Feel bad man? Frogs have no EU rights, EC claims
Frogs being farmed for food have no welfare rights under European law, the European Commission has said.
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Just Stop Oil activists get taste of their own medicine
The radical activists behind UK-based Just Stop Oil are renowned for their disruptive methods and often draw public criticism.
Cheers! Boffins say beer is good for your health
Portuguese scientists said they have found evidence that moderate consumption of beer may be good for our gut health and that both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer…
Berlin mayor wants to enshrine LGBTQI+ in German Constitution
The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has promised to amend the constitution and add “sexual identity”…
Tusk calls for march against Polish abortion laws ahead of national elections
A political storm has erupted in Poland over a woman being interrogated by the police after she took an abortion pill.
Is this a joke? Lavalier microphones are sexist, says French MEP
A French MEP for the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party has lashed out online against certain types of microphones, calling them “sexist”.
Miss Italy chief bans transgender women from beauty pageant
The Miss Italy beauty pageant has banned transgender women from competing in the contest.
Skulls and Benin bronzes: where do you draw the line to avoid emptying Europe’s museums?
The current drive for European museums to return artefacts to their countries of origin shows no sign of losing its righteous momentum (as with most of today’s…
‘Barbie films feature anti-Semitism’, German broadcaster claims
A number of Barbie films are laced with anti-Semitism, a German public broadcasters has claimed.
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad stormed and set on fire
Hundreds of Iraqis stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on July 20, enraged by the Quran burnings that have taken place in the Scandinavian country.
Protests continue in Israel
A tense and volatile atmosphere continues to engulf the small Middle Eastern nation of Israel.
European Parliament goes Cold Turkey after Michel membership promise
MEPs say there is little chance of Turkey joining the European Union anytime soon.
Female archaeologists ‘sexually harassed’ while digging in Paris
In the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, female archaeologists say they are constantly being harassed at work by passers-by.
AfD accused of ‘disgusting’ use of Nazi-era symbol in political ad
The Saxony state branch of Alternative for Germany (AfD) has landed itself in hot water after a political campaign criticising gender-inclusive language was accused…
UK bank ‘shut Farage’s account over values’
Former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said a British bank that abruptly closed his account did so because his views “do not align with our values”.
EU law will give states ‘blank cheque’ to spy on journalists, MEP claims
Proposed amendments to a European Union law risk giving national governments a "blank cheque" to spy on journalists, a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists…
Don’t let Europe catch the Anglo-American prurience contagion. Let’s allow public figures to have private lives
“Men are essentially what they hide: a miserable little pile of secrets”, wrote the much married and mistressed André Malraux.
What EU technocrats could learn from the Battle of the Golden Spurs
I ran into a large gathering of merry Flemings having a street party not far from the European Quarter, the heart of the EU’s machinery of power in Brussels.
Big Brother is watching poo: French city to use DNA of pooping dogs
Dog owners in the southern French city of Béziers now need to watch their step carefully after the mayor Robert Ménard introduced a mandatory canine-DNA database…
Euro 2024 football tournament to push vegan food and ‘all-gender toilets’
The Euro 2024 football tournament will promote vegan food and "all-gender toilets" as part of a major "diversity and inclusion" drive, organisers have announced.
EU will fund ‘psychological support’ for exiled Russian journalists
Russian journalists in exile will receive "psychological support" funded by the EU taxpayer, the European Commission said on July 17.
Belgian rioter and Snapchat star hails his prison treatment, citing ‘free porn’
Most would say prison is supposed to feel like a punishment, but for one Brussels-based criminal, the opposite was true.
MEPs call for EU ban on ‘positive discrimination’ after US ruling
MEPs have called for bans on "positive discrimination" within the European Union after the US Supreme Court ruled the practice illegal last month.
Paris metro to open ‘safe spaces’ for sexual abuse victims
The Paris public transport authority (RATP) will operate “safe spaces” from September, where victims of sexist abuse or sexual violence can seek refuge.
Hungarian bookstore fined for selling LGBTQI+ novel in youth section
A national bookseller in Hungary was hit with a hefty fine by the government over an LGBTQI+ graphic novel, with authorities saying it violated a law that prohibits…
European journalists fear EU Council may ‘undermine media protection’
Europe’s largest organisation representing journalists fears a European Union directive on media protection could be undermined by the Council of Ministers.
Belgian Ferrero chocolate factory suffers second salmonella outbreak
Luxury Italian chocolate manufacturer Ferrero has stopped making its products at its Belgian facility in Arlon after salmonella bacteria was discovered there at…
Ignore the ECJ, says Polish justice minister
Poland’s justice minister and Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro has slammed a European Court of Justice (ECJ) judgment over the suspension of a Polish judge for…
Russian Parliament bans sex-change ops and adoption by transgenders
The Duma, as the Russian Parliament is called, on July 14 adopted a bill that makes it illegal for doctors to perform sex-change operations, among other gender-related…
Saxony expands ‘gender-language’ ban in schools
The German region of Saxony is taking steps against so-called “gender language”, with Culture Minister Christian Piwarz strengthening a ban on its use.