Divided EU will not take part in WHO Tobacco Control vote as EC digs in heels
The European Union will not participate in a vote on a revised treaty at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11) in Geneva, Switzerland this month.
Historic low approval rating for French President Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron has cemented his status as one of the Fifth Republic’s most reviled leaders, with a new poll showing his approval rating collapsing to 11…
Ex-Russian president Medvedev calls Belgian defence minister an ‘imbecile’
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president turned hawkish deputy security council chairman, has unleashed tirade against Belgium's defence minister Theo Francken.
Georgia’s ruling party wants to ban three main opposition groups
Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has lodged a constitutional lawsuit to ban the three largest opposition parties.
EU softens tone on smoking products
Brussels has circulated a revised, less combative, compromise proposal for a unified EU position on the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control…
D66 party wins Dutch elections, ex-EU climate czar Timmermans resigns
In a dramatic comeback, the Liberal Democrats (D66) party has claimed a narrow but decisive win in the Netherlands' snap general election, eclipsing Geert Wilders' hard-right…
German public TV worker ‘was Hamas member’
Public-service German television broadcaster ZDF has been left red-faced after Israel proved one of its production companies' employees was a Hamas member.
European Commission denies Digital Services Act is behind Linkedin censorship
LinkedIn’s controversial decision to remove accurate Covid-19 content and suspend related user accounts was not based on the Digital Services Act (DSA) but on the platform’s…
Dutch parliamentary candidate mistaken for ‘vegan streaker’ in debate mix-up
Kevin Nuijten, a Dutch parliamentary candidate for the Conservative JA21 party, was briefly detained during a live political debate in the city of Tilburg in the southern…
Judge warns Belgium becoming a ‘narco State’
Criminals have the upper hand in Belgium, according to an Antwerp-based judge.
Prominent Berlin drag queen probed over alleged child sex-abuse material
The glittering world of Berlin's drag scene has been plunged into turmoil following revelations that one of its most celebrated figures, Jurassica Parka, is under investigation…
UK Labour Party suffers historic defeat in century-old stronghold
The UK's ruling Labour Party has suffered a crushing defeat in local by-elections, losing a "safe" seat it had held for 107 years.
Report finds discrimination and abuse within French public TV
An independent expert report conducted at France Télévisions has painted a grim picture of a toxic work environment.
Belgian councillor accused of being unable to speak French or Dutch
A local councillor in Molenbeek, a municipality in the Brussels region, is accused of not being able to speak French or Dutch, the official languages of the region.
Lithuanian defence minister dismissed after clash over spending
Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania's Minister of National Defence, has been dismissed amid ongoing tensions over budget priorities and internal government dynamics.
Belgian Government on the brink over budget crisis
Belgium’s ruling centre-right coalition is deadlocked over crucial budget negotiations, with senior government figures suggesting its collapse is now a real possibility.
Numerous arrests in alleged Greek agricultural subsidy fraud scheme
Greek Police (ELAS) executed a large-scale operation across multiple regions, resulting in the arrest of 37 individuals suspected of involvement in a sophisticated fraud…
UK: Grooming-gang inquiry sees victims step down over ‘political interference’
The British Government's much-vaunted national inquiry into grooming gangs has plunged into disarray, with four sex-abuse survivors resigning from its victims and survivors…
EU tries to curb self-imposed energy price volatility
European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has reaffirmed the European Union's commitment to launching the Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2)…
In Germany, parents call for child’s expulsion from daycare as father is AfD MP
A group of parents at a daycare centre in a major German city have petitioned for the removal of a four-year-old boy because his father is a member of the right-wing Alternative…
‘We can’t militarily beat Russia, but we can economically ‘, Belgian defence minister says
According to Belgian defence minister Theo Francken, Ukraine and Western counties won't be able to defeat Russia in the field.
UK’s Channel 4 uses AI presenter to host show
The UK's Channel 4 TV station has aired the country's first programme hosted entirely by an AI-generated presenter. The episode, titled Will AI Take My Job?
EU foreign affairs chief unhappy with Putin visit to Hungary
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has criticised the prospect of Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting Hungary for peace talks on Ukraine.
LinkedIn given green light to delete accurate content
A Berlin court has ruled that LinkedIn was right to block and suspend accounts that posted about Covid-19, despite the posts being correct.
Time’s up for daylight saving time, says Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is pushing Brussels to end seasonal time change in the European Union, saying "it no longer makes sense".
Pro-reunification Turk Cypriot wins presidential elections
The next president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is to be Tufan Erhürman, the leader of the centre-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP), who triumphed…
Slovakian PM Fico’s Smer kicked out of Party of European Socialists
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD Party has been formally expelled from the Party of European Socialists (PES) in the European Parliament.
French regulator to probe Conservative media reporting on Socialist ‘conspiracy’
France's audiovisual watchdog Arcom will investigate the editorial treatment of the controversy around discussions between French Socialist Party executives and prominent…
French Imam says commemoration of beheaded teacher Paty pains Muslims
On the fifth anniversary of the brutal beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty by a radical Islamist, Abdelali Mamoun, Imam at the historic Grande Mosquée de Paris, said…
Israeli football fans not welcome in Birmingham over fear of violence
Supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv have been banned from attending their team's UEFA Europa League match against UK team Aston Villa at Villa Park, Birmingham,…