Author: staff
European lawmakers backed on Thursday a proposal to slash due diligence requirements for business operators under the European Union’s anti-deforestation law, after pressure from industry groups and countries outside Europe claimed the law was too burdensome. The ballot followed the European Commission’s announcement last month of an IT glitch that effectively delayed the law’s implementation until the end of 2026, the second delay, as the law was initially due to take effect from 30 December 2024. However, tensions among economic operators, including the United States and Brazil, have led EU governments to rethink the law last year and delay its…
For five years, Halima* worked in Afghanistan for the German Air Force in the security sector. Now she fears for her life. During her time with the aerial branch of the Bundeswehr, her personal details and facial biometrics were collected and stored. In 2012, health problems forced her to leave the role. Then the Taliban returned – and alongside them, terror. Because of her previous work with the German government, she became a target for the hardline Islamist militant group. The forgotten local hires As early as 2013, the German government had promised Halima support. She was given an email…
The phrase “sick man of Europe” has a long, ignoble history — first applied to the Ottoman Empire to describe the demise of a major economic and political power, later to Britain during stagflation and industrial unrest in the 1970s — and it is now being whispered again in the corridors of Westminster and the City. With fresh figures showing the UK economy unexpectedly shrinking by 0.1% in September and quarterly growth slowing to just 0.1%, the question is resurfacing: is Britain once again losing its economic momentum? “Today’s GDP release confirms what recent data has hinted at – the…
The changes would raise the threshold of corporate sustainability disclosure and due diligence rules so that even fewer companies will have to report on the environmental footprint. 382 MEPs voted in favor, 249 against and 13 abstained. The Parliament also voted to scrap mandatory climate transition plans for companies under EU due diligence rules, to force them to align their business models with the greenhouse gas emission reduction objectives of the Paris Agreement. It comes after months of intense negotiations in which the EPP, the center-left Socialists and Democrats and the centrist Renew group failed to reach a deal among themselves on…
Published on 13/11/2025 – 11:45 GMT+1 •Updated 12:18 The European Commission will probe whether Google is unfairly demoting news sites in its search results as a result of a policy the tech giant says is designed to fight spam. The EU executive said Thursday it had found “indications” that news sites were being deprioritised in search listings when carrying promotional third-party content, a common practice for media companies. This could impact news companies’ “freedom to conduct legitimate business, innovate, and cooperate with third-party content providers,” the Commission’s statement said. The probe will be directed at Google’s US parent company Alphabet,…
Updated: 13/11/2025 – 12:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this November 13th, 2025 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
The gin judgment comes as plant-based meat products gear up for a potential labeling fight, depending on whether a controversial “veggie burger ban” makes it through inter-institutional negotiations. A German association for combating unfair competition brought the case against PB Vi Goods, which manufactures the gin copycat. A German court referred the case to the Court of Justice, which found a “clear prohibition in EU law” because the beverage does not contain alcohol. The product can be sold, but not as “gin,” regardless of whether or not it uses terms like “non-alcoholic” or “virgin.” The top EU court has upended…
Residents across Taiwan spent Thursday clearing debris after heavy rain from tropical depression Fung-wong flooded homes and roads. The storm, which made landfall in Pingtung County on Wednesday night, injured 95 people and forced more than 8,500 to evacuate from coastal and mountain areas. Northern regions, including Yilan, recorded over a metre of rainfall since Monday, and weather officials warned of continued risks of floods and landslides. In Hualien’s Mingli Village, a creek overflowed, inundating homes and cutting off a highway. Schools and offices reopened after two days of closures. Fung-wong had earlier hit the Philippines as a super typhoon,…
By AP with Euronews Published on 13/11/2025 – 9:46 GMT+1 Online betting is more accessible than ever – and it’s also in the news, with a growing list of sports betting scandals making headlines. Public health advocates and personal finance advisers say it’s important to know the risks if you’re going to gamble online. “Gambling and ‘responsibly’ seem to be oxymoronic, because if you’re gambling it’s all about risk,” said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of personal finance site Investopedia. “But people still do it. Online gambling and sports betting are only becoming more popular”. Most countries in the European Union allow at…
The newly negotiated compromise, released Thursday morning, takes a different path. It introduces mandatory registration and medical screening, but makes any move toward compulsory service dependent on a separate parliamentary decision — a political middle ground. Under the new plan, all 18-year-olds will be formally registered for service, with men required to complete a compulsory questionnaire about their fitness and willingness to serve. In a significant shift, the parties agreed to reinstate mandatory medical examinations for male 18-year-olds starting with those born in 2008, giving the government early visibility into who could serve if needed. But the real compromise lies…