European Union

A decision is to be reached on a "reparations loan" for Ukraine secured by frozen Russian state assets at an EU summit taking place this Thursday and Friday. According to a plan put forward by the EU Commission, the initial loan would be for 90 billion euros. However, Italy, Bulgaria and Malta have now joined Belgium – where most of Russia's capital is held by the financial services – in voicing objections.

A Hong Kong court has found pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai guilty of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" following a two-year trial. The sentence will be handed down to the 78-year-old at a later date. For Europe's media, the verdict highlights the dictatorial nature of the Chinese system.

Portugal has been named the "Economy of the Year" for 2025 by the British magazine The Economist. Thirty-six wealthy countries were included in the assessment. The government in Lisbon has seized the opportunity to give itself a pat on the back, but Portuguese media outlets take a different view.

Fraud and scams are nothing new. For generations, dishonest people have found ways to trick others and steal their money. They lie, cheat, and manipulate to get what they want.

Complaint filed by privacy group Noyb accuses TikTok and Grindr of breaching the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation by sharing sensitive personal data

Costa says Belgian concerns have been answered, heaping pressure on Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever

In today's edition: internal combustion engine, deregulation, CBAM, fast fashion, electricity gridlock