Author: staff

Around 10,793 victims of human trafficking were registered in the EU in 2023, an increase of 6.9% compared with the previous year, according to the latest Eurostat figures. So far, this is the highest recorded value between 2008 and 2023. In 2023, there were 24 registered victims of trafficking in human beings per one million inhabitants in the EU – a rise from 23 registered victims per one million inhabitants in 2022. The highest rates in the EU were observed in Luxembourg, Greece, the Netherlands, Austria, and Sweden, while the lowest rates were observed in Croatia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic.”Higher rates could…

Rescue teams in Myanmar, including international responders, continue to clear rubble in Naypyitaw following the devastating earthquake.The 7.7 magnitude quake near Mandalay on 28 March has claimed 3,564 lives, left 5,012 people injured and 210 missing, according to the military.The disaster caused widespread destruction across six regions, leaving many areas without power and communication, complicating relief efforts. In the capital, locals are clearing debris from damaged homes, while rescue teams, including Russian workers, search for survivors. Damage to roads and bridges makes access to affected areas difficult, delaying the full assessment of the devastation.

China has accused the United States of economic bullying, protectionism and unilateralism, following Washington’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese imports. Beijing also urged American firms, including Tesla, to “take concrete actions” to help resolve the dispute.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that the “America First” approach was harming global production, supply chains and economic recovery. The remarks come after US President Donald Trump announced a further 34% tariff on Chinese goods last week, following earlier rounds of 10% tariffs in February and March. Trump linked the new measures to China’s alleged role in the fentanyl crisis.The raft of tariffs caused…

Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek has introduced a new way to improve the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs) to deliver better and faster results to general queries than its competitors. DeepSeek sparked a frenzy in January when it came onto the scene with R1, an artificial intelligence (AI) model and chatbot that the company claimed was cheaper and performed just as well as OpenAI’s rival ChatGPT model. Collaborating with researchers from China’s Tsinghua University, DeepSeek said in its latest paper released on Friday that it had developed a technique for self-improving AI models. The underlying technology is called self-principled critique tuning (SPCT),…

Trump then threatened to hit European alcohol products with a massive 200 percent tariff. Such a measure could decimate the industry and would disproportionally hurt France, one of Europe’s largest alcohol exporters. The French government has been for weeks urging the European Commission to spare bourbon. Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron hinted at the fact that France obtained what it wanted, noting that “difficulties that may have come up on the first versions of the lists have been corrected.” As a European commissioner, Séjourné is expected to act on behalf of the entire EU and not represent France’s interests…

A Russian court has reduced the prison sentence of a US soldier who was convicted last year of theft and making threats of murder, state media reported on Monday, in the latest signal of thawing relations between Washington and Moscow. US Staff Sergeant Gordon Black was sentenced by a court in the port city of Vladivostok in June 2024 to three years and nine months in jail. An appeals court cut that sentence to three years and two months, according to Russia’s RIA and Tass state news agencies.The 34-year-old flew to Vladivostok in April 2024 to see his girlfriend, Alexandra…

Last summer, Spain erupted with protests driven by the soaring tourist numbers putting a strain on residents’ daily lives.More than 90 million foreign visitors descended on the country in 2024, and consultancy firm Braintrust estimates that the number of arrivals will rocket to 115 million by 2040. Angered by the inadequate government measures to manage the flow, locals across Spain staged hunger strikes, plastered visitor hotspots with anti-tourism messages, and squirted tourists with water guns. As the Easter holidays approach, the anti-tourism sentiment is brewing once again, and protests are ramping up. Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in protests held across the…

EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said that ministers will discuss “how to … prevent eventual trade diversion and how to make sure that [the European trading system] will provide adequate support and services for the European companies in this very difficult situation.” While he called over the weekend not to escalate tensions with the United States, the Spanish minister didn’t rule out going after trade in services, including by hitting Silicon Valley and Wall Street. He added that the bloc should make use of all the tools it has at its disposal, including the Anti-Coercion Instrument — which is one…

A few dozen protesters gathered Monday outside the Jerusalem residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for a deal securing the release of all hostages.The gathering took place ahead of Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, where the Israeli PM is set to meet with US President Donald Trump.Monday also marked one and a half years since Hamas militants launched their 7 October assault on southern Israel, killing over 1,250 people and taking more than 250 people hostage. According to Israeli authorities, 24 hostages are believed to be alive. The demonstration saw protesters reading out the names of those still…

The moves are the result of a weekend of mixed commentary from U.S. officials, from Trump downward, which made clear that the trade war could get worse before it gets better. “We have massive Financial Deficits with China, the European Union, and many others. The only way this problem can be cured is with TARIFFS,” Trump posted on social media on Sunday, reinforcing fears that the measures announced last week are intended to be permanent, rather than a negotiating ploy in the pursuit of other, broader policy goals. The EU is expected to announce retaliatory measures later this week, while…