Wednesday, July 02, 2025

Renault reports nearly €10 billion non-cash loss due to Nissan stake

By Doloresz Katanich

Published on 01/07/2025 -

The French carmaker said it would change the way it accounts for its stake in its long-term Japanese partner, based on Nissan’s share price.

Renault SA has changed the way it accounts for its stake in Japanese firm Nissan, leading to a non-cash loss of €9.5 billion, affecting its earnings in the first half of its 2025 fiscal year.

The stake, previously accounted for using the equity method, will now be a financial asset, measured by the share price of Nissan, as of 30 June 2025.

“This approach aligns the value of the stake in Nissan in Renault Group's financial statements with the value of Nissan's share price,” Renault said in a statement. “The non-cash loss has no impact on the calculation of the dividend paid by Renault Group.”

The two carmakers have been cooperating for a little more than a quarter of a century, and the French brand owns nearly 36% of the ailing Japanese company.

Since the start of this year, the Japanese carmaker’s stocks have lost 28% of their value. Nissan also announced recently that it would shed 20,000 jobs worldwide after it reported a net loss of around €4bn for the fiscal year that ended in March 2025.

Renault Group, the owner of brands including Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Mobilize, successfully increased its sales against a broader market downturn in the first quarter of 2025, as carmakers across the globe face trade uncertainty triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.

Renault’s future became even more uncertain after CEO Luca de Meo recently resigned to take over the leadership of luxury group Kering.

In terms of the long-term alliance between Nissan and Renault, this partnership has come into question as reports have emerged that the two carmakers are looking for a way out of the strategic cooperation, which has bound them since 1999.

Renault has, however, sent a strong message to investors saying: “The operational projects and collaboration resulting from the strategic cooperation between Renault Group and Nissan remain intact with a pragmatic and business-oriented approach.”

Poland trials a four-day working week: A step towards the future?

By Berenika Sorokowska

Published on 01/07/2025 -

Poland will start its first-ever pilot of a shortened working week this July as the government seeks to meet social needs.

The idea of reducing working time is one that has received much attention. For several years now, this topic has regularly appeared in public debates, not only in Poland, but also in many other countries.

Employees are increasingly saying they are overburdened, lacking time for their private life, health, and family. Statistics from Poland reiterate this narrative; the country is one of the busiest nations in the European Union.

At the same time, more and more countries are experimenting with "smarter work". In Iceland, Belgium, Spain and even Japan, various models of a shorter working week have already been tested or introduced. The results? Mostly positive: higher productivity, reduced sick leave, improved working atmospheres.

Four-day working week: Social expectations are clear

Today's labour market is vastly different from that seen a century ago, when the eight-hour working day was first introduced in Poland. Technology, automation and societal changes mean that many jobs can be done faster and more efficiently. Today, more than ever, it is not necessarily the time spent in the office that counts, but the quality of the work done.

Employers have diverse reactions

There is no single opinion among employers when it comes to the topic of the four-day working week. Large companies, especially in the creative and technology industries, are looking at the idea with interest. Some are already introducing flexible working hours or testing shorter weeks.

The situation is different in the SME sector, as small and medium-sized companies are usually more cautious. They fear that a shorter week could lead to cash flow problems, a drop in revenue or the need to hire additional staff.

This is why the government's financial support could be crucial for businesses trialling the new work model, protecting against the risk of serious losses.

The effect on the economy

Advocates of a shorter working week argue that less time spent at work doesn't have to lower productivity.

On the contrary, they argue that by organising work in a smarter way, the same — or even better — results can be achieved in less time.

Studies in other countries show an increase in efficiency, reduced resource use, fewer errors and increased team creativity.

Of course, there are also sceptics. Some economists warn that there could be an increase in companies' operating costs and, consequently, a decrease in competitiveness or a stifling of GDP growth.

To tackle these risks, the pilot project aims to rely on data rather than guesswork.

Tried and tested examples from Poland

Some employers are already taking decisions to reduce working hours. Herbapol Poznań, as well as city halls in Włocławek, Ostrzeszów, Świebodzice or Leszno are just a few examples of institutions that have decided to take this step.

The conclusions? Employees are more engaged, less stressed and the quality of their work is higher.

Four days a week: A new working philosophy

Changing the working model is not only an organisational issue. It's also a mental shift — from a time-control approach to one that rewards efficiency, trust and a healthy work-life balance.

Although the pilot comes with risks, advocates of the model say it is an opportunity to ensure that professional success is not paid for by burnout.

The pilot in Poland could be the first step towards systemic change, which many are already waiting for.

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Will new EU animal welfare law curb illegal trade?

By Isabel Marques da Silva
Published on 01/07/2025 -

The EU has created its first law on the welfare of dogs and cats to be applied across the bloc, targeting illegal trade and harmful practices. A regulation that was long overdue, considering that 44% of EU households have a pet and it's a billion-dollar business.

The upcoming legislation sets minimum rules for the entire EU, such as mandatory microchipping and registration of dogs and cats born in or imported into the bloc.

Pet registration is already mandatory in 24 of the 27 EU Member States, but the systems are fragmented. A future common online data base should tackle the problem said Tilly Metz, an MEP from the Green group and shadow rapporteur for the regulation.

"It is now the responsibility of the European Commission to implement a system that works in all member states, so that we can guarantee interoperability and real traceability of the animal throughout Europe," Metz told Euronews.

The EU dog and cat trade is worth 1.3 billion euros annually. Around 60% of owners purchase them online, which has led to opacity regarding the origin of the animals, their health and whether they are vaccinated.

According to a study by the European Commission, the main countries of origin for the illegal animal trade are Romania and Hungary, both EU members, and the third countries Russia, Belarus, Serbia and Turkey.

"That's why we also want the animal to be registered as quickly as possible when it enters the European Union and we have been advocating that this should happen at the border," the MEP added.

End 'animal mills'

The European Parliament also defends a ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops in an amended proposal to the law approved this month.

Inappropriate practices in the breeding of these pets are also being addressed, by imposing limits on the number of litters a female can have.

"The maximum is three litters in a two-year period, followed by a one-year break. This is because frequent pregnancies lead to malnutrition or weakening of the immune system," said Gerardo Fortuna, a Euronews reporter who has been covering the new law.

"It is one of the ways to curb the phenomenon of puppy mills, that has both support of the Council and Parliament," he added.

To avoid consanguinity, the crossbreeding between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, as well as between siblings and half-siblings will be prohibited.

Although cats and dogs make up 90% of Europeans' pets, the law could be soon enough extended to other companion animals, with the permitted species to be defined in a so-called "Positive List", an idea proposed by the European Parliament.

Watch the video here!

Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva

Content production: Pilar Montero López

Video production: Zacharia Vigneron

Graphism: Loredana Dumitru

Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones

Portugal hit by heatwave as rare 'tsunami' roll cloud phenomenon surprises beachgoers

By Euronews Lisbon

Published on 01/07/2025 -

Mainland Portugal faces a heatwave with temperatures reaching 42°C. A rare roll cloud surprised sunbathers on beaches, while the risk of forest fires increases.

Mainland Portugal is currently facing a heatwave that has affected most of western Europe, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius in some regions on the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Greece and France.

The heat produced a variety of unstable weather phenomena in Portugal, including freak rain showers, violent thunderstorms and hail. These phenomena were more intense in the country's interior.

'Tsunami' rolling cloud hits Portuguese beaches

On Sunday, hundreds of sunbathers were surprised by a dense tsunami-like cloud coming out of the ocean and heading towards the beach.

The phenomenon, called a roll cloud, hit several beaches along the Portuguese coast in the afternoon.

The images were widely shared on social media.

Roll clouds are a rare meteorological phenomenon, formed from the interaction of air masses of contrasting temperatures and sea breezes.

These clouds are tube-shaped and move horizontally. Despite the clear resemblance to a giant wave, thankfully, they have nothing to do with tsunamis.

As the clouds approached, strong winds appeared, taking bathers by surprise.

As temperatures continue to rise throughout the week, concerns about major forest fires are intensifying.

The National Civil Protection Authority has issued a warning to the population with preventative measures and other recommendations.

The communiqué states that the danger of rural fires is very high to maximum in the interior of the north and centre and in the Algarve.

Record-breaking sea temperatures in the Mediterranean spark fresh warnings from scientists

By Rosie Frost

Published on 01/07/2025 -

Intense marine heat can have devastating consequences for ecosystems with its ripple effects also extending onto land.

Sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean have reached their highest level ever recorded for June.

On 29 June, sea surface temperatures hit 26.01°C, according to data collected by Copernicus and analysed by Météo-France. Overall temperatures are currently 3°C higher than average, with spikes exceeding 4°C in some places around the French and Spanish coasts.

The most intense warming was observed in the western Mediterranean basin, including the Balearic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. With the current weather conditions, scientists say temperatures are unlikely to drop anytime soon.

The Mediterranean is considered one of the world’s most vulnerable ‘climate change hotspots’, warming much faster than the global average. Without action to curb climate change, experts warn that persistent marine heatwaves - prolonged periods of abnormally high ocean temperatures - could change the region beyond recognition.

Marine heatwaves could devastate life in the Mediterranean Sea

A persistent and growing marine heatwave is gripping the region, with “severe” and “extreme” conditions emerging off southeastern Spain and northern Morocco.

Marine scientists warn that the unfolding situation could bring devastating impacts for biodiversity, fisheries, aquaculture, and even weather patterns across southern Europe and North Africa.

“Marine heatwaves of this magnitude in the Mediterranean Sea have had major effects on marine life,” says Dr Kathryn Smith from the Marine Biological Association of the UK.

“In the past, we have seen impacts like mass mortalities of invertebrate species, die-offs of seagrass beds and disease outbreaks in mussel farms. It's likely that we'll see similar impacts from this event.”

These events have already driven coral populations down by 90 per cent and pushed the noble fan mussel to the brink of extinction.

Warmer waters hold less oxygen, leading to mass fish die-offs such as those seen in Tuscany in 2024. And, as fish dive deeper to escape the heat on the surface, they can’t be reached by seabirds, which then die off in their masses, too.

The ripple effects of marine heatwaves extend onto land, too. Warm seas fuel extreme weather, as seen during Storm Daniel in 2023 which killed nearly 6,000 people. It was made 50 times more likely and 50 per cent more intense by high sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean.

Floods in Valencia in 2024, which claimed over 200 lives, have also been linked in part to high sea surface temperatures.

Marine heatwaves are becoming more intense and lasting longer

Marine heatwaves are now ten times more intense than in pre-industrial times and last three times as long.

“Climate change is responsible for the global increase in the frequency, duration and intensity of marine heatwaves,” says Dr Alistair Hobday, research director for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) Sustainable Marine Futures Programme.

The Mediterranean Sea has been steadily warming since the 1980s, with a sharp acceleration over the past decade. Over the last 40 years, it has gone from experiencing one marine heatwave per year in defined areas to an average of four per year, which cover almost the entire sea. Temperatures have been constantly above average for the past five years.

“The unfolding, wide-reaching heatwave in the western Mediterranean now demands close attention,” says Dr Karina von Schuckmann, a senior advisor at Mercator Ocean International.

Scientists stress that only rapid global emission cuts can halt this trend. Without urgent action, this climate hotspot could be permanently transformed.

UK postal workers faced more than 2,000 dog attacks last year, Royal Mail reveals

By Estelle Nilsson-Julien

Published on 01/07/2025

Roughly 30,000 postal workers have been attacked by dogs in the last decade in Britain.

Postal workers working for Britain's Royal Mail have faced almost 2,200 dog attacks over the past year, marking a 2% annual increase in such incidents.

This equates to roughly 42 dog attacks targeting postal workers per week — with some causing permanent injuries and leading to disabilities, according to data released on Monday by Britain's main postal service.

Figures shared by the UK's Communication Workers Union also revealed that over a longer period — ranging from 2017 to 2024 — a third of all dog attacks across the UK targeted postal delivery workers.

Over the past decade, roughly 30,000 postal workers have been attacked by dogs.

'I could see the flesh on my leg hanging'

Ellenore King-Voisin has worked as a postwoman in Farnborough — a city in southeast England — for the past three years. But in June last year, what was meant to be a normal day at work turned out to be a traumatic experience.

"I was delivering mail to a property on my round that I had been to many times before," she told Royal Mail.

"The customers there were very proud of the two rescue dogs they had. I had seen the dogs before so was aware that one of them had an aggressive temperament."

On the day of the attack, the dogs' owner, who was working on his car parked at the front of the property, had left the front door open. However, when King-Voisin walked up the drive to deliver the man's post, things took a turn for the worse.

"I noticed the calmer of the two dogs at the door. She looked at me and I froze. The dog then went back inside and then both dogs returned to the door and at that point I realised I just didn't stand a chance", said King-Voisin.

"The dog jumped up at me and bit me three times just above the right knee. When I looked down, I could see the flesh on my leg hanging and the fat tissue that had literally burst open looked like little yellow marbles on the floor. I'd never seen anything like it before", added King-Voisin.

Eventually, King-Voisin managed to save herself.

"I knew that the dog would not stop attacking me if I didn’t do something, so I started screaming, and then the owner and his daughter came rushing out," she recalled. "I also startled the dog as she ran back into the house. I had to do my own First Aid as the man and his daughter were crying."

Do not let the dogs out

Despite the overall rise in attacks over the last year, a 10% decrease in attacks resulting in serious and significant injury to postal workers was recorded, with 74 significant incidents logged, compared to 82 in 2023-24.

But in a similar trend to previous years, nearly half of all dog attacks (46%) targeting postal workers took place at the front door, while more than a quarter (28%) took place in the garden, drive or yard.

Nearly a fifth of attacks (18%) happened through letterboxes and a total of 8% of attacks occurred in the street or road.

In a bid to protect its workforce, the UK's Post Office recommends the public print off and display on their property a postcard that warns postal workers that they own a dog.

It also asks them to wait while owners secure their dog before opening the door.

In 2020, a High Court ruling declared that stated dog owners (or those in care of a dog) could be prosecuted if their pets have free access to the letterbox and cause injury to any postal or delivery worker — whether the owner is at home or not.

Authorities in Belarus continue crackdown on dissent, rights group Viasna says

By Gavin Blackburn with AP

Published on 01/07/2025 -

Mass arrests and convictions of government critics in Belarus have continued since 2020, when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was handed a sixth term in office in an election that the opposition and the West denounced as rigged.

Authorities in Belarus are continuing their crackdown on political dissent even as they release some prisoners, the country's leading rights group told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Last month, the Belarusian government pardoned and released 14 prisoners, but at least 60 more people were arrested on politically motivated charges, said Pavel Sapelka, a rights advocate with the Viasna human rights centre.

In May, the centre counted more than 100 politically driven arrests, Sapelka said.

"The steamroller of repressions doesn't stop and the authorities continue to stifle any dissent in Belarus, opening new high-profile cases," Sapelka said.

"No one, absolutely no one can feel safe in Belarus."

Mass arrests and convictions of government critics in Belarus have continued since 2020, when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was handed a sixth term in office in an election that the opposition and the West denounced as rigged.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protest, in the biggest demonstrations that the country’s ever seen.

Authorities unleashed a violent crackdown in response, detaining and beating thousands and driving many more into exile abroad.

The crackdown drew international condemnation, and the European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Minsk

Viasna has recorded 1,174 people behind bars as political prisoners.

The number includes 38 journalists and the group's founder, Ales Bialiatski, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

At least eight political prisoners have died in prison.

Lukashenko, who in January secured another term in office in another election the opposition denounced as a sham, has recently been pardoning some of the political prisoners, seeking to improve ties with the West.

In total, he has pardoned and freed more than 300 prisoners since July 2024, including some US citizens and other foreigners.

Last month, Belarusian authorities released prominent opposition figure Siarhei Tsikanouski and 13 others and brought them to Lithuania.

Their release came just hours after Belarusian authorities announced that Lukashenko met with US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in the capital Minsk.

But rights advocates argue that the situation in Belarus hasn't changed and authorities have recently opened several new high-profile cases, which indicates their intention to continue the crackdown.

At least 20 people have been arrested in the case against Belaruski Hajun, a Belarusian activist group that monitors troops movements in Belarus, Sapelka said.

On Monday, Viasna also reported the arrest of popular Belarusian signer Aleh Hamenka, who is accused of taking part in anti-government protests.

Another case involves sociologists from the Wardomacki sociological research laboratory, according to Sapelka.

Nils Muižnieks, the UN's special rapporteur for human rights in Belarus, recently said that "there is no sign of improvement in the human rights situation in Belarus and the authorities are disregarding offers of cooperation."

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Wednesday, July 02, 2025

Renault reports nearly €10 billion non-cash loss due to Nissan stake

The French carmaker said it would change the way it accounts for its stake in its long-term Japanese partner, based on Nissan’s share price.

Poland trials a four-day working week: A step towards the future?

Poland will start its first-ever pilot of a shortened working week this July as the government seeks to meet social needs.

Four-day working week: Social expectations are clear

Employers have diverse reactions

The effect on the economy

Tried and tested examples from Poland

Four days a week: A new working philosophy

The EU has created its first law on the welfare of dogs and cats to be applied across the bloc, targeting illegal trade and harmful practices. A regulation that was long overdue, considering that 44% of EU households have a pet and it's a billion-dollar business.

End 'animal mills'

Portugal hit by heatwave as rare 'tsunami' roll cloud phenomenon surprises beachgoers

Mainland Portugal faces a heatwave with temperatures reaching 42°C. A rare roll cloud surprised sunbathers on beaches, while the risk of forest fires increases.

'Tsunami' rolling cloud hits Portuguese beaches

Record-breaking sea temperatures in the Mediterranean spark fresh warnings from scientists

Intense marine heat can have devastating consequences for ecosystems with its ripple effects also extending onto land.

Marine heatwaves could devastate life in the Mediterranean Sea

Marine heatwaves are becoming more intense and lasting longer

UK postal workers faced more than 2,000 dog attacks last year, Royal Mail reveals

Roughly 30,000 postal workers have been attacked by dogs in the last decade in Britain.

'I could see the flesh on my leg hanging'

Do not let the dogs out

Authorities in Belarus continue crackdown on dissent, rights group Viasna says

Mass arrests and convictions of government critics in Belarus have continued since 2020, when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was handed a sixth term in office in an election that the opposition and the West denounced as rigged.

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