EC did not consider toxic health consequences of its plastic straw ban
The EU did not consider the increase in toxic PFAS chemicals when it decided to ban single-use plastic straws, the bloc's environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius,…
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Latvia legalises same-sex partnerships, but denies them adoption rights
Latvia's parliament has narrowly voted to allow same-sex civil partnerships.
Commission rejects privacy concerns linked to physical ID card revamp
The European Commission rejected privacy concerns linked to a planned revamp of physical European ID cards.
Nearly 1,200 crimes in Berlin related to Israel-Hamas War after synagogue firebombing
Berlin authorities recorded nearly 1,200 crimes related to the Israel-Hamas War after the recent firebombing of a synagogue.
EU closer to adopting Digital Identity for citizens that critics say means ‘less security for all’
The EU has come closer to building a pan-European digital identity network, though critics argue it has insufficient safeguards.
YouTube, TikTok face EU requests for details on measures protecting minors
Google's YouTube and TikTok will be asked by EU industry chief Thierry Breton to explain how they protect children from illegal and harmful content on their platforms…
Turkey says EU is ‘unjust and biased’ on membership bid
The European Commission's annual report on Turkey's long-stalled EU membership bid is "unjust and biased", the Turkish foreign ministry said.
AfD MEP calls party’s ‘extremist’ label a ‘de-legitimation strategy’
German domestic intelligence classified the AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch as an extremist group on Tuesday, which an AfD MEP called a cynical ploy to hurt the party's…
Unions to stage mass EU protest over austerity measures
Unions are organising a mass protest in Brussels over what they call a new round of EU austerity.
Melenchon sanctions his own MP for calling his party ‘undemocratic’
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, founder of France's left-wing La France Insoumise party, has sanctioned one of his own MPs for calling his party undemocratic.
Former French foreign ministry official caught tearing down posters of children kidnapped by Hamas
A former French foreign ministry employee has been filmed tearing down posters of children kidnapped by Hamas, including several French citizens.
Are we all Germans now? The ARC conference suggests European conservatism is pushing aside the Anglo-American tradition
The philosopher Leo Strauss once wondered if a country can lose a war militarily and still win it spiritually, meaning that while its arms could not overcome the…
Erasing Anne Frank: What the renaming of a German childcare centre tells us about the state of European politics
The silencing of history is a problem that we have become very used to in the UK.
Just Stop Oil switches to hammers to attack London art
Radical environmentalists of Just Stop Oil have begun attacking famous artworks with hammers.
Belgian minister sparks ire after refusing to call Hamas a terrorist group
Belgium’s climate minister Zakia Khattabi has caused outrage by saying she did not want to call Hamas a "terrorist organisation".
Is the Kremlin deliberately stoking anti-Israel sentiment in Western Europe?
In the streets of London, hundred thousand-strong mobs bay for Jewish blood under cover of “humanitarian concern” for Hamas-held Gaza.
German nursery named after Anne Frank changes name to be ‘more diverse’
A children's daycare centre in eastern Germany named after Anne Frank wants to change its name, citing openness and diversity.
Poland’s new parliamentary majority mulls outlawing criticism of LGBT community
Amending Poland's penal code to ban criticism of the LGBT community is among measures the new government coalition is discussing.
EU weighs advancing Ukraine’s membership bid as Russia war drags on
The European Union executive is expected to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc this week, according to EU officials, a coveted…
Cancel culture has now reached Poland — the EU machine can relax and celebrate
The astounding appeal appeared in the pages of Poland's largest daily newspaper.
UK academics want cigarette-style warnings on meat
Researchers at Durham University in the UK have suggested using graphic health warnings on meat, similar to those on tobacco products, in a bid to help reduce consumption…
Germany bans Hamas and affiliate Samidoun
German interior minister Nancy Faeser has imposed a ban on Hamas and affiliate organisation Samidoun.
France reports worrying surge in anti-Semitism
France is experiencing a surge in anti-Semitism following the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel.
Pro-Palestinian activists let loose mice inside UK McDonald’s outlets
A group of pro-Palestinian activists in the UK let loose mice painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag in several crowded McDonald's restaurants in Birmingham.
The EU machine is forgetting its citizens are not merely ‘economic abstractions’ — if they don’t notice soon they will be engulfed by the populism they so fear
How much is a carton of milk? used to be question thrown at politicians to gauge whether they were in touch with the reality faced by the common man.
Is Jewish life coming to an end in Western Europe?
Future historians will marvel at the fact that the ideology of multiculturalism has accomplished what even Nazism could not: Ending Jewish life in Western Europe.
Russia tightens security in Caucasus after anti-Israeli airport riot
By Andrew Osborn Oct 31 (Reuters)
France’s Senate approves ban on ‘inclusive writing’
France's Senate yesterday voted to ban excessive "inclusive writing". Senators argue it changes the French language, while making legal texts hard to understand.
German minister denounces Greta Thunberg’s ‘unspeakable’ pro-Palestinian statements
Greta Thunberg's pro-Palestinian statements after the terror attacks in Israel are "unspeakable", says a German Green party minister.
TikTok, Youtube contribute to minority gang violence in Ireland, say security sources
TikTok and YouTube are contributing to minority gang violence in Ireland, security sources in the country claim.