Author: Euronews

This hike is the latest move to control soaring inflation, which has left several households unable to afford basic necessities. ADVERTISEMENTTurkey’s central bank has raised its key interest rate by another 2.5 % today (Thursday 25 January), pressing ahead with a series of hikes aimed at combating inflation that reached nearly 65% in December.The bank brought its benchmark rate to 45%. This marks the eighth interest rate hike since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan abandoned his unconventional economic policies that economists say helped trigger a currency crisis and drove up the cost of living. Many households were left struggling to afford…

By Guillaume Lafortune, Phoebe Koundouri, Angelo Riccaboni, Peter Schmidt, Maurizio Reale The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. The new European Parliament, the next European Commission, and the European Council will have a long path ahead to prepare for the next decades of global sustainable development. Jointly reaffirming the EU’s commitment to the SDGs is a clear way forward, UN and EESC experts write. ADVERTISEMENTThis June, EU citizens will not only elect the new European Parliament and chart the way to the formation of the…

The world’s biggest economy grew significantly faster than expected at the end of 2023, making a recession look increasingly unlikely. ADVERTISEMENTThe US has seen a surprise boost for its economy with the news that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual pace of around 3.3% from October to December. The figure, which looks at the output of goods and services in the US, was significantly higher than predictions of 2% although it is down from the 4.9% result recorded in July to September.GDP for the full year came in at 2.5%, an increase on the 1.9% seen in…

Valérie Hayer will lead the European Parliament’s faction of liberals and centrists – the Renew Europe group – after receiving the backing of its 101 lawmakers on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENTHayer, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, becomes the youngest person to lead the liberal group in the European Parliament at 37.The position was left vacant earlier this month after Stéphane Séjourné was named Minister of Foreign Affairs in Emmanuel Macron’s government. Hayer was the only candidate for the role and was elected by acclamation. Malik Azmani, a Dutch MEP and the Renew whip, was widely rumoured to…

Entertainment stocks, such as Paramount Global, had a weak performance in 2023 – although this year could prove different as streaming and gaming sectors continue to evolve. ADVERTISEMENTEntertainment stocks were quite resilient in 2023 with several streaming companies doing well. However, Hollywood and big-cap entertainment companies were dealt a few setbacks due to strikes by the Writers Guild of America, as well as the Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).This year though, the tide seems to be turning for the better, with streaming and gaming services expected to recover, boosted by more advertisement support, as…

Agri-food actors have been summoned to Brussels by the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to help forge a new long-term vision for agriculture amid mounting protests from farmers across the continent. ADVERTISEMENTThe strategic dialogue for the future of agriculture was announced in von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union address to cope with increasing polarisation in the agriculture and food policy debate.The initiative comes at a moment of stalemate in the implementation of the EU’s flagship food policy Farm to Fork and while struggling farmers are taking to the streets throughout Europe claiming to be neglected by…

Nine candidates from Madrid to Riga will present their case at a grueling 12-hour hearing next week. ADVERTISEMENTThere are nine candidates to host the EU’s new anti-money laundering agency, AMLA – each set to face cross-examination at a grueling set of hearings next week.The 12-hour session could see lawmakers and governments argue over rent prices, school quality and transport connections in cities large and small, from Paris to Vilnius.A recent significant overhaul of EU anti-money laundering rules has already seen politicians agree to ban large cash transactions and apply dirty-money checks to the world of football.Now they just need to…

Member states have given a new chance to the Platform Workers Directive, whose survival hangs by a thread. ADVERTISEMENTAmbassadors to the EU agreed on Friday to a revised mandate, which enables the Council, represented by Belgium, to head back to negotiations with the European Parliament.The face-to-face talks are expected to take place as early as next Tuesday in a race against the clock before the legislative cycle grinds to an absolute halt in anticipation of the upcoming EU elections to be held 6-9 June.The road, however, is not yet clear: according to a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity,…

The latest economic data from Spain’s government agency, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, shows employment in the country has improved. ADVERTISEMENTSpain’s unemployment rate fell to 11.76% in the fourth quarter of 2023, down from 11.84% in the previous quarter, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE).  The INE also said that the country added 783,000 new jobs in 2023.”The job market data for 2023 show the strength and resilience of the Spanish economy’s recovery,” Economy Minister, Carlos Cuerpo, said.  By gender, employment decreased by 64,000 for men and increased by 45,000 for women. In terms of nationality, it declined by…

Holocaust survivor and author Irene Shashar told Euronews during a visit to Brussels to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day that she “dreams of a peaceful Middle East” modelled on the European Union. ADVERTISEMENT”If I have a neighbour, like in Europe, a united Europe, next to me, I can live with that neighbour in peace, it could be two, three, five, seven or 10 (neighbours). Exactly like in Europe, like a Europe united. Why can’t we have a United Middle East?” she said.Asked whether she supports the two-state solution, one for Israel where she lives and the other for Palestine, the 86-year-old…