Charles Michel says peace progress in Caucasus ‘encouraging’
President Emeritus of the European Council Charles Michel has said he is “confident” in the progress of peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armen...
A high-level EU summit on Friday reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to electric cars, with the Commission holding firm on CO2 targets through 2035 despite industry calls for flexibility.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with top automotive executives in Brussels for a three-hour “Strategic Dialogue” to discuss the sector’s future amid economic and environmental pressures.
An industry source told that the discussions confirmed a shared understanding: “No matter what, the future is electric,” while also noting that carmakers recognize the need to transition to zero-emission vehicles.
European manufacturers had called for more flexibility in CO2 target enforcement. Yet officials emphasized that the 2035 phase-out of combustion engine vehicles remains unchanged, as Brussels seeks climate neutrality by 2050.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said battery-electric cars are the best solution for reducing transportation emissions, warning that debates over combustion engines risk confusing consumers. Michiel Langezaal, CEO of Fastned and president of ChargeUp Europe, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the need for a growth mindset and coordinated action to lead the global e-mobility transition.
The sector faces challenges including falling sales, high energy costs, subsidized competition from China, and US trade tariffs. EU industry chief Stéphane Séjourné warned in April that Europe risks losing its global automotive leadership if structural issues are not addressed.
Sigrid de Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, said battery electric vehicles still account for just 15.6% of passenger cars and 9% of vans in the EU-27. She stressed that widespread adoption depends on improved infrastructure, grid upgrades, and consistent incentives.
Carmakers argue that electric vehicles must become more attractive than combustion-engine cars, requiring purchase incentives, fair taxation, lower charging costs, and easier city access. Heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure, modernized grids, and reduced electricity prices are also key priorities.
The automotive industry remains central to Europe’s economy, employing over 13 million people and contributing around 7% of the EU’s GDP, making the success of the e-mobility transition critical for both climate goals and economic stability.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
A general strike and mass demonstrations paralysed the southern Tunisian city of Gabes on Tuesday, as tens of thousands of people demanded the closure of a state-run chemical plant blamed for a worsening pollution crisis.
Global investors managing more than $3 trillion in assets have urged governments to halt and reverse deforestation and ecosystem destruction by 2030, according to a joint statement released on Monday ahead of next month’s U.N. climate conference in Brazil.
A team of Argentine paleontologists has uncovered one of the oldest known dinosaurs, a nearly complete skeleton of a long-necked herbivore that roamed Earth 230 million years ago in what is now La Rioja province.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 struck Papua province in Indonesia on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Five days after historic floods that have killed at least 66 people and damaged 100,000 homes, Mexico is still struggling to provide aid to the worst-affected communities and locate 75 missing individuals, amid growing criticism of the government’s response to the crisis.
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