Author: staff
“A text message barely takes any room on a modern phone. Like, you would need to get hundreds of thousands of text messages for it to actually make a difference,” Belgian ethical hacker Inti De Ceukelaire said, calling the Commission’s explanation “a non-argument.” “Why doesn’t she change to a phone with more storage?” asked Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for data and analytics at technology market research firm IDC in Europe. Ursula von der Leyen is in the hot seat over a text message she received from French President Emmanuel Macron last year urging her to block the EU-Mercosur trade deal, as first…
Published on 26/09/2025 – 7:00 GMT+2 •Updated 7:17 The European Commission approved the regrouping of €545 million for Hungary from its previously frozen cohesion funds but most payments remain subject to the rule of law conditions set earlier. As part of the mid-term review process of the cohesion policy, the Commission adopted a decision on the reprogramming of €545 million by Hungary from the Economic Development and Digital programmes to new STEP priorities. “However, since Hungary continues to not fulfil the Horizontal Enabling Condition on the Charter of Fundamental Rights relating to academic freedom, the newly reprogrammed funds will not…
By AP with Eleanor Butler Published on 26/09/2025 – 7:43 GMT+2 •Updated 7:52 President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he will put import taxes of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture and 25% on heavy trucks starting on 1 October. The posts on his social media site showed that Trump’s devotion to tariffs did not end with the trade frameworks and import taxes that were launched in August, a reflection of the president’s confidence that taxes will help to reduce the government’s budget deficit while increasing domestic manufacturing. While Trump did…
The leader of Moldova’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has said the upcoming elections will “define the country’s future not just for the next four years, but for many, many years ahead.” Igor Grosu’s party has held a strong parliamentary majority since 2021, but risks losing it in Sunday’s vote to elect a new 101-seat legislature, with no other viable pro-European alternatives on the ballot but several Russia-friendly ones. Grosu, who is also the speaker of parliament, said Sunday’s vote is no longer just a choice between East and West, but a choice between peace and war. “Peace…
Updated: 26/09/2025 – 7:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this September 26th, 2025 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
Published on 26/09/2025 – 7:00 GMT+2 European exports to the United States have taken a hit in recent months, dragged down by higher tariffs from Washington and a stronger euro, making European goods pricier for American buyers. According to UN Comtrade data, in July 2025 the US imported $53.7 billion (€46.6bn) worth of goods from the European Union, down 10% from July last year. Over the past three reported months, EU exports to the US totalled $168.1 billion (€147.1bn), down sharply from $213.2bn (€197.3bn) in the previous quarter. That figure had nonetheless been boosted by a front-loading rush in March,…
Published on 26/09/2025 – 6:49 GMT+2 If you live under a flight path, the roar of departing planes could soon get even louder. A new study from the University of Reading has found that airports across Europe could become noisier as the planet warms. Published in the journal Aerospace this week, the research shows that climate change could alter how planes take off, leaving aircraft closer to the ground for longer and exposing more people to disruptive noise pollution. How climate change alters the sound of departing planes The team at Reading looked at aircraft performance at 30 European airports…
Constantin Schreiber: Israel zwischen Tragödie, Trauma und Hoffnung – POLITICO Skip to main content
While China is the world’s top consumer and producer of plastic, the country has also ushered in several restrictions on the production, sale and consumption of single-use plastics in a bid to stem a national pollution crisis. This has made it more aligned with high-ambition countries than some other major plastic producers. The Asian superpower and world’s biggest plastic producer subtly changed its language on tackling the plastic crisis. | Adek Berry/Getty Images Observers also see the country looking to expand its global influence via the U.N. — especially in the wake of the U.S. retreat from multilateralism. “We should…
The Reform duo also urged the Bank to stop the active selling of the gilts it bought during the QE period, something that several analysts and investors have argued is putting unnecessary upward pressure on the government’s borrowing costs. Tice told POLITICO on Thursday that stopping gilt sales alone could have taken around £1.5 billion off the government’s bill for debt interest this year. The Bank argues that the taxpayer wouldn’t end up paying any less in the long run, though. Reform is now seeking a full parliamentary debate on ‘quantitative tightening’, or QT, when MPs return from their recess,…