Eurovision host says Palestinian flags will not be blocked
Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the next Eurovision Song Contest, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audience or...
Shein says French consumers may face higher prices if the EU imposes handling fees and France enacts new penalties on fast fashion. The platform criticizes the lack of dialogue with authorities as pressure mounts on budget e-commerce models.
Shein has warned that shoppers in France could soon pay significantly more for their orders if proposed European Union and French regulations targeting low-cost online retailers are adopted.
Speaking to Sud Radio, Quentin Ruffat, Shein’s spokesperson in France, voiced concern over two key developments: an EU proposal to introduce a handling fee on e-commerce shipments entering the bloc, and a French bill that imposes penalties on fast-fashion products due to their environmental impact.
"Why tax us? Why not have a discussion, find a solution between public officials and e-commerce platforms?" Ruffat questioned during the interview.
Under the EU proposal, a €2 fee would be charged on each package shipped directly to a customer within the 27-member bloc, while a smaller €0.50 fee would apply to parcels processed through EU-based warehouses. The plan is widely seen as a blow to platforms like Shein and rival Temu, which have built global businesses by offering inexpensive goods and taking advantage of customs exemptions for low-value items.
Ruffat also cited the French bill, which was passed by the lower house of parliament in March and is seen as specifically targeting fast-fashion giants. He warned that by 2030, the combined effects of the EU fee and the French legislation could raise the price of Shein products in France by as much as €12 per item.
While the proposed EU measure still requires approval from member states and the European Parliament, France - one of the most influential voices in the bloc - has already backed the fee.
The European Commission previously announced it would end the exemption from customs duties for e-commerce packages valued under €150 by 2028. Meanwhile, the U.S. has also recently moved to tighten oversight by eliminating its "de minimis" rule, which had allowed duty-free entry for packages under $800.
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, aged 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, in their upscale Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The police investigation has labeled the incident an apparent homicide.
Schools across Cambodia and Thailand were forced to close on Monday (15 December) as border clashes between the two countries escalated, with the death toll reaching at least 40 and hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to officials and local media.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held two rounds of high-stakes talks in Berlin, Germany on 14-15 December. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, posted on X that discussions with the U.S. envoy have been "constructive and productive".
Ford Motor Company said on Monday it will take a $19.5 billion writedown and scrap several electric vehicle (EV) models, marking a major retreat from its battery-powered ambitions amid declining EV demand and changes under the Trump administration.
Iran has rolled out changes to how fuel is priced at the pump. The move is aimed at managing demand without triggering public anger.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
The U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.50% to 3.75% following its two-day policy meeting, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday, 10 December.
China has carried out a major test of a new “super wireless” rail convoy, a technology that could reshape the future of heavy-haul transport.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment