Author: staff

Human rights group Amnesty International is urging governments worldwide to break up with Big Tech, arguing that “the concentration of power” of a few companies has profound implications on privacy, nondiscrimination, and access to information.  A report published on Thursday, called ‘breaking up with Big Tech,’ by the group took aim at Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple. It urged governments to “rein in Big Tech and put people’s rights first”. The report comes as tech relations between the United States and Europe turn fragile after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose “substantial” additional tariffs on countries that implement…

“I think it comes more from a not wanting to shy away from difficult tradeoffs, difficult problems, and really wanting to crack on and do things quickly,” he said. “I think that’s where it’s maybe gone wrong”. Asked about whether he feels the government needs to reset its policy prospectus, given its declining poll numbers, Athwal was defiant. “A lot of things that have happened over the last year which don’t necessarily get shiny headlines and I’m not sure I’d expect the average member of the public to have noticed them,” he said. But he added: “They will make a…

In the U.S., “the manufacturer simply puts its vehicle in the market and declares that it is compliant with all the relevant U.S. regulations,” said Dudley Curtis, communications director with the European Transport Safety Council. Cars in the EU, however, must be submitted to a national type approval body in one of the member countries that is responsible for certifying the car and alerting other capitals should a recall be needed. “It’s a long and complex process,” Curtis said. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, wants to see American pickup trucks in Europe — and has denounced the dearth of U.S.…

A website showing doctored images of thousands of Italian women including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has closed down after a significant backlash. The scandal involving the online forum Phica, whose name is a play on the Italian word for vagina, was brought to public attention by MEP Alessandra Moretti, who lodged a complaint with the police. Unauthorised pictures of Moretti appeared on the site along with those of other high-profile figures such as Elly Schlein, the secretary of the country’s main opposition party. The images were accompanied by sexist and explicit comments. “They have been stealing photos and clips from…

The EU should reassess its trade deal with the United States if President Donald Trump follows through on his threats to punish the bloc over its tech regulations, Brussels’ competition chief has warned in an interview with the Financial Times. Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice president, told the newspaper in an interview published Friday that the EU must be “courageous” and “avoid the temptation of being subordinated to others’ interests” by diluting its landmark Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, which have come under attack by Trump and his allies, to appease Washington. The remarks followed Trump’s…

Published on 29/08/2025 – 9:52 GMT+2 Flash droughts are rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous weather extremes linked to climate change. In a matter of weeks, they can turn lush forests into tinder ready to burn, as demonstrated by the devastating fires in Spain in August 2025. They are a relatively new climatic phenomenon characterised by the rapid and sudden reduction of soil moisture and vegetation in very short periods of time. Unlike traditional droughts, which unfold gradually over months or even years due to prolonged lack of rainfall, flash droughts occur much faster. They typically emerge when low…

Buy low, sell high Transferring the assets into a new fund would also allow them to be placed in riskier investments capable of generating higher returns for Ukraine. That would be a change from the current rulebook, which compels Euroclear to invest the assets with the Belgian central bank, which offers the lowest risk-free rate of return available. Skeptics, including Euroclear CEO Valérie Urbain, worry, however, that EU taxpayers would have to bear the brunt of any losses resulting from the riskier operations. To share the legal and financial burden, Belgium wants other EU countries to assume liability for the…

Published on 29/08/2025 – 9:01 GMT+2 Trying to sneak an oversized bag onto a Ryanair flight is about to get more expensive. The Irish budget carrier is raising the bonuses it pays staff who stop non-compliant luggage at boarding gates, boosting the incentive from €1.50 to €2.50 per bag from November and removing the current €80 monthly cap. If caught, passengers face charges of up to €75 to check their bag into the hold. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary defended the tougher stance, telling reporters at a press conference in London this week: “We want everybody to comply with the rules.…

Kyiv is hoping that the experience of companies like Quantum Systems, which is happy with its presence in Ukraine, will entice other companies to take the plunge. “I’m frequently being asked by the Ukrainian armed forces, by the MOD, to speak with the foreign companies that are entering this market,” Lehna said. “They are asking me to talk to them and to describe the process, the challenges that they can face. And my answer is, ‘Come on.'” Bereznhy did confirm problems with Ukrainian red tape, but added: “If there was a football match between the German and Ukrainian bureaucracy, who…

“An American spin-off would ignite EU glee,” said Aurelien Portuese, a professor of competition law at George Mason University in Washington, D.C., adding that it would probably trigger a copycat response on the European side to align its rules with Chrome’s new commercial reality. Even for the most ardent European advocates of a Google break-up, a U.S. divestment order remains far more viable than a foreign one. “If a decision like this is taken, it could only come from the U.S.” said Christian Kroll, CEO of Berlin-based search engine Ecosia. Given the political climate, it would be logical both politically…