Three strategies to help European carmakers regain their edge: sylv1rob1/Shutterstock Even before US president Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars, European automakers had been facing a multitude of challenges. Sales have slumped and manufacturers face rising costs, while Chinese rivals have rapidly been gaining market share. The day before the tariffs …
Why has bisexual identity doubled in one European city – and what does it tell us about global trends?: Shutterstock/Anna55555 Bisexuality has long been the subject of distinct forms of stigma compared to other sexual identities. People who identify as bisexual can be dismissed as “confused”, “indecisive” or as passing through a “transitional stage”. These …
Leaving the European convention on human rights won’t stop the boats – but it will create other problems for the UK: Faced with legal and practical challenges to getting planes off the ground to Rwanda, Rishi Sunak has threatened to leave the European convention on human rights (ECHR). The prime minister argues the convention, which …
What Ukraine needs from its European partners (and the US) in 2024: As 2024 approaches, the top priority of the Ukrainian government is best summed up as ending the war against Russia while regaining as much territory as possible. President Volodymyr Zelensky claims that Ukraine will only stop fighting when it regains its pre-2014 borders, …
Ukraine war: stakes are high for EU and Ukraine ahead of crucial European summit: When the EU’s heads of state and government come together in Brussels for their final European Council meeting of the year on December 14 and 15, their agenda is likely to be dominated by the war in Ukraine. As you’d expect, …
Ukraine war: Russia’s hard line at European security meeting ratchets up tensions another notch: After many months of diplomatic wrangling, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was granted another lease of life at the annual ministerial council meeting last week in a messy compromise between Russia and the west. But rather than …
Geert Wilders: how election victory in the Netherlands for Party for Freedom fits into a wider picture of European radical-right populism: The results of the Dutch election, in which Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom emerged as victors, have sent shockwaves through the political establishment. For the first time in Dutch history, a party of the …
Hotter, drier summers will make European craft beers less ‘hoppy’ – new study: Mike Workman/Shutterstock September 2023 was the warmest ever recorded according to the EU Climate Service, with Earth’s average surface air temperature peaking at 16.38°C. The average global temperature was also at least 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels on about a third of …
Asian hornets make UK their latest target – here’s why they’re such a threat to European bees: The Asian hornet is a species of hornet indigenous to south-east Asia. ThomasLENNE/Shutterstock A staggering increase in the number of Asian hornet sightings in the UK has beekeepers and wildlife lovers there reeling. But the invasive species poses …
Migrant deaths at sea: the real blame lies with policies created by European states: Photo by Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images On 15 June, the overcrowded fishing trawler Adriana sank on its illicit journey from Libya to Italy, drowning hundreds of men, women and children. In response, states have expressed shock and sadness, and …
European heatwave: what’s causing it and is climate change to blame?: Blistering temperatures are spreading across southern and eastern Europe. Massimo Todaro/Shutterstock Europe is currently in the midst of a heatwave. Italy, in particular, is expected to face blistering heat, with temperatures projected to reach 40? to 45?. There’s even a chance that the current …
Zelensky’s European tour has won critical support for Ukraine’s counter-offensive: As the war in Ukraine intensifies, President Volodymyr Zelensky has concluded a series of successful visits to Rome, Berlin, Paris and London to shore up support from key allies. The timing of Zelensky’s visit is critical for Ukraine’s efforts on the battlefield and beyond. It …
A political mountain to climb: why the Alps are such a commonly used metaphor in European thought: Shutterstock/Federico Cappone È qui, su queste montagne, in queste valli … che la Repubblica celebra oggi le sue radici con la festa della Liberazione. It is here on these mountains, in these valleys, that the Republic today celebrates …
Women’s World Cup: Fifa’s threat to ban European broadcasters is not a skilful move: USA, winners in 2019. Jose Breton- Pics Action/Shutterstock There have been some good wins recently for women’s sport attendance in the UK, with a record-breaking crowd for a rugby match at Twickenham and a sold-out Emirates stadium for a Uefa Champions …
Illegal migration bill: can the government ignore the European court of human rights?: The illegal migration bill has been approved by MPs and now moves to the House of Lords. The controversial bill would make it so that anyone who arrives in the UK irregularly (for example, by small boat) can be removed to their …
UK waters are too polluted to swim in – but European countries offer answers: A bathing site in the Tjuvholmen neighbourhood of Oslo, Norway. A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock Almost all of the UK’s waterways are polluted. In 2022, a House of Commons Committee report on the state of UK rivers concluded that no river in England was …
An international battle over cheese has left European producers feeling bitter: ventdusud/Shutterstock For most cheese lovers, taste is the thing. Whether it’s a tangy blue stilton or a creamy oozing camembert, the most important element is the eating. But cheese has profound political and economic properties too, with implications for international trade deals and commerce. …
The European Central Bank seems to have got away with raising interest rates in the middle of a banking crisis – here’s why: Not for turning: ECB President Christine Lagarde. Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo In the middle of a market panic that has felled two US banks and pushed several others to the brink, the European …