MediaFaro Analysis

Pay transparency: Which EU countries are ready for the new rules?

Millions of Europeans still apply for jobs without knowing how much they pay.

New EU rules aimed at boosting salary transparency and tackling the gender pay gap were due to take effect by 7 June, but most member states are set to miss the deadline.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260606-pay-transparency-which-eu-countries-are-ready-for-the-new-rules?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Salaries #EU #Jobs #Hiring #GenderPayGap

Lithuania raced to embrace self-driving car. Eight years on, it’s waiting for a breakthrough.

Lithuania was among the first countries in Europe to establish a legal framework for testing autonomous vehicles on public roads, back in 2018. It signalled the country’s ambitions as an innovator in transport technology.

Yet hopes of a rapid breakthrough failed to materialise.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260607-lithuania-raced-to-embrace-self-driving-car-eight-years-on-its-waiting-for-a-breakthrough?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Lithuania #AutonomousVehicles #SelfDriving #Tech

Spain’s Bizum heads to the high street to take on Visa and Mastercard.

Spain’s payment app is making its biggest move yet, bringing account-to-account payments to the physical till and raising the stakes for US card giants.

What started as an interoperability experiment between Spanish banks has quietly become an ecosystem that has Brussels and New York paying close attention.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260509-spains-bizum-heads-to-the-high-street-to-take-on-visa-and-mastercard?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Banking #Bizum #Spain #Payments #Tech #EuropeanPaymentsInitiative #Visa #Mastercard

Russia’s refinery? Why Europe’s focus has turned to Aughinish in Ireland.

Recent renewed attention on the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick, and reporting about its links to Russia’s military production processes, have raised questions for the Irish Government and European Commission from Europe, Ukraine and politicians.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260606-russias-refinery-why-europes-focus-has-turned-to-aughinish-in-ireland?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Ireland #Russia #Aughinish #Alumina #Politics #WarInUkraine #Sanctions

The war is not going well for Putin – what are his options to turn things around?

Every day, EU Observer’s Ukraine Battlefield update newsletter offers a clear look at how the war is unfolding on the ground, highlighting key developments along the frontline and the shifting dynamics of the conflict.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-the-war-is-not-going-well-for-putin-what-are-his-options-to-turn-things-around?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#WarInUkraine #Russia #Ukraine

Norway’s pro-EU voices sense their moment.

In August, Iceland will hold a referendum to decide on new accession negotiations with the EU, offering Norway a chance to put the issue back on its political agenda.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-norways-pro-eu-voices-sense-their-moment?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Norway #EU #Referendum #Iceland #EUAccession #EUEnlargement

China’s all-round dominance, from batteries to medicine, from high-speed trains to AI.

‘How China is Devouring Europe’ (2/4). Beijing has caught up with and then surpassed the West across an impressive number of technologies and economic sectors, seeking to control entire value chains.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260607-chinas-all-round-dominance-from-batteries-to-medicine-from-high-speed-trains-to-ai?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #China #Economy #Business #Tech #Manufacturing #Medicine #HighSpeedTrains #AI

How Donald Trump helped make Spain’s Prime Minister a ‘Rockstar’.

Pedro Sánchez may be embattled at home, but his opposition to the war in Iran has boosted his clout on the rest of the continent.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260608-how-donald-trump-helped-make-spains-prime-minister-a-rockstar?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#PedroSanchez #Spain #Politics #Trump #EU #Europe #Iran #Politics

The Czech president reignites the euro debate.

Czech President Petr Pavel has argued that the country should be prepared to abandon its national currency if it becomes an obstacle to economic development and European influence.

The country’s eurosceptic government and public opinion still firmly reject adopting the EU’s single currency.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260607-the-czech-president-reignites-the-euro-debate?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Czechia #Eurozone #Currency #Economy #Slovakia #EU #Politics

AI helps Ukrainian drones against Russian signal jamming, but fully autonomous strikes remain rare.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has significantly changed the face of modern conflict. Instead of heavy equipment, drones now dominate.

A trip to Kyiv to find out what role artificial intelligence played in the Ukrainian army and how it was being integrated into combat drones.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260514-ai-helps-ukrainian-drones-against-russian-signal-jamming-but-fully-autonomous-strikes-remain-rare?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#WarInUkraine #Drones #AI #Ukraine

Europe’s best-performing stocks of 2026 — including one up by 947%.

European stock markets have had a turbulent start to 2026.

The region’s benchmark Euro STOXX 600 index is up 3.5% so far in 2026 but individual companies have seen far bigger swings, with some names up several hundred percent year to date.

From Swedish photonics to French satellites and British fuel cells, meet this year’s top-performing equities across sectors.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-europes-best-performing-stocks-of-2026-including-one-up-by-947?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #Business #Stocks #Economy

Why Eurovision’s fallout over Israel may change the competition forever.

While 35 countries are participating in the 2026 contest, broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have withdrawn from this week’s event in opposition to Israel’s inclusion.

With Eurovision facing its biggest boycott in 70 years, questions are growing over the competition’s future.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260510-why-eurovisions-fallout-over-israel-may-change-the-competition-forever?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Eurovision #Israel #Boycott #TV #EurovisionSongContest #Europe #Politics #Music

‘A full-time job’: How a self-proclaimed Swiss king’s ‘empire’ is riling local authorities.

Jonas Lauwiner was widely dismissed as an eccentric when he held a coronation and crowned himself king of Switzerland in 2019.

Since then, he has used a loophole in Swiss law to acquire a 117 000-square-metre “land empire”, but local authorities are keen to stop him in his tracks.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260510-a-full-time-job-how-a-self-proclaimed-swiss-kings-empire-is-riling-local-authorities?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Switzerland #Royalty #Monarchy #Europe #Law

Only one in 10 Europeans now see US as an ally, a survey suggests.

European confidence in an American “security guarantee” has hit a historic low, with only one in 10 people across 15 countries seeing the US as an ally and majorities in all doubting it would come to their aid if they were attacked.

The survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think-tank is released just weeks before critical G7 and Nato summits.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260610-only-one-in-10-europeans-now-see-us-as-an-ally-a-survey-suggests?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #Defence #NATO #Trump #G7

Who pays the most and least for broadband in the EU?

In 2025, 94% of individuals living in the EU used the internet in the last three months, while only 4% went the whole year without using it, according to the latest Eurostat figures.

Furthermore, mobile devices were used to connect to the internet by almost nine out of 10 individuals in the EU last year.

However, the cost of this access varies dramatically.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260610-who-pays-the-most-and-least-for-broadband-in-the-eu?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Internet #EU #Broadband #Tech #Europe #InternetAccess

It was Britain’s most expensive house. Why is its only resident a homeless man who lives on the porch?

2-8A Rutland Gate had jewel-encrusted bathroom suites and gold wastepaper bins in its 45 rooms, but has lain empty for years.

With many people desperate for secure housing, what does the abandonment of this palace tell us about the UK?

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260610-it-was-britains-most-expensive-house-why-is-its-only-resident-a-homeless-man-who-lives-on-the-porch?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#UK #Housing #Homelessness #Wealth #Poverty #Property #RealEstate #London

Why the Franco-German FCAS fighter jet project failed.

Planned as Europe’s biggest joint defence project, FCAS has been abandoned after Airbus and Dassault failed to resolve years of disputes, despite repeated political intervention.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260609-why-the-franco-german-fcas-fighter-jet-project-failed?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#FCAS #Defence #FighterJet #Macron #France #Germany #Merz #Europe #Airbus #Dassault

Why Europe is unable to defend its industry against the ‘second Chinese shock’.

‘How China is Devouring Europe’ (4/4). In recent years, the EU has taken unprecedented measures to combat unfair competition from China.

But member states have struggled to develop a more comprehensive strategy.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260609-why-europe-is-unable-to-defend-its-industry-against-the-second-chinese-shock?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #China #Economy #Business #Tech #Manufacturing #ChineseShock #EU #Politics

How China, the world’s factory, transformed itself into an industrial superpower.

‘How China is Devouring Europe’ (3/4). Kunshan specializes in electronics, Heshan in children’s books…

Along the Yangtze and the Pearl River, the multitude of industrial cities bear witness to how the country has transformed itself into a manufacturing juggernaut.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260608-how-china-the-worlds-factory-transformed-itself-into-an-industrial-superpower?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #China #Economy #Business #Tech #Manufacturing #Industry

Over three decades, China’s promise became a trap for European industry.

‘How China is Devouring Europe’ (1/4). In just a few decades, China has gone from being the world’s factory to a major technological rival for Europeans, who had hoped to profit on China’s vast domestic market but underestimated its capacity for innovation.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260606-over-three-decades-chinas-promise-became-a-trap-for-european-industry?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #China #Economy #Business #Tech #Manufacturing

China expands its spy networks across the European Union and beyond.

At least 30 agents operating on Beijing’s behalf have been uncovered in the European area over the past two years.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260607-china-expands-its-spy-networks-across-the-european-union-and-beyond?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#EU #Espionage #China #Tech #CriticalInfrastructure #Huawei #France #Germany #Poland #UK #Netherlands #Greece #Spain

The UK car industry is pressing the EU for a further delay to Brexit EV tariffs.

The Brexit deal in 2020 had sought to stimulate local battery making but the industry says it still cannot meet targets.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260607-the-uk-car-industry-is-pressing-the-eu-for-a-further-delay-to-brexit-ev-tariffs?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Manufacturing #EU #UK #EV #Europe #Brexit #Automotive #Industry #Business #Politics

Billions spent and hypothetical returns: the AI boom explained with six charts.

Expenditure is growing fast and consumer take-up accelerating.

But alarm bells are sounding.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260607-billions-spent-and-hypothetical-returns-the-ai-boom-explained-with-six-charts?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#AI #Business #Tech #Energy #OpenAI #Anthropic #StockMarket #IPOs

France’s ‘patriotic’ banquets rile the hard left.

The feasting phenomenon run by Le Canon Français has become a hot political issue.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260606-frances-patriotic-banquets-rile-the-hard-left?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#France #Politics #CanonFrancais #PierreEdouardSterin

The deeply contentious debate around what it means to be English.

The debate about English identity has been a perennial one but has now taken on a harder edge.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260605-the-deeply-contentious-debate-around-what-it-means-to-be-english?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#England #English #UK #Society #Politics #Migration #Identity #Englishness

European airlines sit on €3.2bn in unpaid delay compensation.

Airlines in Europe remain liable for about €3.2bn in unpaid compensation for delays, according to FT calculations that show the dysfunction of the world’s most generous repayment regime.

Opaque rules, industry foot-dragging and poor information mean less than half of the compensation payments due for delayed flights have been claimed over the past 15 years.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260605-european-airlines-sit-on-32bn-in-unpaid-delay-compensation?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Airlines #Europe #Compensation

Kosovo general election: the cost of political polarisation.

Sunday’s election in Kosovo — the third in under 16 months — is marked by a clash between former allies PM Albin Kurti and ex-President Vjosa Osmani, deadlock in the dialogue with Serbia and obstacles to EU integration.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260602-kosovo-general-election-the-cost-of-political-polarisation?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Kosovo #Politics #Elections #AlbinKurti #VjosaOsmani #EU #Balkans

How international student tuition fees vary across Europe.

A French government plan to charge students from outside the EU 16 times more than previously have stoked discontent.

But how does this compare to the rest of Europe, both inside the EU and out?

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260514-how-international-student-tuition-fees-vary-across-europe?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#HigherEducation #Students #France #Europe #EU #TuitionFees

The UK must drop ‘red lines’ for a real EU reset, Brussels warns.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans for a major reset with the EU and to put his country “at the heart of Europe,” as part of efforts to shore up support and shrug off calls for his resignation.

But London’s refusal to negotiate a broader reopening on trade and economic integration will jeopardise those efforts, EU politicians and officials told POLITICO.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260514-the-uk-must-drop-red-lines-for-a-real-eu-reset-brussels-warns?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#EU #UK #Brexit #Politics #Trade

‘Regime change’: Hungary’s Magyar exposes Orbán’s decadence.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar has taken power and laid bare his predecessor’s luxurious lifestyle.

Many Hungarians are keen to see Magyar chart a new political course.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260514-regime-change-hungarys-magyar-exposes-orbans-decadence?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Hungary #Orban #MagyarPolitics

From ‘staged’ to Israel: Hantavirus misinformation runs rampant online.

Misinformation about hantavirus has run rampant on social media, with online users reviving viral COVID-19 theories to spread fake news about the outbreak.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-from-staged-to-israel-hantavirus-misinformation-runs-rampant-online?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Hantavirus #ConspiracyTheories #Misinformation #Spain #WHO #SocialMedia

Ceasefire in sight? What’s next for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is the end finally in sight?

DW spoke to US political experts about why they think US home elections could bring about a ceasefire.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-ceasefire-in-sight-whats-next-for-russias-war-in-ukraine?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#WarInUkraine #Russia #Ukraine

Two-thirds of Europe’s LNG imports will come from the US this year.

Europe is expected to source almost two-thirds of its liquefied natural gas imports from the US in 2026, according to a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

According to IEEFA, the US already accounted for 57% of Europe’s LNG imports in 2025, a sharp increase compared with pre-war levels.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-two-thirds-of-europes-lng-imports-will-come-from-the-us-this-year?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Europe #LNG #Energy

What’s next for the ‘Hondius’ passengers? From Spain’s strict isolation to home quarantine in the Netherlands.

All countries are going to impose measures to prevent the spread of the hantavirus, but these measures vary depending on each government.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-whats-next-for-the-hondius-passengers-from-spains-strict-isolation-to-home-quarantine-in-the-netherlands?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Hantavirus #MVHondius #Health #WHO #Spain #Netherlands #Greece #France #UK #Germany #Ireland

‘Fatbergs’ are taking over city sewers - scientists are fighting back.

Reeking coagulations of grease and debris are clotting sewers around the world on a colossal scale.

Cities are deploying new technologies to control this modern menace.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-fatbergs-are-taking-over-city-sewers-scientists-are-fighting-back?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Fatbergs #Sewage #Cities #Tech #Water #Environment #Science

Soaring energy profits reignite calls for a windfall tax across Europe.

European oil and gas companies that posted huge profits in the first quarter on soaring prices caused by the war in the Middle East face new calls from London to Paris to tax their outsized gains.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260511-soaring-energy-profits-reignite-calls-for-a-windfall-tax-across-europe?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Energy #WindfallTax #OilIndustry #OilPrices #FuelPrices #Tax #Politics

Where in Europe is tap water the most and least safe?

Water purity varies across Europe, with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic having some of the most polluted groundwater on the continent.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260508-where-in-europe-is-tap-water-the-most-and-least-safe?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Water #Europe #DrinkingWater #Groundwater #Environment

How the UK’s winner-takes-all voting system has turned on Labour and the Tories.

Under the first-past-the-post electoral system, the candidate or candidates with the most votes in each seat are elected.

It is used in the UK at general elections and in local elections such as the ones just held in England.

The system favoured Reform in the English local elections.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260509-how-the-uks-winner-takes-all-voting-system-has-turned-on-labour-and-the-tories?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#UK #Politics #Elections #FPTP #UKPol #ReformUK

Vladimir Putin’s pared-back Victory Day parade felt very different this year.

The BBC’s Russia editor reports from a Red Square with none of the military hardware which the Kremlin normally showcases to project power internationally.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260509-vladimir-putins-pared-back-victory-day-parade-felt-very-different-this-year?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Russia #VictoryDay #Putin #WarInUkraine

How Africa helped forge French billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s empire of influence.

Bolloré built his fortune through ports, railways and logistics networks across Africa.

Decades later – despite corruption allegations and an upcoming criminal trial – the billionaire remains one of France’s most powerful business figures, not only through industry, but through growing influence over media and public debate.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260508-how-africa-helped-forge-french-billionaire-vincent-bollores-empire-of-influence?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#VincentBollore #France #Africa #Media #Business #Politics

‘Nigel is mad to accept his money’: who is Christopher Harborne, the mystery billionaire bankrolling Reform?

A crypto tycoon is giving record-breaking amounts to Farage’s party. But little is known about his motives.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260425-nigel-is-mad-to-accept-his-money-who-is-christopher-harborne-the-mystery-billionaire-bankrolling-reform?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Farage #ChristopherHarborne #PoliticalFunding #PartyFunding #Brexit #Cryptocurrency #Stablecoins #Tether #InvestigativeJournalism #Bitcoin #ReformUK #Politics #UKPol #NigelFarage #Longread

What are the sticking points for the EU’s new budget?

The battle over the next long-term EU budget has begun.

The EU’s institutions have staked out their positions and are seeking significantly more funding, but it is the 27 member states that will ultimately decide.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260429-what-are-the-sticking-points-for-the-eus-new-budget?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#EU #Budget #Politics