Page 43 - European Union

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.

EU hits Cadbury & Oreo-maker Mondelez with $366 mn fine for market rigging

Mondelez has been accused of hindering the cross-border trade of chocolate, biscuits, and coffee products within the European Union

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

China may raise temporary tariffs on some US, EU cars, warns lobby group

Chinese EVs are under the spotlight in the EU and US, as China controls a majority of the battery supply chain and produces more EVs than anywhere else in the world

Apple fights 1.8 billion euro EU antitrust fine for restrictions on Spotify

The EU's crackdown on Apple also included an order to stop preventing music-streaming apps from informing users of cheaper deals away from its App Store

EU activates rapid response mapping to locate missing Iranian Prez Raisi

Moreover, Iran has requested assistance from Turkey in the search for the Iranian President's helicopter, CNN reported, citing the Turkish disaster and emergency management ministry

Why simple election narratives fail

Given India's complex electoral dynamics and geographical diversity, policy initiatives crafted to suit a simple national narrative are not very useful

Russia asks British diplomat to leave country in a week in tit-for-tat move

Russia on Thursday declared Britain's defence attach persona non grata and gave the diplomat a week to leave the country in response to London's decision to expel the Russian defence attach earlier this month over spying allegations. Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it summoned a representative of the British Embassy in Moscow on Thursday to express its strong protest in connection with the unfriendly and groundless decision to expel the Russian attach from London. We emphasized that we regard this step as a politically motivated action of clearly Russophobic nature, which is causing irreparable damage to bilateral relations, the statement read. Britain on May 8 announced several measures to target Moscow's intelligence gathering operations in the UK Those included a decision to boot Maxim Elovik, a Russian colonel who the British government termed an undeclared military intelligence officer, rescinding the diplomatic status of several Russian-owned properties ...

Facebook, Instagram face new scrutiny under EU's strict digital regulations

The European Union opened fresh investigations Thursday into Facebook and Instagram over suspicions that they're failing to protect children online, in violation of the bloc's strict digital regulations for social media platforms. It's the latest round of scrutiny for parent company Meta Platforms under the 27-nation EU's Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that took effect last year with the goal of cleaning up online platforms and protecting internet users. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said it's concerned that the algorithmic systems used by Facebook and Instagram to recommend content like videos and posts could exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of children and stimulate addictive behaviour". It's worried that these systems could reinforce the so-called rabbit hole effect that leads users to increasingly disturbing content. The commission is also looking into Meta's use of age verification tools to prevent children from accessing Faceboo

Digital Competition Bill may hinder investments in tech startups: IAMAI

The Digital Competition Bill seeks to further regulate large digital enterprises, including news aggregators, as part of efforts to ensure a fair competition in the digital spaces

TotalEnergies will continue to be listed in France: CEO Patrick Pouyanne

Poyanne said the LNG market was 'tense' but would have more supply and, as a result, lower prices by 2027-2030

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

Stakeholders seek more time for feedback on Digi Competition Bill

Industry associations say that consultations on the contentious bill should not be pushed through during the elections

Xi's visit to Hungary, Serbia brings new Chinese investment in Europe

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hungary last week, he arrived to one of the few places in the European Union where his country is considered an indispensable ally rather than a rival. By the time he left on Friday, he'd secured deals that provide fertile ground for China's plans of economic expansion in Europe. After meeting with nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday, the leaders addressed a small group of select media in Hungary's capital, Budapest, announcing the formation of an all-weather partnership" that would usher in a new era of economic cooperation. As most EU countries make efforts to de-risk their economies from perceived threats posed by China, Hungary has gone in the other direction, courting major Chinese investments in the belief that the world's second-largest economy is essential for Europe's future. While Xi and Orban didn't unveil concrete agreements following their meeting, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later said in a video that a de

What EU sanctions on re-exporting Russian LNG would mean for global gas

Russian producer Novatek PJSC relies on stopovers in the EU to move Arctic fuel from ice-class ships onto conventional tankers

France gets $16 bn in foreign investments as part of 'Choose France' event

That amount represents an increase from last year's summit, which brought in 13 bn euros

Making a better Indian Union

The idea that the southern states are being penalised for better performance overlooks the full costs and benefits of being part of the Union

Putin's next target after Ukraine may be Nato's Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia

With the addition this year of Sweden and last spring of Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Baltic Sea has been dubbed a 'Nato lake' by some analysts

Open to discussing sending Patriot system to Ukraine: Romanian president

Although Romania only has one battery in operation, Prez Iohannis said the discussions concerned another battery that is nearly operational

Biden hosts Prez of Romania at White House to celebrate Nato partnership

President Joe Biden hosted Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, on Tuesday at the White House, with the two leaders celebrating their joint cooperation on issues including international security, the economy and continued support for Ukraine. The meeting in the Oval Office was meant to mark Romania's two decades as a NATO member, according to the White House. At the start of the meeting, Biden joked he advocated for NATO accession for Romania when he was a senator 180 years ago and said the alliance was stronger for the country's inclusion. Biden noted that Romanian and American troops have fought and trained alongside one another and praised Romania for having stepped up to assist Ukraine in fending Russia's invasion. The United States is committed to standing with you, Biden told Iohannis. In turn, Iohannis thanked Biden for hosting him and called the transatlantic alliance a cornerstone of our democratic way of life. He said he intended to make progress toward a visa waiver