Author: Euronews

The German armed forces have been having difficulties attracting enough recruits. ADVERTISEMENTGermany wants to increase the size of its armed forces up to 230,000 from the current target of 203,000. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced the ambitious plan as he answered questions in the Bundestag on Wednesday.By way of explanation, Pistorius referred to NATO requirements:”There is the Two Plus Four Agreement. It stipulates how many standing forces and how many may be in reserve. Nobody is planning any increase beyond this limit, but it is simply a matter of setting up the armed forces in such a way that…

The German city is providing vouchers worth €10 for women to use on night-time taxis, following the lead of several other municipalities in Germany.

Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday will likely signal a slower pace of interest rate cuts next year compared with the past few months, which would mean that Americans might enjoy only slight relief from still-high borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. ADVERTISEMENTThe Fed is set to announce a quarter-point cut to its benchmark rate, from about 4.6% to roughly 4.3%. The latest move would follow a larger-than-usual half-point rate cut in September and a quarter-point reduction in November.Wednesday’s meeting, though, could mark a shift to a new phase in the Fed’s policies: Instead of a rate cut…

The sanctions proposed by Kaja Kallas targeted state officials of Georgia involved in the repression of pro-European demonstrations. ADVERTISEMENTHungary and Slovakia have vetoed a proposal to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials in response to the continued crackdown on protesters, several diplomats and officials told Euronews.A separate plan to suspend visa liberalisation for Georgian holders of diplomatic passports can still move forward as it only requires a qualified majority, the same sources said. The plan needs to be developed by the European Commission.The sanctions were put forward by High Representative Kaja Kallas during a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in…

The gender employment gap costs the EU €370 billion a year. “If the EU truly wants to become more competitive, gender equality should play a crucial role,” the director of the European Institute for Gender Equality told Euronews.

Tesla’s stock regains popularity as investors expect its Robotaxi and FSD technology to drive another phase of growth acceleration. The stunning performance drove Tesla’s Price-to-Earnings(P/E) ratio to 103, the highest among the big seven stocks. ADVERTISEMENTTesla is the biggest beneficiary of Trump’s victory in the US election among the Magnificent Seven stocks, thanks to Elon Musk’s dedication to supporting the president-elect in his campaign. The electric car maker’s shares experienced a staggering 69% rally to a record high in just over a month, adding $55bn (€53bn) to its market valuation, now standing at $1.35tn (€1.29tn). Year-to-date, Tesla’s stock is up…

As European Home Affairs ministers meet in Brussels for their monthly meeting, they face the question of the possible return of Syrians to their home country. ADVERTISEMENTJust days after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, countries across Europe are already discussing the possible fate of the thousands of Syrian refugees that have fled to the continent.Several countries, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark, have already announced they will pause asylum applications for Syrian refugees.But as European interior ministers meet in Brussels for their monthly meeting, they are still divided on the scenarios for possible returns…

Romania and Bulgaria will become full-time members of the Schengen Area as of 1 January 2025, completing a process that dates back to 2011, when the European Commission declared both countries ready to join.

The Kremlin is using old-age, poorly kept tankers to sell its crude oil above the price cap established by Western allies.

Human Rights Watch alleged abuses and illegal pushbacks at the border between Poland and Belarus, asking the Polish government for accountability towards rights of asylum seekers. ADVERTISEMENTViolent illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers are taking place at the border between Poland and Belarus, a report by Human Rights Watch revealed on Tuesday (10 December). The report, based on in-depth interviews conducted in November 2024 with 22 asylum seekers, states that border officers are preventing individuals arriving from Belarus from applying for asylum, even after they have crossed into Polish territory. This includes cases where Polish border officials apprehended migrants several kilometers…