Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'Change must happen now': EU plans tough action on racism

By S Neeraj Krishna

THE European Commission on Friday (18) pledged to crack down on racism in a "moment of reckoning" amid global outrage over racial violence.


Member states that to fully implement the European Union's anti-racism laws will face stringent action, it warned.

Launching its first anti-racism action plan, the Commission said the initiative will allow "infringement actions" by which it can take erring countries to the EU Court of Justice.

"We know that progress to fight racism and hate in Europe is not good enough," Vera Jourova, the EU Commission's vice-president for values and transparency, told reporters in Brussels.

"We have reached a moment of reckoning. The protests sent a clear message, change must happen now.

"It won’t be easy, but it must be done."

The death of black American George Floyd in police custody had triggered waves of anti-racism protests in the US. Ripples spread across the world, prompting more European citizens to challenge discrimination in society.

Under the plan, the 27 EU nations would face closer scrutiny, investigations and possible infringement procedures if the European measures are not correctly applied.

The Commission has also called for a "new approach on equality data collection" to get a better picture of discrimination in Europe and to push the bloc to collect data about racial or ethnic origin.

The EU Commission also plans to review its existing rules to guarantee they are strict enough and possibly present new legal measures in the next five years.

EU institutions, including the Commission and European Central Bank, have themselves come under fire from critics for being excessively white and sometimes racist.

Helena Dalli, the EU commissioner for equality, said: "Nobody is born racist. It is not a characteristic which we are born with.

"It's a question of nurture, and not nature. We have to unlearn what we have learned."

In June, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had told the European Parliament that she was aware of the lack of diversity in the bloc’s executive.

"We need to talk about racism. And we need to act," she added.

"It is always possible to change direction if there is a will to do so. I am glad to live in a society that condemns racism. But we should not stop there.

"The motto of our European Union is: ‘United in diversity’. Our task it to live up to these words, and to fulfil their meaning."

More For You

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

FILE PHOTO: A mother and daughter sit atop the Covid memorial wall on September 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.

Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan floods

A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.

Getty

Pakistan reports 45 deaths from flash floods and rain in monsoon onset

AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Weather Alert: June Heatwave to Hit 34°C, Breaking Records

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record

iStock

UK set for one of the hottest June days with highs of 34°C

Key points

  • Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
  • Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
  • Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
  • Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler

Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.

Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Probing all angles in Air India crash, including sabotage: Minister

INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.

All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.

Keep ReadingShow less