The European Union and Germany are making an urgent push to persuade Italy to support a long-delayed free trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc, warning the deal could collapse if it is not signed soon. The pact, negotiated over 25 years, would be the EU’s largest trade agreement in terms of tariff reductions, but […]
Germany’s private sector growth lost more momentum in December, marking the second straight month of deceleration, according to a PMI survey. The HCOB flash composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 51.5 from 52.4 in November, its lowest level in four months, though it remained above the 50 mark that signals expansion for a seventh consecutive […]
The European Commission is poised to ease its 2035 ban on new combustion-engine cars, allowing up to 10% of sales to include non-electric options like plug-in hybrids and range extenders using CO2-neutral biofuels or synthetic fuels. This reversal follows intense lobbying from Germany, Italy, and Europe’s auto sector, including giants like BMW, Mercedes-Benz,
Romania’s coalition government on Monday survived a no-confidence vote in parliament over its economic policies and reform agenda, marking the sixth such challenge it has overcome in just six months. The motions were largely driven by public opposition to tax increases and spending cuts aimed at narrowing the European Union’s largest budget deficit and protecting […]
France is urging the European Union to delay a vote on ratifying the EU–Mercosur free trade agreement, citing strong opposition from farmers and recent protests across the country. The deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, signed a year ago but not yet ratified, aims to open new markets for European exporters facing pressure from […]
France’s Louvre Museum was closed on Monday after employees began a rolling strike over pay, staffing shortages, and deteriorating working conditions, disrupting access to the world’s most-visited museum during a peak tourist period. The walkout comes just two months after a high-profile jewel heist and follows recent infrastructure issues, including a water leak that
Ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and the United States continued for a second day in Berlin, with Washington saying “a lot of progress was made.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and chief negotiator Rustem Umerov held extended talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander
Major cities across Europe and the United States have heightened security around Hanukkah celebrations following a deadly shooting at a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Authorities in Berlin, London, New York and Warsaw increased police presence at synagogues, public menorah lightings and other Jewish sites as a precaution. The measures come amid concerns […]
Spain has emerged as one of Europe’s renewable energy leaders, now generating over half of its electricity from wind and solar power. Regions such as Aragón, dotted with wind turbines and solar farms, symbolise this transition. The shift has also attracted major foreign investment, including a €4bn battery factory near Figueruelas backed by China’s CATL […]
European Union fisheries ministers reached an agreement on fishing quotas for 2026, avoiding stricter limits previously proposed for the Mediterranean region. The deal was finalised after two days of negotiations in Brussels and was welcomed by Spain, which had strongly opposed a European Commission plan to reduce trawler fishing days in Mediterranean waters. Under the









