Author: staff

PARIS — Prosecutors in Paris opened an investigation Wednesday into allegations that Chinese citizens had sought to capture sensitive French government and military data using Starlink. “Four people were brought before the investigating judge for indictment, with two of them being remanded in custody,” the public prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Investigators are looking into possible acts of “delivering information to a foreign power or a company or organization under foreign control, or to their agents, in a manner likely to harm the fundamental interests of [France],” the statement added — a crime that can lead to up to…

Published on 04/02/2026 – 18:07 GMT+1 As the Web Summit Qatar drew to a close, conversations showed no signs of slowing. From startups and artists to policymakers and engineers, the summit brought together different worlds around a shared question: how technology is shaping daily life. That focus is reflected in the numbers. Since Web Summit Qatar 2025, 69 startups from the summit’s Startup Programme have raised a combined $205 million (€173.6m). AI and machine learning led the way, accounting for $125 million (€105.8m) of that total. Data and analytics followed with $41 million (€34.7m), and fintech raised $26 million (€22m),…

In Litauen erreicht der Aufbau der Panzerbrigade 45 einen neuen Meilenstein: Die Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania wird offiziell unterstellt, Deutschlands bislang größtes Auslandsprojekt der Bundeswehr nimmt sichtbar Gestalt an. Rixa Fürsen berichtet direkt aus Kaunas über eisige Temperaturen, fehlende Infrastruktur und warum diese Brigade als Leuchtturm der Zeitenwende gilt.Außerdem: Außenminister Johann Wadephul wirbt in Canberra für ein neues Freihandelsabkommen. Warum Australien strategisch wichtiger wird – als Partner gegen Protektionismus, für Rohstoffsicherheit bei Lithium und Kupfer, und für eine regelbasierte Handelsordnung jenseits von Mercosur und Indien.Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team…

Published on 04/02/2026 – 18:00 GMT+1 An extraordinary plenary session of the European Parliament will be held in Brussels on 24 February to mark the fourth anniversary of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia, and to approve a €90 billion loan to Kyiv from European Union member states. The decision was taken during the Parliament’s Conference of Presidents on Wednesday on the initiative of Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola, internal sources told Euronews. During the one-day session, the Parliament will hold a debate on the war and approve the loan for Ukraine, funded through joint debt, which was officially agreed on Wednesday by…

The Budapest court found Maja T. guilty of attempting to inflict life-threatening bodily harm and membership in a criminal organization. The prosecution had sought a 24-year prison sentence, arguing the verdict should serve as a deterrent; the defendant has a right to appeal. German politicians on the left condemned the court’s decision. “The Hungarian government has politicized the proceedings against Maja T. from the very beginning,” Helge Limburg, a Greens lawmaker focused on legal policy, wrote on X. “It’s a bad day for the rule of law.” The case sparked political tensions between Hungary and Germany after Maja T. went…

Published on 04/02/2026 – 16:11 GMT+1 Active wars near EU borders and disinformation have emerged as the greatest concerns for European citizens, according to a Eurobarometer survey published by the European Parliament on Wednesday. The survey, conducted last autumn, found 72% of respondents expressed high worry about active wars near EU borders, whilst 69% said they were highly concerned about disinformation. Other major security concerns included terrorism (67%), natural disasters worsened by climate change (66%) and cyber-attacks from non-EU countries (66%). “What is striking is to see that it’s across member states,” European Parliament spokesperson Delphine Colard told Euronews. “Maybe…

Bulgarian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation after hundreds of women were secretly filmed during intimate cosmetic procedures at beauty salons, with footage distributed across pornographic websites without their knowledge or consent. Women were filmed by hidden cameras while undergoing laser hair removal and other procedures, often while fully naked. Some recordings date back to 2023 and have since appeared on dozens of pornographic websites and Telegram groups. More than 100 complaints have been filed with police in the Black Sea city of Burgas alone, according to prosecutor Maria Markova. The scandal has involved at least two beauty salons in…

The PM said he wants MPs to see “the full documentation,” and “the extent to which … time and time again Mandelson completely misrepresented the extent of his relationship with Epstein, and lied throughout the process — including in response to the due diligence.” Mandelson will also be stripped of his membership of the Privy Council — a group of senior public figures who traditionally advised the monarch, who can use the title “right honourable,” Starmer said. Earlier Wednesday Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the prime minister will release information into the public domain about how Mandelson was appointed, his…

Once known primarily as a battery manufacturer, BYD has evolved into one of the world’s most influential electric vehicle makers, recently overtaking Tesla in global EV sales. In 2025, BYD sold 2.26 million battery-electric vehicles, comfortably surpassing Tesla’s 1.63 million deliveries. But according to BYD’s executive vice president Stella Li, who last year was voted World Car Person of the Year, the company’s vision has always been clear. “Our dream was always to produce electric cars,” she told Euronews Next at the World Government Summit in Dubai. “While continuing to grow, we had the chance to buy a car company.…

The list of weapons Kyiv will be able to buy outside the bloc includes air and missile defense systems, fighter aircraft ammunition and deep-strike capabilities. If the U.K. wants to take part in procurement deals beyond that, it will have to contribute financially to help cover interest payments on the loan. The text also mentions that the British contribution — to be agreed in upcoming negotiations with the European Commission — should be proportional with the potential gains of its defense firms taking part in the scheme.  France led the effort to ensure that EU countries — which are paying…