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EU launches sustainability ratings for large datacentres amid efficiency review
The European Commission has launched a long-delayed EU sustainability rating scheme for large datacentres, alongside a consultation on possible minimum efficiency standards. The initiative aims to make environmental performance easier to compare as Europe expands computing capacity for AI without placing equivalent pressure on electricity grids, water supplies and consumers. The scheme covers datacentres using…
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EU trade deficit with China tops €1bn a day in July
The EU is importing far more from China than it exports there, with the bloc’s trade deficit exceeding €1bn a day in July. The widening imbalance is increasing pressure on Brussels to address trade relations with Beijing, as both sides seek to avoid a broader trade war. The deficit reached €36.5bn in July, compared with…
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Branthwaite returns to England squad after extensive injury recovery
Jarrad Branthwaite has welcomed his recall to England’s squad after overcoming a series of hamstring and groin injuries. The Everton defender says a complex rehabilitation programme in Germany, examining his movement patterns and the relationship between his brain and body, was crucial to returning to fitness. Branthwaite, 24, has started every Premier League match this…
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Polymarket is reportedly lobbying European nations not to be treated as a gambling website
Polymarket, a prediction market website that allows users to bet on future events including elections and sports, is lobbying EU regulators and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority to be classified as a financial services platform rather than a gambling service. This reclassification would allow the company to avoid gambling regulations and overturn bans that Spain…
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British diver, 43, is found dead at bottom of 270ft cave in France as tributes pour in
British cave diver Andrew Rice, 43, was found dead 270ft underwater in the Saint-Sauveur cave system in Calès, France, after failing to resurface. His death prompted a two-day search involving specialist divers, firefighters, gendarmes and cave-rescue experts, while tributes highlighted his experience and the shock felt by friends and fellow divers. Rice, from Stroud, Gloucestershire,…
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Spain battles climate change on several fronts
Spain is facing increasingly severe climate-related impacts, particularly hotter, drier summers that are fuelling larger and more destructive wildfires. The fires are devastating farms, threatening lives and damaging important parts of the economy, prompting warnings that Spain is on the front line of the climate emergency. A record blaze near Madrid burned about 80,000 hectares,…
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‘Tango Metal’ Kickstarts Partnership Between Finland’s Helsinki-filmi and Iceland’s Glassriver (EXCLUSIVE)
Finnish producer Helsinki-filmi and Icelandic company Glassriver have formed a three-title co-production partnership, beginning with the six-part crime series “Tango Metal”. The project, combining crime, romance, tango and heavy metal, reflects a wider push among European independent producers to share creative and financial risks as funding declines and international co-commissioning becomes more important. The series…
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Putin’s party wins record Duma majority amid mobilisation fears
Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured a record supermajority in Russia’s Duma (Parliament), winning 355 of 450 seats in a tightly controlled election held in March 2026. This represents an increase from their previous record of 343 seats and comes amid growing concerns that Putin could use this electoral victory to justify a fresh…
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Burnham leaves Labour’s EU return option open despite Brexit divisions
Andy Burnham has declined to rule out Labour pledging to rejoin the European Union in its next election manifesto, marking a possible departure from Sir Keir Starmer’s more cautious stance. The position could help Labour electorally as support for rejoining has grown, but Burnham would face a difficult campaign requiring a strong and credible case…
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Burnham leaves open Labour manifesto pledge to rejoin EU
Andy Burnham has declined to rule out Labour promising to rejoin the European Union in its next manifesto, saying the question was “for another day”. His European relations minister, Hamish Falconer, has also repeatedly avoided excluding the option. Burnham said his immediate priority was repairing relations with the EU and securing a practical agreement to…