World
Chinese rivals pose 'existential threat' to Europe's solar industry
Cheap Chinese solar panels are flooding the EU market and threatening the viability of homegrown companies.
Europe’s solar industry warns it faces an “existential threat” and that unless action is taken soon, it could collapse in a matter of months.
An industry group is calling on the European Commission to introduce emergency measures, for example by stocking up on solar panels to ensure liquidity.
They say the influx of China-made solar panels, whose price is artificially lowered through generous state aid, into the EU market is to blame for the critical situation. According to the industry, Beijing has a near monopoly in the field: “China has been subsidising its industry for more than a decade,” says Johan Lindahl, secretary general of the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC).
“They decided to consider photovoltaic (PV) a strategic technology more than fifteen years ago. They have done the same in other areas such as electric vehicles and batteries,” Lindahl added.
Low prices have led companies such as Switzerland’s Meyer Burger, formerly the largest solar manufacturer in Germany, to relocateto the United States and benefit from Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Ac. Other firms, such as Solarwatt, have dismissed staff to cut down production costs.
Innovation is key
A solar module produced in China is about 50% cheaper than its European equivalent. The quality, experts say, is nevertheless comparable. The industry has therefore no choice but to innovate if it wants to survive.
Solarge, a factory in the Netherlands, produces solar panels that are lighter than traditional ones and can be installed on roofs that cannot sustain much weight.
But even with a growth strategy, the situation could become untenable, says Gerard de Leede, Solarge’s CTO and co-founder. “If it takes a year or two, many companies, and of course us, will definitely see impact,” he told Euronews. “We will have to lower our prices and we will be less competitive and less profitable.”
Currently, solar panels manufactured in Europe account for only 3% of the market. However, SolarPower Europe believes that this could rise to 40% by 2030.
The Chinese impact not only endangers companies but also hampers the bloc’s industrial autonomy. The EU is close to approving the Net-Zero Industry Act to slash red tape and ramp up domestic production of renewable systems, like solar panels, wind turbines and electric batteries. The Act was hastily designed in response to the Inflation Reduction Act but, unlike the American initiative, it does not envision tax credits and rebates.
A separate regulation aims to ban the sale in the EU of products made with forced labour, which would prohibit many goods manufactured in parts of China.
Clash with climate targets
The goal of competing against low-cost Chinese solar panels might soon clash with the long-term climate targets introduced by the bloc, which will require a massive deployment of renewable systems to completely do away with fossil fuels.
Speaking before the European Parliament in early February, Mairead McGuinness, the European Commissioner for financial services, dampened the industry’s hopes for tariffs on cheap imports, insisting that “any potential measures must be weighed against the goals we have set for the energy transition.”
For Dries Acke, policy director at SolarPower Europe, it is “important that the solar market in Europe continues to grow.” But, he warns, “any industrial strategy for manufacturing has to make sure that it does not negatively affect the continued growth of European solar markets.”
This balance is essential for the EU. Solar energy is one of the cheapest and easiest to install, so rapid deployment can make a difference in meeting climate targets. By 2030, 42.5% of all EU energy will have to come from renewable sources.
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the June 14 event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.
“This is fundamentally a private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain,” said Brendan Ballou, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “And that is what is motivating this lawsuit.”
The White House said in a statement that the legal challenge was “an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was “no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.”
UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn. Trump has said the finished UFC project will feature “a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.” Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate spectators at both locations.
The octagon and surrounding structures are the latest project in the White House building boom Trump is leading.
World
Suspected Hamas terrorist arrested in Greece for allegedly plotting attack on Israeli cruise ship
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A suspected Hamas terrorist, reportedly granted asylum a year from the Gaza war, was arrested by Greek police for allegedly plotting an attack on an Israeli cruise line.
The Gaza man, 37, was arrested on the Greek island of Crete on Sunday for his alleged ties to one of four suspected Hamas terrorists previously arrested in Cyprus, having traveled with him to Malaysia, where they allegedly received training in making explosives from commercially available chemical agents.
The Israeli cruise ship MS Crown Iris was the believed target of the attack before it was scheduled to arrive in Crete on Tuesday. Police did not publicly identify the man or name a target in their initial statement.
Searches in homes in both Crete and the Greek capital, Athens, turned up a number of mobile phones, a laptop, external hard drives and bank cards, The Associated Press reported.
3 ALLEGED HAMAS MEMBERS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING AGAINST JEWISH INSTITUTIONS IN GERMANY
A Wednesday protest at the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, opposing the arrival of the Crown Iris cruise ship was a prelude to the arrest of a suspected Hamas terrorist who is alleged to have plotted an attack. (Costas Baltas/Anadolu)
The suspect, an electrician who has been reportedly living in Crete for the past year and working at a hotel there after being granted asylum, will appear before a magistrate later Sunday.
The suspected terrorist had placed an online order for what police said were “chemical agents” that could be used in the manufacture of explosives, according to the report.
State broadcaster ERT, cited by Israeli and Greek media, reported that police also found laboratory equipment.
TWO CONVICTED OF TERRORISM IN DENMARK FOR GRENADE ATTACK NEAR ISRAELI EMBASSY
The case appears to be part of a broader regional counterterrorism probe. Cypriot authorities arrested two Palestinians on May 22 after intelligence led investigators to materials in two residences that police said could be used to manufacture explosives. Two more Palestinian men were detained May 29 as part of the same investigation, according to Greek police.
The Crown Iris has become a recurring flashpoint at Greek ports amid anger over the war in Gaza. Protesters gathered near the ship when it docked in Piraeus on Wednesday, June 3, and demonstrations against the vessel have followed it at Greek ports since last year.
Protesters allege that Mano Maritime, the owner of the MS Crown Iris, is profiting from the Hamas-Israel war by selling tourist services to Israel Defense Forces soldiers during breaks from active duty.
In July 2025, Greek police used tear gas and made arrests as demonstrators tried to block the ship at Agios Nikolaos on Crete.
Greek security forces were forced to protect Israeli tourists traveling on buses to board the Israeli-owned cruise ship MS Crown Iris at the port of Piraeus in Athens on June 3, 2026. (Aggelos Nakkas/AFP)
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The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not announced formal charges against the suspect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Published on
Two cups of ice cream, costing 44 euros. That is what happened to an American tourist couple on 3 June during a visit to the centre of Rome, just a few metres away from Piazza Navona.
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The episode, recounted on social media by Nicole Ann from Florida, quickly drew users’ attention, sparking a heated online debate about the relationship between tourism and price transparency in one of Rome’s most visited areas.
The woman explained that she and her husband had stopped at the “Don Nino” ice cream parlour in Via di Tor Millina to order two cups, each with three flavours. While the ice creams were being prepared, staff are said to have added other products, including macarons and pistachio cannoli, without it being immediately clear that these were chargeable extras. When it was time to pay, a surprise was awaiting.
“I thought they had said 14 euros,” Nicole wrote in a Facebook group offering travel tips for people visiting Rome, explaining that she only realised the actual amount after checking the receipt.
The receipt posted online shows that the two portions, listed as maxi, cost twelve euros each. On top of this came supplements for whipped cream, macarons and pistachio cannoli, bringing the total to 44 euros for an order consumed without table service.
In her post, the tourist described the experience as a “tourist trap”. Responding to the many comments she received, she nevertheless made it clear that she does not intend to contest the payment, admitting that she should have checked the price more carefully before buying. She also said she had travelled to other parts of Italy without ever encountering similar prices for an ice cream.
The post quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of reactions. Hundreds of people commented on the episode, which was shared across the web and picked up by several online newspapers.
Many users expressed solidarity with the American couple, while others pointed out that in areas with the highest concentration of tourists, prices can be significantly higher than in other parts of the city.
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