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.
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Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Von der Leyen’s (Anti-)Democracy Shield is an attempt at silencing dissent
It’s the European Commission’s latest dystopian invention—the so-called European Democracy Shield.
Norway public TV ‘sorry’ for calling Polish Independence parade ‘Nazi march’
Norway’s public broadcaster NRK has apologised after describing Poland’s annual Independence Day parade as a “Nazi march” during a morning TV segment, according…
Polish fans stop international football match over removal of national flag
The Poland football match against Netherlands in their World Cup Qualifier was interrupted by flares thrown onto the pitch by Polish supporters.
Germany: Crimes of opinion now a ‘mass phenomenon’
German police have raided the home of a man in the south of the country after he referred to public servants as “parasites” in a post on X.
Praising Atatürk on X: Wilders acquits Hitler’s role model
If a tweet can bury a genocide, Geert Wilders just posted it.
Polish President petitions for Communist party to be banned
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court (TK) for the delegalisation of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP).
France marks 10-year since November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks
France is commemorating the 10th anniversary of the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks, which killed 132 people and injured 350.
Slovenia expands police power as relations with Roma worsen
The Slovenian Government has extended police powers after the fatal stabbing of 48-year-old Aleš Šutar outside a bar in Novo Mesto, a city close to the border…
EU wants Amazon, Temu, Shein to check toys are not toxic
Online giants including Amazon, Temu, AliExpress and Shein will soon have to take "responsibility" for the safety of the toys they sell in the European Union under…
Immigration: Is Germany still a serious country?
One of the fundamental obligations of public service in a liberal democracy is the requirement to set aside one’s personal opinions and fulfil the programmes of…
Irish media regulator targets X on suspicion of EU rule violations
Ireland's media regulator said it was investigating Elon Musk's social network X on suspicion of violating European Union rules by failing to let users appeal its…
Dutch AI-created anti-migrant song vanishes from Spotify after going viral
A Dutch song slamming mass migration titled We Say No, No, No to an Asylum Seekers' Centre has mysteriously disappeared from Spotify after peaking on the streaming…
EU’s top court backs but trims bloc’s minimum wages law
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has backed most of the bloc’s law on minimum wages, but clipped Brussels’ wings on how far it can go.
Berlin university cancels talk by Hamas massacre survivor over ‘security concerns’
A university in Germany has abruptly cancelled an event with an Israeli survivor of a Hamas massacre in 2023, saying the safety of the participants could not be…
UPDATED: German court rules State may not deny ‘right-wing extremist’ internship for law career
***Updated with reaction from John Hoewer***
BBC against Trump: Wrong man with whom to pick a fight
Theodore Roosevelt urged, Speak softly and carry a big stick. Donald Trump urges: Bellow like hell and swing a two-handed, double-edged, nuclear-tipped claymore.
Polish Independence Day march draws a record 160,000 people
Poland's annual Independence Day march in Warsaw yesterday, focused on defending Polish sovereignty, attracted approximately 160,000, police said.
Documentary on unemployment benefits sparks controversy in Belgium
A television documentary about unemployment benefits has triggered a heated debate in Belgium.
German ‘poly wedding’ of four men to each other raises eyebrows
A German protestant church minister has surprised many after reportedly performing a marriage ceremony for four men.
Belgian anti-drone unit not deployed during airspace intrusions
The Belgian federal police did not utilise its anti-drone unit during intrusions into Belgian airspace, the latest being on November 6, despite the unit having been…
EU ignores persecution of Hungarians and Poles who are not Ukrainian
There are times when moral blindness and political shamelessness become an art form.
Trump lauds Hungary PM Orbán in Washington, says EU should ‘show more respect’
US President Donald Trump said European Union leaders should show more respect to Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over migration.
New mega immigration wave will hit EU from Sudan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan
A rusty trawler sails past Gavdos at dawn.
Israel Philharmonic’s Paris concert disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance at the Philharmonie de Paris was disrupted after protesters set off smoke bombs inside the venue, forcing a brief…
Polish court fines journalists for using quotes emailed by State media official
A Polish court has fined two journalists from one of Poland’s largest online news outlets for publishing statements sent to them by email from a public media…
‘Regulatory imperialism’: US pushback against EU tech laws finds backing in Brussels
US Congressman Jim Jordan’s probe into OpenAI’s communication with foreign administrations, including the European Union, has been backed in Brussels.
Meloni moves to restrict power of activist judiciary
The government of Italy’s Giorgia Meloni is now the third-longest in the history of the post-war Italian republic.
German policeman disciplined for ‘anti-Greens’ sticker on his own phone
A police officer from Heilbronn, a city in southern Germany, has been officially reprimanded for putting a sticker on his private mobile phone.
Girls wearing hijabs at French parliament spark controversy
Controversy erupted in France after girls and women were spotted yesterday wearing hijabs on the balcony of the French parliament.