By Anthony Deutsch and Jan Lopatka STERNBERK, Czech Republic (Reuters) – Hundreds of Czechs and a handful of Ukrainians are working round the clock in eastern Czech Republic to transform a collection of buildings dating back to World War Two into a hub for supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine. The initiative is part of … Read more
Europe is suffering from a big hangover after the tech investment party of the 2020-2021 period. That said, compared to pre-pandemic levels, VC investment in European startups is up, historically speaking, and reached $60 billion, according to a new report. However, the anomaly of the surge in investment over the pandemic stands in marked contrast … Read more
TikTok is introducing a data portability API to help it comply with new European regulations designed to rein in Big Tech’s market dominance through various obligations and restrictions. The European Union (EU) assigned “gatekeeper” status to six tech companies last September, with TikTok parent Bytedance placed in the regulatory firing line alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, … Read more
OTEPÄÄ, Estonia — A sharp hiss filled the room as a competitor ladled four cups of water over a hot pile of black sauna rocks. Steam spiraled above our heads. Calm set in — briefly. Three minutes were on the clock. In this small wooden sauna, a team of 14 semi-clad people in costumes squeezed … Read more
MUNICH — By the time the senator from Ohio took center stage at the Munich Security Conference, some headliners were on their way home and the hall at Hotel Bayerischer Hof looked half-empty. For two days, U.S. and European officials had warned of the threat from Russia and touted enduring transatlantic solidarity, even as Republican … Read more
This week Microsoft announced that it would invest €3.2 billion ($3.5 billion) in Germany over the next two years. The U.S. tech giant will use the money to double the capacity of its artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure in Germany and expand its training programmes, according to Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith. … Read more
BOUSSY-SAINT-ANTOINE, France — Truck driver Jeremy Donf understands French farmers are struggling and he wants to support local food producers. But like many consumers, buying French produced food isn’t always an option. Farmer protests across Europe this week have highlighted how farmers and households are both hurting these days because of multiple factors, including persistent … Read more
FRANKFURT, Germany — Europe’s economy failed to expand at the end of 2023, dragging out the stagnation for more than a year amid higher energy prices, costlier credit and a downturn in former powerhouse Germany. Zero economic growth for the October-to-December period of last year follows a 0.1% contraction in the three months before that, … Read more
PRENZLAU, Germany — Only 30 miles separate the two clinics where gynecologist Maria Kubisa works, but what’s legal at her clinic on this side of the border would be criminal at the clinic back in Poland. So women have been crossing over to seek help from Kubisa on this side, especially in the past three … Read more
LONDON — Roy Calne, a pioneer of organ transplantation who led Europe’s first liver transplant operation in 1968, has died aged 93. Calne’s family said he died late Saturday in Cambridge, England, where he was professor emeritus of surgery at Cambridge University. Born in 1930, Calne trained as a doctor at Guy’s Hospital in London … Read more