Tag Archives: Europe

Turkish police used pepper spray to disperse a group of pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers in capital Ankara protesting on Friday the stripping of parliament seats of three opposition MPs, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported. Ankara riot police intervened in the group in a bid to stop the deputies making their …

US President Donald Trump has approved a plan to withdraw 9,500 American troops from bases in Germany by September, US media say. Trump, who has long complained that European members of Nato should spend more on their own defense, reportedly wants US troop levels capped at 25,000. Troops would either …

France has rejected allegations that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been holed up inside the nation’s diplomatic mission in Caracas. Venezuelan authorities earlier labeled Guaido a “fugitive from justice.” “Juan Guaido is not at the French residence in Caracas. We have repeatedly confirmed this to the Venezuelan authorities,” French …

A quarter of Venice has been submerged by a near-record high tide for June, a time of year when such flooding is rare. The water level in Italy’s lagoon city reached 116 centimeters (3 feet, 9.7 inches) late Thursday, the third-highest mark for June. That level indicates that around a …

Almost £7bn has been raised to immunise 300 million children at a virtual global vaccine summit hosted by the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said up to eight million lives would be saved as a result of the funds pledged at the Gavi vaccine summit on Thursday. The money will …

Russia reported 8,726 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, pushing the total number of infections to 449,834. Officials said 144 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,528.

The European Commission is pledging €300 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Commission announced on Thursday. Gavi is a Swiss-based global public-private partnership aiming to improve access to vaccines in poor countries. “It will help immunize 300 million children around the world and finance vaccine stockpiles to shield against …

A huge landslide has swept eight houses into the sea in Arctic Norway. There were no reports of injuries. Officials estimate the landslip was around 2km wide and 500 ft high.

A major fuel spill at a power plant in Norilsk, Russia has seriously damaged the fragile environment in the extreme north. The plant’s owner received a dressing down from President Putin, who was angered by its slow response. The spill happened at a power plant located some 10km west of …

Germany will lift its blanket travel warning for European nations from June 15, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Wednesday, as the continent looks to further ease restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus. “We have decided today that the travel warning for the named circle of countries will not be continued …

If Beijing imposes its new national security law in Hong Kong, Britain will extend a path to citizenship to almost three million eligible residents of the city, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged. There are some 350,000 people living in Hong Kong who currently hold British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passports, …

Pope Francis has called the death of George Floyd at the hands of US police officers “tragic” and said he is praying for him and “all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.” After the eighth night of protests across the United …

Protests against police brutality turned violent in Paris, tear gas fired at protesters.

Paris police banned on Tuesday a demonstration planned in memory of Adama Traore, a 24-year old black Frenchman who died in a 2016 police operation which some have likened to the death of George Floyd in the United States. The Paris police department said in a statement that there were …

Poland’s parliament approved on Tuesday legislation allowing a delayed presidential election to go ahead using a mixture of postal and traditional voting, though the speaker of the lower chamber has still to announce a date for the ballot. The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) had tried to hold the …

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 55 on Tuesday, against 60 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose to 318 from 178 on Monday. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now …

Austria has unveiled plans to “neutralise” the building where Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler was born, by turning it into a police station. The government bought the building under a compulsory purchase order in 2016 after a lengthy dispute. Officials announced it would be turned into a police station in …

Spain said Monday it’s reporting no deaths in a 24-hour period from the new coronavirus for the first time since March. Emergency health response chief Fernando Simón said the development is “very, very encouraging.” He told a news conference there was only 71 new infection over the past 24 hours. …

Police officers have arrested over 650 people, safeguarding 140 children and seizing cash and drugs with a total value of over £3 million, as part of a crackdown on “county lines drug gangs”, the U.K.’s Home Office has said. Officers from British Transport Police, the Metropolitan Police, Merseyside Police, and …

France, Italy, and Belgium acted to halt the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat patients suffering from COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, amid questions about the safety of the generic anti-malaria drug. France on Wednesday canceled a decree allowing hospital doctors to dispense the medicine, while the Italian …