Rome, Italy | AFP | The heads of seven southern European states gather in Rome on Wednesday to tackle one of the stubbornest thorns in the EU’s side: flows of migrants from war-torn and impoverished countries. The leaders of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain will meet in the …
Read More »Bulgaria takes over revolving EU presidency
Sofia, Bulgaria | AFP | Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member state, on Monday took over the bloc’s six-month revolving presidency with the ongoing migrant crisis and Brexit among the top items on its agenda. “Bulgaria will take charge of the EU presidency at a key moment for the union …
Read More »‘10,000 refugees’ to be relocated from Libya to EU in 2018
Rome, Italy | AFP | Up to 10,000 people stranded in refugee camps and detention centres in Libya could be relocated to Europe in 2018, the Italian government said on Sunday. The initiative would be part of an attempt by EU countries to address the deteriorating conditions in Libya, where …
Read More »Britain’s May dubbed ‘Madam Brexit’ by translator
Warsaw, Poland | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May was left smirking at a press conference with her Polish counterpart on Thursday after a translator accidentally called her “Madam Brexit”. May was in Warsaw for talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, with the discussions inevitably turning to Britain’s 2019 departure …
Read More »EU urges probe after dozens killed in Ethiopia clashes
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | The European Union called Wednesday for an independent probe into clashes between two of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic groups, which officials say left at least 61 dead last week alone. There have been a string of recent clashes over the border between the two ethnically …
Read More »Taxi or app? Uber faces big EU court decision
Luxembourg, Luxembourg | AFP | The EU’s top court will decide Wednesday if ride-hailing app Uber is an ordinary taxi company and should be regulated as such, in a decision that will be closely watched around the world. The case is yet another thorn in the side for scandal-rocked Uber, which …
Read More »EU leaders agree to roll over Russia sanctions: Tusk
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | EU leaders on Thursday agreed to extend tough economic sanctions against Russia over its meddling in Ukraine for six months, EU President Donald Tusk said. “EU united on roll-over of economic sanctions on Russia,” Tusk tweeted after leaders discussed the issue at a summit in …
Read More »EU warns Britain against Brexit deal ‘backtracking’
Strasbourg, France | AFP | The EU on Tuesday warned Britain against “backtracking” as it rounded on a top minister for suggesting that London could back out of its Brexit divorce promises if it does not get a trade deal. Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis caused alarm by saying that a …
Read More »Battles loom in UK over competing Brexit demands
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain could remain closely aligned with the rules of the European Union’s single market under its initial withdrawal deal with Brussels, a move that has critics worried about heading towards a soft Brexit. The deal reached Friday after nearly six months of negotiations detailed …
Read More »Britain and EU fail to reach Brexit deal
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain and the EU failed to strike a Brexit divorce deal after a dispute over the Irish border scuppered talks in Brussels on Monday, but both said they were confident of reaching an agreement later this week. British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President …
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