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US and Poland seal missile deal
The US and Poland sign a deal to locate part of a controversial US missile defence shield on Polish territory, angering Russia.
Sarkozy renews Afghan commitment
French President Nicolas Sarkozy travels to Afghanistan to support his troops, a day after a deadly attack by Taleban fighters.
Italian 'mafia boss' extradited
An alleged high-ranking mafia boss, believed to be a key player in drugs trafficking, is extradited to Italy from Canada.
Russia rejects UN Georgia draft
Russia rejects a draft UN Security Council resolution on Georgia, saying it contradicted last week's truce terms.
Spain holds wanted French surgeon
A French cosmetic surgeon accused of having mutilated dozens of patients is arrested in Spain.
Karadzic wants UN judge replaced
Ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic asks the UN war crimes tribunal to replace a judge in his genocide case, claiming bias.
BAA 'should sell three airports'
The Competition Commission says BAA may have to sell three of its seven UK airports - two in London and one in Scotland.
Magpies can 'recognise reflection'
Magpies can recognise themselves in a mirror, scientists have found.
Car explodes at Turkey checkpoint
A vehicle explodes at a checkpoint near the southern Turkish city of Mersin, injuring six policemen, reports say.
'Solzhenitsyn Street' ousts communist name in Moscow
A Moscow street will be named after the celebrated Russian writer and dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Nadal heads seedings for US Open
Rafael Nadal will be the top seed in a Grand Slam event for the first time in his career, in next week's US Open.
New reality
How conflict reshaped Georgia's restive regions
Show of strength
Killing of French troops shows more brazen Taleban
Prague invaded
Send us your memories of 1968 Soviet crackdown
Polish blight
Property claims dating back years haunt Poland
Cult classic
Your pictures of the 2CV as it nears 60 years old
Inside Europe
An in-depth guide to EU news and institutions
Sudan's Bashir in visit to Turkey
Sudan's president makes his first foreign trip since being accused of war crimes by the international court.
Gary Glitter flown out of Vietnam
Ex-pop star Gary Glitter is deported from Vietnam after spending almost three years in jail for sexually abusing two girls.
Coal's toxic legacy to the Arctic
Data from a Greenland ice core indicates that coal burning is the prime source of heavy metal pollution in the Arctic.
Russian rocket in return to flight
A Russian Proton rocket successfully launches one of the biggest commercial satellites ever built - the Inmarsat-4 (I4-F3).
Retired British matador returns
A British matador who has come out of retirement takes part in a bullfight in Spain.
Deal cools Polish-Russian ties
Poland's signing of an deal to host US missile defence system will put its relations with Russia into the freezer, the BBC's Adam Easton says.
Georgia's virtual war
Hackers fan conflict between Russia and Georgia
Swiss banking giant's woes
The Swiss banking giant disappoints again
Georgia victim of pipeline politics
Pipeline politics threatens Georgia's future
Should Italian troops fight crime?
The Italian government has deployed thousands of soldiers in major cities in a new drive against crime. Do you support the move?
Rate setter warns on UK inflation
A member of the Bank of England's MPC committee says in a newspaper article that inflation has to be controlled.
Eurozone's trade deficit narrows
The eurozone sees its trade deficit shrink sharply in June from the month before, but fail to meet forecasts.
BBC News | Europe | World Edition
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.
US and Poland sign missile shield deal
The United States and Poland signed a deal to station elements of a US missile defence shield in Poland– in a move finalised after Moscow's intervention in Georgia – as Syrian president Bashar-al-Assad visited Moscow seeking to acquire Russian cruise missiles
Sarkozy in Kabul after French troop deaths
President Nicolas Sarkozy said he had no regrets about sending 700 more troops to Afghanistan, after insurgents killed 10 French soldiers, the biggest single loss for foreign forces in combat since 2001
Nato tells Russia: no 'new line' in Europe
The western alliance has suspended top-level ties with Russia and told the Kremlin that it could not draw a 'new line' in Europe preventing Georgia and other countries from joining Nato
UK tries to offload Typhoon fighters
Talks have been held with countries including Japan about offloading large numbers of Eurofighter Typhoons that the Ministry of Defence has ordered but can no longer afford
Moscow begins troop pullback
Russia withdrew a unit of its troops from outside the Georgian city of Gori, as the head of its intelligence service accused its southern neighbour of planning terrorist acts
Kremlin wins propaganda war at home
Russian public opinion polls indicate that the government and its media allies have succeeded in winning public support for the military campaign in Georgia that has been condemned in the west
A papal warning
Italy's anti-immigration measures are counter-productive – the key is to manage integration, not to inflame prejudice against the least protected
Kiev debt costs rise over Moscow worries
The cost of insuring Ukraine's debt against restructuring or default rose to its highest since the 2004 Orange Revolution, as investors fretted that the Kremlin's spat with the west could spill over
Müntefering returns to Berlin and struggling party
The power battle within Germany's Social Democratic Party could take a new turn when Franz Müntefering returns to Berlin next month after almost one year of absence
German investor mood brightens
Investors' gloom over German economic prospects has lifted this month, with recession fears receding, according to the closely-watched ZEW survey which showed economic sentiment rising 8.4 points in August to minus 55.5 points
Call for central bank harmony in crises
Emergency help provided by the world's central banks should be better harmonised to stop large financial groups shopping around in future for the best deal, the head of Switzerland's central bank has urged
France urges action on Europe's economy
Prime minister calls on Europe to co-ordinate its response to the eurozone's growing economic malaise, after an emergency session of his own ministers
Georgia, US question 'Russian withdrawal'
Russia said it had begun withdrawing its troops from Georgia after western leaders joined together to increase pressure on Moscow – but a senior US official said there had been no signs so far of a pullout while Georgia accused Moscow of blowing up Georgian stores of ammunition and weaponry
Nato in display of unity over Georgia
Nato's 26 foreign ministers are determined to present a united front in expressing continued support for Georgia's membership of the western alliance and insisting that Russian troops complete a withdrawal
Russia threatens to crush any attack
President Medvedev vowed to defend Russian citizens as Washington and Tbilisi continued to dispute Moscow's claims that its troops are withdrawing after their invasion of Georgia
FT.com - World, Europe
FT.com - World, Europe
Wayward Humpback in the Baltic Sea: Greenpeace Prepares to Save 'Bucki'
A wayward humpback whale sighted in recent days along Germany's Baltic coastline still hasn't managed to find his way back to the safety of the North Atlantic. Environmentalists say time is getting critical and that the whale is having trouble nourishing itself.
Bribery Scandal Report: Siemens Close to Deal with US Authorities
Siemens may be close to reaching a settlement with the SEC and the US Justice Department in a 1.3 billion bribery scandal, according to a Wednesday newspaper report. A deal could save the company from being banned from bidding on public contracts in the US.
Empty Beds in China: Olympic Vacancies Haunt Beijing Hotels
The Games sparked a hotel building boom, but the hordes of tourists failed to arrive. What can innkeepers do to recoup?
Mikhail Gorbachev: Russia Never Wanted a War
The planners of the crisis in Georgia clearly wanted to make sure that Russia would be blamed for worsening the situation.
The Time of the Wimps: Dialogue with Russia Is the Only Choice
NATO had some sharp words for Moscow on Tuesday, demanding a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia. But as cowardly as it might sound, the next moves with Moscow should be made at the negotiating table.
Picture This: Attack in Afghanistan
Rogge's Silence: The Phantoms of the Beijing Opera
There was once a hope that sports would trump politics during the Olympics. But the Chinese police continue to arrest citizens who register to stage demonstrations. IOC President Jacques Rogge is in charge of a show over which he has long since lost control.
Farinaceous Food Fight: The Flour Wars of Galaxidi
Every year at the end of Carnival, the Greek village of Galaxidi erupts in a day-long flour war. Goggles and overalls are recommended.
Serbia Wary: UN Begins Transfer of Kosovo Authority to EU
The agreement may be technical in nature, but Serbia views Monday's accord between the UN and the EU in Kosovo as being illegal. The EU mission has little legal backing, but it is insinuating itself into the newly independent country.
Grisly Find: 2,000 Bodies Discovered in Berlin Medieval Cemetery
Archaelogists have made a grisly, fascinating discovery in central Berlin -- a giant medieval graveyard containing 2,000 corpses, many of them children.
Caught in the Undertow: British Families, Drowning in Debt
For 30 years, the British economy has been on a steady climb skyward. Now it's being hit with a credit crisis that resembles the American subprime disaster. And just like across the pond, the victims are those who can least afford it.
The World from Berlin: 'With Musharraf, a Scapegoat Leaves the World Stage'
Pakistan is without Musharraf for the first time in nine years. German commentators on Tuesday asks whether the fractious coalition government will be any better at dealing with the country's daunting problems, including a floundering economy and militant Islamists. And will the West be able to help keep the nuclear state stable?
Fighting in Afghanistan: 10 French Soldiers Killed in Taliban Ambush
Taliban fighters have launched a bloody offensive against international forces in Afghanistan this week. A total of 10 French soldiers have been killed in heavy fighting east of the capital Kabul, and NATO troops foiled a suicide attack on a base in the southeast.
West Wing: Learning from Kennedy
These days Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is often compared -- unfairly -- with Stalin and Hitler. In truth, Putin is a Russian Kennedy. And Putin's Cuba is called Georgia.
Divided West: NATO Set to Blast Georgia Invasion as 'Disproprotionate'
What to do about Russia? NATO is gathering in Brussels today to come up with a unified response to Moscow's heavy-handed treatment of Georgia last week. Germany would like to see the European Union deepen its relations in both the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Reaction to Georgia: Half of Poles Fear Russian Attack
As NATO ministers gather in Brussels to discuss how tough to get with Russia after the Georgian crisis, an opinion poll shows one in two Poles fear an attack by Russia. Eastern European countries are unhappy with the response of the West.
Altruism or Exploitation?: Big Finance Muscles In on Microlending
Microloans were invented to help the poorest of the poor help themselves. Now major banks and pension funds are getting into the business, as they discover that the interest paid by the poor can produce high returns. Is it aid or exploitation?
David Brooks: The Education of McCain
John McCain and his advisers are running a much more conventional race, the kind he used to ridicule. The inescapable fact is: It is working.
Picture This: Eyes on the Prize
Eco-Clubbing: Dutch Club to Recycle Dancers' Energy
Wind power is great. But what about all that energy you expend on the dance floor on Saturday night? A next-generation nightclub wants to use that energy to keep the strobes lit and the bass bumping.
SPIEGEL ONLINE - International
News and POV from Europe's largest newsmagazine.
Weimar:
Goethe’s city bounces back from fire and history WHEN the great and the good eat dinner in Weimar’s Baroque Stadtschloss on August 28th, they will be celebrating rather more than just Goethe’s birthday. The added spice is some €90m ($134m) of fresh finance, split 50/50 between the state government of Thuringia and the federal government, to step up awareness of Weimar’s place in German culture and history. This small city of 65,000 inhabitants is not only the cradle of German classicism but also the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement and of the ill-fated Weimar Republic in 1919, as well as the site of the Nazi party’s first congress after its foundation. A mere 10km (six miles) away is Buchenwald, one of Hitler’s worst concentration camps. “All the threads of our history run through this place,” says Stefan Wolf, the mayor, a West Berliner who came to Weimar almost by accident in 2001. A “master plan” unveiled last month includes a new Bauhaus museum, which will consume nearly a third of the new money. It will also turn the somewhat neglected Stadtschloss into a new gateway for visitors. ...
East European economies:
After a good run, Eastern Europe faces an economic slowdown IT HAS gone on splendidly for years, and the party isn’t quite finished yet. For a decade or more eastern Europe has benefited from exceptional (and mostly unforeseen) good fortune. Economic and political stability, including for ten countries membership of the European Union, has boosted investors’ confidence and cut borrowing costs. A big pool of cheap and diligent workers, along with the unleashing of entrepreneurial talents, has produced thriving new private businesses. In most countries, growth rates have been stellar (see chart). Inevitably, it could not last. Wage costs are creeping up. Labour shortages are biting. Out-of-date infrastructure, such as Poland’s notorious roads, is clogging trade. In several countries inflation is rising. And world markets, both for raising capital and for exporting, are looking tougher. In the face of all this, growth this year has been surprisingly strong. That is partly because the euro-area slowdown has only just started; partly because domestic demand has been rising; and partly because intra-east European trade has started to make up for softer exports westwards. ...
Correction: Turkey
In last week's story on Turkey (“After the storm”, August 9th), we said the government had spent $120 billion fighting the armed Kurdish PKK separatists since 1984. The correct amount is $300 billion. This change was made online. ...
The euro-area economy:
The credit crunch started in America, but Europe may yet prove the bigger victim. A first article looks at the euro area, a second (see article) at eastern Europe EUROPEANS might be forgiven for feeling bruised. The housing bust across the Atlantic was the trigger for the credit crunch, so justice demands that America suffer most from the fallout. But America has not so far followed the script, weathering the storms better than it expected. Its GDP suffered a tiny decline at the end of 2007, but it grew at an annualised rate of around 2% in the second quarter of 2008. Europe is struggling to stay above water. Figures released on August 14th showed that the euro-area economy shrank at an annualised rate of 0.8% in the second quarter, the first such reverse since 2001. Nor are things likely to improve soon. A closely watched survey of purchasing managers in manufacturing and services slumped in July to its lowest level since 2001. Business confidence has turned down sharply in all of the three biggest economies in the euro area: Germany, France and Italy. ...
Denmark, immigration and the EU:
Denmark defers its plans to drop its opt-outs from European Union policies NOTHING characterises Anders Fogh Rasmussen more than his knack of devising and delivering intricate stratagems. His blueprints for winning elections, retaining power and pulling off improbable compromises are the stuff of Danish political lore. Yet the prime minister’s latest game plan has come unstuck. It was designed to serve a dual purpose: to bolster Denmark’s standing as a European Union country by ditching its inconvenient opt-outs from EU treaties, and to enhance his own candidacy for a top Brussels job. Mr Fogh Rasmussen has spent years cajoling Danes to drop their doubts over joining the euro and to accept deeper EU co-operation on defence and judicial matters. His strategy appeared to be working. Opinion polls in recent months have suggested that Danes are ready to adopt the euro, to fight under an EU flag and maybe cosy up on judicial affairs too. A referendum to scrap at least one of these opt-outs was pencilled in for the autumn—until Irish voters cast a spanner in the works by rejecting the Lisbon treaty in June. ...
Spain’s bust:
The euro area’s erstwhile star pulls down the whole region HALF-BUILT, unoccupied houses have become monuments to Spain’s economic woes. Sesena, a development near Madrid (pictured) has become notorious. A big property group, Martinsa-Fadesa, went bust last month. Thousands of buyers now fear they may never see their properties finished or, worse, not get their money back. Mediterranean properties are the worst affected. They fell in price by over 6% in the year to July, against 3.9% for the whole country, says a property valuer, Tinsa. Reverberations from falling coastal property and collapsing developers are being felt widely. The world’s second-biggest tourist destination attracts buyers from around Europe. They want not just holiday and retirement homes but a nice profit when they sell. Those who thought they could not lose in a market that was seeing annual increases of up to 20% are getting their fingers burnt. ...
Turkey:
The avoidance of a political collision has helped economic confidence. But without reform, it may be short lived Correction to this article WHEN Turkey’s constitutional court stepped back from a threat to ban the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party last month, businesspeople had more reasons than most to raise a cheer. The treasury’s borrowing rates promptly fell and the main stockmarket index rose by about 2%. Standard & Poor’s, the international credit-rating agency, revised its outlook for Turkey from “negative” to “stable”. ...
Italy:
Italy gets tough on street crime. But it’s still lenient about corruption GUNNERS secured Milan’s Piazza del Duomo; paratroops took up position outside St John Lateran in Rome; and Alpine mountain troops in feathered headgear helped police raid a drug-pushers’ open-air hangout in Turin. Italy is hardly Colombia. There is not even a warning of imminent terrorist attack. So why this air of national emergency? The government of Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, ordered the army on to the streets on August 4th to quell what it says is a crisis in law and order. ...
Germany’s Social Democrats:
The SPD’s growing troubles ANDREA YPSILANTI, the soft-spoken leader of Hesse’s Social Democrats, the SPD, is at the centre of a dispute that threatens to tear apart one side of Berlin’s grand coalition. Against the wishes of her party’s national leaders, the carworker’s daughter and former Lufthansa stewardess is again flirting with the Left Party (the Linke)—a medley of East German communists, trade unionists and SPD malcontents—in the hope of leading a minority government in Hesse. A related dispute involves Wolfgang Clement, once economic tsar to the former chancellor, Gerhard Schroder. In January Mr Clement warned voters in Hesse to think twice about supporting Ms Ypsilanti because of her unrealistic energy policy. This was doubly enraging because Mr Clement sits on the board of RWE Power, a company with interests in unpopular nuclear energy. A party tribunal in North Rhine-Westphalia last month ordered his expulsion unless he apologises and promises not to warn off voters again. Mr Clement has refused. ...
Bavaria:
Germany’s most traditional and successful state faces political upheaval IF AUSTRIANS were ever to storm over the Alps into Bavaria, they would have to reckon with the men of the Gebirgsschutzen, the “Mountain Guards” descended from the local militias of the late Middle Ages who later fought the Swedes in the Thirty Years War of the 17th century. The old threats may have gone. But the members of the Gebirgsschutzen (photographed above) still don traditional garb and weapons to shoot, sing and pray together, sustaining customs that make Bavaria the most distinctive of Germany’s 16 Lander. The role of the Gebirgsschutzen is now to defend Bavarian culture, says Ewald Bruckl, the captain of a company of mountain guards in Wolfratshausen, a community of about 17,000 south of Munich. That is no easy task. Munich’s high technology and service companies draw migrants from across Germany; those who cannot afford the city’s high prices settle in outlying towns like Wolfratshausen, the last stop on a commuter train line. One-third of Wolfratshausen’s population turns over every six years, say local officials. That, and the indifference of the young, gnaws at Bavarian roots. Mr Bruckl has a hard time recruiting young people, who, he grumbles, “have no interest in duty”. ...
The Caucasus:
Sabre-rattling continues in a dangerous corner of Europe IF IT is not the prelude to a real war, it risks being mistaken for one—and in a corner of Europe where Western and Russian interests could clash nastily. The talk of war has been in the air for months. But in the past two weeks six people have been killed in the breakaway (and Russian-backed) region of South Ossetia. Claim and counterclaim abound. Russia says that Georgia fired first and is reinforcing its forces as a prelude to war. It sent warplanes into Georgian airspace last month—to deter an attack, it said. It also blames Georgian warplanes for violating South Ossetian airspace. Georgia says this is disinformation: Russia and its South Ossetian allies “are trying to create an alternative reality”, says a spokesman. Georgia has brought foreign ambassadors to inspect its lightly armed guard posts which, it insists, fire only in self-defence. This is by no means the first skirmish in the region. Georgian and South Ossetian politicians wrangled about a possible meeting on August 7th aimed at calming the mood. ...
Charlemagne:
The economic slowdown is testing all of Europe’s cherished economic philosophies DURING the plague of 1665, Londoners sought to avoid infection by sniffing flowers and herbs, clearing deadly “miasmas” with smoke, killing cats and praying for neighbours whose sins were thought to have brought divine wrath. Only later did the horrid understanding dawn that nobody was immune. Something of the same mood is starting to grip the European Union. One by one, countries across the block are in danger of succumbing to the global economic downturn (see article). A big claim was made for the “European social model”—actually several different models—during the recent years of benign growth: that European countries generally tempered the efficiency of the markets with a commitment to social justice and equality that put places like America to shame. ...
Romania:
An anti-corruption crusader faces the sack FIGHTING corruption in a country that tolerates it is a lonely job, and Daniel Morar may not have his for much longer. Intensely disliked by most of Romania’s politicians and vilified in the media, he reaches the end of his term as head of the Romania’s anti-corruption agency on August 12th. A government announcement on his future—and likely replacement—is expected imminently. If so, Romania’s hottest political issue will become an international one. A European Commission report on July 23rd criticised Romania’s lacklustre effort against wrongdoing, but did not impose sanctions as it did against Bulgaria. It praised Mr Morar’s agency, and a spokesman says his status is a “test case” of Romania’s readiness to curb high-level corruption after joining the EU in 2007. ...
High technology in Russia:
Russia is trying to build a high-tech economy, but red tape is strangling it LIKE pagan gods, two giant statues of Stalin and Lenin once faced each other across the canal linking the Volga and Moskva rivers. Built in the 1930s partly with gulag labour, the canal is described in a Soviet encyclopedia as “a wonderful architectural ensemble of a new socialist type, reflecting the creative might of the Soviet people inspired by the great ideas of building communism”. Soon after Stalin’s death his statue was blown up. But Lenin still towers over Dubna, a model scientific town that once exemplified the Soviet Union’s achievements in nuclear physics. Now Dubna wants to stand for Russia’s high-tech diversification. It has recently been designated a free economic zone, in which Russian high-tech companies are exempted from customs duties and pay lower taxes. A new town, designed by British architects, is being built on the Volga’s left bank. Russia hopes that Dubna will turn into a Silicon Valley—or at least a Bangalore. Anatoly Karachinsky, head of Russia’s biggest IT company, IBS, plans to move in hundreds of his programmers. ...
Italy and Libya:
What Italy hopes to gain by making amends to a former colony AFTER years of awkward negotiation, Italy and Libya may be ready to settle the legacy of the short, but harsh, Italian colonial venture in north Africa, which the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini liked to call his country’s “fourth shore”. On July 24th Saif al-Islam, the influential son of Libya’s leader, Muammar Qaddafi, announced the imminent signing of a deal to compensate Libyans for 32 years of Italian colonial rule. “Billions” (he did not say of what) would be spent on, among other things, a longed-for coastal motorway. Italian diplomats tried hastily to curb expectations, but their caution was brushed aside by the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who said he hoped to finalise an accord by the end of August. ...
Turkey:
The judiciary shrinks from banning the ruling party BY THE slimmest of margins, Turkey has averted the worst political crisis in years, perhaps in decades. On July 30th the country’s constitutional court turned down an attempt by state prosecutors to ban the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on the ground that it was seeking to introduce elements of Islamic law in defiance of the state’s avowed secularism. A majority of six of the 11 constitutional court’s judges had, in fact, voted to shut down the party. But to pass such a measure required the support of seven judges, so the court settled on the minority view of four others—including the chairman, Hasim Kilic—only to impose a fine. This is expected to be the loss of half of AK’s state funding, which amounted to 47m Turkish lira ($40m) last year. ...
Cyprus:
Hopes rise on a divided and parched island FIRST the good news. The Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot presidents will start serious talks on reunifying the divided island on September 3rd. Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, both old-fashioned left-wingers, have made clear they want a settlement. Alexander Downer, the tough-talking Australian former foreign minister who is the United Nations envoy, says the meeting offers the best chance in years of resolving the intractable dispute that has bedevilled the workings of both the European Union and NATO. ...
Divorce :
A simpler way to part ways SHE was French; he was English; they had just moved to London from Paris. When he found out about her affair, she begged for a reconciliation. He was more ruthless: the same afternoon, he filed for divorce in France, one of the stingiest jurisdictions in Europe for the non-earning spouse and where adultery affects the court’s ruling. Had she filed first in England her conduct would have been irrelevant, and she would have had a good chance of a large share of the marital assets, and even maintenance for life. International divorce is full of such dramas and anomalies, so the natural response of policymakers is to try to make things simpler and more predictable. But the biggest attempt in recent years to do just that, in a European agreement called Rome III, has just been shelved. Instead, several EU countries are now pressing ahead with their own harmonisation deal. Many wonder if it will work any better. ...
Charlemagne:
The next American president will be looking for more from Europe on defence WITH luck, Belgian ears were burning on July 15th, when Barack Obama set out his transatlantic vision. Speaking just before a foreign jaunt that was to take in Berlin, Paris and London as well as the Middle East, Europe’s favourite for the White House said it was “time to strengthen NATO, by asking more of our allies.” The Democratic candidate added that he would send American reinforcements to Afghanistan, but use them as leverage to demand extra help from allies, with fewer restrictions. Mr Obama’s message was aimed precisely at countries like Belgium, a small but rich place with almost 40,000 men and women in its armed forces. Only 1,103 Belgian troops are deployed overseas. The largest contingent is with NATO in Afghanistan, guarding Kabul airport. But fearing casualties, the Belgian government has ruled that its troops may not leave the airfield. Another group serves with the United Nations in Lebanon, clearing mines and running a field hospital. Its deployment in 2006 sparked a squabble among Belgium’s military trade unions over how dangerous the Lebanese mission might be. A few Belgians also serve in the EU mission in Chad: some 75 soldiers are busily building and repairing EU camps there. ...
The Economist: Europe
Europe
Russia makes new promise on Georgia withdrawal
Russia makes new promise on Georgia withdrawal
Russia accuses NATO of backing a "criminal regime"
Russia accuses NATO of backing a "criminal regime"
Poland and US set to sign deal on missile shield
Poland and US set to sign deal on missile shield
Sarkozy in Kabul after Taliban ambush kills French troops
Sarkozy in Kabul after Taliban ambush kills French troops
Medvedev promises pullout by 22 August
Medvedev promises pullout by 22 August
NATO says "no more business as usual" with Russia
NATO says "no more business as usual" with Russia
Russia accuses NATO of bias over Georgia
Russia accuses NATO of bias over Georgia
NATO faces difficult questions over its future
NATO faces difficult questions over its future
Sarkozy flies to Afghanistan after Taliban kills ten French troops
Sarkozy flies to Afghanistan after Taliban kills ten French troops
Deadly bomb underscores Pakistan security problems
Deadly bomb underscores Pakistan security problems
Pakistani coalition government promises to stick together
Pakistani coalition government promises to stick together
Algeria suicide bomb kills 43 people
Algeria suicide bomb kills 43 people
Zambian president dies
Zambian president dies
NATO to Russia: no business as usual
NATO to Russia: no business as usual
Slow Russian pull out from Georgia underway
Slow Russian pull out from Georgia underway
Russian and Georgian forces swop POWs
Russian and Georgian forces swop POWs
Algerian police base bomb kills 43
Algerian police base bomb kills 43
French soldiers killed in Afghanistan
French soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Pakistan hospital blast kills 23
Pakistan hospital blast kills 23
Pakistan searches for new leader after Musharraf resignation
Pakistan searches for new leader after Musharraf resignation
Just what is the plan for Pakistan?
Just what is the plan for Pakistan?
France calls on Europe to combat economic woes together
France calls on Europe to combat economic woes together
Georgian police cars rammed by Russian tank
Georgian police cars rammed by Russian tank
Little change in Georgia despite Russian troop pledge
Little change in Georgia despite Russian troop pledge
Russia threatens "crushing response" to any aggressor
Russia threatens "crushing response" to any aggressor
Wait continues for refugees of Georgia conflict
Wait continues for refugees of Georgia conflict
Musharraf quits to avoid impeachment
Musharraf quits to avoid impeachment
Pakistanis celebrate Musharraf's resignation
Pakistanis celebrate Musharraf's resignation
Musharraf's road to resignation
Musharraf's road to resignation
Tropical Storm Fay threatens to become hurricane over Florida
Tropical Storm Fay threatens to become hurricane over Florida
Impeachment pressure forces Musharraf out
Impeachment pressure forces Musharraf out
Russia claims troops have started withdrawal from Georgia
Russia claims troops have started withdrawal from Georgia
Georgia urges Russia to give peace a chance
Georgia urges Russia to give peace a chance
More aid arrives in Georgia
More aid arrives in Georgia
Tropical Storm Fay hits Cuba coast
Tropical Storm Fay hits Cuba coast
euronews
The leading European News TV-channel. All the International news in seven languages.
EUs message to Mauritania: return the president
After a military junta overthrew Mauritaniarsquo;s government the European Union said its president must be returned to power or the countryrsquo;s elections wonrsquo;t be considered valid. The couprsquo;s leaders promised a poll but EUrsquo;s executive the European Commission said only...
EU court upsets Danish policy on foreigners
Denmark seems set for a heated debate over its immigration rules and obligations as a member of the European Union after a recent EU ruling on free movement of people in the 27- nation bloc. The ramifications of the ruling...
Brussels opens race to offer mobile satellite services
The European Commission has invited companies which want to offer satellite-based communications and entertainment services to mobile receivers across Europe to apply for a licence. The European Unionrsquo;s broadcasting market has been divided into 27 national systems making it difficult...
Serbia wants the EU but not at the cost of Kosovo
As Serbia struggles to stay together with a fragile coalition of politics and persuasion President Boris Tadic said while he too wants European Union membership that giving up the country that broke away Kosovo isnrsquo;t worth it. The former Serbian...
Thailand applies for EU protection for jasmine rice
Thailand has applied with the European Union for geographical indication GI protection for jasmine rice from the Thung Kula Ronghai paddy-growing area to become the ldquo;champagnerdquo; of Thai rice if granted reports said. Puangrat Asavapisit director-general of the Commerce Ministryrsquo;s...
EU concern over Iran detentions death sentences
The European Union said that it was ldquo;deeply concernedrdquo; by what it saw as further breaches of human rights in Iran following the condemnation to death of members of the Kurd minority and the arrest of two prominent AIDS campaigners....
EU approves state bail-out to Denmarks TV 2
The European Union has approved a Danish government bail-out of ailing TV company and public broadcaster TV 2 officials in Brussels said. Since the beginning of the year TV 2 which is owned by the state has had increasing cash-flow...
Stinti Roma want greater protection from the EU
At a ceremony at the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz representatives of the Sinti and Roma communities called for more effective measures from the European Union to protect minorities. The chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and...
After a letter EU executes UN sanctions on Iran
Not long after receiving a message from Iran which also allowed International Atomic Energy IAEA to send an inspection team to Tehran the European Union has brought into force the latest round of UN sanctions on Iran in the dispute...
The ECB Bank of England keep interest rates steady
In the face of grim statistics showing growth skidding almost to a halt the European Central Bank on August 7 left interest rates on hold at 4.25 percent as its chief Jean-Claude Trichet gave a downbeat assessment signaling there may...
Attacks in India Istanbul get EU condemnation
European Union officials have condemned
as ldquo;despicablerdquo; the double bombing in a
crowded Istanbul street which left at least
17 people dead and a series of bombings
that killed 45 people in India.
ldquo;I condemn in the strongest possible
terms the despicable bombing attack that
took many...
WTO talks collapse again may re-start in the fall
After years of talking the worldrsquo;s top trade leaders broke off their debate in Switzerland after the United States couldnrsquo;t agree with China and India on opening markets and subsidies drawing disappointment and some rebuke from European Union officials. The...
The European Commission reports on Bulgaria and Romania
Based on allegations for corruption and organised crime the European Commission has frozen funds from Bulgarian the pre-accession programmes PHARE ISPA and SAPARD and revoked the accreditation of two of the four agencies entitled to handle funds under the PHARE...
The report sets goals
The strategic conclusion from the report of the EC does not include questions of responsibility it is about setting goals EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva declared. This is the third consecutive report on justice and home affairs. Its...
Funds should resume in coming months
The Vice Premier on Assimilation of the European Funds Meglena Plougchieva expressed her hope that during the autumn the European Commission will resume the payments to Bulgaria on the projects for construction of roads. She explained that the deprivation of...
Bulgarias leaders see potential
The President Georgi Parvanov: The reports of the European Commission contain not few critical assessments which we have to read and consider objectively and realistically. They should not lead to negation and negativism nor should they provoke neglect and underestimation...
German-French push for EU treaty
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed confidence on July 23 that the European Unionrsquo;s Treaty of Lisbon will be implemented despite its rejection by the Irish electorate in a referendum last month. Answering a journalistrsquo;s question on the status of Croatiarsquo;s...
Canada reacts as EU moves to ban seal products
The European Commission the executive arm of the European Union last week floated proposals for EU wide ban on seal products from countries that fail to meet high animal welfare standards. Calling for a ban on all seal products obtained...
Blair talks Hamas in Brussels ministers sanction Mugabe
Tony Blair the former British Prime Minister and the present Mideast Quartet representative seems to have found good listeners in Brussels as during another visit he warned the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas with no contact until the group recognizes Israels...
Civil Protection Mechanism activated for fires in Rhodes
On July 24 against a backdrop of soaring temperatures Greece asked for European assistance to fight the forest fires that have broken out in Rhodes. The European Commission immediately activated its Civil Protection Mechanism which is operated under the responsibility...
FYROM told to cooperate with Greece
Following a letter by Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonias Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to the European Commission and in particular addressed to its President Jose Manuel Barroso on the topic of ethnic minorities from FYROM in Greece being mistreated President...
Business confidence sags across Europe
Germany and France the two engines of the European economy applied the brakes last week with the data emerging from these countries showing marked dip in business confidence along with downturn in manufacturing sector. With the bigger-than-forecast falls in sentiment...
Karadzics arrest: closing the door to nationalism
On July 21 the Serbian police arrested Radovan Karadzic former President of the Republic Srpska in Bosnia and the former leader of the Serbian Democratic Party who has been charged with 13 accusations in committing genocide complicity in genocide extermination...
Responses to historic arrest in Belgrade
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: NATO Secretary General I welcome the news of Radovan Karadzics detention in Belgrade. I commend the Serbian authorities for this important act of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. I expect Mr....
A challenge for daydreaming Europe
European countries are facing enormous difficulties in finding skilled labour today. Norway has difficulty in filling up 40 percent of its skilled labour force New Europe 12/5 ; countries like Belgium and Germany face similar shortages. One of the solutions...
Tobacco and health dont mix
On the occasion of a seminar organised by the Smoke Free Partnership entitled The tobacco industry NOT just another industry at the European Parliament on July 15 and addressing an audience of fellow MEPs Ministers of other countries researchers health...
Kuneva launches another sweep with ringtones
Most European internet sites that sell ringtones and wallpapers
that can be downloaded to mobile phones are suspected of misleading
customers and of breaching European Union rules officials
in Brussels said last Thursday. The European Commission
coordinated an investigation into more than 500...
Bronislaw Geremek: The End of an Era
On July 13 Professor Bronislaw Geremek
Deputy of the European Parliament
and member of the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Polish
historian and statesman died in a car accident
near Nowy Tomysl Western Poland
while driving his car. His death is another
reminder of...
EU gives Poland more time to save Solidarity shipyards
The European Commission last week called
on Poland to repay back a huge amount of
state aid it provided to its ailing shipyards but
agreed to give the government more time to
come up with a privatisation plan. The decision
sparked angry protests among shipyard
workers...
Hate crimes the ugly face of racism anti-Semitism anti-Gypsyism Islamophobia and homophobia
Hate crimes are a daily reality all over the European continent. Credible recent reports show that people suffer violence because they are black Jewish Roma or Muslim or because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. They give examples of...
Global economic Architecture is no longer fit for purpose
In an era of rapid population growth global society can only prosper if economic growth increases welfare and well-being on a sustainable and inclusive basis says Herman Mulder an independent advisor and former Head Group Risk at ABN AMRO Bank....
EU inks science cooperation pact with New Zealand
The European Community on
July 17 signed a Science amp;
Technical cooperation agreement with New Zealand to
open EU program mes for scientists
including medical
researchers. Earlier participation
of the New Zealands
researchers in research activities
under the European
Research Framework Programmes was particularly limited
in the area of food...
Politicians step in as ECB fights inflation
Inflation took central stage on the European Continent with European lawmakers joining the fray with calls to the European Central Bank to reconsider its fiscal policies. In a non-binding parliamentary report Member of European Parliament suggested the ECB should reconsider...
We do not negotiate with the tobacco industry
Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has set a new tone for the regulation of tobacco promotion and consumption in Europe referring to the two activities as historic mistakes. Speaking at a seminar on the Protection of Public Health from the tobacco...
EU Ministers debate policy sans protest policy
French police prevented a German television team from shooting pictures at edge of the meeting of European Union interior ministers in Cannes according to media reports there. A Deutsche Welle team had wanted to film a small group of demonstrators...
Carbon emissions trading approved for airlines
It will be costly it doesnt reduce emissions enough to satisfy environmentalists and it was called an illusion by one lawmaker but the European Parliament has given its approval to an EU Emissions Trade System that will come into effect...
Afghanistan the test case for international aid
International reconstruction work in Afghanistan must be more closely harmonised among all institutions involved the European Parliament said in a report. By a vote of 423-74 lawmakers approved a plan that calls for a larger political role for the EU...
Its just business but can Europe catch the US?
Eight years after the European Union met in Lisbon to devise a strategy to be a competitive business region in the world and catch American rivals by 2010 a coalition of European lawmakers is still hoping to reach that goal...
Sarkozy conquers Strasbourg and the EU: Letat cest moi
While the Tour de France was going on at the other side of the country the Tour de Force known as French President Nicolas Sarkozy came to Frances symbol of European unity Strasbourg to tell the European Parliament of his...
Let the Games begin Europe has capitulated
Hours before they were going to give a news conference protesting the lack of human rights in China and urging western leaders not to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8 Members of the...
EU-wide Social Security rules are sought
We have an EU-wide single currency but no coordination of social security rules for workers remarked MEP Dimitrios Papadimoulis of Greece said during a debate in the European Parliament where he pushed for more uniformity in the regulations across the...
No more misleading ticket prices for passengers
The European Parliament has approved a regulation on common rules for the operation of air transport services in the EU which will oblige EU airline companies to publish final ticket prices with taxes included. This is critical for the economic...
Credit Rating agencies look for credit in the EU
The European Union is set to take off the credit cloak of credit agencies with a mandatory registration procedure and dress them in a code to be monitored by a pan-European watchdog according to conclusion reached by the EU finance...
NATO signs up to Albania Croatia membership chance
NATOs 26 members have signed a set of protocols giving the green light for Albania and Croatia to join the alliance. This is a historical achievement not just for these two countries but for the entire Atlantic community of nations...
Gaddafi says Mediterranean Union will increase terrorism
Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi said the French-proposed Mediterranean Union would be an international minefield as it would increase illegal immigration terrorism and extremism. A firm opponent of the plan Gaddafi said immigrants would have a pretext to travel to Europe...
EU shows unity Thaci gets another dole of billions for Kosovo
The European Union maintained its facade of unity towards Kosovo at a donors conference held in Brussels on July 11 as the seven EU countries which have not recognised Kosovo also participated in the conference. Speaking to journalists on the...
Amidst protests EU looks to `master` migration plan
Faced with outrage and even economic threats from countries such as Venezuela where President Hugo Chavez said he wouldnt sell them oil the European Union is again looking at but not softening - an immigration policy making it tougher for...
EU officials lambast Sarkozys ignorance
Starting the French Presidency of the European Union at loggerheads with European officials French President Nicolas Sarkozy got all mixed up when quoting trade figures in international negotiations. Rejecting Sarkozys figures on the blocs trade negotiations as utterly incorrect Commission...
EU stays in Zimbabwe despite election
The European Union will not withdraw its delegation from Zimbabwe despite the illegitimacy of President Robert Mugabes election victory and acts of intimidation perpetrated against its staff in Harare officials said. Addressing journalists directly through a video link with Brussels...
Europes future safe with cohesion policy
There is hope stemming from the ongoing experience of a strong economic growth in the poorer European regions than the rest of the European Union as cohesion policy gets implemented top EU official told a distinguished audience last week. Addressing...
New Europe News: The European News Source
New Europe News: The European News Source.
The ECB Bank of England keep interest rates steady
In the face of grim statistics showing growth skidding almost to a halt the European Central Bank on August 7 left interest rates on hold at 4.25 percent as its chief Jean-Claude Trichet gave a downbeat assessment signaling there may...
Karadzics arrest: closing the door to nationalism
On July 21 the Serbian police arrested Radovan Karadzic former President of the Republic Srpska in Bosnia and the former leader of the Serbian Democratic Party who has been charged with 13 accusations in committing genocide complicity in genocide extermination...
Responses to historic arrest in Belgrade
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: NATO Secretary General I welcome the news of Radovan Karadzics detention in Belgrade. I commend the Serbian authorities for this important act of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. I expect Mr....
Tobacco and health dont mix
On the occasion of a seminar organised by the Smoke Free Partnership entitled The tobacco industry NOT just another industry at the European Parliament on July 15 and addressing an audience of fellow MEPs Ministers of other countries researchers health...
Politicians step in as ECB fights inflation
Inflation took central stage on the European Continent with European lawmakers joining the fray with calls to the European Central Bank to reconsider its fiscal policies. In a non-binding parliamentary report Member of European Parliament suggested the ECB should reconsider...
We do not negotiate with the tobacco industry
Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has set a new tone for the regulation of tobacco promotion and consumption in Europe referring to the two activities as historic mistakes. Speaking at a seminar on the Protection of Public Health from the tobacco...
Carbon emissions trading approved for airlines
It will be costly it doesnt reduce emissions enough to satisfy environmentalists and it was called an illusion by one lawmaker but the European Parliament has given its approval to an EU Emissions Trade System that will come into effect...
Afghanistan the test case for international aid
International reconstruction work in Afghanistan must be more closely harmonised among all institutions involved the European Parliament said in a report. By a vote of 423-74 lawmakers approved a plan that calls for a larger political role for the EU...
Its just business but can Europe catch the US?
Eight years after the European Union met in Lisbon to devise a strategy to be a competitive business region in the world and catch American rivals by 2010 a coalition of European lawmakers is still hoping to reach that goal...
Sarkozy conquers Strasbourg and the EU: Letat cest moi
While the Tour de France was going on at the other side of the country the Tour de Force known as French President Nicolas Sarkozy came to Frances symbol of European unity Strasbourg to tell the European Parliament of his...
Let the Games begin Europe has capitulated
Hours before they were going to give a news conference protesting the lack of human rights in China and urging western leaders not to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8 Members of the...
EU-wide Social Security rules are sought
We have an EU-wide single currency but no coordination of social security rules for workers remarked MEP Dimitrios Papadimoulis of Greece said during a debate in the European Parliament where he pushed for more uniformity in the regulations across the...
No more misleading ticket prices for passengers | 