Will QR codes on wine bottles give consumers more info or less?
A shift to digital labelling in the wine sector, with paper labels being partially replaced by QR codes, has raised questions about whether consumers would actually…
Category
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Pornhub pulls out of France in protest at new age verification law
Aylo, the owner of major adult sites Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn, said it would suspend access to its French platforms in protest at France’s strict new age verification…
‘Social media incompatible with democracy,’ warns French digital council
Co-President of the French National Digital Council, Gilles Babinet, has warned that social media "in their current forms are not compatible with democracy".
National values are love for a people, a territory and its history
In his first inaugural address in 1861, President Lincoln spoke about the "mystic chords of memory" that connect the American people through a collective memory…
German intelligence agents run hundreds of ‘dubious’ fake accounts on social media
The government of the German state of Brandenburg has admitted that its local intelligence bureau runs 287 fake accounts on social media.
Dutch coalition collapses after Wilders leaves
Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) has blown up the Dutch Government after the coalition failed to agree on stricter asylum policies.
German court strikes down key element of Merz’s new asylum policy
Berlin Administrative Court has ruled that rejecting asylum seekers at Germany's borders was unlawful without following the Dublin Regulation procedure.
French mayor bans Palestine flag as ‘riot symbol’ after violent football celebration
A ban on the Palestinian flag in the French town of Chalon-sur-Saône has been instigated by the local mayor.
‘Freedom under attack in the US,’ claims German minister
There was a growing risk of a global culture war amid rising anti-freedom tendencies among world powers, warned Wolfram Weimer, Germany's Minister of State for Culture,…
What would Camus say? France to ban smoking in public spaces
There are few photographs of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus where those French heroes do not brandish a cigarette.
EU ‘Patriots’ rally around Orbán in Budapest
Trumpism appears to have crossed the Atlantic and raised spirits in Europe's nationalist camp, to judge by speakers at the opening day of the CPAC conference in…
Germany’s Conservative-led government extends rent controls until end of 2029
Germany has prolonged contentious rent control regulations until at least December 31, 2029.
France approves assisted dying bill that seeks to avoid ‘suicide tourism’
France's National Assembly has taken a big step toward legalising assisted dying, passing a bill on its first reading that would allow patients to seek medical help…
NGOs file complaint against Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein’s ‘irregular’ lobbying
Two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have filed a complaint against Chinese-owned fast-fashion group Shein's lobbying practices with the French High Authority…
Meta shuts out identitarians and nationalists across Europe
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, has closed down pages from identitarians and nationalists across Europe.
Wilders threatens to bring down government over asylum seekers
Geert Wilders has threatened to blow up the Dutch government if asylum policies are not drastically tightened.
Austrian lawfare tried to wreck him, but honest Kurz gets up again
The Austrian People’s Party is the Western hemisphere’s longest-serving government party, having been in the government as a senior or junior coalition partner…
Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein may have to pay EU under three different regulations
Shein, the Chinese global e-commerce platform specialising in fast fashion, could soon find itself paying more than just shipping costs to the European Union.
Council of Europe denounces ‘politicisation’ of ECHR by governments over migration
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has reacted negatively to a letter from nine heads of state who asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)…
Nine EU leaders call for curbing ECHR protections for criminal migrants
Nine EU leaders, including Giorgia Meloni, Donald Tusk, and Mette Frederiksen, have called for more flexibly interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights…
Collapse in number of new builds in Germany fuels fears of worsening housing shortage
New apartment construction in Germany has collapsed since 2024, new data show. Higher interest rates and higher construction costs were behind the collapse.
Angela Merkel criticises tightening of border controls
Germany's former Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticised the border policies of the new CDU-led government led by her former rival, Friedrich Merz.
How calling a German finance minister a ‘moron’ leads to cops and criminal charges
Stefan Niehoff, a 64-year-old retiree and former sergeant in the Bundeswehr, became something of an overnight sensation in Germany last year after police showed…
“I am disappointed they excluded Russia but let Israel in”, says Austrian Eurovision winner
Austria's Eurovision winner Johannes “JJ” Pietsch has come under fire for critical remarks about Israel and equating its war in Gaza with Russia's invasion of…
EU consumer group accuses Ryanair and others of ‘illegal’ extra fees for carry-ons
The European Consumer Organisation accused Ryanair and other airlines of engaging in unfair and illegal practices by charging extra fees for hand luggage.
MEPs and experts call for Commission to tackle DSA’s free speech concerns
Cross-party members of the European Parliament and free speech advocates gathered in the European Parliament May 21 to urge the European Commission to review the…
Germany employs Artificial Intelligence to bring waste separation scoundrels to justice
Germany is continuing to pioneer innovative uses for artificial intelligence.
Scandal: Prominent Tusk allies implicated in Polish people-smuggling
An illegal migrant smuggling network involved civil society groups that prominently backed Donald Tusk's coalition parties in the last election, a Polish broadcaster…
German police arrest Syrian over alleged Islamist stabbing attack wounding five
Police in the German town of Bielefeld arrested a Syrian man May 19 as the prime suspect in a stabbing attack on a group of bar customers the previous day.
EU spends more on policing speech than transnational cancer research
The EU has given €650 million to projects combating so-called 'hate speech' and 'disinformation', one third more than it has given to transnational cancer research…