Author: Euronews

The accommodation and food services sector increased by 3.5%, while increased travel helped to push up the transport and communication sector by 0.4%. ADVERTISEMENTSwitzerland’s GDP grew by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023, keeping in step with the country’s below-average growth from the previous quarter.The Swiss Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday that the services sector was one of the main growth drivers, thanks to recovering tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.Specifically, the accommodation and food services sector increased by 3.5%, while increased travel helped to push up the transport and communication sector by 0.4%.Other services noting a small uptick…

World shares were mixed on Thursday after a lacklustre day on Wall Street, where selling of technology stocks pulled benchmarks lower – and as Bitcoin jumped above $60,000 for the first time since 2021. ADVERTISEMENTBitcoin’s price briefly topped $64,000 (€59,000) on Wednesday for the first time since 2021, pulling closer to its record of nearly $69,000 after rising more than 40% so far this year. It was trading at $63,385.00 early Thursday.Meanwhile, Coinbase gained 0.8% after rising earlier in the day to continue its strong run as Bitcoin’s price keeps rallying. New exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that make investing in Bitcoin…

Transphobic and anti-LGBTI rhetoric is on the rise among politicians in Europe, according to a new report, prompting alarm ahead of the EU elections in June. ADVERTISEMENTAdvocacy group ILGA-Europe found a “clear accumulation of hate speech” against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) community by politicians in 32 European countries – including 19 EU member states – over the past year.Croatia, Ireland, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden are named among the member states where transphobic rhetoric is on the rise, while transphobia was also detected in parliamentary discussions in Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, and Portugal.The findings spark fears that politicians are…

The buyback programme will launch in March and last for a year, ending in May 2025. ADVERTISEMENTShares in Puma traded down 0.83% on Thursday afternoon after the German sportswear company announced plans to return up to 50% of its net income to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, in a scheme that will see the firm buy back shares worth up to €100 million in total.The company said on Thursday that it had decided to change its dividend policy to a payout ratio of 25-40% of the group’s net income, up from 25-35%, supplemented by the share buyback programme which…

The European Commission approved on Thursday the release of up to €137 billion in funds for Poland that had been frozen over rule-of-law concerns. Here’s what the big number means – and hides. ADVERTISEMENTThe hefty figure made headlines when Ursula von der Leyen teased the announcement during a visit to Warsaw last week.”We are impressed by your efforts and those of the Polish people to restore the rule of law as the backbone of your society. A society where everyone plays by the rules. A society where people and businesses can trust the institutions and can hold authorities to account,”…

Tata has announced it is to set up its first gigafactory outside India in Somerset, with battery production likely to start in 2026. ADVERTISEMENTTata, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has revealed it is building the biggest electric vehicle gigafactory in the UK, in the south-west county of Somerset. The brownstone site, at the Gravity Smart Campus in Puriton, near Bridgwater, was previously a Royal Ordnance Factory from the World War II, until it stopped operating in 2008.It is expected to manufacture about 40GWh worth of battery cells every year, which should account for around 500,000 vehicles. The company…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive is a great tool for the Polish government to swiftly shift from the costly smoggy past to a clear new era, with happier and healthier people in tow, Weronika Michalak ADVERTISEMENTThe trilogue deal on the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive reached last week is a unique public health opportunity for Poland. The country has one of the highest economic and health burdens from air pollution in the EU — which is why the newly…

Inflation rates in France and Spain ease less than expected in February, nudging government bond yields higher as markets anticipate a bumpier road ahead to reach the ECB’s 2% target. ADVERTISEMENTFebruary’s inflation figures from France and Spain have cast a spotlight on the eurozone’s economic landscape, revealing a less-than-anticipated deceleration in consumer prices, signaling to policymakers in Frankfurt that achieving the coveted 2% inflation target might prove more arduous than initially anticipated.In France, preliminary figures indicate a dip in the annual inflation rate based on the CPI from 3.1% in January to 2.9% in February. However, economists had forecasted a…

The Biden administration is proposing to make it easier for the government to fine airlines for damaging or misplacing wheelchairs by making it an automatic violation of a federal law on accessible air travel. ADVERTISEMENTThe US Transportation Department is also calling for airlines to provide annual training for employees who handle wheelchairs or lift passengers with disabilities.Damage to wheelchairs and scooters during air travel is a growing problem. The Transportation Department said 11,527 of the devices were mishandled by airlines last year, up from 10,337 in 2022.The administration plans to announce the proposed rule during a White House event that…

EU weighs using Russia’s frozen assets to support Ukraine, a proposal by von der Leyen. Legal, financial, and political hurdles loom large, stirring debate among critics. ADVERTISEMENTIn a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday, von der Leyen argued that using the frozen funds to support Ukraine’s military would be a “just and effective” way to help the country defend itself against Russian aggression.”It is time to start discussing the use of exceptional profits from frozen Russian assets to purchase military equipment for Ukraine jointly,” she said.The interest generated from the assets could amount to billions of euros per year,…