UN chief calls for immediate ceasefire amid Gaza humanitarian crisis
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical level and called fo...
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 U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
At least seven people remain missing following a massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse in the town of Esparto, Northern California, according to a report by NBC News citing local officials.
A delegation from Azerbaijan, led by MP Qaya Məmmədov, took part in the annual session of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), held from 28 June to 3 July in Porto, Portugal.
Chinese scientists have unveiled PlantGPT, the first large language model-based artificial intelligence designed specifically for plant functional genomics.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical level and called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. He emphasised that vital infrastructure is on the verge of collapse due to a severe fuel shortage.
The US House of Representatives approved a significant tax-cut and spending bill on Thursday, passing it by a narrow margin of 218 to 214. The legislation has now been sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
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