Author: staff
Published on 02/02/2026 – 16:51 GMT+1 Capitalism has already ended and the world has entered an era of “techno-feudalism” where big tech companies wield unprecedented power over human behaviour, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said. Speaking to Euronews after his panel at Web Summit Qatar, where he delivered a stark warning about the state of the global economy, Varoufakis said debates about capitalism miss the point. “Capitalism has already ended and we don’t even know it,” he emphasised. The growth of stablecoins is quietly reshaping the financial system in risky ways, Varoufakis said. “(US President) Donald Trump, with the…
Published on 02/02/2026 – 15:59 GMT+1 Finland is harnessing the unexpected power of sand to decarbonise industrial heat – a major “blind spot” in global emissions. Industrial heat production is one of the largest and hardest-to-solve sources of carbon emissions, accounting for around one fifth of the world’s total energy consumption. Hot steam is required across many sectors, from food production to chemical processing, and most of that heat is currently generated from fossil fuels (around 80 per cent comes from oil and gas). The issue with heat demand Electrifying industrial heat is no easy feat due to the variable…
By Euronews with AP Published on 02/02/2026 – 15:28 GMT+1 Indonesia allowed Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok to resume operations in the country on a conditional basis and under strict supervision, weeks after banning it for explicit sexual content. Grok came under fire for generating sexually explicit deepfakes of women and minors early last month. Indonesia and Malaysia were the first two countries that blocked access to the chatbot. Malaysian authorities lifted the temporary restriction after the company took security and preventive measures. Malaysian regulators said they met last week with X’s representatives and would continue to monitor the situation. Musk’s…
The EU’s long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU nationals began being phased in last October. The gradual scale-up of the biometric border technology has already experienced teething problems, causing significant delays for air, ferry and Eurotunnel passengers. A survey by Holiday Extras last year found that 82 per cent of respondents were unclear as to how the new EES will impact trips, with 35 per cent unaware that the new rules come this weekend. Nearly one in five holidaymakers has already changed or cancelled travel plans, with many citing worries about border delays. If you are due to travel to…
Published on 02/02/2026 – 15:54 GMT+1 Elon Musk has hit out at Oscar winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan over his casting choices for his upcoming film The Odyssey, which is anticipated to be one of the most exciting releases of the year. Nolan’s adaptation of the ancient Greek epic by Homer is the first narrative feature shot entiremy with IMAX cameras and features an all-star cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. And it’s Nyong’o’s involvement that seems to have rubbed Musk up the wrong way, as…
The correspondence covers Whitehall thinking at the time of a major economic crisis, and it is highly unusual for such top-level discussions to be circulated outside of the British government. The exchange took place a year after Epstein, the late financier, pled guilty to solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18. In the chain, Mandelson wrote: “Interesting note that’s gone to the PM.” Epstein replied: “What salable assets?” The message by Butler was also sent to Brown’s key civil service aide Jeremy Heywood, his Private Secretary Christina Scott and Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office Shriti…
Published on 02/02/2026 – 15:39 GMT+1 When the power goes out at these temperatures, it is not just the lights that die. Without electricity, the water pumps stop working, cutting off water supply. Without heat, the pipes inside buildings freeze and burst, causing long-term damage that can’t be fixed until spring. And electric heaters? They are useless without a grid to power them. And in this war, the energy grid has effectively become the “Fourth Front”. Ukraine’s system is battered. This is the result of Russia’s almost-four-year campaign targeting critical infrastructure. The damage is now so significant that even without…
As it has every year since 1887, Groundhog Day was marked on 2 February, with Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow and predicting six more weeks of winter. The announcement came at dawn at Gobbler’s Knob, where handlers translated the groundhog’s verdict for a large crowd. By tradition, a visible shadow means winter lingers, while no shadow signals an early spring. The ritual draws tens of thousands each year and traces its roots to old European farming customs. It gained wider attention after the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Visitors come for the mood as much as the message, dressed in costumes…
“Where Europe has federated, [such as] on trade, on competition, on the single market, on monetary policy, we are respected as a power and negotiate as one,” he said, citing trade agreements recently negotiated with India and Latin America. Draghi’s call comes as Europe struggles to keep pace with the U.S. and China, and is facing Russian aggression in Ukraine plus a transatlantic ally that no longer acknowledges the benefits of its historic European ties. “This is a future in which Europe risks becoming subordinated, divided and de-industrialized at once, and a Europe that cannot defend its interests will not…
Startups and companies find it hard to expand across the EU because they must follow 27 sets of rules. Operating in more countries increases costs. Differences in tax systems, laws, and regulations also make it harder to attract investors. The solution? A de facto “28th regime”, the EU-INC. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced this plan at the World Economic Forum. The goal is to make it easier for startups to compete by reducing regulations and making company operations more efficient and digital. With EU-INC, companies could register online in 48 hours, follow one set of rules, and…