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.
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
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…
Co-leader of German Green Youth calls for armed struggle against AfD
Armed resistance against a possible right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) government might be needed, according to Jette Nietzard, co-leader of the youth wing…
Social media ‘Hitler chic’ means Nazism may lose all meaning
One of the most absurd features of our times is the intentional and unintentional attempts to, for lack of a better term, “make Hitler cool again.
German SPD politician steps down after drawing swastika on ballot beside AfD candidate’s name
The deputy speaker of Baden-Württemberg's parliament announced his resignation from that office after drawing a swastika on a ballot during an anonymous vote.
Netflix doc leads to new probe into French rock singer Bertrand Cantat
French prosecutors have reopened an investigation into rock singer Bertrand Cantat, after a Netflix documentary series in March described possible violence before…
Court rules German comedian’s tweets mocking assassination attempt on Trump ‘unpunishable satire’
The Berlin District Court has ruled that a social media post by comedian Sebastian Hotz about the assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump constituted…
‘AFP reporters face starvation’ in Gaza, warns journalists association
The Agence France Presse (AFP) association of journalists (SDJ) said reporters posted in Gaza working for the news agency were facing starvation due to food shortages…
German public broadcaster under fire after protesters disrupt AfD interview
German State TV station ARD was facing criticism in Conservative circles after allowing protesters to drown out an open-air interview with Alice Weidel, leader of…
Dutch judge ‘lenient’ on Ethiopian parents who beat their children ‘due to cultural differences’
A court in the Dutch city of The Hague has given what was regarded as a lenient sentence to Ethiopian parents who severely beat their children - because they had…
Never forget: the truth is the gallant Joe McCarthy was right
Myths survive not because they’re true but because they satisfy a social need.
Czech President signs law criminalising Communist propaganda
Czech President Petr Pavel signed a landmark amendment to the Criminal Code, criminalising the promotion of communist ideology, placing it on par with Nazi propaganda.
‘Stratosphere jumper’ Baumgartner dies in paragliding accident
Record-breaking Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has been killed in a paragliding accident in Italy.
Polish minister decries Ukrainian school textbook that ‘blames Poland for Volhynia massacre’
Poland’s education minister Barbara Nowacka protested to her counterpart in Ukraine over passages in a Ukrainian school textbook that blamed Poles for the events…
German university revokes Islamic student union’s status
The university of Kiel in the Northern German State of Schleswig-Holstein said it would revoke the status of the Islamic University Group (IHG) as an official student…
AfD candidate blocked from mayoral race in Germany over ‘loyalty to Constitution’ concerns
Uwe Detert, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate for mayor of the German city of Lage, has been barred from running.
Artists boycott Belgian music festival over Franco-Israeli singer’s presence
Just days before Belgium’s Francofolies de Spa music festival kicks off, several artists have pulled out in protest over the inclusion of Franco-Israeli pop star…
As the bodies of dead babies are dug up, innocent nuns are vilified
This week, the largest excavation of a burial site in Irish history began in Tuam, County Galway.
Fertility rate of German women drops to 30-year-low
German women are having fewer children at the lowest rate since 1996.
Sweden cuts red tape for changing legal gender
As of July 1, Sweden has removed some of the restrictions for changing gender legally and how it appears on official documents.