Author: staff

Published on 23/03/2026 – 15:14 GMT+1 The European Commission on Monday took final steps to provisionally apply the Mercosur trade deal from 1 May, covering Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The move uses a special procedure to ensure the deal takes effect despite a judicial review launched by the European Parliament after a pivotal 21 January vote suspended ratification. “The priority now is turning this EU-Mercosur agreement into concrete outcomes, giving EU exporters the platform they need to seize new opportunities for trade, growth and jobs,” EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said, adding: “Provisional application will allow us to begin…

An Israeli airstrike on a bridge in Lebanon has left large parts of the southern region disconnected from rest of country. The Qasmiyeh bridge In Tyre was largely destroyed after Israel struck it on Sunday. On Monday, an Israeli airstrike destroyed another bridge on the Litani river in the south. Monday’s strike on the bridge in the southern village of Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr cut a main link between the southern city of Nabatiyeh and al-Hujair valley region further south. The strikes come after Israeli officials said the military had been ordered to target additional bridges across the Litani River, in what…

Updated: 23/03/2026 – 14:38 GMT+1 Germany’s Zugspitze glacier is rapidly melting, forcing the removal of a 50-year-old ski lift. Experts warn that Bavaria’s remaining glaciers could vanish within years, highlighting the tangible effects of climate change in the Alps. … More

It may have hit airwaves 56 years ago, but one of British rock band The Kinks’ biggest hit songs still has the capacity to make headlines. ‘Lola’, penned by frontman Ray Davies, describes an encounter in a Soho bar between a young man and the titular Lola, who is possibly a trans woman or a drag queen. “Well, I’m not the world’s most physical guy / But when she squeezed me tight, she nearly broke my spine”, goes the opening of the chorus, followed by lines like “Well, I’m not dumb, but I can’t understand / Why she walks like…

Szijjártó has denied the report. Hungary’s Europe Minister János Bóka told POLITICO: “It is fake news that is now being spread as a desperate reaction to [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s] Fidesz gaining momentum in the election campaign. But the Hungarian people won’t be deceived.” Hungarians head to the polls for a crunch election on April 12. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not yet commented on the claims. Asked whether von der Leyen was aware, Commission’s Deputy Chief Spokesperson Arianna Podestà said: “The president is in Australia, so I’m not sure she’s seen reports yet.” Von der Leyen is visiting Australia to…

Published on 23/03/2026 – 13:57 GMT+1 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told President Donald Trump to withdraw all US forces from British bases within 48 hours if he chooses to leave NATO, according to a widely shared screenshot which has been shared across social media in recent weeks. The picture, posted on X, shows the transcript of an alleged statement made by Starmer, in which he declares that the UK and the rest of Europe will continue to band together in its collective defence regardless of whether the US quits the alliance. He allegedly adds that the UK would…

Published on 23/03/2026 – 12:58 GMT+1 Elon Musk has announced plans to manufacture chips for SpaceX and Tesla that will be used to power cars, robots, and artificial intelligence data centres in space. The proposed ‘Terafab’ facility will be built near Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, the billionaire said on Saturday, according to Bloomberg. It will focus on producing two types of chips: one for cars and humanoid robots, and a second for SpaceX and xAI’s use in developing space data centres. “Terafab will technically be two fabs [chip fabrication facilities], each making only one chip design,” Musk said in…

But the calculation among plotters is still likely to come down to weighing the state of the war against how bad the verdict is from voters at the May local elections. “He’s played a blinder and is exactly where most of the country is,” one Starmer critic said. “But if it’s a bloodbath in May it would still be tricky. And it feels like everyone is on maneuvers in Westminster.” That is acknowledged even in government. One minister said the outcome will be difficult to predict if election results are “catastrophic,” while another said: “There is still a feeling that…

European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen is urging EU countries to begin refilling gas reserves earlier than usual to avoid last-minute pressure and price spikes, a letter seen by Euronews reveals, following supply disruptions caused by delays in Qatari LNG shipments due to the United States and Israel’s military attacks against Iran. Jørgensen said the bloc’s security of supply remains “relatively protected” due to limited reliance on imports from Qatar and on LNG cargoes that passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route that Iran later closed, accounting for 20% of the world’s oil and gas transport. Belgium, Italy…

Published on 23/03/2026 – 12:12 GMT+1 A senior European journalist has been suspended after publishing expert quotes generated by artificial intelligence (AI) that were presented as genuine. Peter Vandermeersch inserted “dozens” of fabricated quotes into 15 of 53 articles, which he wrote for two Mediahuis websites, alleged an investigation by Dutch newspaper NRC. “There are quotes that cannot be found in the publications from which Vandermeersch claims to have obtained them, such as news articles and scientific studies,” the paper reported. Seven of the individuals cited in those articles confirmed they had never made the statements attributed to them. Vandermeersch,…