Author: Euronews

A new survey has revealed some of the biggest financial regrets among people in Britain. ADVERTISEMENTAbout 51% of Britons have revealed that they have a number of financial regrets, according to a survey by savings and investment specialist Unity Mutual.While Britain’s cost of living crisis may be slowly improving, everyday prices still remain uncomfortably high for a vast number of consumers. The Office for National Statistics’ latest public opinions and social trends’ report highlights that around 46% of UK adults saw a hike in the cost of living between 31 January and 11 February 2024.The survey, spanning across 2,000 UK…

The average young dater is getting into more than £2,000 (€2,338) of debt, according to financial services company Experian. ADVERTISEMENTThe pandemic and subsequent cost of living crisis has shed more light on spending areas for most people, making them take a good, long look at where their hard-earned money is going. For the younger generation in the UK, this can be particularly telling.Did you know that the average 18-35 year old in the UK has a debt of about £2,250 (€2,630) due to dating and relationships, according to a survey by financial services and credit reference agency Experian?The data also…

Own New in the UK has launched a mortgage product that will enable borrowers to take out a loan with an interest rate under 1% for those buying new builds – is this the new era of home financing, and will it catch on in Europe? ADVERTISEMENTThe Own New Rate Reducer product launched with Halifax, Virgin Money, and Barratt Developments today – 26 February – along with other housebuilders across the country joining from 4 March.’It could unlock lower mortgage rates and reduce your monthly payments, whether you’re a first time buyer or an existing homeowner,” Barratt Homes said on…

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) must continue to receive “adequate funding” to avoid a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, has said. ADVERTISEMENTHis warning comes as uncertainty mounts over the future of the EU’s development aid to UNRWA.The agency is at a breaking point after Western countries suspended donations following allegations twelve of its staff members were involved in Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and sparked a war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 29,000 Palestinians.The serious allegations, levelled by Israel…

The inflation rate for the liquid gold skyrocketed in the second half of 2023, dwarfing general food inflation across Europe. ADVERTISEMENTOlive oil, the golden lifeblood of Mediterranean cuisine, is experiencing a staggering rise in price, especially in the southern European countries where it is produced. The price of olive oil in Portugal soared by 69.1% in January 2024 compared to last year, well above the average of 50% in the EU, according to Eurostat. As a comparison, general food inflation was 4.8% in January across the bloc. In Spain, the world’s biggest olive oil producer, prices jumped 62.9% in January compared to the…

The Iranian rial has plunged rapidly against the dollar ever since the Israel-Hamas war led to increased worries of a direct US-Iran confrontation. ADVERTISEMENTIran’s national currency has dropped about 13% since early January this year, having steadily declined ever since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. As of mid-February, one US dollar was worth about 570,000 rials (€12.51). Back on 29 January this year, the rial had hit an 11-month low, with one dollar being worth about 582,500 rials.However, despite this sustained and very glaring devaluation, it looks like Iran may be more comfortable burying its head in the sand…

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…