Entertainment
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Brussels tops global rankings for international meetings as tourism soars to new heights
Brussels has once again secured its position as the world’s top city for international meetings, according to the latest annual report from the Union of International Associations (UIA).26 June 2025Read More... -
Coffee prices keep climbing in Czech establishments
The cost of a cup of coffee in Czech restaurants and cafés has increased by 4% over the past year, now averaging CZK 57.80, according to data from the Dotykačka point-of-sale system.15 June 2025Read More... -
Swiss tourism set for record-breaking Summer
Following a record-setting winter in 2024/25, Swiss tourism is poised for continued growth this summer. According to economist Simon Flury from BAK Economics, the number of overnight27 May 2025Read More... -
French actor Gérard Depardieu convicted of sexual assault
French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu was found guilty by a Paris court on Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The 76-year-old actor received an 18-month13 May 2025Read More... -
Strong public support in Switzerland for social media ban for under-16s
A large majority of Swiss residents support banning social media use for children under the age of 16, according to a new survey. Conducted by the Sotomo research institute, the study found11 May 2025Read More... -
World’s largest Zara store to open in Antwerp
Spanish fashion giant Inditex, owner of the Zara brand, has announced plans to open the world’s largest Zara store in Antwerp. The new flagship location will be housed in the Meir Corner06 May 2025Read More...
Politics
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French Finance Minister urges extension of EU-U.S. trade talks to secure better deal
France’s Finance Minister, Eric Lombard, has called for the extension of ongoing trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States, currently set to conclude by July 9.Read More... -
Russia to summon German ambassador over alleged harassment of journalists
Russia announced plans to summon the German ambassador in response to what it describes as ongoing harassment of Russian journalists in Germany, according to a statement madeRead More... -
Spain unconcerned about fallout from missing NATO 5% defence spending goal
Spain stated on Wednesday that it does not anticipate any negative consequences for falling short of a proposed NATO defence spending target of 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP).Read More... -
EU agrees on stricter rules for suspending visa-free travel over security and rights concerns
More flexibility to respond to security threats, “golden passports,” and human rights violationsRead More...
News
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Dutch Minister proposes two-day delivery standard amid declining mail volumes
Demissionary Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans (VVD) has proposed extending the delivery time for standard letters and postcards from 24 to 48 hours, as the Dutch postal sectorRead More... -
Record heat triggers widespread alerts across Europe
A historic heatwave is gripping much of southern and eastern Europe, with France issuing an unprecedented number of heat alerts. As of now, 84 out of 96 mainland French departments areRead More... -
Europe scorched by killer heat dome: Spain nears 47°C, wildfires rage in Greece, storms hit France and Germany
Europe is sweltering under a record-breaking heatwave, with Spain bracing for temperatures up to 47°C this weekend. A tourist has already died from heatstroke in Mallorca, as Saharan heatRead More... -
Warsaw hosts 2025 World Justice Forum
This week, Warsaw is the meeting ground for hundreds of global advocates for the rule of law, as it hosts the 2025 World Justice Forum. The event, co-organised by Poland's Ministry of Justice,Read More... -
Germany to add 11,000 military personnel by year’s end: Bild
Germany plans to expand its armed forces by 11,000 personnel by the end of 2025, according to a report by Bild on Saturday. Citing government sources, the tabloid said the increase includesRead More... -
Sharp rise in Belgian property prices following tax cuts
House and apartment prices in Belgium have surged, driven by a recent cut in registration fees for property purchases, according to new data released by the Belgian statistics agency Statbel.Read More... -
Dutch residents smoking and drinking less, exercising more, and feeling healthier
People in the Netherlands are making healthier lifestyle choices and increasingly following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines, according to the 2024 Health Monitor by StatisticsRead More... -
French financial giants launch European defence investment fund
Four leading French financial institutions have joined forces to launch a new investment fund focused on European defence and security, amid growing momentum across the continent toRead More...
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Economics
Playing an increasingly important role in the market economy environment, legal PR is an important and promising trend in public relations. Legal PR experts deal with framing the positions of parties in judicial disputes and with developing of litigation strategies. Attracting of public attention to whatever aspect of the case helps strongly to advocate one’s point and prove its fairness. Currently there are few companies in the European Union that would focus on this area at the intersection of legal profession and PR. We have picked top five companies that specialize in legal PR, operate in Europe and feature a many-year track record.
Byfield Consultancy is a London-based company that focuses on legal PR and takes an active part in judicial proceedings that run in London. They develop unique business-oriented strategies related to legal PR.
http://www.byfieldconsultancy.com/legal-communications/
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is to travel to Russia in the coming weeks for high-level political talks, his office said Saturday.
It will be the first time a British minister has been to Moscow for an official visit in more than five years and could signal a potential thaw in Anglo-Russian relations after years of antagonism.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman stressed that the visit was not a return to "business as usual", saying Britain's approach to Russia was "engage, but beware".
Relations with Russia soured after Britain sought to prosecute suspects in the killing of Kremlin critic and former spy Alexander Litvinenko, murdered by radiation poisoning in London in 2006.
Britain has also been one a fervent supporter of Western sanctions against Moscow over Russia's role in the Ukraine crisis.
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said a decision by Russia to decriminalise some forms of domestic violence was a step backwards.
"We see this as a retrograde step by the Russian government. Repealing existing legislation sends out absolutely the wrong message on what is a global problem," May told parliament.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a controversial bill reducing the penalty for violence against family members when it is the first such offence and does not cause serious injury.
Donald Trump's US election victory heralds the "building of a new world", France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Sunday in a BBC television interview that sparked immediate criticism in Britain.
Le Pen, who leads the National Front (FN) party, described the Republican's win as a "victory of the people against the elite" and said she hoped a similar outcome could be achieved in French presidential elections in May.
"Clearly, Donald Trump's victory is an additional stone in the building of a new world, destined to replace the old one," she told the BBC's flagship Sunday politics programme, the Andrew Marr Show.
Trump "made possible what had previously been presented as impossible," she said, predicting that the "global revolution" that resulted in his election, as well as in the vote for Brexit, will also see her elected as president.
Amnesty International on Wednesday urged US president-elect Donald Trump to commit to upholding human rights, criticising his "poisonous rhetoric" following the Republican candidate's election victory.
Trump has "raised serious concerns about the strength of commitment we can expect to see from the United States towards human rights in the future," said Salil Shetty, secretary general of the London-based group.
"He must now put this behind him and both reaffirm and abide by the United States? obligations on human rights, at home and abroad," Shetty said.
Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, criticised "disturbing and, at times, poisonous rhetoric" from Trump in the campaign.
Divisive, chaotic and with implications for almost every aspect of national life, Brexit has been a godsend for political satirists -- giving them a wealth of material -- and audiences desperate for a laugh.
"There's a voracious appetite in the UK for anything to do with Brexit, and there's a huge appetite for satire," said Neil Rafferty, editor in chief of the popular satirical website The Daily Mash.
He told AFP: "It's a massive subject. There's also a massive number of colourful characters involved. There are some very extreme views, which are great for satirists."
Britons have a long tradition of turning to humour in troubled times, and the June referendum vote to leave the European Union has inspired comedians across the country -- even if most of them opposed the decision.
"When it comes to writing jokes, this referendum outcome is a better one," comedian Al Murray, who adopts the persona of a xenophobic pub owner, told The Guardian newspaper.
The District Attorney N15 of Panama has formally charged Ismael Gerli Champsaur, a Panamanian attorney, with forgery of public documents.
Earlier this year, Ismael Gerli, director of a Panamanian law firm Gerli&Co, has been charged with embezzlement which allowed him to take over properties belonging to one of his clients.
Apparently, Gerli forged a number of documents that allowed him to take possession of 100% of shares belonging to the company of Vladimir Kokorev, a Spanish citizen of Russian origins. Several years ago, Mr. Kokorev retained the services of Ismael Gerli for the acquisition of an apartment where he resided in Panama, and which the Panamanian lawyer recently registered under his own name using a series of forged documents.
Men and boys from Iraqi villages recaptured from the Islamic State group in the operation to retake Mosul have been unlawfully detained, tortured and ill-treated by tribal militia, Amnesty International said Thursday.
The Hashed al-Ashaeri (Tribal Mobilisation), made up of Sunni tribal militiamen, have been carrying out revenge attacks in villages south-east of Mosul against those residents suspected of having ties to IS, the London-based rights group said.
Some were beaten with metal rods and given electric shocks, and some were tied to the bonnets of vehicles and paraded through the streets or placed in cages, it said, citing interviews with local officials and village witnesses.
"There is strong evidence that Sabawi tribal militia members have committed crimes under international law by torturing and otherwise ill-treating residents in Qata al-Sabaween (Sabaween sector) in revenge for crimes committed by IS," said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty's deputy director for research in Beirut.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, will visit Northern Ireland in November to learn about its peace process, the Colombian embassy said on Thursday.
Santos, who is struggling to implement his peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after it was rejected by voters, will visit the British-ruled region on November 2.
The embassy said in a statement that the Colombian leader's visit was due to Northern Ireland's "importance as a model of peace and reconciliation".
Santos will meet officials and visit the Girdwood community centre in north Belfast on November 3 to discuss peace and reconciliation with local residents.
His state visit to Britain at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II will begin on November 1.
Saudi Arabia raised $17.5 billion in its first international bond offering, HSBC said Thursday, reflecting strong interest as the kingdom seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.
The bond issue -- the first time Saudi Arabia has turned to international markets for financing -- was hailed as historic by investors and according to official media was nearly four times oversubscribed.
"It was the biggest syndicated issue ever by any country," said Jean-Marc Mercier, co-director of the debt capital markets division at HSBC, which took part in the transaction and confirmed the figure.
The world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia is seeking financing as it moves to diversify its economy following the global collapse in crude prices.
The kingdom is projecting a budget deficit of $87 billion this year after a fall in oil revenues, which still account for most of its income.
It has taken a series of austerity measures, including subsidy cuts and reductions in cabinet ministers' salaries, and earlier this year announced an ambitious plan to diversify its economy.