Tag Archives: Europe

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday, adding some new faces after criticism of the government’s handling of wildfires this summer although key ministers stayed on. Finance Minister Christos Staikouras and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias keep their posts, government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said in a televised briefing, …

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday 70 percent of adults in the European Union were now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, reaching an end-of-summer target the bloc set for itself in January. “Today we reached an important milestone in our vaccination campaign. Seventy percent of adults in the …

The European Union recommended on Monday that Americans should be banned from nonessential travel to its member states after a rise in Covid-19 cases in the United States. Countries within the 27-nation bloc, which includes France, Italy and Germany, have been advised to reinstate coronavirus-related restrictions and halt the arrival …

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday it feared another 236,000 COVID-19 deaths in Europe by December 1, expressing concern about stagnating vaccination rates and low uptake in poorer countries. “Last week, there was an 11 percent increase in the number of deaths in the region – one reliable projection …

Estonia denied visa to a Russian diplomat in response to the expulsion of an Estonian diplomat from Russia in early August, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. The Estonian diplomat was expelled after Estonia threw out a Russian diplomat, the statement said. The Russian had been expelled in response …

A huge plume of black smoke rose from the reinforced concrete building, named the Torre dei Moro, and was visible for miles. Italian firefighters battled a high-rise blaze in Milan that spread rapidly through a 20-storey residential building. Mayor Giuseppe Sala said there were no reports of injuries or deaths, …

Greek police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a group of people who had gathered in central Athens on Sunday to protest against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. About 5,000 people rallied outside the Greek parliament to protest against the inoculations.

Italy said it has taken in the largest number of Afghans fleeing the war-ravaged country following the Taliban takeover, vowing “not to abandon” vulnerable groups after airlift evacuations end. Western nations are scrambling to get their citizens out of Kabul airport ahead of an August 31 deadline, along with Afghan …

Nvidia is likely to seek EU antitrust approval for its $54 billion takeovers of British chip designer Arm early next month, with regulators expected to launch a full-scale investigation after a preliminary review, people familiar with the matter said. The world’s biggest maker of graphics and AI chips announced the …

An Italian economy undersecretary has resigned after causing an uproar by saying a park in his hometown should be renamed after the brother of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Claudio Durigon, a member of the right-wing League, said earlier this month his party was committed to restoring the original name of …

Danish lawmakers on Friday voted through an emergency law that will effectively end a strike among more than 6,000 nurses over pay which has postponed tens of thousands of operations and other treatments. More than a tenth of Denmark’s nurses went on strike in mid-June after union members voted against …

With weeks until Germany’s vote, none of the hopeful candidates are proving as popular as the outgoing chancellor. With just a month to go until Germans head to the ballot box to vote in federal elections, the race to succeed Angela Merkel and form the next government is headed for …

Ukrainian police detained an unidentified man who on Thursday threw a Molotov cocktail at the door of the office of the Ombudsman for human rights in central Kyiv, the Ombudsman said. A video, issued by local television, shows fire engulfing the door and steps leading to the office. “Thanks to …

Russia on Thursday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as the country struggles with the aggressive delta variant and slowing vaccination rates. A government tally reported 820 fatalities over the past 24 hours and 19,630 new cases. Russia, the fourth worst-hit country in the world in terms of cases, …

The European Court of Human Rights asked the Polish and Latvian governments on Wednesday to intervene to help migrants camped on the Belarus border. The fate of the migrants has become part of a broader dispute between the European Union and Belarus and groups such as Polish refugee charity Ocalenie …

Poland will build a fence along its border with Belarus and double the number of troops there, the defense minister said on Monday, to halt a flow of migrants the European Union says is being driven by Minsk in retaliation for EU sanctions. Poland and fellow EU states Lithuania and …

Spain will temporarily host up to 4,000 Afghans, who had worked for the United States, at two military bases used by the U.S. military in southern Spain, a government source told Reuters. According to an agreement signed on Monday between Madrid and Washington, the Afghans will be able to stay …

Social Democratic leader said he was stepping aside to give his successor the best possible chance in next year’s poll. Sweden’s beleaguered Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has said he would step down in November to allow a successor time to prepare for the country’s September 2022 general election. …

Greece has erected a 25-mile (40 KM) fence and installed a new surveillance system on its border with Turkey as fears mount a surge in Afghan refugees trying to reach Europe. Greece has faced recurring refugee crises since 2015 when more than a million mainly Syrian refugees swarmed through its …

The U.S. State Department is expected to announce that its evacuation flights out of Kabul will now be able to land in Europe, U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, because of an overflow of people in Qatar. The United States is desperately trying to evacuate thousands of people from Afghanistan …