Author: Euronews

The European Commission is working on a new proposal that could allow Eastern member states, like Poland and Hungary, to impose restrictions on imports of Ukrainian grain in case of market “disturbances.” ADVERTISEMENT”We need to take into account the sensitivities of agricultural sectors especially in neighbouring countries, which are most affected. So we’re looking at the best ways to do it, including the possibility of having safeguards not only in the case of disturbances of the EU market as a whole but also in case of disturbances in a single member state or a few member states,” Valdis Dombrovskis, the…

France’s data protection watchdog found the tech giant’s practices breached workers’ rights, fining Amazon a hefty €32 million. ADVERTISEMENTAmazon France Logistique, which manages the company’s warehouses in France, set up “an excessively intrusive system for monitoring the activity and performance of employees”, said the French data protection agency CNIL. The finding follows an inquiry set up in 2019 after a complaint from workers which was subsequently reported in the media. Watchdog CNIL fined the company €32 million, the equivalent of about 3% of its annual revenue which reached €1.1 billion in 2021. Amazon France Logistique employs around 20,000 staff in France.The practice…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. As the European Green Deal enters a critical phase, a major effort is needed to help alternative proteins take off and play their part in delivering EU food and climate security, Nusa Urbancic, Pieter de Pous, Dustin Benton and Nico Muzi write. ADVERTISEMENTSomething extraordinary is happening in the world of energy. After at least 400,000 years of burning carbon for its energy (and cooking) needs, a combination of clean energy policies and market dynamics is helping the world…

Primark’s market share touched a record high of 7.1% in December, despite early challenges due to an unusually warm winter. ADVERTISEMENTAssociated British Foods (ABF), the owner of retail-chain Primark, has issued a buoyant trading update for the 16 weeks up to 6 January. The group’s grocery arm clocked in a revenue of £1,414 million (€1654) for the period, with ingredients coming in at £698 million (€816). Revenue from agriculture for the same 16 weeks raked in £572 million (€669 million) while sugar added its own sweetness to the figures with a revenue of £825 million (€965 million). Retail, however, surpassed all…

Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz has sparked controversy after using a high-stakes meeting of EU foreign ministers to promote a plan to build an artificial island off the Gazan coast. ADVERTISEMENTThe EU ministerial meeting on Monday was intended to discuss the humanitarian crisis engulfing the Gaza Strip and the potential first steps towards a peaceful resolution to the long-term conflict between Israel and Palestine.The bloc’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, who earlier in the day had described the gathering as “exceptional”, said Katz’s intervention during the meeting – where he pitched an artificial island in the Mediterranean Sea near the…

Voice AI startup ElevenLabs has gained so-called “unicorn” status after its latest round of fundraising. ADVERTISEMENTVoice cloning has just proved itself to have huge money-making potential. As investors are rushing to pour money into generative AI technology, a young startup called ElevenLabs, which uses AI tools to create bespoke and synthetic voices, has just raised $80 million (€73.4 million) and been valued at over $1 billion in the process, according to CEO Mati Staniszewski, cited by Bloomberg.Doing so has granted ElevenLabs “unicorn” status, which is a business term for privately owned startups worth more than $1 billion. Before they entered the stock exchange…

Global elites gathered in Davos this week but is the annual shindig in the Swiss Alps really the best place to cure the world’s ills? Our panel was quite critical. ADVERTISEMENTBrussels, my love? was a Davos special this week, with Méabh McMahon on the ground to get insights into conversations, speeches, as well as interviews with some of the conference’s heaviest hitters.The Davos meeting’s theme this year was “Rebuilding Trust” which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen touched upon in her speech, warning that the “top concern for the next two years isn’t conflict or climate. It is disinformation and…

In Davos, European Central Bank President Lagarde and German Finance Minister Lindner discussed the global economic outlook, addressing challenges such as climate change and potential impacts of a Trump presidency. They emphasised strengthening domestic markets and adapting to a “new normal”. ADVERTISEMENTOn the final day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, an all-star panel, moderated by Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua, convened to discuss the global economic outlook. The panel boasted a lineup of eminent figures, including the ECB’s Christine Lagarde, Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner, Carlyle Group’s David M Rubenstein, World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Saudi Finance Minister Mohamed…

Euronews had early access to the 10-point roadmap that Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, has prepared to pave the way for a “credible, comprehensive solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ADVERTISEMENTThe document, which has not yet been made public and is set to be discussed by the bloc’s foreign ministers during a meeting on Monday, outlines a series of procedural steps that Borrell believes could eventually bring peace to the Gaza Strip, establish an independent Palestinian state, normalise relations between Israel and the Arab world, and guarantee long-term security in the region.Its centrepiece is a “Preparatory Peace Conference”…

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. Generative AI’s promise is powered by putting people at the heart of reinvention, and there is an urgent need for businesses and leaders alike to better understand its potential, Jean-Marc Ollagnier writes. ADVERTISEMENTOne of the topics that has been top of mind for political and business leaders at Davos this week is the need to navigate accelerating change in an increasingly complex and volatile macroeconomic environment.Businesses have been facing increased issues relating to everything from security and…