Former EU commissioner and activists barred from US in attack on European tech regulators
The state department has barred five Europeans from the US, accusing them of leading efforts to pressure tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints, in the latest attack on European regulations that target hate speech and misinformation.Secretary of state Marco Rubio said the five people targeted with visa bans – who include former European Commissioner Thierry Breton – have led “organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”“These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states – in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” Rubio said in an announcement.In recent months, Trump officials have ordered US diplomats to build opposition to the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), which is intended to combat hateful speech, misinformation and disinformation, but which Washington says stifles free speech and imposes costs on US tech companies.Late on Tuesday night, Breton posted on social media: “Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?”Tuesday’s move is part of a Trump administration campaign against foreign influence over online speech, using immigration law rather than platform regulations or sanctions.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, those targeted will generally be barred from entering the US, and some may face removal proceedings if already in the country,Rubio did not name those targeted, but under secretary for public diplomacy Sarah Rogers identified them on X, accusing the individuals of “fomenting censorship of American speech”,The five named were: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of HateAid, a German organization; Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index’; and former EU commissioner Breton,The visa bans come after the administration’s National Security Strategy this month said European leaders were censoring free speech and suppressing opposition to immigration policies that it said risk “civilisational erasure” for the continent,Rogers called Breton – who served as the European Commissioner for the internal market from 2019-2024 – “a mastermind” of the DSA.
Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), said in a video posted online in 2024 that she co-founded the organisation “to try to break the business model of harmful online content” by reviewing online news websites to allow advertisers to “choose whether or not they want to fund content that is polarising and divisive and harmful, or whether they want to steer their advertising back towards more quality journalism.”A spokesperson for GDI called the US action “immoral, unlawful, and un-American” and “an authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship.”Most Europeans are covered by the Visa Waiver Program, which means they don’t necessarily need visas to come into the US.They do, however, need to complete an online application prior to arrival under a system run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), so it is possible that at least some of these five people have been flagged to DHS, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not publicly released.With Reuters, the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
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A meat-free Christmas: Chantelle Nicholson’s French mushroom pie, caramelised pear pud and more
Christmas for me began as a summertime celebration in New Zealand, with long days and warm evenings. Twenty-plus years on, the wintry cosiness of a UK Christmas has taken hold. Now, my essentials include perfectly crisp roast potatoes with plenty of gravy, and sprouts (non-negotiable). Even my young niece and nephew love them, which is a small victory I’m quietly proud of.Warm gougerès fresh from the oven are a pretty tricky thing to beat
10 of the best Australian sparkling wines for every budget
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Cosmopolitan Christmas: Stosie Madi’s French-African-Lebanese Christmas lunch – recipes
I was born in west Africa, and brought up between there, France and the UK in a French-Lebanese-British family. Unsurprisingly, then, our Christmas lunch was more than a bit diverse: my father always insisted on some British and Lebanese elements, while my mother contributed French dishes and technique; west African produce was also a must, because the house would be full of all nationalities, including our African family. Not only that, but our Christmas would invariably start with a guest list of about 20, and another 20 or so waifs and strays would always then turn up in need of feeding and watering. Today’s dishes were part of our regular seasonal festivities, as good in the sunshine as they are robust enough for a chilly British winter.Lebanese feasts always feature some form of pie, and sambouseks are tiny little ones with various fillings
From a showstopping pavlova to a £7 sherry: what top chefs bring to Christmas dinner
Looking for a great supermarket champagne? Need an easy recipe to take to a party? Or just some really good cheese… Yotam Ottolenghi, Giorgio Locatelli, Ixta Belfrage and others reveal the best snacks, drinks and desserts to make and buy for the big dayThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Christmas is a time of overwhelming choice, especially when it comes to food. So, to help you navigate the festive feasting, we asked 16 top chefs and cooks to tell us what they buy or make to give to the people brave enough to invite them over
A fresh take on wine pairings for Christmas dessert
It may well be that you already have a drink that you traditionally like to sip on after dinner (or lunch), and who am I to tell you that needs to change? Even so, I have a few ideas for drinks you might like to try instead.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Let’s start with the classics
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