Author: staff
The German leader’s absence is yet another blow to a summit that several participants criticized as directionless and poorly organized. Last week, top U.S. space companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, decided to ditch the event after the White House pressured American companies to back out. The French government had repeatedly framed the international space summit as an event co-chaired with Germany, though the occasion was largely billed online as belonging to France. On Friday, an Elysée official repeated that the event would be chaired by both France and Germany. A German diplomat, granted anonymity to speak candidly about Merz’s last-minute…
Published on 07/09/2026 – 12:14 GMT+2 Belgian prosecutors have detained a Chinese-Belgian national in connection with an espionage investigation linked to China, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has announced. The suspect was detained in May, as he was about to board a flight to Beijing, though authorities disclosed the arrest only now. Prosecutors are investigating charges of espionage, participation in a criminal organisation, misuse of company assets and unlawful disclosure of trade secrets in connection with Belgian semiconductor company BELGAN BV, which went bankrupt in 2024, leaving 400 employees without jobs. According to prosecutors, the 52-year-old suspect held a senior research…
Around 100 professional clowns took to the streets of Mariana in Brazil during the International Clown Gathering, joined by circus enthusiasts in colourful costumes and face paint. The event brings together circus artists and audiences to celebrate the art form and introduce it to younger generations. Music, costumes and make-up fill the streets as participants perform and interact with crowds. Organisers say it also gives regional artists a chance to showcase their work. Held in the historic centre of Mariana, in the state of Minas Gerais, the gathering aims to keep circus traditions alive while drawing new audiences to the…
Published on 07/09/2026 – 11:37 GMT+2 French-owned EDF Energy is one of a handful of parties negotiating with British So Energy’s owners, Sky News reported, and faces at least one rival bidder whose identity has not been established. If EDF prevails in the auction, industry insiders expect the transaction to cover So Energy’s customer base rather than the company as a whole. So Energy has roughly 300,000 household electricity customers and was founded back in 2015. Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board took a controlling stake in 2021 and put the business under review this summer, appointing PwC to run the sale.…
Kallas has been in intense competition with the Commission over these plans, but an EU official said the reason for the cancellation was pressure from some capitals. “Some member states felt this was not the right path to pursue at this moment,” said the official. “After some discussion with ministers, we have decided not to proceed with the initiative, we are looking at new ways of engaging with member states.” The presentation had been meant to take place in Brussels at the Bibliothèque Solvay on Monday morning, with some 150 people from EU institutions, think tanks, academia and NATO expected…
Europe is recovering after a summer of heatwaves and droughts that have devastated crops and left many farmers facing huge financial losses. To help farmers cope, the European Commission is urging member states to make use of “flexibilities” in the EU’s farm subsidy programme. But Hansen admits no new money will be available for farmers. Instead, he asks for the “solidarity” of consumers and advises against expecting “a certain quality” of produce this year.
An Amazon cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, hitting several vehicles and catching fire. The aircraft, Prime Air Flight 7598 from Puerto Rico, came to rest near the northwest end of the airport. US authorities said five people died and five were injured. The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said crews arrived to find the plane ablaze, with heavy flames and smoke from a complex engine fire. Around 200 emergency personnel responded. All runways and taxiways were closed and a ground stop was issued while the disabled aircraft was assessed.…
By Bill Wirtz, EU Tech Loop with Euronews Published on 07/09/2026 – 10:00 GMT+2 When I visited an agricultural expo in Izmir, Turkey, three years ago, the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture was constrained to running the numbers on inventory, and were sold as specialised products by companies that had booths far behind those of major tractor manufacturers. However, that is changing. Here are 5 ways in which AI is reforming the way we grow food and feed: Monitoring the situation Crop monitoring remains a venture of intuition. Farmers need to know how their crops are affected by pests and…
Published on 07/09/2026 – 10:09 GMT+2 Dolly Parton’s sister has hit out after her family has been subjected to a “tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage” following the country icon’s death. While acknowledging the “genuine” support shared, Stella Parton has expressed that her and her family have experienced “incredible pressure and insensitivity from strangers”. “Firstly let me say, thank you to the ones of you who have shown ‘genuine’ support and love during this time of our family bereavement,” she wrote on Instagram. “We will be okay in time but each of us will grieve in our own peronal…
Saxony-Anhalt’s incumbent premier Sven Schulze, from the CDU, struck a more sober note on Sunday night. “Some say this is a dark day for Saxony-Anhalt. I say: That’s democracy,” he told ARD. “The people went to the polls today.” The rout piles pressure on Merz, who once vowed to cut the AfD in half but has been chancellor while the far-right party has boomed in the polls. Social Democratic Party co-leader Lars Klingbeil called the vote a “signal to Berlin” and said the result should prompt the federal government to reflect on its policies. Co-leader Bärbel Bas said the result…