Europe

The leader of the Western Sahara independence movement, Brahim Ghali, returned to Algeria on Wednesday after spending more than a month in hospital in Spain – a stay which triggered a diplomatic row between Spain and Morocco. “He arrived safe and sound,” said Jalil Mohamed, the Polisario Front’s spokesman in …

The renewed spotlight on the issue could create a headache for President Joe Biden, who is set to travel to Europe later this month for the Group of Seven summit of world leaders. European leaders are demanding answers after fresh allegations about the United States spying on its allies. The …

Germany and the United Nations plan to host a conference on Libya this month in Berlin Germany and the United Nations plan to host a conference on Libya this month in Berlin, a gathering that aims to bring together powers with interests in the North African country and its transitional …

Czech police have asked for Prime Minister Andrej Babis to be charged with fraud, following an investigation into alleged misuse of European Union subsidies, according to a statement released on Monday. The criminal unit of the Economic Crime Department of the Prague Police has concluded its investigation into the case …

Spain’s High Court on Tuesday turned down a request for Western Sahara independence leader Brahim Ghali to be taken into custody, saying the plaintiffs in a war crimes case against him had failed to provide evidence he had committed any crime. Ghali’s presence in Spain has infuriated Morocco, which says …

Russia has announced the resumption of air travel with Britain and a number of other countries that had been suspended due to coronavirus restrictions. “Given the improvement of the epidemiological situation in the United Kingdom, a decision has been taken to resume regular air travel between Moscow and London from …

Russia will conduct strategic military drills in the Arctic this autumn, the Interfax news agency cited Russia’s northern fleet as saying on Tuesday. Russia has built up in recent years its military presence in the Arctic, where receding ice has raised the prospect of resources opening up.

Tensions between Morocco and Spain have escalated, with each side accusing the other of violating good ‘neighborliness’ in a dispute triggered by the Western Sahara territorial issue. Last month, the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta saw an unprecedented influx of migrants crossing from Morocco. That was seen as retaliation …

The Russian military scrambled a Su-27 fighter jet to accompany a U.S. B-52H bomber over the Baltic Sea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the military. They said the bomber has not violated the Russian airspace.

France and Germany are “seeking full clarity” on a report claiming that one of Denmark’s intelligence agencies helped the United States spy on several senior European officials, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday. “If the information is true,” Macron said during a statement to the …

Personnel at Belarus’ diplomatic mission to NATO will have their access restricted at the alliance’s headquarters, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, following the forced landing of a passenger plane by Minsk. Belarus is not a member of NATO but has had ties with the military alliance since 1992 following …

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described Morocco’s actions during a crisis two weeks ago when thousands of would-be migrants crossed into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta as unacceptable and an assault on national borders. Asked at a news conference on Monday about comments by the Moroccan foreign minister, who …

Greece has reacted furiously to remarks by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu describing the Muslim minority community in northern Greece as Turkish who were denied full civic rights. “We want Greece to give the same rights as we provide to the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek minority to the Turks …

Danish broadcaster says the US used a partnership with Danish intelligence to spy on top European officials. The United States used a partnership with Denmark’s foreign intelligence unit to spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Danish public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR). The findings are the …

French president says Paris will withdraw soldiers if Mali lurches towards what he called “radical Islamism” after the second coup in a year. President Emmanuel Macron warned in comments published on Sunday that France will pull its troops out of Mali if it lurches towards what he called “radical Islamism” …

An Italian judge ruled late on Saturday that three men detained over a cable car crash that killed 14 people in northern Italy could leave prison, with one of them being placed under house arrest. In the crash a week ago, the gondola on a cable way connecting the Lake …

Austrian Muslim groups slam the government over map identifying locations of mosques and Islamic associations around the country. A leading Muslim group in Austria has said it plans to file a lawsuit against the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz for unveiling a controversial “Islam map”, according to Austrian media reports. …

Spain will allow cruise ships to dock in its ports from June 7, the transport ministry said on Saturday, hoping to salvage the country’s battered tourism sector in time for the summer season. Spain’s maritime authorities approved the reopening because of falling COVID-19 incidence rates and an increase in vaccinations, …

Azerbaijan says one of its soldiers was wounded after Armenian forces opened fire along the border amid recent tensions between the two Caucasus countries. Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said in a statement on Friday that its positions in the Nakhchivan enclave on the border with Armenia and Turkey “came under fire …

When Italy won the Eurovision Song Contest with an over-the-top glam-rock performance, the victory signaled more than just a psychological boost for one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19: Held before a live, indoor audience of 3,500, the annual kitsch fest confirmed that Europe was returning to a semblance …