Author: staff
On Tuesday, MPs meeting in a parliamentary working group approved a joint proposal by the PS and PSD to extend parental leave. Under the proposal, parents would be entitled to fully paid leave for 180 days (six months) if it is shared, or 150 days (five months) if it is taken by only one of them. In the first of these scenarios, each parent will have to take at least 30 consecutive days or two periods of 15 days in a row, in order to receive a benefit equal to their full reference wage, calculated by Social Security, for the…
American Artificial intelligence giant Nvidia is spending big in France with a string of new investments in its technology and health companies, showing how Paris is safeguarding its technological sovereignty amid the AI race between China and the United States. On Tuesday, Nvidia announced planned investments in medical booking website Doctolib, robotics company Genesis AI, chemicals and materials company Entalpic and enterprise software company Pigment. The company says it brings its investments to Europe to nearly $10 billion (€9 bn) to the continent’s technology ecosystem. Nvidia’s investments in France show how the country’s push, driven in particular by President Emmanuel…
There’s a growing obsession with living longer, and you’ll hear a lot of chatter about peptides, red light therapy and the like. But longevity doesn’t have to involve fancy tools or supplements – it’s about getting the basics right. Which is exactly what those living in “blue zone” regions (aka areas with a high number of centenarians) do. There are two named “blue zone” areas in Europe – Ikaria in Greece and Sardinia in Italy – but there are plenty of other places that embrace the lifestyle principles that are said to be responsible for longevity, like walking a lot,…
Archaeologists have discovered what they describe as the world’s oldest shipwreck off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, near Kekova Island in Antalya. Researchers estimate the wreck is between 4,400 and 4,700 years old, based on the pottery’s distinctive shape and decoration. Although the ship’s wooden structure has not survived, more than 30 ceramic storage pots and three stone anchors remain scattered across the seabed, about 30 metres underwater. Researchers dated the wreck by analysing the distinctive shape and decoration of the pottery. The recovered artefacts are now undergoing conservation.
Leaders are gathering in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to react for the first time to an Irish budget proposal that envisages €159 billion cuts. They will also discuss energy prices, enlargement, Ukraine and migration. Several countries, including Italy and France, urged Costa’s team to drop a reference to “reaching a final agreement by the end of the year” from the Council conclusions, two EU diplomats who were briefed on the discussions told POLITICO on condition of anonymity. During a parliamentary speech Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that “we will not sign an agreement that is not beneficial…
By JU Published on 14/10/2026 – 10:46 GMT+2 A make-up mirror, a driving mode for women and a heating function for menstrual pain: the Chinese electric Beetle ORA Ballet Cat is attracting attention with its equipment and design. Headlights, sweeping wings, an unmistakable resemblance to the VW Beetle. Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor has developed an electric car that is explicitly aimed at women. Its features include, among other things, a make-up mirror, a special driving mode and a function designed to help with menstrual discomfort. On its website, the ORA Ballet Cat is presented, among other colours, in pink. With…
Published on 14/10/2026 – 11:04 GMT+2 Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the former Los Angeles gang leader who boasted for years of his involvement in the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, only to deny it when he came to trial, was sentenced to a minimum 40 years in prison on Tuesday. The sentence, which will likely see him die in custody, comes three decades after the gunning down of one of the most influential hip hop artists of the late 20th century and after years of criticism over investigations that went nowhere. Davis, 63, formerly ran a branch of the feared…
Published on 14/10/2026 – 10:48 GMT+2 ASML, the Netherlands-based equipment supplier to the semiconductor industry, said on Wednesday that its current production plans would fall short of customer demand in 2027 and 2028, as AI investment continues to drive up orders. The company also posted its highest-ever quarterly sales, at €11.7 billion in the third quarter, and raised the bottom of its sales forecast for 2026. ASML said customers are still increasing their forecasts for equipment demand, largely based on how big and long-lasting they expect AI investment to be. Some even want to book machines now for 2029 or…
By Roselyne Min with AP Published on 14/10/2026 – 10:10 GMT+2 In the Danish town of Lyngby, just north of Copenhagen, the supermarket night shift is getting some unusual trainees. Humanoid robots are learning to restock shelves after closing time, part of a multi-year trial to take on routine tasks and free employees to help customers. With their arms, legs and fingers, the robots can operate in spaces built for people without stores having to change their layouts, according to the Danish start-up, Hive Robots. For now, they are slower than supermarket workers, though the start-up says advances in AI will help improve…
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Downing Street, is the balance of the Ukraine war shifting? Andy Burnham will reaffirm Britain’s support for Ukraine after Presidents Trump and Putin reached a diesel deal – but can the UK still make a difference without putting its relationship with Washington at risk? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examine the Prime Minister’s delicate balancing act as questions mount over continued US commitment to Ukraine. Elsewhere, has the government headed off a rebellion over the Courts Bill – and is its plan to build its way out of the prison crisis already unravelling? Plus,…