Author: Euronews

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. Our commitment and destiny lie within the EU, but the speed of our journey towards membership will directly impact democracy and the living standards of our citizens, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović writes. ADVERTISEMENTFor decades, Bosnians and Herzegovinians have been waiting for good news from Brussels. My compatriots, who are no strangers to ill fortunes, always knew that the road to European Union membership is not without significant obstacles.If anything, Bosnia and…

JD Sports shares fell around 20% on Thursday, following the retail chain issuing a gloomier profit forecast than before ADVERTISEMENTJD Sports shares plunged about 18% on Thursday, ending up around €1.39 on Friday afternoon, following the company issuing a downbeat profit forecast. The shoe retailer warned profits may come in about £125 million lower for the financial year ending in February 2024.The new profit forecast is now estimated to be in the range between £915 million and £935 million, 10% less than its previous forecast.JD Sports revealed the warning was mainly due to lower-than-expected sales during the winter and festive…

In this edition, we look ahead to a year that will be marked by key European Parliament elections and a leap in AI. ADVERTISEMENTThis week we are joined by Didrik de Schaetzen, Secretary General of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Laura Shields, Managing Director of Red Thread EU and Andrea Renda, Director of Research at the think tank CEPS.Panelists look ahead to what will be a bumper year of elections all across the globe and take a look at the major challenges of 2024. The big day in Europe’s agenda this year will be the European Parliamentary…

European markets were somewhat downbeat this week, due to disappointing economic data and upcoming US non-farm payrolls ADVERTISEMENTEuropean shares dropped on Friday afternoon, pressurised by lacklustre economic data from major economies such as Germany and France earlier in the week. On Friday, Eurozone inflation for December came in at 2.9%, above November’s 2.4%, mainly due to several government subsidies winding up.The French CAC 40 index fell 2.49% this week to €7,358.7, while the Stoxx 600 index dipped 1.24% to €472.5. The FTSE 100 index also slid 0.77% to £7,663.1.According to the lead equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, Sophie Lund-Yates: “The…

China is launching an anti-dumping probe into imports of brandy from the European Union, a move which follows the bloc’s trade inquiry into Chinese electric vehicles. ADVERTISEMENTThe Chinese ministry of commerce said Friday that the investigation comes after complaints were made by the country’s alcoholic beverages association on behalf of a domestic brand.An anti-dumping probes involves investigating whether a country is importing products at a price below fair market value.A spokesperson on behalf of the European Commission confirmed that the investigation concerned “spirits (commonly known as brandy) products derived from distilled wines originating in the European Union.””We are now assessing the…

The US economy saw the most job increases in the government, healthcare and leisure and hospitality sectors ADVERTISEMENTUS non-farm payroll numbers for December 2023 came in on Friday, with the US labour market having added about 216,000 new jobs, more than 173,000 in November, as well as higher than analyst estimates of 170,000.This was mainly led by the government sector, which saw an increase of 52,000 jobs, as well as the healthcare sector, with 38,000 additional jobs. Leisure and hospitality added 40,000, with construction adding 17,000 and social assistance, 21,000.On the other hand, warehousing and transportation saw a dip of…

Six months ahead of the EU elections, polls predict strong results for the two most right-leaning groups in the European Parliament. ADVERTISEMENTDecember polling by aggregator Europe Elects suggests that, if combined, the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group and the eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) could muster enough support to match the size of the centre-right European People’s Party – currently the parliament’s largest group.But the poll also predicts that the informal coalition between the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and centrist-liberal Renew Europe (RE) will still retain its comfortable absolute majority, with 404 out of…

Oil prices stabilised somewhat on Thursday, as concerns over Libyan supplies were allayed by worries about slowing economic growth and demand ADVERTISEMENTOil prices slowed their rally somewhat on Thursday, with crude oil falling 0.64% to $72.2 (€65.8) per barrel and Brent crude oil dipping 0.51% to $77.8 (€70.9) per barrel on Thursday (4 December) afternoon. Earlier in the week, oil prices saw some gains after Libya’s largest oilfield, the Sharara, shut down completely amid protests.Oil markets rocked by Libya’s supply pauseThe Sharara oilfield can produce up to 300,000 barrels per day, and is operated in a joint venture between Equitor,…

EU nations have denounced two Israeli far-right ministers’ calls for the ‘voluntary emigration’ of Palestinians from Gaza and the building of Israeli settlements in the besieged territory. ADVERTISEMENTThe comments were made Monday by Israel’s firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both are known for their hardline, religious-conservative stances.Israel should “concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza,” Ben-Gvir told reporters, adding that Israel would “permanently control” the Gaza strip.Ben-Gvir, known as one of the most hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, also endorsed the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the…

Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla see net €350 bn early year downturn, reversing 2023 rally, according to Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Total Return Index ADVERTISEMENTThe year has begun with a decline in trading for the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ of leading technology groups – Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla.Apple’s shares are leading the downturn, having fallen by 4.6% and contributing significantly to the general slump that resulted in total loss of €350 bn in market value to the seven companies, according to a Bloomberg tracking index.“We don’t know if last year’s rally has fully ended, but…