Author: European Correspondent

 Angela Symons with AFP Imports of small parcels from China have already fallen by up to 40 per cent since a separate €3 EU levy came into force in July. France is cracking down on ultra-fast fashion with a new fee that eventually reach almost €20 per garment. The levy, which comes into force on 1 September, targets major e-commerce platforms including Shein. It follows legislation passed by the French parliament in June to regulate companies known for selling large volumes of lower quality clothing at rock-bottom prices. It is part of a push to rein in Asian e-commerce giants including Shein, Temu and…

Martin Vander Weyer/The Spectator AI, tax, and bad education are to blame for the collapse in graduate hiring, not ‘job-blockers’ working past their sell-by-date Fifty years ago this week, I started in the City as a graduate trainee. Three months later, the IMF arrived in London to bail out a profligate Labour government with a chancellor called Healey. The UK economy was flat on its back. Yet almost all my university friends came through what was then called “the milk round” of interviews to win decent jobs with training programmes and promotion prospects: in accountancy, law and banking, in industrial giants such…

Tom Cotterill – Joe Barnes /European correspondents Trove of data gathered over years of war with Russia will help train AI used by British forces Ukraine has handed over a “goldmine” of secret battlefield intelligence to help protect the UK from Russian spies and saboteurs. Britain is the first country to be given access to Kyiv’s vast “Avenger” labs repository, containing millions of images of Russian tanks, air defences, troops, drones and artillery systems from the war. The data will be used to train technology at UK bases to help them detect saboteurs and spies trying to gain access to Britain’s secrets or military…

Emma Fowle/European Correspondent When Jay Painter became a Christian, he took a novel approach to sharing his faith with his best friend. He convinced Lewis Rebaudo to join him on an Alpha course – and documented the journey on Instagram. Two years ago, Jay Painter was an atheist. The 26-year-old’s past experience of Christianity had been limited to a few school assemblies and RE lessons. But in the summer of 2024, while sitting with his dying grandfather, Jay experienced something he couldn’t explain. “I don’t know whether I saw or felt his soul, but something changed; what made my granddad,…

Nadezhda Driamina/European Correspondent Ukrainian drone campaign on Russia’s energy infrastructure has caused fuel shortages so severe that the Kremlin has admitted it. Queues in Moscow are forming for the first time, and Russia has brought back banned low-grade fuel to plug the gap, while detaining residents who complained publicly. Petrol was available at fewer than three in 10 petrol stations across Russia on Wednesday, the latest sign that a second wave of fuel shortages is hitting harder than the first, with queues forming at pumps in Moscow for the first time. The monitoring app Gdebenz put nationwide petrol availability at…

Sarah Knapton/European correspondent. Dr Peter Daszak is accused of trying to shut down the theory that coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology A British zoologist involved in risky bat coronavirus experiments in Wuhan is accused of plotting with a senior US health official to shut down the theory that Covid-19 leaked from a lab. Dr Peter Daszak, the former president of EcoHealth Alliance, sent bottles of wine to David Morens, thanking him for his “behind the scenes shenanigans” and promising further gifts, such as dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants, US court documents state. Morens, 78, a former employee at the…

Stephen Daisley/The Daily Telegraph Labour’s tensions, divisions and policy disputes remain in place under new management at No 10 Given the public opprobrium in which his premiership ended, it was obviously necessary for the Labour Party to get rid of Keir Starmer. What wasn’t obvious at the time, and remains so one month on, is why it was necessary that his successor be Andy Burnham. With the latest YouGov polling putting Reform back in the lead, the Burnham bounce is beginning to look more like a Burnham blip. The new Prime Minister hasn’t tanked the party in the polls, though given where its…

European Correspondent. Event overwhelmed by participants seeking personal best speeds during summer holidays A seaside Parkrun has been temporarily suspended after “ego-driven” runners tripped and barged slower participants. Organisers of the Weymouth Parkrun, in Lodmoor Country Park, said the event had been overwhelmed by runners seeking to reach personal best speeds. They said participant numbers had doubled during the summer holidays as tourists flocked to the free 5km event, which takes place across the UK each week. The Weymouth Parkrun generally attracts between 300 and 400 people, but there were almost 600 attendees last weekend. Parkrun gives safety briefings before events, but participants…

 Symela Touchtidou/Euronews The Oxford professor who developed the first highly effective malaria vaccine explains what Covid taught us, why misinformation is still a threat and why Europe must invest more in public health Epidemics are not a thing of the past. On the contrary, they will continue to emerge and the next major pandemic is only a matter of time, says Adrian Hill, one of the world’s leading vaccine scientists and winner of the 2026 European Inventor Award in the category “Research”. Speaking to Euronews, the British Oxford University professor argues that the world is better prepared today than it…

Ailin Vilches Arguello As anti-Israel hostility and antisemitism intensify across the United Kingdom, nearly half of the British public now favors reducing or halting immigration from Israel altogether, according to a new survey that places Israelis among the least-welcome nationalities in the country. Conducted by YouGov, a leading British polling organization, the newly released survey asked respondents whether people from 23 countries should be allowed to come and live in Britain in greater numbers, at current levels, in smaller numbers, or not at all, with Israel ranking near the bottom of the list, far below most European and Western countries.…

Source: Vatican News 2030 will mark 2,000 years since the traditional date of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, which took place in what is now Al-Maghtas, Jordan. On Monday 10th August, Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan August chaired the first meeting of the National Committee for the Preparation of the Celebration of the Second Millennium of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. The committee, which includes ministers, religious and community leaders and representatives of relevant institutions, serves as the national reference point for preparing and overseeing the commemoration. Members of the committee gathered for they first meeting During the meeting, Hassan…

Staff writers/Christian Daily Two prominent voices on Islamist radicalization in Germany are warning that the recent deadly attack on a Berlin Pride parade reflects a crisis far deeper than the actions of a single attacker — one in which, according to a Christian charity worker, the majority of young Muslim men in Germany’s most troubled neighborhoods quietly support those intent on overturning the country’s democratic order. Wolfgang Büscher, spokesman for Die Arche, a Christian organization that runs youth and children’s programs in Germany’s most disadvantaged urban districts, told broadcaster WeltTV on Tuesday that radicalization is already everyday reality in those…

 Riley Stuart and Anna-Maria Tesfaye/European Correspondants. Svetlana* used to look forward to summer trips to her holiday house on the outskirts of Moscow, but not anymore. The property is not far from one of the Russian capital’s airports. Ukrainian drones striking targets in the area are now a regular occurrence. “I was there a couple of days ago and we had six explosions one night,” she told the ABC. “You are no longer just reading about this war in the newspaper. I’m lying on the bed and feeling it myself.” For a long time, people in Russia’s largest and most affluent…

Greta Ruffino/Euronews The 48-year-old undertaker previously pleaded guilty to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of victims. A British funeral director faced a possible prison sentence over a scandal that saw bodies left “stored on racks” and un-cremated, while relatives were given other people’s ashes, prompting calls for tighter regulation of the funeral industry. After receiving a tip-off, police searched the premises of Robert Bush’s funeral home and found 31 bodies in cold storage that should have been cremated months earlier, including a stillborn baby whose body had been there for nearly two years. They also found more…

Donna Birell/ UK Correspondent Finnish politician Paivi Rasanen is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. In March this year she was convicted by Finland’s Supreme Court for “insulting” a group, over traditional views on marriage and sexuality she expressed in a church booklet in 2004. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland were also convicted for publishing the booklet, and alongside Räsänen were ordered to pay thousands of Euros in fines. The court also ruled that the statements within the booklet must be destroyed. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) which is representing Räsänen in her appeal said…

James Lewis/Premier Christian News As the Commonwealth Games begin in Glasgow, the Salvation Army is leading church outreach to demonstrate God’s love in action to the thousands of athletes and supporters in attendance. More than 200 gold medals are on offer over the next ten days, with athletes from 74 nations and territories taking part. The church and charity is leading an initiative to create a visible Christian presence throughout the Games, with Glasgow Churches Together and other Christian groups.  Volunteers are opening a hub at its church in the heart of Glasgow, amongst several competition venues. Visitors will be…

Liam Gilliver/Euronews Proposed reforms to the bloc’s emission trading system (ETS) have been described as a “gift to polluters”. The European Union has unveiled a controversial shake-up of its flagship climate policy that could put the brakes on cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. Since launching in 2005, the bloc’s emissions trading system (ETS) has generated more than €270 billion in revenue. This has been invested in innovation, industrial decarbonisation and the modernisation of Europe’s energy system. It has also helped Europe cut emissions by 50 per cent in the sectors it covers. However, last week (17 July) the commission argued that…

Bethel McGrew The U.K. government has just published a draft bill, long in the making, that pitches itself as legislation protecting LGBTQ individuals from “abuse,” but is really designed to persecute conservative Christians. It would make “conversion practices”—defined as any attempt to steer someone away from a gay or transgender identity—a criminal offense, putting concerned parents and clergy in the crosshairs. A conviction could bring penalties of up to five years in prison and unlimited fines. Concerned critics are naturally being assured that no one’s legitimate freedoms of expression or religion are in any danger. Introducing the bill, Minister for Equalities…

Sertac Aktan & Euronews with AFP US and Iran agree to halt strikes and hold talks in Qatar on Tuesday over Strait of Hormuz tensions, US media reports. The United States and Iran have agreed to halt their military strikes and will hold high-level talks in Qatar on Tuesday in an urgent effort to rescue their fragile peace agreement, American media reported, citing senior US officials. The breakthrough comes after days of escalating military exchanges that threatened to derail an interim memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June, which aimed to end the conflict that began in late February and disrupted shipping through the…

By Malek Fouda The two quakes struck in quick succession, just minutes apart, according to the US Geological Survey, marking it one of the South American nation’s worst disasters in over a century. Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings on Thursday and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials now say killed around 235 people and left more than 4,300 others injured. “Unfortunately we have received around 235 patients who arrive without vital signs or die when they arrive at our health facilities,” said Health Minister Carlos Alvarado to state-run media on…

The report on Britains Rape Gangs runs to 219 pages, and is an excruciating read. The crimes are gut-wrenching; the institutional cover-up rage-inducing.

Aamna Mohdin/European Correspondent.For Elizabeth Arif-Fear, there was no single moment when she realised she wanted to be Jewish. “It was just a journey over time,” she says. The 37-year-old interfaith activist was born Christian, then converted to Islam and was Muslim for 14 years, before realising that that faith was also not the right fit. Eventually, she found the answer she had been searching for in Judaism. “I feel I’ve finally found God without all the extras,” she says. “Without Jesus, without Muhammad.” Arif-Fear is part of a “surge” in the number of people converting to Progressive Judaism, a movement that…

By Deborah Castellano Lubov Addressing authorities and the diplomatic corps in Madrid, Pope Leo XIV says he traveled to Spain to encourage faith in the Gospel among believers, and reiterates that religious freedom and freedom of conscience must be protected. “I come among you to affirm, encourage and instill a renewed fidelity to the Gospel among believers, as well as a deeper reconciliation and collaboration among the various elements of this nation.” Pope Leo XIV expressed this when addressing authorities and the diplomatic corps on Saturday at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain, where he is making a week-long Apostolic…

By Jerry Fisayo-Bambi with AP House lawmakers voted 215-208 on the resolution, with four Republicans joining Democrats, an outcome that saw cheers erupting in the House chamber in what is a clear rebuke of Trump’s war strategy. For the first time in three months, a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats in the US House on Wednesday to approve a war powers resolution that would halt Washington’s military action against Iran, defying President Donald Trump. The move aims to end the three-month-long conflict that has reordered politics at home and abroad. House lawmakers voted 215-208 on the resolution, but next steps are uncertain,…

By Jerry Fisayo-Bambi with AFP The ceasefire comes as Israel has recently escalated its attacks and is staging its deepest ground offensive into Lebanon in two decades. Israel and Lebanon agreed Wednesday to implement a conditional ceasefire that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement issued following US-led talks in Washington. The joint statement said the ceasefire was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon. However, with the conditional deal based on Hezbollah, it remains unclear how events would unfold. On Tuesday,…

By Babak Kamiar The draft memorandum includes unrestricted Hormuz shipping, Iran removing mines within 30 days and US sanctions waivers on Iranian oil, with nuclear talks to follow. US Vice President JD Vance said talks between Washington and Tehran were making “good progress” as negotiators from both sides reached agreement on a 60-day deal to extend the ceasefire — but the deal still awaits final approval from both President Donald Trump and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, according to sources. If signed, the memorandum of understanding would be the most significant diplomatic step since the war began on 28 February. According to US…

By Yolaine De Kerchove Dexaerde. US President Donald Trump is calling for more Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords, the diplomatic agreements normalising ties between Israel and parts of the Arab world. The Abraham Accords are a set of diplomatic agreements brokered by the United States in 2020 to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab countries. Signed during the first presidency of Donald Trump, the accords led the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco to establish formal ties with Israel, while Sudan later agreed to join. Trump is now pushing to expand the agreements as part of wider efforts…

OPINION: Daniel R. Suhr The United States and Great Britain have long enjoyed a special relationship in world affairs, strengthened from our shared sacrifices twice in defense of freedom during two world wars. Winston Churchill’s vision for the Atlantic Alliance, tying together America and Europe for the long haul, was matched by his desire for an alliance of the English-speaking peoples—the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. To this day, the most important avenue for sharing intelligence (spy stuff) is the Five Eyes network of those nations. Because Britain and America have this special bond, the United States has a…

By Peter Barabas & Aleksandar Brezar/Euronews The US president announced on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that a deal with Tehran to end the Iran war was “largely negotiated” subject to approval, ending speculation over the possible resumption of strikes against Iran and broader conflict in the region. US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that a draft framework for an agreement with Iran, which would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” and is “subject to finalisation”. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the final aspects and details of the deal are being discussed…

By Julian Mann. Lord Toby Young’s powerful speech in London in support of British Jews sets an example for the Church of England. The leaders of the established Church need to be much more vocal in speaking out against the rising tide of hatred against Britain’s 270,000 Jews. The Free Speech Union founder was speaking at the Campaign Against Antisemitism protest opposite Downing Street on April 30. This was the day after the stabbings of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London. He said: “I want you to imagine what Britain would look like without British Jews. What kind of country would we…

By Thomas Fretwell/UK Correspondant.  In the early hours of a May morning, fame engulfed the gates of a former synagogue in east London. This is the latest in a string of antisemitic incidents in the UK under investigation by counter-terrorism forces. For many British Jews, this was another attack in a rapidly growing list of attacks against them in the country. The list is growing at an alarming pace. In March, four ambulances belonging to a Jewish voluntary agency were set on fire outside a synagogue in Golders Green, London. Weeks later, petrol bombs were thrown at a synagogue in…

By Tony Davenport. A new study forecasts Islam will be on the brink of overtaking Christianity in 50 years. Christianity will continue to grow, but mostly in Africa, while steadily declining in its traditional hubs. This is according to the latest Status of Global Christianity report. It predicts that on current growth patterns of around 1% per year, the number of Christians on the planet will rise from 2.673 billion in 2026 to 3.675 billion in 2075, with more than one billion new Christians in Africa. With a much faster annual growth rate of 1.57%, the study forecasts the Muslim population will…

By Malek Fouda/Euronews. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have both expressed a need for China to leverage its tight relations with Tehran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz for “their own interests”. White House officials are urging China to use its influence with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, just days before US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in a highly-anticipated summit in Beijing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Chinese officials to use Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to China to urge…

By Andrea Williams In Colchester, one of Britain’s oldest recorded settlements, an entire church community is facing the possibility of being criminalised for their street ministry. The church, Bread of Life Community Church in Clacton-on-Sea, has been issued a Community Protection Notice that risks criminalising the entire church, regardless of their personal involvement, for preaching the gospel in nearby Colchester town centre. Over the last decade, we have defended hundreds of church ministries and street preachers who have been censored for their outreach ministries. And the frequency of these cases is only increasing. The message is clear: authorities, both in…

By Sasha Vakulina/Euronews President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that Ukraine is set to open its arms exports via so-called drone deals, but not all countries will have access to Kyiv’s battlefield tested expertise. In a much anticipated step, Ukraine is opening up its arms exports to global markets, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday evening. “The export of Ukrainian weapons will become a reality, we have approved all the details at the level of our state institutions,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “Currently, our security expertise and weapons, which have been tested in modern warfare, are of interest to all…

By Erin Hale New Zealand’s military said a surveillance aircraft observed what it suspected was North Korea breaking international sanctions in a “possible ship-to-ship transfer of illicit goods”, while conducting monitoring over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. New Zealand’s Defence Force said on Tuesday that the exchange of goods at sea between vessels was captured by one of its long-range P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft in international waters near North Korea. The exchange was observed among 35 “vessels of interest” in the area while its surveillance aircraft was patrolling for possible North Korean violations of United Nations sanctions at sea,…

By Mikale Olson, Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda and one of his most loyal disciples, died by suicide on May 1, 1945 — just one day after the Führer took his own life in the bowels of the Berlin bunker. But before Goebbels followed his master into death, he and his wife Magda carried out one final, unspeakable act of devotion to the crumbling Nazi regime: the deliberate murder of their six children, all under the age of 13.They drugged them with morphine, placed cyanide capsules in their mouths as they slept, and watched as their young lives were extinguished.…

By Elliot Neaman. Germany’s Military Service Modernization Act marks a crucial shift toward rebuilding its defense capabilities amid growing geopolitical threats and waning reliance on allies. The law restores military registration and prepares for conscription while balancing civil liberties through transparency and oversight. This reform reflects a necessary, responsible commitment to national security rooted in democratic values and historical awareness. Germany is finally waking up to a harsh reality: In a world of revisionist powers and wavering alliances, a rich democracy at the heart of Europe cannot afford to be militarily weak. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, too many…

By Ailin Vilches Arguello Antisemitism in the Netherlands remained at alarmingly high levels last year, according to newly published figures, as Jews and Israelis across Europe continued to face a persistently hostile environment marked by harassment, vandalism, and targeted attacks. On Wednesday, Dutch authorities released a new annual antisemitism report showing 867 registered cases in 2025, a figure that remains at deeply troubling levels and virtually unchanged from the 880 antisemitic incidents recorded the previous year. Even though Jews make up less than 0.3 percent of the Dutch population, anti-Jewish hate crimes account for 26 percent of all discrimination cases. Eddo Verdoner,…

By Kelley Valencia/Europe Corrrespondent. A pastor has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after a man died during a paddling pool baptism in Birmingham. Robert Smith, 61, from Brixton, was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services were called to the ceremony in October 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed pastor Cheryl Bartley, of Life Changing Ministries, faces one count of manslaughter in connection with the incident. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS’s special crime division, said they had worked closely with West Midlands Police as it carried out an investigation. “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that…