A consultation last July found that 60% of the 44,000 responses backed the idea of taking nature as the theme, just in front of architecture and landmarks on 56%, and way ahead of historic figures at a measly 38%. Whether the public would have been quite so keen if they'd known upfront that household pets would be explicitly excluded from possible designs, I'm not so sure.
The key driver for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase counterfeit resilience. But it also provides an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK. Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective and means we can showcase the UK's rich and varied wildlife.
We know that people find old Irish banknotes and coins all the time, so the exchange of old money is an important service we provide to the public. We have a standard procedure in place to assist people, and we also have increased checks for exchanges above €750 to ensure source of funds and proof of ownership.
Services experienced the highest annual increase at 3.4%, followed by food, alcohol, and tobacco at 2.5%. Non-energy industrial goods saw a more modest increase of 0.7%. Meanwhile, energy prices fell by 3.1% over the month, which helped to temper overall inflation pressures.
Markets remain fragile amid persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have pushed oil prices higher and revived concerns about inflation in Europe. While interest rates are expected to remain unchanged, attention could turn to the ECB's forward guidance and assessment of energy-driven price risks.
This is not new news, of course, but many in the industry seem to be finally waking up to the hard truth that data-driven media buying, as we know it today, is severely under threat and has to change. Cookies power everything we do, from humble frequency capping through to complex multi-touch attribution models, ad personalisation and audience segmentation. They underpin most of the gains we've made in performance advertising, as well as brand advertising, over the past decade.
At first, it sounds almost too simple like someone claiming they've solved European immigration with nothing more than a calendar and a backpack. But this little pattern, when used intentionally and legally, becomes one of the most elegant travel strategies in the world. It lets you stay in Europe far longer than any tourist visa seems to allow, all without breaking rules, overstaying, or navigating complicated immigration systems.
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, will next week propose new rules that are expected to include a requirement for companies in strategic sectors to produce in Europe if they want to receive public money. But the definition of "European preference" has triggered debate, with calls especially from France for more "Made in Europe", while other EU states such as Germany call for "Made with Europe".
Due to a technical issue with a software update, passports issued between 23 December 2025 and 6 January 2026 inclusive are not fully compliant with international travel standards and there is a possibility that some passport holders may have an issue at eGates and border control when travelling. The Passport Service sincerely regrets this issue and apologises to affected citizens for the inconvenience caused. In order to mitigate against any possible travel issues, the passport service has notified border authorities worldwide through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as well as Irish Border Management.
The European Central Bank said Friday it had fined French bank Credit Agricole €7.55 million ($9 million) for failing to properly identify climate change-related risks that could affect its balance sheet. "Credit Agricole did not sufficiently assess the materiality of its climate-related and environmental risks" by a deadline set after an investigation in 2024, the ECB said in a statement, adding the bank was late by "75 full days".
The new right-wing populist government of Andrej Babis has made a firm pledge to ensure Czechia never adopts the euro. Instead, the government will seek to enshrine the Czech crown as legal tender and guarantee the right to use cash. "We commit that our government will not adopt the euro nor take any steps towards its introduction," reads the policy program approved by the new government a coalition of Babis's ANO party,
The European Central Bank (ECB) held its key interest rates unchanged following the February meeting of the Governing Council, in line with Cebr projections. This marks the fifth consecutive hold, despite a below-target inflation reading of 1.7% in January, the lowest level since 2021. The decision to hold rates also comes despite a recent Euro rally against the dollar, which is expected to add disinflationary pressure through cheaper imports and weigh on growth by making the bloc's exports more expensive.
In an incisive analysis of the new age of predatory great powers, where might is increasingly asserted as right, Carney not only accurately defined the coarsening of international relations as a rupture, not a transition. He also outlined how liberal democratic middle powers such as Canada but also European countries must build coalitions to counter coercion and defend as much as possible of the principles of territorial integrity, the rule of law, free trade, climate action and human rights.
