Author: staff

“In recent years, we have seen a pulling away from the standards, a willingness to say, ‘if I don’t like the standards, it doesn’t apply to me.’ This would have been unthinkable even 20 years ago,” he said. “Your government might do bad stuff, but it would still make every effort to persuade you that it wasn’t doing the bad stuff. And today it’s as likely that they’ll say, ‘Yes, we’re doing the bad stuff. And that’s because that’s our choice. That’s what we need in this particular moment,’” O’Flaherty said. The commissioner stressed that those characteristics are no longer…

As we spend more time working from home, understanding the factors that affect air quality within our houses is increasingly important. You could be exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution inside your own home even when outdoor air quality is good, a new study has revealed. Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK measured particulate matter (PM) pollution in three homes over two weeks. They found that pollution levels in each house were higher and more variable than those outdoors. One home exceeded World Health Organisation PM2.5 limits on nine of the 14 days. “Our study shows the need…

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a leading pro-Ukraine voice from the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), said Scholz had also used the phrase to describe her and other vocal supporters of Kyiv, including SPD lawmaker Michael Roth and Green MP Toni Hofreiter. Strack-Zimmermann has been one of the most vocal critics of Scholz’s reluctance to send long-range weapons to Ukraine, often clashing with him in public over what she saw as his risk-averse leadership. “This became known internally a year ago,” she wrote on X. “Scholz probably doesn’t remember anymore. Any more questions?” The jibe about not remembering alludes to Scholz’s testimony in…

The US’ special representative charged with addressing the Ukraine conflict has arrived for talks with Ukrainian officials just after Donald Trump blamed the Zelenskyy government for Russia’s invasion. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine released video footage today showing drone attacks carried out against Russian army vehicles in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region.According to the service, operators from its “Phoenix” unit successfully destroyed eight military trucks and 11 additional vehicles in the area. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence also published footage showing a Buk-M2 air defence system engaging an aerial target belonging to Ukrainian forces.The ministry…

Ferrand ended up with an unlikely assist from the far-right National Rally, which decided to abstain rather than vote against his appointment. National Rally spokesperson Bryan Masson told reporters that Ferrand had “reassured” far-right lawmakers during his confirmation hearing. The party has a particularly vested interest in the makeup of the next Conseil Constitutionnel, as the court is set to rule on a case that will directly impact National Rally leader Marine Le Pen’s ability to stand in the next presidential election. Le Pen has been on trial for allegedly taking part in an embezzlement scheme and prosecutors have asked…

Glencore also revealed it was considering moving its primary listing from the UK to New York, or elsewhere, to get the “right valuation”. Mining giant Glencore reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of $1.6 billion (€1.5bn), which was a large fall from the $4.3bn (€4.1bn) net income seen in 2023. This was mainly because of lower average energy coal prices. However, revenue for the full year 2024 increased 6% to $230.9bn (€221.4bn). Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2024 dropped 16% to $14.4bn (€13.8bn). Glencore’s share price fell 6.9% early in trading on Wednesday. Marketing adjusted earnings before…

Johnson, the former British prime minister who has been a staunch ally of Ukraine while also praising Trump, leapt to the U.S. president’s defense Wednesday. He challenged some of Trump’s latest claims — but said European nations should see them as part of a negotiating gambit rather than a serious position. Writing on X, Johnson said: “When are we Europeans going to stop being scandalised about Donald Trump and start helping him to end this war? “Of course Ukraine didn’t start the war. You might as well say that America attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor. “Of course a country undergoing…

A leaked draft of a keenly awaited Action Plan for Affordable Energy suggests cutting green levies and VAT could ease costs for European consumers – but tax reforms have been deadlocked since 2021. The European Commission “stands ready” to help EU governments reach an agreement on reforms to the Energy Taxation Directive proposed back in 2021, according to a leaked draft of an action plan to cut energy costs that put Europe at a disadvantage with competitors China and the US.But with tax matters one of a handful of EU policy areas where legislation requires the unanimous backing of all…

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Saudi Arabia for bilateral talks on the U.S.-Russia relationship and the future of Ukraine. Kyiv was not present for the discussions. The negotiations lasted about 4.5 hours and, according to Putin’s top aide Yuri Ushakov, “went well,” though Ushakov said there’s still “intensive work” to be done before a summit between the two presidents. Washington and Moscow agreed to establish a consultation mechanism to address “irritants” in bilateral relations “with the goal of taking the necessary steps to normalize the operation of the respective…

European countries are insisting there can be no discussions about peace in Ukraine without the direct involvement of Ukraine and Europe as talks between Washington and Moscow have started. European leaders clamouring for a seat at the negotiation table with Ukraine, Russia and the US have not started to discuss who could represent them, diplomatic sources have told Euronews.An EU source has however confirmed to Euronews that European Council President Antonio Costa “has begun a process of bilateral consultations” with the leaders of the 27 member states to work out what they are willing to do in terms of aid…