2024-12-20

Tech News

Italy hands OpenAI €15 million fine after ChatGPT data privacy probe

The Italian Data Protection Authority found OpenAI used personal data to train their AI without "an adequate legal basis" for doing so.

20/12/2024

Netherlands

Dutch cabinet agrees strict new asylum rules

The Dutch government wants to introduce some of the toughest asylum rules in Europe, but it may not be so straightforward.

20/12/2024

Germany

Multiple casualties after car drives into German Christmas market

A car has driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. At least two people have died and more than 50 are injured.

20/12/2024

Europe News

Italy's Deputy PM Salvini found not guilty in Open Arms migrants case

The leader of Italy's right-wing Lega Party and Giorgia Meloni's ally, Matteo Salvini, had been accused of kidnapping and dereliction of duty over his refusal to let a migrant rescue boat dock in Italy in 2019.

20/12/2024

Business

Union reaches agreement with Volkswagen to avoid plant closures

After days of negotiations which looked like they had reached a stalemate, German workers union IG Metall has reached a deal to avoid Volkswagen plant closures as well as redundancies and wage cuts.

20/12/2024

Europe News

EU-Swiss single market trade deal faces challenging referendum 

The EU and Switzerland reached a bilateral agreement on Friday worth an estimated €550 billion in trade. But ratification of the deal is far from a foregone conclusion, as the Swiss have yet to vote on it.

20/12/2024

Russia

Russian central bank holds interest rate at 21%

The decision has brought criticism from influential business figures, who say high rates are hindering business activity and preventing growth.

20/12/2024

Top News Stories Today

Latest news bulletin | December 20th – Evening

Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.

20/12/2024

World News

Euroviews. Women are saving Ukraine’s wartime economy

The women in Ukraine have suffered bitterly in this war, and yet they dream of tomorrow’s country – one in which their daughters are accepted and welcomed into the workforce, Massimo Diana wrote.

20/12/2024

Europe News

Poland recalls ambassador to Hungary over fugitive asylum case

Poland's ambassador to Budapest has been recalled to Warsaw indefinitely after Hungary granted asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister, Marcin Romanowski.

20/12/2024

Lifestyle

League of Legends: French eSport enters a new stadium-sized era

A series of friendly matches during the Red Bull League of Its Own brought together the best eSports teams in the world to Paris for one night only.

20/12/2024

Green News

Is climate change making earthquakes more frequent?

A recent study joins a growing body of evidence that climate influences seismic activity.

20/12/2024

Healthcare

Italy unveils plans for €4.2 million fund to target obesity

The creation of the fund is viewed as a small but meaningful step to address Italy’s looming obesity problem but critics remain unconvinced of its impact.

20/12/2024

Health news

Survey finds half of people in the UK self-diagnose conditions online

Minor ailments and mental health conditions were among the most diagnosed, according to the survey.

20/12/2024

Europe News

'Absurd': Fico escalates dispute with Zelenskyy over Russian gas

Russian gas has pitted Slovakia's Robert Fico against Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the European Commission caught in between.

20/12/2024

Lifestyle

UK choir with average age of 94 breaks Guinness World Record

A UK choir called the Prime Timers, with members aged 87 to 99, set a new Guinness World Record for the "world's oldest choir".

20/12/2024

France

Macron enters into furious expletive-laden exchange in Mayotte

The French overseas department is reeling from a devastating cyclone, and residents’ anger boiled over during a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron.

20/12/2024

Business

Tesla recalls 700,000 vehicles over tyre pressure monitoring

The issue is that the tyre pressure monitoring system warning light on the vehicles may not stay on between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tyre pressure.

20/12/2024

Europe in Motion

Second-hand Christmas presents: Who buys the most in Europe?

Second-hand gifts might overtake traditional presents this Christmas, as most people in Europe's largest economies plan to shop for "pre-loved" items this holiday season. Which nations and generations are leading this revolution and which ones are holding back?

20/12/2024

Europe News

Portuguese manufacturers warn of automotive industry crisis impact

The Portuguese automotive manufacturing industry's exports are predicted to fall in November and December, as demand for new cars slows across Europe.

20/12/2024

Malaysia

Malaysia to resume search for missing flight MH370 a decade later

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that finding the wreckage of the missing airline would provide "closure for the families of MH370 passengers.”

20/12/2024

Business

Trump threatens trade tariffs unless Europe buys more US oil and gas

US president-elect keeps the prospect of a transatlantic trade war in the air, exactly a month before he is due to walk back into the White House.

20/12/2024

Sci-Tech

Oman, UAE, Qatar lead 5G-Advanced talks at Telecom Review Summit

In partnership with Telecom Review

In this episode of Sci Tech, we explore the future of connectivity with 5G-Advanced, as discussed at the Telecom Review Leaders' Summit in Dubai, with experts from Vodafone and TDRA.

20/12/2024

Europe News

Sarajevo ranks third most-polluted city worldwide with AQI of 225

Sarajevo faced severe smog on Thursday, with flights cancelled as the city's air quality index reached 225, the third highest in the world on the day.

20/12/2024

Culture news

Oldest-known Ten Commandments tablet fetches €4.8 million at auction

The world’s oldest-known Ten Commandments tablet sold on Wednesday (18 December) for $5 million (€4.8 million) at Sotheby’s, far surpassing expectations. The marble slab, previously used as a paving stone, will be donated to an Israeli institution.

20/12/2024

Health news

WHO declares Rwanda’s Marburg outbreak officially over

No new cases of the highly lethal Ebola-like virus have been reported in Rwanda since late October.

20/12/2024

No Comment

Images of destruction in Kyiv after Russian missile strikes

Several explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital on Friday morning as Russia fired several ballistic missiles at the city, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

20/12/2024

Art

Madame Tussauds unveils 'most structurally ambitious' waxwork yet

The new sculpture of Elton John in his iconic 70s pose has been unveiled today, celebrating the artist’s 50-year career.

20/12/2024

Economy

ECB interest rate cuts in 2025: How low could they go?

The ECB is expected to cut rates further in 2025 as weak growth and cooling inflation persist. While markets predict a drop to 2%, some analysts suggest deeper cuts could follow if trade risks and global uncertainties escalate.

20/12/2024

Art

Claire Tabouret chosen to design Notre-Dame's stained-glass windows

Notre-Dame Cathedral is set to install new stained glass windows by artist Claire Tabouret as part of its €846 million renovation, sparking debate over the removal of historical pieces.

20/12/2024