Fire breaks out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’...
French President Emmanuel Macron denied any “agreement” or “collusion” with the Swiss company Nestlé over the bottled water scandal.
“I am not aware of these matters. There was no agreement with anyone and no collusion with anyone,” Macron told reporters on Tuesday.
Nestlé Waters, a subsidiary of the Swiss food giant, was accused of using illegal microfiltration methods on its bottled water brands to bypass health regulations.
The group is the owner in France of brands like Perrier, Vittel, Hépar and Contrex mineral waters.
On Tuesday, investigative journalists from Le Monde and Radio France revealed that the services of former prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, and the French presidency allowed Nestlé to market these waters, despite the health authorities' recommendations for a ban from 2023.
Citing "exchanges of emails and ministerial notes", the journalists accuse the French government of having "privileged the interests of Nestlé to the detriment of consumers" by granting exemptions for the company's practices.
At the beginning of 2024, Nestlé Waters, admitted to having used prohibited techniques such as ultraviolet light and active carbon filters "to guarantee food safety" of its mineral waters. In September, the subsidiary of the Swiss giant had agreed to pay a fine of 2 million euros to avoid a trial, following a complaint from the Foodwatch association.
French consumer rights group Foodwatch called on the French government to finally answer all open questions in the case.
Foodwatch sued Nestlé in February 2024. However, the court in Epinal, where Nestlé has factories in the Vosges, dropped the case – in return for a fine of two million euros. In foodwatch's view, such a fine has no deterrent effect for a company like Nestlé.
“To earn the fine that has now been imposed, Nestlé needs the equivalent of just 99 minutes. For comparison: in 2023, the food manufacturer made a profit of 11.2 billion Swiss francs. Over the years of the fraud, Nestlé sold more than 18 billion bottles of ‘natural’ mineral water, according to media reports. This earned the company 3 billion euros,” – Foodwatch reported.
After new complaints against Nestlé Waters in September 2024, an investigating judge was finally appointed in January 2025.
“Foodwatch is calling for an investigation into the French government’s handling of the case and insists that these fraudulent practices must be thoroughly investigated and stopped”, - the group stated.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’s occupation of territories seized during its invasion.
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’s most treasured architectural landmarks.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s repeated claims that crime in the capital is spiraling.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing ceremony. The meeting sets the stage for a U.S.-brokered framework aiming to stabilize relations in the South Caucasus.
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