Toronto Film Festival cancels October 7 documentary over Hamas image rights worries
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Canada has pulled a documentary by an Israeli filmmaker about the October 7 massacre.
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
EU Chat Control law is a step towards mass surveillance
The EU’s controversial Chat Control Law is back on the spotlight.
US government accuses Germany of ‘significant human rights issues’
The US government has criticised Germany over restrictions on freedom of expression as well as a surge in antisemitic violence.
French mayor cancels Barbie film screening due to threats of ‘disruption’
A planned open-air screening of Barbie in the Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Sec was cancelled at the last minute after local authorities received threats of disruption…
US State Department targets ‘decline of UK free speech’
A newly released series of worldwide human rights reports by the US strongly criticised the United Kingdom over what it said was a troubling decline in free speech…
Huge recall of infected cheese in EU: ‘Gross negligence’, two dead
A major food safety scandal in France has seen more than 40 varieties of cheese taken from supermarket shelves over fears of listeria contamination.
Gender-critical book pulled from Scottish National Library display after staff complaints
The National Library of Scotland (NLS) has withdrawn The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht -- meaning "stay quiet" -- a collection of gender-critical essays by prominent…
Controller at Paris airport suspended for saying ‘Free Palestine’ to Israeli air crew
An airport controller at Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport has been suspended for saying "Free Palestine" to the crew of the Israeli airline El Al, the French…
Chatbot Grok stirs confusion over suspension after Gaza claims
AI chatbot Grok on August 12 offered conflicting explanations for its brief suspension from X after accusing Israel and the United States of committing "genocide"…
Every four days a shooting in Brussels
Brussels is experiencing a relentless surge in severe violence, marked by a high number of shootings, prompting the public prosecutor to raise the alarm.
Former EP candidate fined for heckling von der Leyen at rally in Finland
Helsinki District Court fined former European Parliament election candidate Armando Mema for heckling European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her…
German Greens politician demands social media ban for all under 16
A representative of Germany’s Greens party has come out in favour of a total ban on social media for children and youths.
‘Spain is Christian’: Town bans muslim celebrations in public spaces
The Spanish town of Jumilla, located in the southeastern region of Murcia, has become the first municipality in Spain to explicitly ban Islamic religious festivities…
Amnesty International blames Musk’s X for fuelling ‘UK Southport riots’ racist violence’
Amnesty International has accused social media giant X of playing a key role in the spread of "racist and Islamophobic narratives" that ignited violence following…
Migrant shocks France by lighting cigarette with flame of the Unknown Soldier
A video of a man walking on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and using the flame of remembrance in Paris caused outrage in France.
German football club bows to fans, cancels signing Israeli player over ‘anti-Gaza posts’
German football club Fortuna Düsseldorf has cancelled the planned signing of an Israeli player.
Irish news gadfly Gript to sue Press Council over allegedly ‘flawed ruling’
Irish Conservative news site and government gadfly Gript has announced it will take the Irish Press Council to court.
EU spends €1 million to fight online ‘hate speech’ in South Sudan
South Sudan has received €1 million from the European Union to combat "hate speech" online.
France orders officials to drop foreign messaging apps over cybersecurity fears
France’s top officials and civil servants will ditch foreign‑owned messaging apps in favour of a home‑grown alternative.
UK activist Tommy Robinson arrested for alleged assault
British police have arrested the political activist Tommy Robinson for an alleged assault on a man at St Pancras station.
Brigitte Macron ‘fuels anti-trans stigma’, claims LGBT rights activist
A prominent LGBT activist has accused France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron, of prejudice against transgender people by her pursuing legal action against those claiming…
Jaguar CEO resigns after controversial ‘woke’ makeover of British brand
Adrian Mardell, CEO of British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, has announced his resignation.
Italy fines fast-fashion giant Shein for ‘green’ claims
Italy's competition watchdog (AGCM) said August 4 it has fined the company responsible for Shein's websites in Europe €1 million for false and confusing claims…
Public prosecutor to appeal acquittal of German comedian over Trump assassination attempt ‘joke’
The Berlin public prosecutor’s office has said it would appeal the verdict in the controversial case of comedian Sebastian Hotz.
French MP slams Musk’s AI Grok for ‘spreading fake news’
French eco-socialist MP Aymeric Caron has accused Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok of being a “dangerous tool for misinformation” for falsely identifying an image…
UK ‘to monitor social media for signs of protests’, MP states
The UK Government is eyeing a new crackdown on social media to spot early signs of street protests, according to a letter from ruling Labour Party MP Dame Diana…
Wannabe “revolutionaries” need a serious plan
In Europe’s summer heat, talk of civil war and regime change is spreading like wildfire and reaching new heights of intensity every week.
UK: Rotherham police allegedly sexually assaulted abused children
Five women who were sexually assaulted as children by Asian gangs in the UK have accused police officers in Rotherham of also allegedly abusing them during that…
Tension between ‘anti-democratic’ ECB and staff committee grows
Dialogue between the European Central Bank (ECB) senior managers and its staff committee has become tense, with the latter accusing the ECB leadership of being "anti-democratic"…
New UK Online Safety Act triggers digital content restrictions
The day after the UK’s Online Safety Act came into force, protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers were effectively erased from public view for youngsters…