Page 29 - Europe

Disruptive attacks doubled, Russia behind many: Europe's cybersecurity exec

Disruptive digital attacks, many of which have been traced to Russia-backed groups, have doubled in the European Union in recent months and are also targeting election-related services, according to the EU's top cybersecurity official. Juhan Lepassaar, head of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, or ENISA, told The Associated Press in an interview that attacks with geopolitical motives have steadily risen since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The number of hacktivist attacks (against) European infrastructure threat actors whose main aim is to cause disruption has doubled from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, Lepassaar said late Tuesday at the agency's headquarters in Athens. It's quite a significant increase," he said. Citizens from the EU's 27 member states will vote June 6-9 for lawmakers in the European Parliament in an election that will also shape the EU's executive branch, the European Commission. Elections, also due

Hungary's PM Orbn faces new serious challenger in upcoming EU elections

About three months ago, a scandal rocked five-time nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbn's Fidesz party which prides itself on upholding family values and Christian conservatism. As party leaders attempted damage control after close Orbn allies, President Katalin Novk and Justice Minister Judit Varga, were forced to resign over a presidential pardon for a man convicted of covering up a string of child sexual abuses, Pter Magyar saw a chance and broke ranks with the party in February. In a matter of weeks, Magyar a 43-year-old lawyer built a political movement, now poised to become Hungary's largest opposition force and challenge Orban's party in the June 9 European Parliament and municipal elections. Magyar said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that the upcoming vote was a prelude to his planned run in the 2026 Hungarian national elections. Whether he can score a win remains to be seen. Orbn has delivered his Fidesz party four straight wins in Hungary's parliamen

Artistic ironworkers reinstall Notre Dame cathedral cross in Paris

The cross at the apse of Notre-Dame de Paris, which survived the devastating 2019 fire, has been reinstalled atop the cathedral's framework after a meticulous restoration by artistic ironworkers from Normandy. The imposing cross, spanning 12 metres and weighing 1.5 tons, is the only element of the choir roof that resisted the flames. It was reinstalled on Friday. Approximately 250 companies and hundreds of craftsmen, architects and professionals have contributed to the ongoing restoration project, aiming for the cathedral's reopening on December 8, 2024. The fire, which occurred on April 15, 2019, caused the collapse of Notre-Dame's spire and part of its roof. Five years later, the restoration has made significant progress, including the reinstallation of the spire's lead-covered needle. The 2019 fire was a significant blow to the cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site and a symbol of Christianity that welcomed 12 million visitors each year.

Taylor Swift tour gives boost to European economy, shows BofA Data

Cities across the globe are reaping economic benefits as consumers splurge on experiences and live entertainment

Germany backs ending EU tax break that helps Shein, Temu keep prices low

Under current EU regulations, packages purchased online from a non-EU country are not subject to customs duties if their value is under 150 euros

Second global AI summit secures safety commitments from companies

Alphabet's Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI, and firms from China, South Korea and the UAE are among the firms

Europe sets benchmark for rest of the world with landmark AI laws

EU vote came two months after lawmakers backed AI legislation drafted in 2021

France unrest: Protestors block New Caledonia roads as police pour in

Road blocks were making it difficult to supply food to stores in several areas and provide secure travel for medical staff, New Caledonia government officials said

Tesla doing damage-control, offers discounts to European fleet buyers

The efforts include unofficial discounts on purchases of new cars if they are in stock and efforts to address widespread service

Europe, West being fed negative stories about India: British journalist

In a candid assessment of the perception of India in the Western world, Stevenson told ANI expanded on the prevalence of negative narratives fuelled by media coverage

India, UAE conclude meeting on India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor

The first inter-ministerial delegation from India held meetings from May 15-17 under the Intergovernmental Framework Agreement between the two countries concerning cooperation for the empowerment and operation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC).According to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi press release, the IMEEC will provide effective alternate supply routes generating efficiencies and reducing costs. Indian Ambassador to UAE Sunjay Sudhir led the discussions with key entities like DP World UAE, AD Ports Group and UAE's Federal Customs Authority."The Indian delegation comprised of senior officials from Ministry of Shipping, Ports & Waterways, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Central Board of Excise and Customs and Deendayal Upadhyay Port, Kandla," the press release stated."They visited Khalifa Port, Fujairah Port and Jebel Ali Port where they held detailed discussions with the respective Port authorities for facilitating the movement of goods between ...

Slovakia's PM Fico stable but in serious condition, says hospital

Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe. Doctors were still fighting for his life several hours after the pro-Russian leader, 59, was shot in the abdomen, Defense Minister Robert Kalina told reporters outside the hospital where Fico was being treated for his wounds. He said an operation on Fico was not yet complete and described his condition as extraordinarily serious. At least four shots were fired outside a cultural center in the town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital, where Fico was meeting with supporters, the government said. A suspect was in custody, and an initial investigation found a clear political motivation behind the assassination attempt, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said as he briefed reporters alongside the defense minister. There's no doubt abo

Ukraine risks dragging West into major war with Russia, says Putin ally

President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has touched off the worst breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

France declares emergency in New Caledonia amid violent protests

The violence, the worst in decades, is the latest flash point in long-running tensions over Paris' role in the archipelago

Russia warns EU of strong response if restrictions imposed on Russian media

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Western correspondents in Moscow would feel response if the European Union took action against Russian media

Severe solar storm brings dazzling Aurora, threatens to trigger blackouts

The last time a storm this strong struck Earth was in October 2003, which caused power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa

Some European firms are souring on China, business lobby group warns

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron urged Xi on Monday to ensure more balanced trade

UK PM Rishi Sunak asks university chiefs to fight rise in antisemitism

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday urged university chiefs to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campus and disruption of learning in reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Sunak and his ministers will meet with university vice-chancellors to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic abuse is adopted on all campuses, Downing Street said. The government said it wants to make it clear that debate and the open exchange of views in universities is essential but that this can never tip over into hate speech, harassment or incitement of violence. Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community, said Sunak. A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse. That has to stop, he said. The meeting is to also help to inform planned government guidance on combatting ...

Xi Jinping arrives in Hungary for talks on expanding Chinese investments

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary late Wednesday, the final stop on his five-day European tour, where he's expected to finalize a number of agreements with Prime Minister Viktor Orbn that will deepen China's economic footprint in the region. Xi is set to spend two nights in the Hungarian capital Budapest where he will meet with Orbn and Hungarian President Tams Sulyok. Talks will center on future Chinese investments in the Central European country, which has courted deep economic ties with Beijing even as mainstream European leaders have pursued more protectionist policies to limit its reach on the continent. Orbn, a nationalist populist whose illiberal policies have pushed him to the fringes of the European Union, made his country the first in the 27-member bloc to participate in Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative. Hungary has straddled a middle ground between its membership in the EU and NATO and a willingness to establish diplomatic and trade relationships with

Amazon breaks Europe's 5G telecoms market through Telefonica cloud deal

The move by the subsidiary of Spanish group Telefonica is a global first where an existing mobile operator is switching its core network to a public cloud