Author: Euronews

The rules will add to measures already in place for online platforms under the Digital Services Act. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Parliament today approved stricter rules for political advertising, aimed at restricting foreign interference, notably online. Under the framework, sponsors from third countries will not be able to pay for political advertising in the EU in the three-month period before an election or referendum.Political ads based on profiling and the use of minors’ data will also be prohibited. In addition, any political ad will have to be clearly labelled as such and include information such as who paid for it and how…

The layoffs arrive a month after Microsoft said it would cut nearly 2,000 workers after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. ADVERTISEMENTSony will cut about 900 jobs in its PlayStation division, or about 8% of its global workforce, becoming the latest company in the technology and gaming sector to announce layoffs.Sony cited changes in the industry as a reason for the restructuring.“The industry has changed immensely, and we need to future ready ourselves to set the business up for what lies ahead,” Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said in a blog post on Tuesday. “We need to deliver on expectations from…

In this edition, we take a look at how the EU has changed since the shocking events of 24 February 2022. ADVERTISEMENTThis week we are joined by Sergey Lagodinsky, a German MEP from the Green Party; Liza Bezvershenko, Advocacy Coordinator at Promote Ukraine, and Ricardo Borges de Castro, Associate Director at the European Policy Centre think tank.The panel reflects on one of the EU’s biggest ever wake-up calls: 24 February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, shaking Brussels to its core. That day triggered a rethink at EU level on long-stalled issues, such as enlargement, security and energy…

Crypto investments are on the rise, driving up the price of the original currency. ADVERTISEMENTThe world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap is rallying due to big investors’ growing appetite. Bitcoin’s price rose 10% in two days and was trading at more than $56,000 (€51,606), the highest since November 2021.The CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (XBX) had a peak of $56,940.18 (€52,472.08) in the last 24 hours but the index lowered to around $56,500 (€52,0660) by Tuesday morning in Europe.One of the main drivers of the current rally was crypto investor and software firm MicroStrategy announcing a large purchase of 3,000 bitcoins for…

The European Parliament gave on Tuesday the green-light to the Nature Restoration Law, defying a conservative push to bring down the bill. ADVERTISEMENTThe law received 329 votes in favour, 275 against and 24 abstentions, a margin larger than initially expected. The outcome prompted applause and cheers from socialists and green MEPs as their right-wing colleagues stood quiet.The vote was closely watched as it took place amid farmer protests, who have made the European Green Deal one of its main objects of criticism.Still, the law approved on Tuesday had been heavily watered down during negotiations and lacks the ambition of the original proposal.…

German income expectations have soared to a more-than two-year high, but French consumers remain worried about their standard of living. ADVERTISEMENTGerman consumer sentiment could potentially be on the road to recovery, despite the country recently being battered by soaring prices and lacklustre economic prospects. The German GfK Consumer Climate Indicator for March, released by the GfK Group, came out on Tuesday, clocking in at -29.0, in line with market expectations. This was a notch above the 11-month low of -29.6, seen back in February.This was mostly due to income expectations touching a more than two-year high, at -4.8, up from -20.0…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. EU money shouldn’t simply continue to flow, for its own sake or on the force of its own inertia, without the ability to guarantee that that money is making a positive difference intended and indeed required, MEP David Lega writes. ADVERTISEMENT€700 million — roughly the value of 10 new Swedish Gripen fighter jets — is a lot of money.That’s the amount the EU spent from 2014 to 2020 on reforms in the Western Balkans, with little to show…

Nadia Calviño, the freshly-elected president of the European Investment Bank, shows an appetite for a riskier strategy. ADVERTISEMENTThe financial branch of the European Union, the EIB, may be willing to bet on less secure investments under its new leadership.In an interview with the Financial Times, president and former Spanish economy minister Nadia Calviño Santamaría signalled that she hopes to increase investment in defence and nuclear projects.The shift is a departure from the risk-averse approach taken by her German predecessor Werner Hoyer, who she replaced last month.To align itself with its climate goals, the EIB is no longer supporting traditional fossil fuel…

The meeting of allies in Paris was held just two days after Ukraine marked two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. ADVERTISEMENTFrench President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that sending Western troops on the ground in Ukraine is not “ruled out” in the future after the issue was debated at a gathering of European leaders in Paris, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds into a third year.The French leader said that “we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war” after the meeting of over 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials.“There’s no consensus…

The financier was chairman of one of the largest investment trusts on the London Stock Exchange until 2019. ADVERTISEMENTFinancier and philanthropist Jacob Rothschild, of the renowned Rothschild banking dynasty, has died at 87.Rothschild began his career in the family bank, NM Rothschild & Sons, in 1963, before breaking away to start businesses and charitable organisations. His family paid tribute to him in a statement on Monday.“Our father Jacob was a towering presence in many people’s lives, a superbly accomplished financier, a champion of the arts and culture, a devoted public servant, a passionate supporter of charitable causes in Israel and…