Author: Press Room

State of the Union is our weekly show from Brussels that brings you the top stories of the week.EU plans to freeze EU funds for HungaryNearly three weeks before Christmas, Brussels said it wants to freeze billions of euros in EU funds for Hungary over concerns about democratic weaknesses and failures to tackle corruption.In September, the European Commission already threatened to suspend payments for Budapest, as it feared Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government could not guarantee proper use and oversight of the money.Hungary had until mid-November to implement a series of anti-corruption measures, but that did not happen.On Wednesday, Didier Reynders,…

Researchers recently created an artificial intelligence model that predicts diabetes onset with 12 hours of blood glucose data collected from a wearable device.They say their model could aid the diagnosis of prediabetes and help prevent type 2 diabetes.How the AI model will impact rates of type 2 diabetes screening remains to be seen.Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by high blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production.Around 463 million people worldwide have a diabetes diagnosis; 95% of these people have type 2 diabetes. If untreated, type 2 diabetes can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.Prediabetes,…

If you’re planning on hitting the slopes this winter, be prepared to pay a little more for your trip.Ski resorts across Europe are struggling with spiking costs amid the energy crisis.Faced with soaring electricity bills, mountain resorts are upping prices for ski passes, lodging, restaurants and other services.Some centres have been forced to restrict opening hours and keep slopes closed.Here’s what ski resort prices look like for the winter season.Will skiing holidays be more expensive this season?With a Europe-wide energy crisis causing bills to skyrocket, ski resorts say prices have had to go up.Ski centres use vast quantities of electricity…

CNN  —  Ukraine’s foreign minister has accused Russia of being behind a series of more than a dozen letters containing explosives or animal parts that were sent to Ukrainian diplomats around the world. “This campaign is aimed at sowing fear,” Dmytro Kuleba told CNN’s Matthew Chance in an exclusive interview in Kyiv on Friday. When asked who he thought was behind the letters, Kuleba told CNN, “I feel tempted to say, to name Russia straight away, because first of all you have to answer the question, who benefits? “Maybe this terror response is the Russian answer to the diplomatic horror…

London CNN  —  China’s plans for a giant new embassy opposite the Tower of London have been unanimously rejected by local councilors on the grounds they pose a security risk to local residents, in a surprise decision that comes amid growing concerns over Beijing’s diplomatic activity in the United Kingdom. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets had indicated it was preparing to wave through the proposals drafted by the embassy’s architect, David Chipperfield, as recently as Wednesday, telling CNN then that the proposed initiative was “generally in accordance” with the area’s development plan and that “on this basis officers have…

CNN  —  Some Russian troops are withdrawing from their positions in Ukraine’s southern region of Zaporizhzhia, according to Kyiv. Russian units have left the settlements of Mykhailivka, Polohy and Inzhenerne, all towns south of the city of Zaporizhzhia, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said in its daily update Thursday. The military added that the Kremlin is also preparing the evacuation of “the personnel of the occupation administrations” in the region. Zaporizhzhia has been partially occupied by Russian forces since the outset of the invasion; in September Moscow illegally declared it and three other Ukrainian regions region to be…

Traveller numbers have bounced back to nearly pre-pandemic levels this year, which has buoyed tourist hotspots that lost out during COVID-19 restrictions and closures. But some popular destinations are already concerned that problems of overtourism are set to return. As a result, some have resorted to implementing a “tourist tax” in 2022 and others have plans to introduce one next year.But many places already have tourist taxes in place and if you’ve travelled abroad, you’ve likely paid one before. You may have never noticed it – as it’s sometimes worked into airline tickets or the taxes you pay at your hotel.We’ve…

London CNN  —  Elton John will headline the Glastonbury Festival next summer in what will be the final UK show of his farewell tour, the festival announced Friday. John will top the bill on the Pyramid Stage on June 25, the music festival’s final night, Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis said in a statement posted on the festival’s website. The Glastonbury Festival is held most years in Somerset, southwest England. In 2021, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney were the headline artists. In a statement shared by his publicist, the singer said he “couldn’t be more excited to be headlining…

European Union countries agreed on Friday to cap the maritime trade of Russian oil at $60 per barrel, building upon an initiative by the Group of Seven (G7) to further weaken the Kremlin’s ability to wage war on Ukraine.Ambassadors spent multiple days engaged in an intense debate over how high or how low the price cap should be, trying to strike a balancing act between the need to impair Russian revenues and avoid any abrupt disruption in global markets.Poland and the Baltic states adopted a hard-line stance and pushed for a strong limit, going as far as $30 per barrel, while…

Greece is one of several European countries making the most of the remote working trend by offering digital nomad visas.Italy, Portugal and Croatia have already launched visa schemes to lure workers abroad.With Greece’s new digital nomad visa, it is possible for non-EU nationals to live and work legally in the country.Given its low cost of living and year-round sun, Greece is already a popular expat destination.Here’s what you need to know about eligibility, benefits and how to apply for the visa.Who can apply for Greece’s digital nomad visa?Greece’s digital nomad visa is open to non-EU citizens who are remote workers,…