Factory orders in long-struggling Germany unexpectedly posted a sharp jump in November, boosted by higher demand for defence equipment as Europe rushes to rearm, official data showed on Thursday. New orders increased 5.6% month-on-month, according to preliminary figures from statistics agency Destatis, the third straight monthly increase. Analysts surveyed by the financial data firm FactSet […]
Continue ReadingThe Commission on Thursday asked Elon Musk’s X to retain all internal documents and data relating to its AI chatbot Grok – using powers to regulate the social media platform under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA). X’s controversial generative AI chatbot has come under fire in recent days over a so-called “spicy” mode that […]
Continue ReadingOn The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged world leaders not to let the world order disintegrate into a “den of robbers” where the unscrupulous take what they want. In unusually […]
Continue ReadingThe EU plans to unlock €500 million in loans to the Kingdom of Jordan at a summit in Amman today, according to documents seen by Euractiv. The bloc’s main leadership duo, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, are meeting Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman for what they are […]
Continue ReadingAmerica’s withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the top international body to study and counter the climate crisis, is “regrettable and unfortunate”, the EU’s climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said on Thursday. President Donald Trump pulled the US – the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China – out of the […]
Continue ReadingFrance, Germany, and Poland on Wednesday called for the rapid signing of a free trade deal between the EU and India, calling it a “decisive step” in relations, the French foreign minister said. “A major agreement between the EU and India is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, with a summit dedicated to […]
Continue ReadingThe United States military on Wednesday announced the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic for sanctions violations, bringing an end to a multi-week pursuit by American forces. The seizure of the ship, which evaded being boarded near Venezuela, was a joint operation between the Department of Homeland Security and US military […]
Continue ReadingA Dutch court broke the hearts of a couple after ruling that their marriage, whose wedding vows were drafted with the help of artificial intelligence, was not valid. The couple thought they had sealed their love at the April 2025 service in Zwolle, in the north of the country. Seeking an informal civil ceremony, they […]
Continue ReadingEurozone inflation eased in December, official data showed on Wednesday, thanks to a faster decline in energy costs. Consumer price increases fell to 2.0% last month – in line with the European Central Bank’s target – from 2.1% in November. The December reading was also in line with forecasts of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg and […]
Continue ReadingA senior Belgian police official has been suspended from duty amid allegations of leaks in the high-profile Qatargate corruption investigation, a police source familiar with the matter confirmed to Euractiv following a report by Belgian daily La Libre. Philippe Noppe, head of the federal police’s Central Office for Serious and Organised Crime (OCDEFO), was informed […]
Continue Reading