Author: staff

The controls, launched on April 12, are “critical to limit the risk of foot-and-mouth disease incursion,” according to the U.K.’s deputy chief veterinary officer for international and trade affairs, Dr. Jorge Martin-Almagro. The shop, which sold items including a 40-pack of cured sausages, is five meters from a U.K. Border Force post where British border officials are permanently stationed checking passports. A U.K. government spokesperson said: “This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot-and-mouth disease. We are working closely with Border Force, ports, airports and international travel operators, to increase awareness of the new restrictions…

While two European officials said the conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, would almost certainly be postponed, all four officials POLITICO spoke with said a final decision had not yet been taken. The United States was reportedly urging allies not to take part, arguing it would reward Hamas for spearheading the Oct. 7 terror attack that sparked the current crisis in Gaza, Reuters reported, citing a leaked diplomatic cable. Neither Macron’s office nor the U.S. Embassy in Paris immediately responded to a request for comment. French President Emmanuel Macron’s team had hoped that the event would see European states…

This year’s Global Tech Ecosystem Index has crowned Paris as the top tech hub on the continent.The report analysed tech talent, innovation and investment in 288 cities and 69 countries.The French capital also placed fourth in the global ranking, while London ranked 6th.Cambridge, Munich, Stockholm and Grenoble were the only other European cities to make it to the global top 20.Cambridge shows best talent concentration in EuropeAnalysts say the UK has been attracting fewer funds in recent years. Its startups raised just slightly more than €19 billion in 2024, reportedly the lowest amount since 2020. Nonetheless, the UK remains a…

Only mosque staff and guards were allowed to attend traditional Friday prayers, according to the Waqf, the Islamic body that manages the site. Public gatherings at the compound were banned, although the call to prayer sounded as usual.The site, known to Muslims as Al-Aqsa and to Jews as the Temple Mount, holds deep religious significance for both faiths. Nearby, the Western Wall plaza stood empty, with Jewish prayers moved indoors. Israel remains on high alert after intercepting more than 100 drones reportedly launched from Iran in response.

According to the prosecutor, an investigation provisionally indicated that the officer gave chase without switching on a blue light or siren, and that the vehicle was driven into the park, which isn’t accessible to cars, at a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour.  “Nobody wanted little Fabian to die. People sometimes forget that we are also mothers and fathers,” police chief Michel Goovaerts told a local radio station Friday. “They may have been careless, but that arrest was a big surprise,” he added. “The feeling among colleagues is: this could have happened to me too.” Earlier in the…

Video aired by Iranian state media appeared to show the aftermath of several explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility, with plumes of smoke rising and distant flashes on the horizon.Explosions were also heard in Tehran and western provinces in Iran such as Lorestan and Kermanshah.Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the strikes, saying they aimed to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.The Israeli military said over 200 jets were used in the initial wave, targeting nuclear and military sites across Iran in a mission dubbed “Rising Lion.”Iran confirmed the deaths of senior commanders and nuclear scientists, vowing retaliation as Supreme…

Meta is making a $14.3 billion (€12.4 billion) investment in artificial intelligence (AI) company Scale and recruiting its CEO Alexandr Wang to join a team developing “superintelligence” at the tech giant.The deal announced Thursday reflects a push by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to revive AI efforts at the parent company of Facebook and Instagram as it faces tough competition from rivals such as Google and OpenAI.Meta announced what it called a “strategic partnership and investment” with Scale late Thursday. Scale said the $14.3 billion investment puts its market value at over $29 billion (€25 billion).Scale said it will remain an…

In a dramatic escalation of Middle Eastern tensions, Israel launched last night a sweeping military operation targeting key Iranian infrastructure.Codenamed Operation Rising Lion, the offensive struck more than 100 locations across Iran, focusing on nuclear facilities, military leadership compounds, and air defence systems.The scale and precision of the strikes mark one of the most extensive aerial campaigns in the region in recent years.The confrontation places two of the Middle East’s most powerful militaries on a direct collision course. As the world watches anxiously, the fear is no longer about whether hostilities will escalate but how far they might go.A full-scale…

“It’s deluded for anyone to suggest that we could support a vote of no confidence that favors the PP given what that party has done to Catalan in Europe,” said Junts Secretary-General Jordi Turull, referring to the conservative party’s lobbying campaign against the recognition of Catalan as an official EU language. “I can’t imagine ever teaming up with these people,” he railed. The PP’s refusal to present a doomed motion against Sánchez allows Abascal, who is also president of the far-right Patriots party at the EU level, to imply that Spain’s mainstream political groups collude with one another. Pablo Simón,…

Published on 13/06/2025 – 12:51 GMT+2•Updated 12:51Several Tesla customers in France are suing the electric vehicle (EV) maker run by Elon Musk, alleging that the cars have become “extreme right” symbols that are harming their reputation, the law firm representing them said this week.Around 10 Tesla leaseholders are asking to terminate their contracts and recover legal costs at the Paris Commercial Court, saying that the cars turned into “far-right totems” following Musk’s support for Donald Trump’s presidential bid and Germany’s far-right AfD Party.”Because of Elon Musk’s actions… Tesla-branded vehicles have become strong political symbols and now appear to be veritable…