Author: staff
If a toy were determined to be unsafe, the government could intervene through the Product Safety and Metrology Act passed last year, which grants it increased powers to impose regulations on consumer products put on the U.K. market, including those sold online. The government has also said it will consult shortly on “major reforms” to the U.K.’s product safety framework to tackle the prevalence of unsafe products sold to Brits and increase the regime’s enforcement powers. In a written statement in December, Digital Economy Minister Liz Lloyd said the government was committed to reviewing the regulations for toys, which would “examine…
Published on 20/03/2026 – 13:18 GMT+1 Two of the world’s largest bot networks were shut down in a major international operation, authorities announced on Friday. German, US and Canadian cybercrime specialists joined forces to dismantle Aisuru and Kimwolf, suspected of being behind major online attacks. They “posed a significant threat to IT infrastructure due to their size and associated attack capacitym,” said German police, prosecutors and cybercrime officials. A botnet is a network of computers or connected devices that have been infected with malware and are controlled secretly by an operator, who uses them for malicious purposes like attacks or…
Meta has reversed course on plans to end virtual reality support for Horizon Worlds, the social media platform once pitched as a cornerstone of the company’s metaverse vision. On March 17, Meta told users that Horizon Worlds would no longer be supported on Quest headsets from June 15, with the platform instead continuing on mobile and web. But the decision lasted barely a day. In an Instagram Q&A, Meta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth said the company had decided to keep Horizon Worlds running in virtual reality (VR) after fans said they were “heartbroken” by the move. Meta will keep…
Travellers heading to Spain this Easter are being warned of flight disruption as airport staff prepare to strike. Spanish unions have called for industrial action at several major airports, with workers responsible for baggage handling, aircraft turnaround, boarding, and other essential ground services all set to walk out. The stoppages will coincide with a peak travel period, when millions of passengers pass through Spanish airports. Here’s what travellers need to know. Major Spanish airports brace for strike disruption Airport ground staff are planning to strike during the busy Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) travel period. The walkouts have been called…
This European Council summit was meant to be different — when Europe finally got serious about boosting homegrown industry and driving its own destiny without reacting to Donald Trump. But it was not to be. POLITICO’s Zoya Sheftalovich, Nick Vinocur and Zia Weise join EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton for late-night analysis of the response to high energy prices fueled by the war in Iran and the growing rage at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. That’s followed by Anne McElvoy’s exclusive interview with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who suggested both Iran and Israel may have committed war crimes for attacking…
Cuba is preparing to receive its first shipment of Russian oil this year, a delivery that marks the first time any oil shipment from any country has reached the island in the past three months since a US energy blockade. The anticipated shipment from Russia comes after the government announced it was operating on natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants as severe power outages continue to cause blackouts in a nation with a crumbling power grid. The Russian-flagged Anatoly Kolodkin is some 3,000 nautical miles from Cuba in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to reach the island in…
Published on 20/03/2026 – 11:36 GMT+1 Amazon has acquired the Swiss robotics company Rivr, which develops four-legged machines for “doorstep delivery,” as the tech giant invests heavily in automating its warehouse operations. Amazon laid off 16,000 white-collar workers in January and also cut 100 jobs in March in its robotics division, as the company pursues artificial intelligence “in virtually every corner of the company,” according to CEO Andy Jassy. Amazon did not publicise the Rivr acquisition but announced the deal sent to third-party delivery contractors, according to CNBC. The Information was the first to report on the deal. “We want…
British consumer goods giant Unilever said on Friday that it has received an offer from US firm McCormick & Company for its food business. “Unilever confirms that it has received an inbound offer for its Foods business and is in discussions with McCormick & Company,” the British company said in a statement on Friday. “There can be no certainty that any transaction will be agreed,” it added. A potential sale would mark a major shift for Unilever, whose brands include Dove soap, Cif surface cleaner and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, as it undergoes a wider turnaround to boost its performance. “Unilever sprung…
The war in Iran is exposing the world’s reliance on fragile fossil fuel routes, lending urgency to calls for hastening the shift to renewable energy. Fighting has all but halted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The disruption has jolted energy markets, pushing up prices and straining import-dependent economies. Asia, where most of the oil was headed, has been hit hardest, but the disruptions also are a strain for Europe, where policymakers are looking for ways to cut energy demand, and…
‘All I could do was just wait and pray’: An oral history of the Brussels bombings – POLITICO Skip to main content