/news18hMan armed with shotgun ran toward Capitol, apprehended by policeAn 18-year-old man was apprehended by Capitol police after running toward the U.S. Capitol with a loaded shotgun. The man, who was not known to the police, complied with officers' orders to drop the weapon and was taken into custody. The incident occurred just after noon on Tuesday, and the area was cleared and reopened shortly after. Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the incident, and there does not appear to be any other suspects or ongoing threat.
/europe18hTwo years of Digital Services Act allows 50 million content moderation decisions by platforms to be reversedIn just two years, online platforms have reversed almost 50 million decisions affecting users’ content or accounts, helping users exercise their Digital Services Act (DSA) rights online in the EU. With the DSA, users in the EU are more empowered online, online platforms face gre
/europe1dPlans for new VPN ban in UK to 'close loopholes' onlinePlans for a new VPN ban in the UK have been announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The Online Safety Act’s new age gate laws, introduced by the Conservatives, came into effect last year.
/europe2dVoluntary chat control: EU Parliament plans next deadline extensionThe suspicion-independent scanning of private online communication was originally intended as a one-time special regulation. Now, the corresponding voluntary chat control is to be extended for the second time – despite strong criticism of the proportionality of the measure. This
/europe3dFrance slashes renewable energy targets, expands nuclear power with new lawThe law change comes as a relief for state-run electricity provider EDF, which had been mandated to close some of its nuclear plants and is struggling to compete with price pressure from European solar and wind power producers.
/europe3dCanada has officially joined the EU's loans-for-weapons programDefence Minister David McGuinty says Canada has now officially joined the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, which offers loans to member states to invest in defence capabilities.
/news4dImmigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds Federal immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,600 beds, according to a document released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE has been purchasing warehouses to convert into detention and processing facilities. The plan includes 16 regional processing centers with 1,000 to 1,500 detainees each, and eight large-scale detention centers capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for periods averaging less than 60 days. The expansion is financed by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-cutting law.
/news4dUS paid $32m to five countries to accept about 300 deportees, report showsSome of the world’s most corrupt countries have received huge payments in third-country deportation scheme
/europe4dDigital Omnibus: EU DPAs reject many proposed changes to the GDPRThe European Data Protection Board and European Data Protection Supervisor this week published a scathing assessment of the European Commission's Digital Omnibus proposal, rejecting key amendments that would fundamentally alter how personal data is protected across the continent.
/news4dGerman chancellor Merz says US has ‘squandered’ claim to world leadership under TrumpGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized US President Donald Trump's foreign policy at the Munich Security Conference, stating that the US has 'squandered' its claim to world leadership. Merz warned that the international order based on rights and rules is being destroyed, highlighting the rift between Europe and the United States. Despite this, he emphasized the importance of NATO and urged for the repair and revival of transatlantic trust.
/europe4dThe EU moves to kill infinite scrollingDoom scrolling is doomed, if the EU gets its way. The European Commission is for the first time tackling the addictiveness of social media in a fight against TikTok that may set new design standards for the world’s most popular apps.
/europe5dTesla Supercharger left offline as Swedish court backs union strikeTesla’s Supercharger station in Ljungby, Sweden will remain without power after a Swedish administrative court rejected the company’s appeal to force a grid connection to the site. The completed Supercharger has been stalled for nearly two years amid Tesla’s conflict with the IF
/europe5dIs Norway about to take a step closer to joining the EU?This weekend in Oslo politicians and activists from Norway’s conservative party, Høyre, will meet to confirm their new leader, Ine Eriksen Søreide. This is not just a vote to further the prospects of the next generation of centre-right leaders but – due to a rare alignment of dom
/europe5dArianespace successfully launches 32 Amazon Leo satellites with the first Ariane 64This new success is a major milestone for the development of Ariane 6 as it was the first flight in the four-booster version. This successful entry into service once again highlights the quality of the teams at ArianeGroup and its European partners. Now, Europe has two versions o
/europe6dAriane 64 prepares for historic launch in major test of Europe’s independent space capabilitiesOn Thursday, the Ariane 64 rocket - named after its four boosters - is scheduled to make its maiden launch from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aiming to deploy 32 satellites for Amazon Leo’s broadband constellation.
/news6dPoll: Top NATO allies don’t think US helps deter enemies anymoreThe United States' eroding reputation is raising fresh questions about the stability of the global order that has held for decades, and of the country's strength on the world stage.
/europe6dRabobank, ING, and ABN Amro seek European alternatives to U.S. technologyThe three largest banks in the Netherlands, ABN Amro, ING, and Rabobank, have spoken about their plans to reduce their reliance on American tech companies. The banks are working with other European banks to create alternatives and enhance Europe’s digital sovereignty, such as sha
/europe7dFrance sends letters to 29-year-olds telling them to get on with having kidsHundreds of thousands of young people will receive the letter, which aims to provide “targeted, balanced and scientifically based information on sexual and reproductive health” to “avoid the ‘if only I had known’ mentality”, the health ministry said.
/news7dDeportations of Irish citizens from US up a staggering 330% | Irish StarIrish nationals may be facing the affects of the Trump administration’s massive immigration enforcement campaigns that have increased exponentially across the United States within the past year.
/europe9dSweden to tighten citizenship rules amid push to cut immigrationSweden will tighten citizenship rules with applicants facing a longer, eight-year wait before they can apply, a minimum wage threshold and a test of their understanding of Swedish society, the centre-right government said on Monday.
/news9dMeta faces trial over child sexual exploitation claims as wave of lawsuits targets Big TechMark Zuckerberg's Meta is heading to trial in New Mexico over allegations that it failed to protect children from sexual exploitation and misrepresented the safety of its platforms.
/europe10dApps to boycott US goods gained traction in crisis over GreenlandDevelopers behind the “Made O’Meter” mobile app, which helps shoppers identify and avoid American products, say interest jumped in Denmark and elsewhere during a recent spike in transatlantic tensions tied to the dispute over Greenland.
/news11dOpposition to US has hardened in western Europe after Greenland threat, poll findsA recent poll by YouGov reveals that Western European opinions of the US have plummeted to their lowest levels in a decade, largely due to President Trump's attempt to purchase Greenland. Large majorities in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Great Britain expressed unfavorable views of the US, with Denmark showing the greatest increase in negative perceptions. Europeans increasingly view the US as unfriendly and disagree with US claims about European policies, but still see the US as stronger economically, diplomatically, and militarily. Despite this, a majority in all surveyed countries believe European autonomy should be prioritized over preserving the transatlantic alliance.
/news11dTECH OVERSIGHT REPORT: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech’s “TOP PRIORITY”The Tech Oversight Project's report reveals unsealed documents from the 2026 social media addiction trials, exposing how Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok executives intentionally designed their platforms to addict children and teens, disregarding known harms to their wellbeing. The documents include internal discussions, expert testimonies, and evidence of coordination with tech-funded groups like the PTA and FOSI to manipulate public perception. These revelations underscore the urgent need for legislative action to protect young users.
/europe11dGermany unveils its first AI factory in boost for European digital sovereigntyNamed the "Industrial AI Cloud" and developed by Deutsche Telekom with NVIDIA and data centre partner Polarise, it was unveiled in Munich on Wednesday after around six months of construction.
/news11d4 times as many measles cases in a few weeks than US typically averages in a whole yearThe CDC reports a significant increase in measles cases in the US, with 733 cases recorded so far this year, four times the average annual number. South Carolina is experiencing the largest outbreak since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. The outbreaks are primarily in communities with low vaccination rates, with the rate of kindergartners vaccinated with the MMR vaccine falling from 95% in 2019 to below 93% in 2025.
/europe12dTikTok hit with charges of breaching EU online content rules, app may have to changeSocial media app TikTok was charged by EU tech regulators on Friday with breaching EU online content rules through its addictive features and was told that it may have to change the design of its app or risk a fine of as much as 6% of owner ByteDance's global turnover. The Eur
/europe12dCDU's push for social media ban under 16 years of ageThe CDU is making a push for a statutory minimum age for social networks. According to consistent media reports, the Schleswig-Holstein state association is calling for this in a motion for the CDU federal party congress on February 20 and 21 in Stuttgart.
/news12dCanadians are staying away from the US — and the drop in travel is getting hard to ignoreStatistics Canada data reveal a significant decline in Canadian travel to the US, influenced by border fears, tariffs, and the 'Buy Canadian' movement. This drop has economic implications for US businesses, particularly along the border, as Canadian tourists are a key source of revenue.
/news12dCalls to halt UK Palantir contracts grow amid ‘lack of transparency’ over deals Opposition MPs are calling for the UK government to halt contracts with Palantir, a US tech firm, due to concerns over a lack of transparency in their dealings. Palantir has secured over £500m in contracts with the NHS and the Ministry of Defence since 2023. The government has blocked attempts to scrutinize these deals, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the effectiveness of Palantir’s services.