Author: staff
“We need to be able to act effectively and to act quickly,” she said about the needed changes in the EU Executive’s machinery. “That means simpler procedures, clearer structures, better cooperation across departments so that our colleagues can focus their efforts where it makes the greatest difference.” The external group, consisting of Day and eight other experts with experience in national administrations and international organizations including the OECD and OSCE, put forward nine interrelated recommendations aimed at making the Commission more agile and better equipped to adapt to future challenges. Among its main proposals is a shift away from working…
In Odesa, firefighters were tackling a blaze at a private industrial facility when Russian forces struck the same location twice more, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. The crews took shelter and escaped injury, but fire and rescue equipment was damaged. More than 50 rescuers were deployed, and authorities reported no casualties in the Odesa attacks. At a second site in the region, four garages were damaged, a fire broke out and one car was destroyed. In Zaporizhzhia, the overnight attack damaged private homes, a hotel, two buses and outbuildings. Three cars and dry vegetation caught fire, while rescuers searched…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 14:41 GMT+1 Germany’s closely watched ifo Business Climate Index increased to 90.2 points in October, up from 89.9 points in September, according to data released on Monday. The ifo Business Climate Index is a highly regarded early indicator of economic developments in Germany, published on a monthly basis by the Munich-based Institute for Economic Research. “German economic resilience continues as the Ifo index has increased for the sixth consecutive month,” wrote Carsten Brzeski, head of global macro at ING, in a research note. Despite companies being slightly less satisfied with their current business situation, the overall…
In a major win for travellers, we revealed last week that Airbnb had changed its rules, banning hosts from asking guests to complete chores like stripping the bed linens or washing up dishes before check out. The response from guests has been overwhelmingly positive, with many social media users sharing photos of long check-out task lists from previous stays. The response from hosts has been… not quite so positive. At all. Some Airbnb hosts are even calling for a boycott of the platform timed for when the ban on check-out chores comes into effect on 20 November. Check out some…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 11:40 GMT+1 This summer, Elon Musk promised that his AI tool Grok Imagine would create a feature-length version of Homer’s ancient Greek poem “The Odyssey”, after spending months railing against Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey with racist and transphobic outbursts and “go woke, go broke” rants. “Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer,” he posted. Now, the trolling tech mogul has followed through. Partially. Grok has shared a seven-minute, AI-generated episode of “The Odyssey” series on X, stated to…
The ex-PM also opts for some more grounded policy dreams. She envisages a 2040 in which “there are now no European Union laws in Britain,” a “permissive regime for artificial intelligence” is in place, and tumbling energy costs and faster planning timelines have helped make the U.K. a leader in AI. “Bitcoin received tax treatment consistent with its status as a form of money for commercial purposes,” she imagines. “No central bank digital currency was introduced.” Since leaving office after a revolt in her own party, Truss has dismissed claims her economic decisions — which included a huge energy bills…
Foreign investment is rising even as the number of new projects falls, according to a UN report released during the World Investment Forum in Doha. The ninth edition of the forum, organised by UN Trade and Development, known as UNCTAD, and hosted by Qatar, runs from 25 to 27 October. Governments, businesses and financial institutions are meeting to discuss how more countries can attract investment and turn it into jobs. Published on Sunday, UNCTAD’s Global Investment Trends Monitor found that larger transactions were helping push up investment totals, even as the number of new projects and cross-border deals fell. In…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 11:18 GMT+1•Updated 11:23 Oil prices tumbled on Monday morning as diplomatic efforts to calm the Iran war gathered pace and US President Donald Trump said he was weighing a deal with Tehran. Brent, the global oil benchmark, fell more than 6% from about $117.4 per barrel at Friday’s close to around $110 at the time of writing, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate dropped about 2% to $101.5 per barrel. Friday’s close was Brent’s highest since 19 March and only about 2% below the $119.5 peak hit in early March, at the start of the Iran…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 12:52 GMT+1 A Japanese internet infrastructure company is compensating customers affected by unauthorised transactions following a cyberattack on its cloud service. GMO Internet announced on Saturday that it would cover losses from unauthorised trading linked to the attack and issue a ¥5,000 (€28) goodwill payment to all customers currently using the affected service, regardless of whether they had suffered financial losses. The attack targeted Onamae.com Desktop Cloud, a virtual private server service used by customers to access remote desktop environments. GMO said customer information had been taken and some users had reported transactions in their trading…
At the rally in the U.S. state of Georgia, Trump announced Audi plans to invest around $4 billion to build a new factory and begin producing cars in the U.S. for the first time. Döllner joined Trump on stage and thanked him for his support. The announcement comes as Volkswagen faces a deep crisis amid a major restructuring in Germany, with factory closures and mass layoffs expected. MEP Dennis Radtke from the center-right Christian Democratic Union party also lambasted Döllner’s appearance at the Republican campaign rally. “Donald Trump’s policies are massively damaging German industry, including the automotive industry,” he told…