Italyโs grand plan to meet NATO target: A โฌ13.5B bridge to Sicily
Meloni’s deputy prime ministers are keen to class the bridge as a NATO-related project. But does it really mesh with Europe’s military goals?
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Fruit stickers are annoying and bad for the environment. So why did an Australian ban come unstuck?
Governments flagged fruit stickers for the chopping block but then South Australia shelved its September deadline after industry asked for more timeSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Mortonโs free Clear Air newsletter hereFruit stickers ma…
M&S boss slams โbureaucratic madnessโ of products requiring โnot for EUโ labels
Stuart Machin says labels, designed stop British goods leaking into bloc, add โanother layer of unnecessary costs and red tapeโThe boss of Marks & Spencer has called on the government to rapidly reset relations with the EU and criticised new rules …
US State Department adviser wanted to fund French far-right leader Marine Le Pen
Samuel Samson, a political appointee, made the explosive recommendation as Le Pen eyes the presidency in 2027, two State Department officials tell POLITICO.
Apple rejigs App Store rules to stave off daily EU fines
The European Commission fined Apple โฌ500 million in April for breaking the EU’s Big Tech competition rules.
EU to loosen rules on cancer-causing chemicals in cosmetics
The leaked proposal also weakens rules on advertising hazardous chemicals. Consumer groups warned it was a health risk.
Slovakia cites European Parliament move in calling Kremlin-style bill โlegitimateโ
“This is not an attack on civil society … but a move to strengthen public trust through greater oversight and accountability,” Slovak official says.
Trump can pull the plug on the internet, and Europe canโt do anything about it
Trump is back โ and with him, the risk that the U.S. could unplug Europe from the digital world.
Britainโs got an EU deal โ but the Brexit red tape keeps coming
U.K. plows ahead with unpopular โNot for EUโ labels in Northern Ireland, despite planned deal with Brussels.
Bulgaria wonโt โdo a Greeceโ when it joins eurozone, central bank chief promises
Dimitar Radev, the governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, says national authorities must align and adapt to wider eurozone conditions.
Nigel Farage surges with Gen Z women
LONDON โ Reform UK is winning over Gen Z women, a demographic that the right-wing populist party has struggled to attract in the past.ย The partyโs vote share among women aged 18 to 26 shot up in May โ jumping from 12 percent to 21 percent after nationwide local elections, according to polling for the [โฆ]
How AI and copyright turned into a political nightmare for UK Labour
LONDON โ It was never meant to be this hard. In the wake of Labourโs decisive election victory in July, ministers in the partyโs tech team were determined to grip an issue they felt the previous Conservative government had failed to address: how to protect copyright holders from artificial intelligence companiesโ voracious appetite for content [โฆ]
France develops a taste for fair and local over organic
As organic sales slump in France, fair trade labels rooted in local sourcing and price transparency are gaining ground.
UK-EU deal unpacked: All the Brexit red tape in line for a chop
The agreement could pave the way for smoother trade and travel between the U.K. and EU.
โTo name is to claim:โ Inside Trumpโs cartographical compulsion
Itโs ingrained in his background in real estate and branding.
Ukraine labels Russian ceasefire a farce after reports of hundreds of violations
A three-day truce was called by Vladimir Putin ahead of Russia’s World War Two Victory Day celebrations.
Ukraine labels Russian ceasefire a farce after reports of hundreds of violations
A three-day truce was called by Vladimir Putin ahead of Russia’s World War Two Victory Day celebrations.
US secretary of state condemns classification of German far-right party as extremist
Secretary of State Marco Rubio advised Germany to โreverse courseโ following the domestic intelligence agencyโs decision, which grants German authorities increased oversight and surveillance over the party.
AfD โextremistโ label sets up political high-wire act for Friedrich Merz
Incoming chancellor must now decide whether to ban flourishing far-right party amid widespread discontentGerman spy agency labels AfD as โconfirmed rightwing extremistโ forceThe decision by Germanyโs domestic spy agency to call the far-right Alternativ…
German spy agency labels AfD as โconfirmed rightwing extremistโ force โ video
Germanyโs domestic intelligence service has designated the far-right Alternative fรผr Deutschland (AfD), the biggest opposition party, as a ‘confirmed rightwing extremist’ force, meaning authorities can step up their surveillance as critics call for it …
German spy agency labels AfD as โconfirmed rightwing extremistโ force
Upgrade from โsuspectedโ threat will mean greater surveillance of party that came second in last electionGermanyโs domestic intelligence service has designated the far-right Alternative fรผr Deutschland (AfD), the biggest opposition party, as a โconfirm…
German intelligence agency labels AfD as rightwing extremist
Classification reignites debate about banning party that โdevalues โโentire population groupsโ
Germany labels far-right AfD party as โextremistโ group
Momentum for banning the party may gather pace after the ruling.
Germanyโs far-right AfD to challenge โextremistโ designation โ as it happened
Co-leaders say party is โbeing publicly discredited and criminalisedโ by intelligence agencyโs move to change classification. This live blog is closedGerman spy agency labels AfD as โconfirmed rightwing extremistโ forceElsewhere, TikTok has been fined …
Ukraineโs ceasefire view: Putin doesnโt want Xi hiding in Leninโs tomb from killer drones
Kyiv fumes over Russiaโs Victory Day ceasefire plan.
EU set to probe Universalโs planned acquisition of Downtown Music
Independent labels have urged competition authorities to block the deal as they say it would make the music giant too dominant
Meta labels EU digital fines a โtariffโ on American firms
โThe European Commission is attempting to handicap successful American businesses,” blasts top US lobbyist.
The untold story of how Trump shocked Europe in a few short days
The world changed in February. Here’s how it looked to political insiders.
Trade troubles weaken Franceโs resistance to EU-Mercosur deal
In todayโs edition of The Capitals, read about allies cheering Germanyโs Taurus announcement as Russia labels Merz a โNaziโ, Hungary set to oppose an EU military training mission in Ukraine, and so much more.
Allies cheer over Germanyโs Taurus announcement as Russia labels Merz a โNaziโ
Allies have reacted with praise after Merz committed to greenlight the controversial delivery of German long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Trump admin must โfacilitateโ return of man erroneously deported to El Salvador, Supreme Court says
The justices denied a request to set aside a judgeโs order that U.S. officials seek Kilmar Abrego Garciaโs release and return.
Europe prepares AI charm offensive as industry trembles from tariff shocks
Draft strategy shows EU wants to woo tech leaders with computing, data, skills โ and simpler rules โ to run AI.
Health commissioner clinks glasses at Italy wine fair
Recent progress on Europeโs mandatory booze labels has stalled amid pushback from wine-growing countries and the alcohol industry.
NO PALM OIL: The deception behind the misleading labels [Promoted content]
Widespread “No Palm Oil” labels are misleading and overlook Palm Oilโs industryโs efficiency and sustainability measures. Within a EU’s food labelling framework flawed and leading consumers to confusion, it is high time for these deceptive claims to be…
Serbians stage huge protest in Belgrade against their president
Farmers and bikers join students in climax to movement that Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ labels an โimported revolutionโA vast demonstration has been gathering in Belgrade, marking the climax of more than four months of student-led protests and the biggest challe…
Trump has a new European leader coming to his doorstepย
Mark Carney, Canadaโs likely next prime minister, continues to be held in high regard across the Atlantic, where he spent the better part of the last decade.
5 takeaways in the EUโs big agriculture (and food) vision
EU tries to make farming sexy again โ and keep farmers from revolting.
EU pushes โBuy Europeanโ quotas in major plan to revive industry
A draft of the Clean Industrial Deal obtained by POLITICO reveals EU plans to drive climate-friendly manufacturing.
WHO calls for tobacco-style cancer labels on alcohol as EU stalls
The WHO’s call comes as new figures show that limiting alcohol consumption could prevent one million new cancer diagnoses in Europe by 2050.
Von der Leyen labels Trumpโs VP an ally after first meeting
First high-level meeting with Trump official strikes surprisingly positive note after he slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Czech farmers fight Back against fake food origin labels
Farmers warn that imports are often sold with branding that falsely suggests European origins.
Canada hits back against Trump tariffs: โWe will not back downโ
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is ready to respond with 25 percent tariffs against C$155 billion worth of American goods.
Fact-checkers under fire as Big Tech pulls back
Meta’s move to ditch fact-checking put a target on the back of fake-news fighters, they warn.
How Donald Trump transformed mass culture
Americans are rejecting some liberal values.
US pounds ISIS camps in Syria after Assad flees
โThere should be no doubt โ we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute,โ a top general said.
US pounds ISIS camps in Syria after Assad flees
US pounds ISIS camps in Syria after Assad flees
France will oppose the Mercosur treaty right until the end
Paris risks an embarrassing defeat this week, just as its government faces possible censure and collapse. But this won’t be the end of the saga.
Kosovo arrests eight linked to canal explosion as tensions with Serbia rise
Pristina labels incident โterrorist actโ by neighbouring country, activating armed forces to prevent more attacksKosovoโs interior minister, Xhelal Sveรงla, said on Saturday that police had arrested eight people after an explosion hit a canal that sends…
EU fraud busters probe scheme to relabel banned Russian oil
The probe comes after POLITICO revealed that Moscow’s fuel was likely being rebranded in Turkey before heading to the EU.
Trump is turning Pennsylvania into ground zero for his election conspiracy theories
The former president is laying the groundwork to contest the results if he loses the raceโs biggest battleground.
The future EU commissionersโ promises: Everything you need to know
We pored over more than 400 pages of written answers so you donโt have to.
Europe gave 1 million Syrians fleeing war international protection. Some countries want to deport them.
Italy and Austria are pushing to recast Syria as a “safe” country, even as the bloc welcomes thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing war each year.
The future is bright for beer โ given the right policy framework
Beer plays an important role in Europeโs economy, but excise burdens, production costs and the post-Covid environment are putting pressure on the sectorโs ability to act as a motor for the whole economy.
UK leans against proscribing Iranโs Revolutionary Guards
London is reluctant to cut ties with Tehran “at a time when Iran is causing such danger in the world.”
Fake vintage wine gang busted in France and Italy, police say
The group is alleged to have made fake labels from famous French vineyards, using them to sell cheap wine.
Fake vintage wine gang busted in France and Italy, police say
The group is alleged to have made fake labels from famous French vineyards, using them to sell cheap wine.
Why the UK governmentโs love-in with Taylor Swift is coming to an end
The music industry has cosied up to Britainโs new government. But relations could soon sour as ministers prepare to reform the rules protecting creative work from AI.
Hereโs what Kamala Harris must do to seal the deal
The vice president can prevail in a tight race if she takes these tough steps to prove to skeptics that sheโs committed to bipartisan government.
We watched Walzโs and Vanceโs previous debates. Expect a slugfest.
A review of the vice presidential contendersโ past debates suggests a fiery clash is likely.
UK scraps Brexitโs โNot for EUโ food labels โ for now
The eleventh-hour policy reversal follows a huge backlash from businesses.
Iranโs president seeks โregionalโ response to Israel
โHezbollah by herself cannot stand against a country that is armed to the teeth,โ he said.
UKโs โnot for EUโ meat and dairy labelling plan postponed indefinitely
Policy devised under Conservatives will be reviewed after warnings of chaos for producers and suppliersGovernment plans to force food manufacturers to put โnot for EUโ labels on all meat and dairy products sold across Britain next month have been indef…
Spainโs Ribera hints she wonโt obstruct EU nuclear expansion
Pro-nuclear countries have expressed worries that Teresa Ribera won’t support the technology as the EU’s next green chief.
Radical left and radical right have become indistinguishable
For as long as the center fails to make its case in a way that galvanizes, there will be many more like Sahra Wagenknecht.
The men with their mouths sewn shut magnify Georgiaโs โexistentialโ election
Floundering opposition parties struggle to balance foreign policy and domestic concerns as they seek to topple Russia-friendly government.ย
Liz Truss considered charging UK cancer patients, new book claims
Britain’s shortest serving prime minister explored ending NHS cancer treatment to find savings to stave off economic turmoil.
Donald Trump canโt figure out how to attack Kamala Harris. Just look at his nicknames.
The former president has tried and abandoned several monikers for his new Democratic opponent.
Teresa Ribera faces nuclear hurdle to running EU green policy
Nuclear-friendly lawmakers and countries like France don’t want the EU’s potential next green chief to thwart an atomic revival.
With Britainโs far right on the march, Labour has a problem
Riots that followed the killing of three children in Southport are the latest far-right show of force confronting Britain’s new government.
Harnessing the power of digital product identification
A triple win for sustainability, circularity and business
Democrats consider the unthinkable: Itโs time for Biden to go
Three strategists close to three potential Democratic presidential candidates said they were bombarded with text messages.
EU-regulated โsustainableโ funds invest ยฃ14bn in biggest polluters
Investigation finds funds touting ethical credentials include fast fashion labels and fossil fuel companiesFast fashion labels, fossil fuel companies and SUV-makers are present in EU-regulated โsustainableโ funds that tout their ethical credentials in …
Viktor Orban labels EPP’s Manfred Weber as ‘Hungarophobic’
Hungary’s prime minister described Manfred Weber, a German politician and the leader of the European Peopleโs Party (EPP) as โHungarophobic.’
Organic advocates celebrate legal win to halt โEco-scoreโ labels
The European federation of organic agriculture and its French members obtained a judicial agreement on 4 June to put an end to labels using the name ‘Eco-score’ for food products, as it can be misleading for consumers.
Over-reliance on gas delays G7 transition to net-zero power
G7 countries have only 10 years left to act on their commitment to reach net-zero emissions power systems.
Ukraine war briefing: Poland, allies scramble jets as Russia targets Ukrainian regions
Volodymyr Zelenskiy tells Guardian that permission needs to go further; Putin labels as โforeign agentsโ wives who want their husbands back. What we know on day 829Russian missile and drone attacks on Saturday morning damaged energy facilities in five …
Latin America labels ultra-processed foods. Will the US follow?
In 2010, Mexico led the way, followed by Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and ColombiaWhat are those weird ingredients in our favorite packaged foods?Candy lines every inch of the mercado de dulces in Mexico Cityโs historic center. Tantalizing …
AI, Inc. flexes its election bona fides โ and hunts for customers
Billions of voters head to the polls this year โ and consultants, advocates and nonprofits want to use the emerging tech to reach them. But the success of such campaigns is far from clear.
The US food industry has long buried the truth about their products. Is that coming to an end?
The FDA is developing front-of-package labels that corporations may have to start printing as early as 2027Ultra-processed foods are ultra bad for you. Hereโs what to knowStep into a grocery store in France and youโre liable to see a green, yellow or r…
Compatibility of Member Statesโ Alcohol Health Warning Labelling with EU Law
Dr Nikhil Gokani,
Lecturer in Consumer Protection and Public
Health Law at the University of Essex, Chair of the Alcohol Labelling and Health Warning
International Expert Group at the European Alcohol Policy Alliance,
Vice President of the La…
WHO urges countries to ban high-salt foods
Cardiovascular diseases kill 10,000 people in the WHO European Region every day, the agency said.
Why Georgiaโs government thinks it can scorn the EU and keep its grip on power
Some 80 percent of Georgians want to join the EU, which begs the question of why the ruling party feels so secure.
Students clash over Israel at elite French school
Sciences Po hosted a conference by three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mรฉlenchon under tense circumstances.
On holiday with Europeโs right-wingers
Hundreds of European conservatives gathered in Cyprus for a “cultural weekend” that mixed policy discussions, networking and time away from the bureaucratic machine.
Elizabeth Warren says she believes Israelโs war in Gaza will legally be considered a genocide
โIf you want to do it as an application of law, I believe that theyโll find that it is genocide, and they have ample evidence to do so,โ Warren said of the case before the ICJ.
Ukraine embraces far-right Russian โbad guyโ to take the battle to Putin
Germany describes Denis Kapustin as a top neo-Nazi, and his role in the war is a double-edged sword for Kyiv.
What are Geographical Indications and what are they for?
The EU Council on Tuesday (26 March) formally adopted a revised version of the EU’s Geographical Indications (GIs) regulation, which protects the names of products that come from specific regions and have specific qualities and a certain reputation thr…
What are Geographical Indications and what are they for?
Last month, the European Parliament approved a revised version of the EUโs Geographical Indications (GIs) regulation, which protects the names of products that come from specific regions and have specific qualities and a certain reputation through spec…
Commission sparks greenwashing fears in row over โ100 percent recycledโ claims
The EU executive suggests laxer rules for calculating recycled content in products, siding with the chemical industry.
10 ways a second Trump term could be more extreme than the first
From nationwide abortion bans to classroom culture wars, assaults on climate science and political weaponization of the military, his return to the White House could make Trump 1.0 seem tame.
Alexey Navalny never wanted to be a dissident
Once upon a time, Alexey Navalny wanted to be a normal politician in a normal country. Now thatโs just a fantasy.
โPutin to the gallowsโ: Russia couple held over anti-war napkins
Anti-war messages in Ukrainian were found at a supermarket in Russia’s Leningrad region.
EU targets online influencersโ growing power
Belgium is talking up ways to get online content creators to behave.
Why the Davos Smart Set Sounds Dumb
In a complex world, having original insights is harder than ever.
Boris Akunin: Russia designates author โforeign agentโ
The Kremlin labels the bestselling author, Boris Akunin, a foreign agent over his stance on Ukraine.
Liz Truss urges David Cameron to get tough with China over โshamโ Jimmy Lai trial
Britain’s ex-leader wants foreign secretary to go further in his statements on Hong Kong’s democracy trials.
US has weighed a new envoy role for Middle East crisis
For now, itโs sticking with a post focused on humanitarian issues, but that could change if conditions do.
The numbers that will shape a crucial year in US politics
From Bidenโs approval rating to the national murder rate, here are 24 numbers to watch this year.
Rishi Sunakโs Brexit deal is up and running. Itโs โcataclysmicโ for UK food exports
Industry fears UKโs interpretation of EU label rules will cost British firms hundreds of millions.
LIVE NOW! Decarbonising shipping โ What role can climate labels play?
While maritime transport plays an essential role in the EU economy and is one of the most energy-efficient modes of transport, it is also a large and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Projections show that these emissions could increase…