Author: staff
But here’s the curious thing: While the Russians and Chinese use such language to target their foes, Trump and his senior aides reserve much of their invective for supposed allies, namely Europe with Canada thrown in for good measure. And they’re utterly relentless in doing so — far more than during his first term, when there were still some more traditionally minded folks in the White House to temper or walk back the rhetoric. This all seemed to reach its pinnacle in Davos last week, where it seemed belittling European allies was part of virtually everything the U.S. delegation said…
Thirteen European countries are selling apples in markets and supermarkets with a concerning abundance of pesticide residues, commonly known as “cocktails of pesticides”, according to an NGO report urging the European Union to regulate exposure to these chemicals. Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland have reported contamination in apples, according to the latest report from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, which criticises the EU’s risk assessment procedure for looking at pesticides in silos and disregarding the “cocktail” effect. “One of the most striking results is that 85% of the tested apples…
Published on 29/01/2026 – 13:47 GMT+1 A Swiss politician was convicted on Wednesday for firing a sports pistol at an auction poster of a 14th-century painting of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus and then posting images of the damage online. Sanija Ameti, an independent Zurich council member formerly of the Green-Liberal party, was fined in suspension for “disturbing freedom of religion and worship,” the Zurich district court said in its ruling. She was handed a suspended fine totalling 3,000 Swiss francs (€3,268) and a penalty of 500 francs (€544). Prosecutors had sought a larger fine. Swiss public broadcaster RTS…
BRUSSELS — One of the European Commission’s senior officials, Henrik Hololei, breached its rules, an internal investigation found, two officials told POLITICO. Hololei, an Estonian, was subject to an investigation over allegedly violating rules on conflicts of interest, transparency, gift acceptance and document disclosure, according to documents seen by POLITICO last year. Hololei was previously a senior EU transport official in the Commission and became Hors Classe Adviser at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships. He was notified on March 21, 2025 that he faced an internal disciplinary procedure by the Commission, according to the documents seen by POLITICO.
Published on 29/01/2026 – 12:58 GMT+1 An exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels is shedding light on tourism projects from European countries with positive impacts on nature, locals and the economy. From a social enterprise making beaches more accessible to an opportunity for tourists to give back to German beauty spots, Euronews spoke with some of the innovators behind the schemes. From Germany to Serbia: The tourism projects having a positive impact Along Germany’s North Sea coast, tourists can purchase a ‘passport’ to collect stamps at museums and nature spots with QR codes giving information on the impact of…
The French National Assembly unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday that ends so-called “marital duty” following criticism about its use to ignore sexual consent in marriages. This cross-party bill, backed by more than 120 MPs, enshrines the fundamental principle that consent remains essential for any sexual act, including within marriage. Spearheaded by the MP Marie-Charlotte Garin and the president of the Horizons group Paul Christophe, the law is designed to definitively rule out the idea that spouses are obliged to have regular sexual relations. This notion is absent from the Civil Code but remains entrenched in certain court rulings and…
Published on 29/01/2026 – 12:38 GMT+1 Oil prices rose on Thursday after US President Donald Trump warned Iran that “time is running out” and said a “massive armada” was heading towards the region if Tehran failed to agree to a nuclear non-proliferation deal. In a Truth Social post, Trump said a fleet larger than the one sent to Venezuela was ready to “rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary” if Iran refused to negotiate a deal guaranteeing “no nuclear weapons”. Global benchmark Brent rose by about 2.02%, trading at around $68.73 per barrel, while US crude (WTI)…
By Theo Farrant & AP Published on 29/01/2026 – 12:19 GMT+1 Almost six weeks after Australia introduced the world’s toughest social media restrictions for children, there’s one question on everyone’s minds: is the ban actually working? Platforms say millions of underage accounts have been removed since the ban for under-16s came into force on 10 December 2025. But interviews with teenagers, parents and researchers indicate that many children are still accessing banned apps through simple workarounds, raising questions about whether the rules can be effectively enforced. Millions of accounts removed – but how many children? According to Australia’s internet regulator, around 4.7 million…
Vannacci, a polarizing figure whose nationalist and anti-immigration views have sparked repeated controversy, is currently deputy secretary of the League. But weeks of internal tensions have pushed relations within the party to breaking point. Salvini had been expected to meet his rebellious deputy for talks, but Vannacci’s latest move appears to reduce the prospect of a reconciliation, pushing the party closer to a possible split. The former general rose to prominence in Italy thanks to his on-stage charisma and his extreme views on the country’s past, with critics accusing him of historical revisionism. He has described dictator Benito Mussolini as…
The European Union’s lending arm said on Thursday that it expects to spend at least €4 billion on security and defence projects in 2026 – the same as it did last year after effectively quadrupling its financing in the area. Overall, the European Investment Bank (EIB) spent 5% of its financing in the EU on security and defence projects last year, a target it had initially planned to reach only in 2026. EIB President Nadia Calviño told reporters in Brussels this represented a “step change” for her institution, which expanded the scope of eligible activities to pure military investments, and…