French debt reaches phenomenal €3,460 billion at end of 2025
France’s public debt has reached a new record high of €3,460.
Illicit cigarette trade starting to resemble drug trade, with weapons and turf wars
Europe’s booming illicit tobacco trade, with nearly half of all cigarettes sold in several countries now coming from illegal sources, is deeply intertwined with other crime…
Belgian industry asks for closed nuclear plants to be reopened
Belgium’s energy-intensive industries are calling for an urgent study into extending the operation of several recently closed or idled nuclear reactors.
Former Oxford professor and prominent Islamist gets 18 years for rape
A Paris criminal court has sentenced Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years imprisonment for the rape of three women in France between 2009 and 2016.
Hungarian elections rocked by accusations of foreign interference on both sides
Hungary has been rocked by allegations of interference by foreign intelligence in the run-up to its parliamentary elections on April 12.
‘EU’s compromise on tobacco excise tax is dead on arrival’
Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers has come out strongly against the compromise by the European Union on the excise tax on tobacco.
Belgian public broadcasters smash Christian figures but say would not do so to Islamic or Jewish ones
Presenters on Studio Brussel, a radio station of Belgium's publicly funded broadcaster VRT, have caused outrage after destroying Christian figures and stating they would never…
European policies on smoking alternatives ‘block innovation and harm reduction’
Experts say that policies aimed at protecting the public against the negative effects of smoking have serious adverse effects, damaging public health.
Leading European nations and Japan signal they want to help keep Strait of Hormuz open
Leading European nations and Japan have signalled readiness to support efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Losses for German automotive supplier ZF double to €2.1bn after electrification failure
German technology group ZF Friedrichshafen has reported a net loss after tax of €2.1 billion for fiscal 2025, almost doubling the €1.02 billion deficit recorded in 2024.
UK House of Lords votes to allow abortion up to birth
The UK House of Lords has voted to allow a controversial clause on abortion legislation that removes criminal penalties for women ending their own pregnancies at any stage,…
Slovakia says No to cross-border ‘fuel tourism’ and limits fuel sales
The Slovak Government has introduced emergency restrictions on diesel fuel sales amid an escalating energy supply crisis.
Nervousness over EPP’s vote on stricter migrant-return rules after Berlin ‘firewall’ debates
There is increasing concern within the Right in the European Parliament on the resolve of the Christian Democrats (EPP) to follow through on their vote on stricter migrant…
Correctiv’s ‘expulsion masterplan’ claims at AfD Potsdam meeting false, Berlin court says
A Berlin regional court has delivered a significant legal blow to the German left-leaning investigative outlet Correctiv.
Ifo institute: German government misappropriated 95 per cent of new debt for infrastructure
According to a new analysis by the ifo Institute, one of Germany's most respected economic research organisations, 95 per cent of the €24.
Belgian PM says Europe to normalise relations with Russia after war, spurring criticism
An interview with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, in which he said that after the war in Ukraine, Europe and Russia will normalise relations and resume energy trade,…
Spy scandal and corruption claims rock Slovenian election campaign
Slovenia is gripped by allegations of foreign election interference and corruption just days before its parliamentary polls on March 22.
European Energy Commissioner says renewables ‘only way out of energy crisis’, closes door on Russia
European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen has insisted that accelerating renewable energy deployment is the only sustainable path out of the continent's deepening energy…
Germany and Greece will not help in reopening Strait of Hormuz
Germany and Greece have declined to participate in an international effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel and Iran.
McKinsey says VW should close down almost all plants in Germany
In a stark assessment of Volkswagen's (VW) ongoing struggles, international management consultancy McKinsey & Company has reportedly advised the German automotive giant to…
Anti-Semitism commissioner from German Left Party resigns
Brandenburg’s anti-Semitism commissioner has resigned from Germany’s Left Party (Die Linke) after escalating disputes over the party’s stance on Israel, warning that…
Senegal clamps down on homosexuality despite new EC partnership
Senegal's parliament has overwhelmingly approved a controversial bill that doubles prison sentences for same-sex relations to up to 10 years, alongside hefty fines and new…
German police raid Bavarian AfD MP’s premises over old social media posts
German authorities conducted searches at the private residence and parliamentary office of René Dierkes, a state lawmaker from the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD)…
Belgian PM De Wever attacks past nuclear policy, will leave country paying ‘for a century’
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has launched a sharp attack in parliament on past energy policy, warning that decisions to phase out nuclear power could saddle the country…
Attack on Rotterdam synagogue by group claiming to target Jews
A synagogue in Rotterdam has been targeted in an arson attack early this morning.
French mayoral candidate suspected of staging anti-Semitic hate crime on himself
The mayor of Nice since 2008 and a prominent figure in the centrist Horizons party, finds himself at the centre of allegations that he orchestrated an anti-Semitic hate crime…
Switzerland wants to overturn ban on new nuclear power plants
Switzerland's upper house of parliament, the Council of States, has voted in favour of lifting the country's longstanding ban on constructing new nuclear power plants.
Half of e-cigarettes in Europe are illegal and almost all come from China
Almost half of all e-cigarettes sold in Europe originate from irregular sources, with China supplying 90 per cent of these unregulated products, according to a study published…
‘Russia pockets €6 billion in fossil fuel revenues in almost two weeks of Iran conflict’
Russia has pocketed an estimated €6 billion in fossil fuel revenues since the onset of Israeli and US strikes on Iran on February 28, with daily earnings surging 14 per…
Tech industry sounds alarm over EP’s report on AI and copyright
Industry voices have sounded a stark warning over the European Parliament's adoption of a non-binding resolution on copyright and generative artificial intelligence.