EU fines car manufacturers 458 million euros
The European Commission has imposed huge fines on 15 car manufacturers and their main Brussels-based lobbying group, on the same day the EU executive submitted a proposal to lower CO2 emissions standards after months of alarmist campaigning by the auto industry.
"These car manufacturers coordinated for more than 15 years to avoid paying for recycling services, by agreeing not to compete with each other in advertising the extent to which their cars can be recycled and by agreeing to remain silent on the recycled materials used in their new cars," said European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera.
The largest fine of almost 128 million euros went to Germany's Volkswagen, which was at the center of the Dieselgate scandal that erupted in 2015. Renault/Nissan was second with 81 million euros.
Le Pen: Paris Court of Appeal will review decision in summer 2026
Marine Le Pen's hopes of becoming the next President of France may still be possible after the Paris Court of Appeal said it will issue a ruling on her case in the summer of 2026.
If the deadline is met, this means the second trial will take place in early 2026.
And if a final decision were to be made a few months before the 2027 presidential election, it would give the far-right National Rally party leader enough time to enter the race if the charges against her are dropped.
UN says food shortage in Gaza is critical
The World Food Program is closing all remaining bakeries in Gaza, due to dwindling supplies, after Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel and humanitarian aid nearly a month ago.
The UN agency said that due to a lack of humanitarian aid, its supplies are running out and there is not enough wheat flour needed to make bread.
The UN said it has distributed all available food rations and unfortunately there are no more reserves.
Von der Leyen vows to use all cards to "repel" Trump's reciprocal tariffs
The European Union has "many cards" that can be used to negotiate, persuade and, if necessary, "repel" Donald Trump's plan to impose comprehensive reciprocal tariffs on all of America's trading partners, Ursula von der Leyen said on the eve of what the US president has called "Liberation Day".
"We have everything we need to protect our people and our prosperity. We have the single largest market in the world. We have the strength to negotiate," she said.
Trump, whose unprecedented initiative has long antagonized allies, has rattled stock markets with the tariffs he is imposing.
