arabia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a fiery speech at a meeting for his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, during which he demanded that those suspected of killing Jamal Khashoggi be tried in Turkey. Not once did he mention Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by name, though he expressed confidence in King Salman. Turkey is attempting to parlay the