Spaniards in Venezuela held over alleged ‘plot to murder’ President Maduro
Authorities in Venezuela have detained two Spanish nationals on charges of alleged “terrorism” and attempting to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro.
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Greece to give homeowners incentives to ditch short-term rentals
The Greek Government has said it would give a three-year tax break to homeowners who converted their short-term rentals to long-term ones.
France’s Court of Audit slams Macron’s SNU over ‘chaotic management and underestimated costs’
The French Court of Audit has published a critical report on the Universal National Service (SNU), President Emmanuel Macron's civic-military programme, highlighting…
UK’s Farage tells government to ‘Have a go!’, over bid to ban second jobs for MPs
The UK's Labour Government has been accused by former arch-Brexiteer and now MP Nigel Farage of trying to bully him and a colleague and silence TV and radio outlet…
Undeterred by parliament vote, Polish Government gives women access to abortion
The Polish Government, undeterred by losing a parliamentary vote on abortion in July, has issued guidelines allowing terminations to be performed on demand at any…
EU consumer groups slam video-games companies for ‘tricking’ players into overspending
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 22 other organisations across Europe have accused the world's biggest video-games companies of misleading gamers into…
Elite are cracking down on free speech to stop true democracy
Although this might seem counterintuitive given the current political culture, but there is a realistic chance that voting for what the media calls the “far Right”…
Socialists threaten to reject Ursula von der Leyen’s EC team
Socialists in the European Parliament have warned they may withhold support for the next European Commission unless their key demands are addressed.
Slovakia’s Fico accuses West of ‘tolerating Ukrainian extremists’
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the West of "tolerating" extremist elements within the Ukrainian military, prompting a backlash from Kyiv.
EXCLUSIVE: US Congressman makes fresh attack on Breton, warns ‘digital enforcer’ not to censor Americans
A leading US Congressman has accused the European Union's self-styled digital enforcer, Thierry Breton, of failing to alleviate the concerns held by US lawmakers…
Left MEP Pappas blasts colleagues over ‘vulgar’ complaint
Greek Syriza MEP Nikos Pappas has hit back at the European People's Party (EPP) after it sent a letter of complaint about him to European Parliament President Roberta…
Tusk government proposes ‘self-criticism’ for Polish judges facing disciplinary proceedings
Justice minister Adam Bodnar and Prime Minister Donald Tusk have proposed that judges undertake a process of "self-criticism" as part of an assessment as to whether…
Polish journalists guilty of defamation over TV satire
Three Polish journalists have been found guilty of defamation, a criminal offence in Poland, for their part in a Polish TVP programme in which a well known charity…
Brussels told to act against alleged Tusk admin media restrictions
A Polish MEP has demanded action from Brussels over alleged attempts by his country's government to restrict independent media.
Police raid organisers of Polish independence day march in alleged hate-speech case
Polish police have raided the premises of the organisers of the annual independence day march following allegations of hate speech during the 2018 edition of the…
In Thuringia two ‘extremist’ parties took half the vote, so where is the centre now?
Every time a populist-Right party is elected, the headlines are predictable.
Peace requires strength, but also diplomacy
When Ronald Reagan ran for president of the United States in 1980, he put “peace through strength” at the heart of his foreign policy vision.
Netflix wants to degrade Western culture by insulting classical history
Netflix strikes again. Its new series "KAOS" has already stirred controversy and caused reactions.
Kyiv must address WW2 massacre before it can join EU, Polish minister says
Poland's defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz appeared to make Ukraine's European Union accession conditional on "resolving" a dispute with Poland over a…
Corsicans want to reclaim the slaughtering monster Napoleon for ‘cultural tourism’
“Corsica must reclaim all the great figures of its history, especially Napoleon,” Jean-Guy Talamoni, the pro-independence former president of the Corsican Assembly,…
Amsterdam universities take extra measures to ensure safety of Jewish students and staff
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Free University Amsterdam have announced they are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of Jewish and Israeli students…
Police arrest ‘revolting Brussels Metro YouTube prankster’ YaNike
YaNike, the infamous Brussels-based YouTuber known for throwing buckets of excrement, oil and other filth over unsuspecting victims on the city’s Metro system,…
As Europeans are arrested for what they say, how ‘free’ is Europe’s speech?
While America and Europe are two parts of one West, they have always treated the idea of “rights” differently.
Singer suspended from Royal Swedish Opera over ‘pro-Russia’ comments
Opera singer Mattias Milder has been suspended from the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm following controversial "pro-Russia" comments on social media.
Belgian school introduces compulsory Arabic lessons
Mandatory Arabic lessons have been brought in for students at a college in Belgium, spurring opposition on social media.
UK government faces record knife slaughter by offering £10 blade amnesty
In 1902 Hanoi was in danger of being overrun by rats.
EU digital law ‘restricts freedom of expression’, says French whistleblowers’ group
The Association for the Support of Whistleblowers (ASLA) has accused European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) of "restricting freedom of expression under the…
Durov released on €5m bail as France charges Telegram boss
A French judge put Telegram boss Pavel Durov under formal investigation on Wednesday, August 28 in a probe into organized crime on the messaging app, but granted…
German bishop instructs Christians not to vote AfD ahead of regional elections
A senior bishop in Germany has again ordered Christians in the country not to vote for the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Ryanair boss O’Leary wants to limit alcohol consumption at airports
Michael O'Leary, boss of Irish airline Ryanair, said he felt air travellers should not be allowed to simply consume as much alcohol as they wanted before a flight.