Author: staff

A wave of social media posts has misleadingly interpreted a recent statement made by the European Commission, framing it as a bombshell admission that COVID-19 vaccines were passed without proper checks. “Since 2020, we’ve been told that everything was secure, that everything had been tested. Now Mrs. von der Leyen and her Brussels technocrats have at last recognised that the authorisations for COVID-19 vaccines were handed on the basis of partial dossier,” a YouTuber named ‘CharOfficiel’ said in a video which has been viewed more than 16,000 times. To support his claim, the YouTuber cites an article published by German…

Russian president Vladimir Putin “lied to Donald Trump” about his intentions to put an end to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Trump’s former envoy for Ukraine negotiations told Euronews. And this is why “it’s quite possible that the US will send Tomahawks to Ukraine,” Kurt Volker said.   On 19 August, just days after Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska, the US president hosted Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other EU leaders at the White House. Following that meeting, Trump said he was going to arrange a meeting between Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Volker says this is what Putin promised Trump…

He took a stroll, then a boat trip on the Seine, when he resigned as economy minister in 2016 to launch his presidential bid. On the night of his election in 2017, he took a three-minute victory lap around the Louvre Museum, again in the dark overcoat preferred for moments of high-drama. After Lecornu’s resignation mere hours after his government was appointed, Macron has his back against the wall, as the crisis in the eurozone’s No. 2 economy is sapping confidence in both French markets and the euro. The appointment last month of a close ally as prime minister was…

Published on 06/10/2025 – 15:43 GMT+2 Japan’s markets have just crowned a new favourite — and it’s not a company, it’s a woman. Stocks hit record highs on Monday after conservative Sanae Takaichi took the helm of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, setting her up to be Japan’s first female prime minister. The Nikkei 225 surged nearly 5%, surpassing 47,000 for the first time in its history, as investors expect Takaichi to double down on the “Abenomics” playbook. Created by former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the pro-business vision favours generous economic stimulus and low interest rates. Takaichi has also made…

The data lands as the European Commission pledges to take a harder line against tobacco and vape products, with the EU health and tax commissioners pushing to hike taxes on both to curb related illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said tobacco control efforts prevent millions of people from smoking. But, “the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people,” he said, urging governments to act “faster and stronger” in implementing proven tobacco control policies. Taking the lead Globally, in 2024, there were an estimated 1.2 billion…

However, the prime minister’s spokesman denied the account when quizzed Monday. “There was no role for any government, minister or member of the government in this decision-making process,” the spokesman said. They subsequently clarified that this included officials. The Sunday Times claimed that Jonathan Powell, the prime minister’s national security adviser, had chaired a meeting in Whitehall last month where he told officials the government’s evidence would rely on the recently published National Security Strategy. The strategy does not refer to China as an “enemy” state, calling it a “geo-strategic challenge” instead. Cash and Berry were suspected of breaching the…

Published on 06/10/2025 – 12:59 GMT+2 British author Jilly Cooper, best known for many bestselling raunchy novels including ‘Rivals’ and ‘Riders’, has died aged 88. In a statement, her family said that “Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds, and her unexpected death has come as a complete shock.” She is reported to have died on Sunday morning after suffering a fall. Cooper’s agent, Felicity Blunt added: “The privilege of my career has been working with a woman who has defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over fifty years ago.” “Jilly…

Of course, France is no stranger to short political careers. The previous shortest-lived prime minister of the Fifth Republic was Michel Barnier, who lasted a whopping 90 days in 2024. However, the all-time champ for shortest tenure as France’s head of government remains the Duke de Mortemart, who served for a matter of hours before Charles X’s absolutist regime was overthrown in the Revolution of 1830. Other brief tenures include Alexandre Ribot, who was in office for four days before resigning just ahead of the outbreak of World War I, and Édouard Daladier, who governed for a little over a…

Thousands of people dressed in red marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, urging the Dutch government to take more decisive action against Israel and help end the nearly two-year war in Gaza. The demonstration, held less than a month before national elections, follows two major rallies earlier this year in The Hague that drew tens of thousands. The Amsterdam march coincided with a weekend of international demonstrations, as hundreds of thousands protested in Rome, Barcelona and Madrid on Saturday, denouncing Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Smaller rallies were also held in Paris, Lisbon, Athens, Skopje, London and Manchester, reflecting growing…

Published on 06/10/2025 – 12:19 GMT+2 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is considering boycotting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is excluded.  When asked in an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Sunday whether Germany should voluntarily withdraw from participation in the world’s largest live music event next year if Israel is excluded, Merz said: “I would support this. I think it’s a scandal that this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there.”  Germany is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” alongside France, Italy, Spain and the UK – the countries whose broadcasters are the contest’s biggest financial contributors.  …