It is a long-standing Chinese tradition during the Lunar New Year to give out red packets, also known as lai see in Cantonese and hong bao in Mandarin. Usually handed out in pairs and containing money, these paper envelopes are accompanied with greetings such as gung1 hei2 faat3 choi4 (in Cantonese) or gong1 xi3 fa1 … Read more
The early exchanges in the live audio discussion on Musk’s X social media platform were eclectic, ranging from solar power to the vagaries of Germany business red tape. The pair laughed together, when Weidel asked if Musk understood how burdensome German business rules could be. “As a matter of fact I do,” he replied, describing … Read more
Across Europe, teaming up with Weidel is seen as an inflammatory step as members of her populist and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have for years been accused of whitewashing and trivializing Nazi crimes. The AfD is currently polling second. French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to accuse Musk of having gone too far … Read more
Flattery from Macron Musk hasn’t yet thrown his endorsement behind Marine Le Pen and the French far right. But President Macron — who, like Scholz in Germany, is politically fragile and facing domestic turbulence — is desperate to get him onside. He has been urging the tech entrepreneur, alongside Trump, to attend a major artificial … Read more
Hawkish Eastern European and Nordic countries including Poland and Sweden are keen to boost EU spending on defense, while Southern ones such as Italy and Greece would prefer more cash to stem migrant arrivals from Africa. In 2025, EU countries will set their red lines for the negotiations. But if the past is anything to … Read more
But to what extent this can be blamed on social media is still an open question. “Polarization,” once painted as a global crisis stemming from online platforms, now looks more like a product of the highly idiosyncratic political and media culture in the U.S. One recent study found that polarization stayed the same or decreased … Read more
OK, Europe will have to endure again presidential histrionics and needling all-caps tweets, along with threats to withdraw from NATO and impose tariffs, but doesn’t that present an opportunity? Might now European leaders screw up their courage and loosen the apron strings? For years they’ve waffled on about strategic autonomy and sharing the burden more … Read more
One of the most politically sensitive topics in Brussels, the €1.2 trillion budget governs spending on anything from support to Ukraine to film subsidies. Hawkish Eastern European and Nordic countries including Poland and Sweden are keen to boost EU spending on defense, while Southern ones such as Italy and Greece would like more cash to … Read more
Markus Ferber (another German) who is the center-right coordinator for economic files, will determine Berger’s replacement within the next week. Among the names being floated to fill the role is a former Spanish central banker Fernando Navarrete Rojas. The digital euro is a virtual counterpart to euro coins and banknotes that the European Central Bank … Read more
First, AI professionals in the EU lead in green skills — performing jobs in a more environmentally sustainable way — compared with their peers in the US and UK. Today, 8.1 percent of AI talent in the EU have at least one green skill, compared with 5.8 percent in the US and 7.4 percent in … Read more
