Experiences I was won over by rural Japan at cosy inns and traditional teahouses The Nakasendo road still exists in its entirety - as do dozens of the post towns it weaves between - and can form an epic walking itinerary across central Japan. 13/02/2025
Italy Wine exporters have called for a de-escalation of tensions With the U.S. as the largest non-EU market for Italian exports, tariffs imposed by President Trump could significantly impact sectors like wine, spirits, and furniture. Federvini, representing wine and spirits exporters, warns that such tariffs could cost Italy up to half of its U.S. market share 13/02/2025
Business Unilever opts for primary listing in Amsterdam for ice cream business Unilever has chosen Amsterdam over London for its ice cream business’ primary listing, in a new blow to the City of London's struggling initial public offering (IPO) market. 13/02/2025
Business Trump set to announce reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners "TODAY IS THE BIG ONE: RECIPROCAL TARIFFS!!!" Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social. "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" 13/02/2025
Culture news Disney+ to soften its content warnings on old movies like 'Dumbo' As part of a broader political shift within America's cultural landscape, Disney+ is changing its autoplay warnings about racial stereotypes on 'Dumbo' and 'Peter Pan'. 13/02/2025
Health news What happens if HIV drugs are stopped for millions of people HIV gradually weakens the body’s immune system and makes it vulnerable to disease, including ones rarely seen in otherwise healthy people. 13/02/2025
Business Thyssenkrupp announces lower sales as shake-up plans proceed Earnings increased despite weaker sales, thanks to the German firm’s efficiency drive. Meanwhile, Thyssenkrupp’s military-related units expect a boost from greater defence spending. 13/02/2025
Europe News Italian government denies illegal spying on journalists and activists A minister told parliament that while the government does have a contract with Israeli cyber solutions firm Paragon, it has not overstepped the law in its use of spyware technology. 13/02/2025
Culture news Little Simz to curate London's Meltdown Festival 2025 The Mercury Prize-winning rapper will lead the 30th edition of Southbank Centre's iconic artist curated festival. 13/02/2025
Economy Service industry helps give late boost to UK's economic growth The UK economy inched up slightly in the last quarter of 2024, ahead of market expectations. However, the country is still dealing with slower growth than some of its other G7 peers. 13/02/2025
Culture news HeritageWatch.AI seeks to safeguard cultural heritage from crises HeritageWatch.AI, a new collaboration launched in Paris, combines satellite imagery, 3D modelling, and AI to provide real-time data that will help protect cultural heritage sites from disasters and conflict. 13/02/2025
USA Elon Musk calls for US government to 'delete entire agencies' Musk described his actions against US bureaucracy as 'warfare' and warned that artificial intelligence could fire men from government jobs if programmed to focus on diversity. 13/02/2025
Europe News European preference for defence spending 'imperative', industry says EU member states are currently negotiating whether to roll-out a so-called European preference for bloc-level defence spending. 13/02/2025
Business Nestlé hails solid performance as food giant beats sales forecast The world's largest packaged food company reported better-than-expected annual sales growth but warned of lower profit margins in 2025. 13/02/2025
Ukraine US army general or NY tycoon: Who will lead Ukraine-Russia talks? In November, Donald Trump nominated retired General Keith Kellogg as a special Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations on Russia's full-scale war. But after the first phone calls with Kyiv and Moscow, he said the talks would be led by a different person — his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. 13/02/2025
Culture news Sean 'Diddy' Combs sues NBC for €95 million while awaiting trial Sean Combs’ lawsuit says an NBC documentary “falsely, recklessly, and maliciously” accuses him of murdering Kimberly Porter, Christopher Wallace and Dwight Arrington Myers, among other notable names. 13/02/2025
Top News Stories Today Latest news bulletin | February 13th – Midday Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. 13/02/2025
Economy ECB flags trade tariffs, competitiveness gap as risks for growth The ECB sees rising trade frictions and regulatory barriers as risks to eurozone growth, with US trade policy uncertainty and global demand slowing. While inflation is easing, policymakers remain cautious, with no pre-commitment to rate cuts. 13/02/2025
Tech News Online platforms disinformation code going formal, but X is out The voluntary effort by online platforms dates back to 2022, and sets out a range of commitments and measures to counter fake news online. 13/02/2025
Cinema Berlinale Jury President Todd Haynes on danger Trump poses to cinema The 75th edition of the Berlinale officially kicks off tonight. Prior to the opening film, the jury led by US filmmaker Todd Haynes spoke to the press about the importance of festivals like the Berlinale, as well as the threats posed by Trump and the looming elections in Germany. 13/02/2025
Europe News Trump's peace push 'not a betrayal' of Ukraine, Hegseth says The US Secretary of Defence sought to clarify that his country was invested in peace after Trump explosively announced talks were to begin after speaking with Putin. 13/02/2025
No Comment Explosion in department store in Taiwan: one dead, several injured The explosion at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung has killed one person and injured ten, four of them seriously. The cause of the incident is being investigated. 13/02/2025
Europe News At least 28 injured in Munich in apparent car ramming attack Police say the suspect is a 24-year-old Afghanistan national who has been apprehended at the scene of the incident, which the authorities believe was intentional. 13/02/2025
Business Commerzbank to cut jobs and boost profits in bid to fend off UniCredit The German bank is seeking to bolster its financial strength as Italy’s UniCredit vies for a takeover. 13/02/2025
Australia Australia accuses Chinese fighter jet of 'unsafe' manoeuvre Flares released by a Chinese pilot came within 30 metres of an Australian P-8 surveillance plane, according to the Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles. 13/02/2025
Europe News How to navigate the European Commission's new chain of command From new coordination methods to more transparency over lobbying, here’s how Ursula von der Leyen reshaped the Commission in her own image. 13/02/2025
Travel News Cancelled flights: Travel chaos in Belgium as airport workers strike All departing flights from Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport in Belgium have been cancelled. 13/02/2025
Health news Obesity drugs could help curb alcohol cravings, study suggests The new findings add to growing evidence that the medicines could help people with alcohol addiction. 13/02/2025
Tech News Media company Thomson Reuters wins AI copyright case A judge ruled in favour of Thomson Reuters, saying that a law firm's use of their legal content to train an artificial intelligence model went against US copyright laws. 13/02/2025
Ukraine Ukraine’s negotiating conundrum: Ceasefire and more sacrifice As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears a three-year mark, there is a sign of a possible end to the war. The new US administration is pushing forward with its peace plan, but Washington, Kyiv and Moscow have different interpretations of what this "peace" might represent. 13/02/2025