Author: Euronews

The Danish toy manufacturer’s 2023 revenue was up 2% compared with the previous year, reaching DKK 65.9 billion (€88.4 billion). ADVERTISEMENTLast year’s growth was significantly lower than 2022’s, when Lego’s revenue grew by 17% compared with the previous year. It is the slowest growth the Danish brand has had since 2017, a symptom of the struggling toy industry. The economic crisis has recently forced many households into reconsidering their expenses, especially around the holidays which are the biggest time of the year for the toy market. Many, for instance, chose to turn to second-hand presents, or simply to have fewer presents under…

The reform of the European Union’s migration policy will not encourage the outsourcing of asylum requests, Ylva Johansson has said. ADVERTISEMENT”Do we need to work with third countries to manage migration? My answer is definitely yes. We are already doing that and it’s necessary to do it even more. Nobody can manage migration alone,” the European Commissioner for Home Affairs said on Tuesday afternoon. “So we need to work with partner countries and we need to work along the routes and we need to fight the smugglers together.” “Should we send away people that are on the EU territory applying for asylum to…

John Barnett, former employee of plane manufacturer Boeing, has died after raising the alarm about the firm’s production standards. ADVERTISEMENTBoeing whistleblower John Barnett, who brought to light swathes of alleged safety concerns with the US aircraft manufacturer’s planes, has been found dead in his truck in South Carolina.The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death on Monday and announced that an investigation is ongoing.Police believe that the 62-year-old died on Saturday from a “self-inflicted” wound.In the days leading up to his death, Barnett had been giving evidence in a lawsuit against his former employer. He had worked for the firm for more…

Ukraine and Moldova could soon make some headway in their paths towards EU membership after the European Commission on Tuesday sent its draft frameworks for accession talks to member states. ADVERTISEMENTThe frameworks, which set out the principles and guidelines that will steer Brussels’ accession talks with both Kyiv and Chișinău, will require the unanimous endorsement of all 27 EU leaders.If approved, it could see both countries edge closer to their ambition of fully-fledged EU membership.“Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment and has made substantial progress on its EU path,” the EU’s high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said…

The club also announced the completion of a key minority investment by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. ADVERTISEMENTEnglish football club Manchester United announced their second quarter fiscal year 2024 on Tuesday, clocking in record revenues of £225.8 million (€263.8 million). This was mainly on the back of ongoing robust Matchday turnout, with all teams seeing a record number of supporters in attendance. Benefits driven by UEFA Champions League participation also contributed to this figure.The club saw operating profits of £27.5 million in the last quarter of 2023, as well as a net income of £20.4 million. Basic earnings per share was 12.49 pence.“We…

The former news correspondent was the primary contact between the Provisional IRA and Ireland’s public broadcaster for much of the 1990s. ADVERTISEMENTCharlie Bird, one of Ireland’s most respected journalists, passed away on Monday after a long battle with motor neurone disease. During his 40-year career at national broadcaster RTÉ, Bird covered pivotal stories in Ireland and abroad including the 9/11 terror attacks and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.Bird, who joined RTÉ in 1972, was at the fore of the service’s coverage of the Northern Ireland peace process when he was selected by the Irish paramilitary group, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, as…

The US inflation report in February 2024 exceeded expectations, signalling possible delays in anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts. The Consumer Price Index rose by 3.2% year-on-year, with core inflation at 3.8%. ADVERTISEMENTInflation in the United States saw a sharper-than-anticipated rise in February, echoing the unsettling trend seen in January and sending worrying signals about the likelihood of imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, climbed by 3.2% year-on-year in February 2024, slightly exceeding the 3.1% increase recorded in January and surpassing forecasts which also stood at 3.1%.Month-on-month, inflation rose…

The international organisation’s Managing Director had faced competition from the likes of Ireland’s Paschal Donohoe after a scandal involving Chinese business rankings. ADVERTISEMENTEU finance ministers today (12 March) agreed to support a second term for the International Monetary Fund’s Kristalina Georgieva. The support, given at a monthly meeting in Brussels, strengthens the ex-European Commissioner and World Bank CEO’s chances of winning a further five-year stint after her mandate expires in October 2024.The unanimous backing is a “clear sign of the trust that we have in Kristalina”, who has “showed stronger leadership in the last couple of years, especially during unprecedented…

Rental platform Airbnb says it will prioritise guest privacy following complaints of hidden cameras in properties. ADVERTISEMENTAirbnb has announced that indoor security cameras will be banned in rental properties advertised on its site.The measure, which Airbnb calls a simplification of its current policy, will come into effect on 30 April.”These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community,” said Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of community policy and partnerships, in a statement.”As the majority of listings on Airbnb do not report…

The European Parliament has moved forward with its plan to launch a lawsuit against the European Commission for the release of €10.2 billion in cohesion funds for Hungary, which had been blocked over rule-of-law concerns. ADVERTISEMENTA final announcement is expected in the coming days following the go-ahead by the Legal Affairs Committee on Monday evening, with 16 votes in favour and one against. The legal action requires the approval of the Parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola, and has to be submitted before the European Court of Justice by 25 March at the latest.The ire of MEPs stems from the decision taken by…