Unlike Meta, Google signs EU AI Code of Practice but warns it could ‘cripple EU tech ambitions’
US tech giant Google has agreed to sign the European Union’s new AI Code of Practice.
New UK Online Safety Act triggers digital content restrictions
The day after the UK’s Online Safety Act came into force, protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers were effectively erased from public view for youngsters on platforms…
Hit by strong euro and tariff war, Germany’s Puma sees sales plummet
German sportswear group Puma slashed its 2025 outlook after an 8.3 per cent drop in second-quarter sales, which gave it a €135 million quarterly loss.
Netflix doc leads to new probe into French rock singer Bertrand Cantat
French prosecutors have reopened an investigation into rock singer Bertrand Cantat, after a Netflix documentary series in March described possible violence before the suicide…
‘Global humiliation’ the Macrons sue podcaster Candace Owens for alleged defamation
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have launched an alleged defamation lawsuit against US podcaster and right-wing political commentator Candace Owens.
Court rules German comedian’s tweets mocking assassination attempt on Trump ‘unpunishable satire’
The Berlin District Court has ruled that a social media post by comedian Sebastian Hotz about the assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump constituted "unpunishable…
French interior minister turns on Macron, eyes presidency
French interior minister Bruno Retailleau has publicly turned on President Emmanuel Macron, attacking his party political ideology.
X slams ‘politically-motivated’ attacks as France investigates platform
Elon Musk's X has denounced a French criminal investigation into its algorithm and data practices as allegedly "politically motivated".
‘AFP reporters face starvation’ in Gaza, warns journalists association
The Agence France Presse (AFP) association of journalists (SDJ) said reporters posted in Gaza working for the news agency were facing starvation due to food shortages and…
Baltic States ‘pay €90K’ to host US influencer IShowSpeed in tourism PR blitz
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have each reportedly spent €30,000 to host US influencer and internet star Darren Jason Watkins Jr.
Russian universities train students to outwit economic sanctions
The Kremlin-backed curriculum for Russian public universities and private institutions now trains students to outwit economic sanctions.
AfD candidate blocked from mayoral race in Germany over ‘loyalty to Constitution’ concerns
Uwe Detert, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate for mayor of the German city of Lage, has been barred from running.
Artists boycott Belgian music festival over Franco-Israeli singer’s presence
Just days before Belgium’s Francofolies de Spa music festival kicks off, several artists have pulled out in protest over the inclusion of Franco-Israeli pop star Amir Haddad…
Digital vassals? French Government ‘exposes citizens’ data to US’
France’s deepening reliance on US tech giants is raising alarms about digital sovereignty and exposing public data to foreign jurisdictions.
Member states inch closer to social media age-limit for minors
Italy, France, Denmark, Spain and Greece said they would pilot an online age verification app prototype developed by the European Commission, making it easier for users to…
French court rules Palestinians in Gaza eligible for asylum in France
Palestinians can be recognised as asylum seekers in France following a landmark ruling by the country's National Asylum Court (CNDA).
‘To be free, you must be feared’: France to pump €6 billion more into military
"To be free in this world, you must be feared," French President Emmanuel Macron declared on the eve of Bastille Day in Paris.
French police raid Nestlé over alleged bottled water fraud
French police raided the offices of Nestlé Waters as part of a widening judicial investigation into the food giant’s alleged use of illegal filtration systems in its bottled…
‘System gone mad’: France’s National Rally decries police raids
France’s right-wing National Rally (RN) has denounced what it called a co-ordinated “harassment campaign” after police raided its headquarters in Paris.
German court slaps down library ‘warning labels’ on ‘controversial books’
Germany’s Higher Administrative Court in Münster has ruled that the city library must remove politically charged warning labels from two controversial books.
France battles wildfires as minister warns of ‘high-risk summer’ ahead
A "fast-moving" wildfire in France has been raging in parts of Marseille, triggering mass evacuations, lockdown orders and widespread travel disruptions.
French MP Olivier Marleix found dead at home, apparent suicide
French Republican MP, Olivier Marleix, has been found dead at his home.
French Socialist Party members denounce the term ‘Islamophobia’
Members of the French Socialist Party have revolted against use of the word "Islamophobia" in its formal documents because, they said, it "validates the theses of an identitarian…
US lawmakers: ‘EC weaponising digital rules to muzzle US interests’
US lawmakers have accused the European Commission of weaponising its “regulatory regime” to “silence American speech” online.
Patriots MEP’s office vandalised by ‘ultra-left’
Anne-Sophie Frigout, MEP for the French right-wing Patriots for Europe party, had had her office in Reims vandalised.
French moderate Left turns on Mélenchon ahead of 2027 presidential race
France’s moderate Left has distanced itself from radical firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon as it lays the groundwork for a unified front in the 2027 presidential election.
Politician behind Italian city’s cyberbullying initiatives exposed as Facebook bully
A councillor in northern Italy's city of Lecco resigned after she was revealed as the author of anonymous, abusive comments aimed at a resident who criticised the municipal…
Free speech or incitement? Glastonbury punk and rap acts ignite political firestorm
Punk duo Bob Vylan and rap group Kneecap’s sets at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival have triggered criminal probes and a revoked US visa, amid accusations of hate speech.
Azerbaijan police raid Russian media bureau in Baku, as relations sour
Police in Azerbaijan's capital Baku raided the local office of Russian state news agency Sputnik on June 30, amid rising tensions between Baku and Moscow.
Litmus test for Christian views? Finland’s top court to hear MP Räsänen free speech case
Finland’s Supreme Court is preparing to hold an oral hearing in the high-profile free speech case of former Interior Minister and Christian Democrat MP Päivi Räsänen,…