Author: staff
Not for the first time, he described the windfall profits — which are used to support Ukraine — from the immobilized assets as golden eggs from a goose. “Today, the plan is to serve that goose, to eat it,” he told MPs. But if the other EU countries agree to fully share the risks and protect Belgium from potential Russian retaliation, “then we’ll all jump off that cliff together … and hope that the parachute will hold us,” De Wever said. “We will do that, because the alternative — no solution, no financing for Ukraine, the country collapses — is…
Greece has taken delivery of the first of four advanced frigates from France, which Greek officials say symbolises its navy entering a “new era”. The handover ceremony for the F601 Kimon took place on Thursday in the western port city of Lorient and was attended by Greece’s Defence Minister Nikos Dendias. “We are witnessing proof of the strategic relationship between Greece and France that also bears my signature,” Dendias said. “It is not just the delivery of an exceptional ship, but the entry of the Armed Forces and the Navy into a new era.” Dendias thanked the French government and…
The new numbers are likely to lock in the view that the ECB — which has now left rates unchanged for the fourth meeting in a row — is heading for an extended period on the sidelines. Most economists and investors now expect borrowing costs to remain unchanged throughout 2026, barring a major economic shock. “Economic growth is expected to be stronger than in the September projections, driven especially by domestic demand,” the ECB said in its statement, repeating again that it will respond to any material changes if incoming economic data demand it. The ECB has become gradually more…
Around 10,000 farmers from all 27 EU countries gathered to protest near the EU quarter in Brussels. Tractors moved toward security zones, roads were blocked and fireworks set off, prompting police to use water cannons and, in some areas, tear gas to control the crowd. Potatoes and eggs were thrown as officers tried to keep access routes open. Farmers oppose the EU trade deal with the Mercosur countries, saying it would expose them to unfair competition. Negotiated for 25 years, the agreement would remove most trade duties over 15 years and cover a market of 780 million people. Protesters also…
The Bank of England cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point to 3.75 percent, saying that the U.K. economy had cooled enough to justify loosening financial conditions. The move was widely expected after data earlier this week showed that unemployment had risen to its highest in over four years in October, while inflation slowed more sharply than forecast in November as supermarkets and other retailers found it harder to pass on price increases. “We think that Bank Rate is likely to fall gradually further in future, but that will depend on whether variables like pay growth and services inflation…
By Euronews Published on 18/12/2025 – 13:28 GMT+1 A court in eastern France sentenced a former anaesthetist to life imprisonment on Thursday after he was found guilty of poisoning 30 patients, 12 of them fatally. The verdict against 53-year-old Frédéric Péchier came after 15 weeks of hearings, and the court had been deliberating the sentence since Monday. Sentencing took three days as the court had to rule individually on each of the 30 cases of poisoning, which saw 12 people die and 18 others survive. The acts were committed between 2008 and 2017 in two private clinics in Besançon, on patients…
Published on 18/12/2025 – 13:02 GMT+1 The Bank of England cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to 3.75% on Thursday as UK growth remains weak and unemployment high. The decision was supported by fresh inflation data this week, which showed that price pressures dropped to their lowest level in eight months in November. CPI was recorded at 3.2%, down from 3.6% in October. Thursday’s cut — which brings the BoE’s key rate to its lowest point in around three years — will bring some Christmas cheer to finance minister Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who…
By Euronews Published on 18/12/2025 – 11:21 GMT+1 Data belonging to more than 200 million users of Pornhub, one of the world’s largest porn websites, has reportedly been accessed by a hacker group. The site said, in a statement, “an unauthorised party gained unauthorised access to analytics data,” relating to some of its Premium users. According to BleepingComputer, an independent technology news website, the data was accessed by a Western-based hacking group known as ShinyHunters. The information is said to include viewing habits, search history and location data. Pornhub said the incident involved data from a “third-party analytics service provider” and…
Colombia’s military has reinforced its presence in the town of Buenos Aires, in the southwestern department of Cauca, after an explosive attack on a police station wounded eight officers. The government blamed dissidents from the former FARC guerrilla movement who rejected the 2016 peace deal. The army said it deployed extra platoons and armed aircraft to support ground operations, including explosive ordnance disposal in elevated areas of the town. Officials said the aim is to restore control after a drone and bomb attack damaged homes, roads, a hospital and a bank.
By Euronews Published on 18/12/2025 – 11:58 GMT+1 Just ahead of the holiday season, Google has rolled out a fresh set of updates to Gemini, its artificial intelligence (AI) -powered assistant, underscoring the tech giant’s push to keep pace in a fast-moving AI race. The new features range from vibe coding tools that enable users to build apps without having to write code to faster models and more conversational search and translation capabilities. Euronews Next takes a look at the key updates. Vibe coding It’s now possible to build an AI-powered app directly on Gemini. Google said this week it’s integrating…