Europe

Spain plans to lift its requirement for Britons to present a negative coronavirus PCR test upon arrival from May 20, provided that the infection rate in Britain keeps declining, the Spanish tourism minister said on Tuesday. “It will allow the opening of the British market so they can come to …

Scientists monitoring the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine have seen a surge in fission reactions in an inaccessible chamber within the complex. They are now investigating whether the problem will stabilize or require a dangerous and difficult intervention to prevent a runaway nuclear reaction. The explosion …

Croatia is set to issue an international arrest warrant for former Dinamo Zagreb coach Zoran Mamic who failed to report this week to serve his jail sentence for fraud, the Zagreb county court said on Tuesday. Zoran Mamic’s four years and eight months prison sentence was confirmed in March. He …

The image of LREM candidate Sara Zemmahi wearing a hijab has drawn anger from the far right and LREM itself! The head of French President Emmanuel Macron’s political party has threatened to withdraw support for one of its own candidates in upcoming regional elections after she was pictured wearing a …

At least seven children and one teacher killed in attack in Kazan, Tatarstan’s capital city. At least seven children and a teacher were killed in a shooting at a Russian school in the southwestern city of Kazan, local officials said. Rustam Minnikhanov, governor of the Tatarstan republic, of which Kazan …

As the country emerges from its third partial lockdown, authorities in Cyprus have introduced a coronavirus “safety pass” system to afford at least some semblance of freedom of movement to its (vaccinated) citizens. Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou described the initiative as “a step towards returning to a more normal pace …

Nika Melia’s release is seen as a significant step in an EU-backed plan to help end a prolonged political crisis. Jailed Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia has been freed from prison after a court-ordered his release on bail – a significant step in a European Union-backed plan to help end …

Hundreds of people were seen partying in several cities across Spain in the early hours of Sunday, as the country ended its 11 p.m. curfew, which was lifted in 13 of the country’s 17 regions at midnight. The footage was shared of people taking to the beaches of Barcelona and …

Seven boats packed with hundreds of migrants arrived on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday, and officials said more people were expected as the weather improved. More than 1,000 people got off the vessels at Lampedusa, one of the main landing points for people trying to get across …

The Scottish National Party on Sunday said its landslide victory in Edinburgh’s devolved parliament was grounds for a fresh independence referendum, despite opposition from London. While the SNP campaigned on promises to hold a new vote, the UK government — which would need to give formal legal permission — is …

An annual military parade was held on Moscow’s iconic Red Square as Russia celebrates victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. World War II is often called the Great Patriotic War in Russia, and May 9 is one of the country’s most revered holidays. More than 12,000 uniformed soldiers, …

Scotland’s governing Scottish National Party was on course Saturday to win its fourth straight parliamentary election and very close to securing a majority that would enable it to make a push for another referendum on independence from the U.K. With 60 constituencies counted, the SNP had won 51 of the …

The EU has concluded a deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for up to 1.8 billion extra doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, according to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. “Happy to announce that the EU Commission has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options) with Pfizer-BioNTech …

Amnesty International has apologised to Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and reversed a decision to stop calling him a “prisoner of conscience”. The human rights organisation took the decision earlier this year after concerns were raised about past comments he made. In a statement, Amnesty called for Navalny’s “immediate and …

The European Union is sceptical about the usefulness of waiving patent rights to COVID-19 vaccines as a way to fight the pandemic but is ready to discuss a concrete proposal, the chairman of EU leaders Charles Michel said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters before the second day of an EU …

French FM slams Lebanese politicians for failing to pull the country out of its economic meltdown or form a government. France’s top diplomat has threatened Lebanon with more sanctions to prevent what he described as a “collective suicide” organised by members of the country’s ruling political class. Lebanon’s leaders had …

European Union leaders will take part in a virtual conference to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Belarus, President of the European Council Charles Michel announced after the bloc threatened sanctions on Minsk. The emergency meeting will be held on Wednesday, Michel said on Twitter. “The people of Belarus have …

Spain’s former King Juan Carlos, who went into exile this month in the face of graft allegations, is in the United Arab Emirates, the royal palace said Monday, ending the mystery over his whereabouts. The 82-year-old, who has long had warm relations with the Gulf monarchies, “traveled to the United …

Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, said on Monday he would be ready to hold new elections and hand over power after a constitutional referendum, an attempt to pacify mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge yet to his rule. He made the offer, which he insisted would …

Northern Irish GCSE students will be given grades decided by their teachers after an outcry over the use of an algorithm to award marks for A-level. Peter Weir, the Education Minister for the Northern Ireland executive, announced the move just days before the publication of results on Thursday, but said …