Employment

EU to loosen rules on cancer-causing chemicals in cosmetics
The leaked proposal also weakens rules on advertising hazardous chemicals. Consumer groups warned it was a health risk.

Putin warns his officials not to allow recession

Britain’s defeated Tory MPs struggle to adjust to civilian life

Invest in rest: Better sleep improves mental health

PMQs: Starmer finishes on top as he brands Tories ‘dead party walking’

Starmer urged to back EU mobility as Brexit summit looms
Save our Steel: Trump’s tariffs and Chinese overcapacity force governments to act
Governments the world over are racing to keep their steel industries alive. From the U.K. to France, the EU and Australia: Billions are reserved to counter global overcapacity and Donald Trump’s steep tariffs.
Building tomorrow’s workforce at the 2025 EU Social Forum
To build a competitive Europe and ensure no one is left behind, people must learn the right skills — which, in turn, will drive greater social cohesion, well-being and prosperity for all.
DOGE loses its biggest advocate as Musk exits Washington
The tech mogul’s public pullback will come as relief to some Cabinet officials.
City climate action is a path to economic transformation
Europe’s climate and industrial policies are inextricably linked — cities are at the heart of both
Harvard sues Trump administration over $2 billion cut to federal funding
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold up to $9 billion in grants to the university over the treatment of Jewish students that it says violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Supreme Court blocks more US deportations under Alien Enemies Act
The 1 a.m. order came after lawyers rushed to the court to stop an ‘imminent’ wave of deportations.
EU bans the bots: Commission bars ‘AI agents’ from joining online meetings
AI-powered assistants are becoming a popular business and consumer tool. The EU says “no thanks” for now.
Postwar Russian energy return ‘illusory,’ Belgium says
Belgian Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet told POLITICO he wants to phase out the country’s Russian gas imports — but didn’t back an outright ban.
US officials: Trump has been flooded with requests for trade talks
Brooke Rollins said countries are “burning” up the phone lines to talk trade.
Call for help: Eastern cement imports are killing EU industry
Cement imports from Ukraine to Poland surged 540 percent, from 101,700 tonnes in 2022 to 652,300 tonnes in 2024, threatening Poland’s and Europe’s cement industries.
No industry, no tanks: EU bets on more clean steel to secure its future
Saving and greening European steel mills is now a key part of the EU’s defence strategy.
Farage spies an opening as Labour angers small business
The government’s rivals are circling after tax hikes burned the bridges that Rachel Reeves had painstakingly built before the election.
Europe is going full 1790s America
Trump and Russia are pushing the EU toward a “Hamiltonian moment,” where common debt helps build greater federalism.
Freeze on PIP disability benefit likely to be dropped after Labour backlash
The planned freeze prompted anger among MPs when it was leaked — and is now likely to be dropped, two people with knowledge of the proposals tell POLITICO.
PMQs: Badenoch wins by playing nice with Starmer on Ukraine
There was widespread agreement between the two leaders on supporting Ukraine — but the Tory leader challenged the PM on what he’ll actually do to bridge Europe and Washington.
Musk says all federal employees need to explain their work immediately — or be let go
Federal employees received an email Saturday afternoon, and gave them a deadline of Monday night.
Judge lets Trump proceed with mass recall of USAID workers overseas
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said initial claims that agency staffers and their families could be in physical danger proved to be “overstated.”
Germany’s labor market — long the envy of Europe — is losing its shine
For the first time in a decade, the number of unemployed is closing in on 3 million — and there’s more to come.
PMQs: Starmer wins it as Badenoch fumbles border attacks
The PM batted off Kemi Badenoch’s charges on Britain’s asylum system — though wasn’t exactly doling out the details.
The menace of deindustrialization in the EU — and what we can do about it
Policymaking is not accountancy: in the medium and long term, the EU will be better off keeping factories within its borders.
Donald Trump says trade wars are easy to win. Is that true?
How do tariffs actually work? How far will this conflict escalate? Can Europe escape? We answer all your burning questions.
India could help save an aging Europe
As the continent tilts to the right and its politicians find it hard to explain an influx of refugees from war-torn countries, India is actively trying to present itself as a reasonable partner.