Euractiv.com

Information pollution is poisoning democracy. The proliferation of disinformation has become one of the greatest concerns of the digital age. To build defences, Europe needs to understand the scale of the problem, Euractiv takes a look.

In a move reflecting simmering diplomatic tensions with France, Azerbaijan hosted the "First Congress of Independence Movements from French-Colonised Territories" on 17-18 July.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered video surveillance has been authorised on an experimental basis for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, stoking fears among organisations that defend citizens' digital rights.

Many familiar faces are returning to the European Parliament's committees that deal with tech policies, but several key figures have also left the Parliament or the committees.

NGOs ClientEarth and BirdLife Europe on Wednesday (24 July) presented a complaint to the EU Ombudsman over the European Commission’s decision to relax some of the environmental requirements under the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The UK's broadcast and telecoms regulator Ofcom fined the social media platform TikTok £1.875 million (€2.23 million) for not providing accurate information about its parental controls, according to a Wednesday (24 July) press release.

The French President announced on Tuesday 23 July that the resigning government would remain in place ”until at least mid-August”, and that no new Prime Minister would be appointed before the end of the Olympic Games, while the left-wing opposition denounced a ”denial of democracy”.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) criticized the reduction of the EU support for the promotion of agricultural products, despite the Commission's reassurance about the possible rectification of the budget in the autumn.

The journey from destruction to reconstruction, from poverty to prosperity, is never easy. As the Mostar Bridge shows, it’s possible. With commitment, partnerships, and support, we can help more countries cross the bridge to a peaceful and prosperous future.

With negotiations around the European Health Data Space (EHDS) concluded Europe's healthcare sector is shifting focus from the ‘why’ to the ‘how’.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, over two-thirds of Ukraine's conventional power plant capacity has been occupied, destroyed, or attacked. This translates into a significant supply-demand mismatch that requires daily power cuts for the war-torn population.

The European Parliament has had a traditionally limited role in implementing the regulations it ratifies, but in the next mandate, some lawmakers are keen to change that when it comes to digital policy.

Activists are asking Europe's top rights court to fault Russia for creating a "climate catastrophe", saying Moscow's war on Ukraine is contributing to a spike in its greenhouse gas emissions.

Vice President Kamala Harris opened up a marginal two-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and passed the torch to her, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Sunday 21 July was the hottest day ever recorded, according to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which has tracked such global weather patterns since 1940.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (23 July) praised the Vatican's efforts in seeking peace and releasing prisoners of war in talks with a senior official, a contrast from previous tensions between Kyiv and the Holy See.

Nearly a third of Ukrainians would accept some territorial concessions to Russia for a quick end to the war, a more than three-fold increase over the past year, although most still oppose giving up any land, a poll showed on Tuesday.

Palestinian rivals including Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a unity government at talks hosted by China, Beijing said on Tuesday (23 July), a deal meant to deliver a post-war Gaza administration but quickly rejected by Israel as it seeks to crush Hamas.

The EU has an obligation to pro-actively enhance climate change and biodiversity policies at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) by endorsing its Plan of Action & establishing a dedicated working group this fall. This would bring the EU’s approach at Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) up to par with statements and speeches shared at multilateral organizations like COFI, UNFSA, and other international fora. If the EU does not champion climate change adaptation at ICCAT, they would prove to only be providing lip service and their agreements, mere paper tigers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF on Tuesday (23 July) urged Bosnia's authorities to raise the measles vaccination rate among children after two adolescents in the Balkan country died in an outbreak of the highly infectious respiratory illness.