Category Archives: Europe

Georgia condemned for crackdown on protesters opposing ‘foreign agents’ bill

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EU leads calls for halt to escalating violence after police use water cannon, teargas and stun grenades against demonstrators

Western politicians and diplomats have called for a halt to spiralling violence in Georgia after security forces used water cannon, teargas, stun grenades and rubber bullets to break up a peaceful rally against a “foreign influence” bill overnight.

The EU, which has granted Georgia candidate status, “strongly condemned” the violence and called on the government to respect the right of peaceful assembly. “Use of force to suppress it is unacceptable,” foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on X.

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Dutch woman arrested over shooting of Spanish former politician

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Woman detained in Netherlands for alleged role in non-fatal shooting of Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid last year

A Dutch woman has been arrested in the Netherlands in relation to the shooting of a Spanish former politician in Madrid last year.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a founder of Spain’s far-right Vox party, was shot in the face near his home in the wealthy Salamanca neighbourhood on 9 November by a motorcycle passenger.

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Ukrainian woman, 98, walks six miles alone to escape Russian-held territory

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Lidia Stepanivna Lomikovska reunited with family days after fleeing frontline town in her slippers and using a cane

A 98-year-old woman who escaped Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine by using a cane to walk six miles in a pair of slippers has been reunited with her family, days after they were separated while escaping to safety.

Lidia Stepanivna Lomikovska and her family decided to leave the frontline town of Ocheretyne, in the eastern Donetsk region, after Russian troops entered it last week and fighting intensified.

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Stop children using smartphones until they are 13, says French report

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Children should be banned from most social media until 18 amid attempts to ‘monetise’ them, says Macron-commissioned study

Children should not be allowed to use smartphones until they are 13 and should be banned from accessing conventional social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat until they are 18, according to a report by experts commissioned by Emmanuel Macron.

The French president had asked scientists and experts to suggest screen use guidelines for children with a view to France taking unprecedented steps on limiting their exposure. It was unclear how the government might now proceed after the report’s publication. Macron said in January: “There might be bans, there might be restrictions.”

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Paris regional leader suspends Sciences Po funding over Gaza protests

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French left denounces rightwinger Valérie Pécresse’s move against prestigious university

The Paris regional authority has temporarily suspending funding for Sciences Po, one of France’s most prestigious universities, after it was rocked by pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

“I have decided to suspend all regional funding for Sciences Po until calm and security have been restored at the school,” Valérie Pécresse, the rightwing head of the greater Paris Île-de-France region, said on social media on Monday.

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Food importers in UK say new Brexit checks could add 60% to costs

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Businesses say fees for Dover inspections are much higher than first thought and will push up shop prices

Importers of food from the EU into Britain have said newly introduced post-Brexit checks could increase their costs by up to 60%, pushing up prices for customers and driving some shops out of business.

After five previous delays, the UK government on Tuesday introduced the physical checks on animal and plant products entering from the EU, having revealed at the start of this month that it would be implementing a common user charge (CUC) of up to £145 per consignment.

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Fears of Putin swinging elections behind EU’s Meta crackdown

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Action against Facebook owner comes amid concerns about how it is dealing with fake news

Fears that Vladimir Putin is trying to fill the European parliament with more pro-Russia MEPs were behind the EU’s blunt message to the Silicon Valley owner of Facebook on Tuesday.

It gave Meta just five days to explain how it will root out fake news, fake websites and stop adverts funded by the Kremlin or face severe measures.

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Eurozone exits recession as ‘big four’ economies beat forecasts

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France, Spain, Germany and Italy helped by lower inflation and prospect of interest rate cuts

The eurozone has bounced back from its shallow technical recession after a stronger than expected performance by its “big four” economies in the first three months of 2024.

After two successive quarters of 0.1% contraction in the second half of 2023, the 20 nations that use the single currency posted growth of 0.3% between January and March.

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At least 50 people feared drowned after boat from Senegal sinks off Canary island

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Nine people rescued from boat sailing perilous Atlantic route that reportedly left Senegal with 60 people onboard nine days ago

At least 50 people are feared to have drowned after a boat sailing the perilous Atlantic route from west Africa to Europe began to sink 60 miles south of the Canary island of El Hierro.

Nine people were rescued from the craft early on Monday after a passing bulk carrier alerted Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo rescue service, which dispatched a fast boat and a helicopter from its base in Tenerife.

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Russia-Ukraine war: Odesa’s ‘Harry Potter castle’ hit in Russian missile attack that killed five – as it happened

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Four-year-old child and pregnant woman among those in a serious condition after strike on seafront park in Black Sea port city

This live blog has been paused. For the latest coverage on Russia’s war in Ukraine, please visit our dedicated page.

To keep up to date quickly with the latest in Ukraine, read our Ukraine war briefing here.

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Armenia turns towards west in search of allies amid Azerbaijan tensions

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Series of traumatic defeats has prompted a rethink in what was once seen as the most pro-Moscow of the ex-Soviet republics

With its waterfall, hot spring, orchards full of apricot blossom and a gorge through which the swollen Arpa River races, the town of Jermuk since Soviet times has been one of the most visited in Armenia. That was until just after midnight on 12 September 2022 when Azerbaijani forces surged over the border, advancing about 4 miles in a two-day push that left them in full control of the long mountain ridge overlooking the town.

“It was truly frightening. The forest was set on fire. It was like lightning coming down on us. It went on for two days. We did not know how it would end, and how to get our families out,” recalled Rubik Avakelyan, 69, sitting on a park bench.

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Debris from North Korean missile found in Kharkiv, say UN sanctions monitors

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Report to United Nations security council says remnants of Hwasong-11 violate arms export embargo on Russian ally

The debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on 2 January was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, UN sanctions monitors told a security council committee in a report seen by Reuters.

In the 32-page report, the UN sanctions monitors concluded that “debris recovered from a missile that landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on 2 January 2024 derives from a DPRK Hwasong-11 series missile” and is in violation of the arms embargo on North Korea.

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Von der Leyen criticises European far right for being ‘Putin’s proxies’

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Commission president, who is seeking another term, took aim at group that includes AfD and National Rally in pre-election debate

The European Commission president, Ursula Von der Leyen, has criticised the far right as “Putin’s proxies”, while refusing to rule out working with other rightwing nationalists, as campaigning began ahead of June’s European elections.

Von der Leyen is seeking a second five-year term leading the commission, in the looming reshuffle of EU top jobs that follows the European elections.

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Herculaneum scroll appears to shed light on Plato’s final hours

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Newly deciphered passages describe Greek philosopher critiquing slave musician for her lack of rhythm

Newly deciphered passages from a papyrus scroll that was buried beneath layers of volcanic ash after the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius may have shed light on the final hours of Plato, a key figure in the history of western philosophy.

In a groundbreaking discovery, the ancient scroll was found to contain a previously unknown narrative detailing how the Greek philosopher spent his last evening, describing how he listened to music played on a flute by a Thracian slave girl.

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Europe live: Ursula von der Leyen accused of watering down green deal for farmers in European Commission presidential debate

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Ursula von der Leyen takes part alongside representatives from seven other parties as EU gears up for European parliament elections

The far-right Identity and Democracy’s representative, Anders Vistisen, wrote on social media ahead of the debate:

“The entire EU system has tried to prevent me and the right wing from participating in the EU top candidate debate tonight. They want to exclude right wing votes! They didn’t succeed - so tonight I will tell the truth about the EU’s disaster course directly to Ursula and the rest of the EU!”

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Gérard Depardieu questioned by French police over sexual assault allegations

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Two women say actor assaulted them, one on a film set in 2021 and the other on another shoot in 2014

Gérard Depardieu was summoned by French police on Monday for questioning over fresh allegations of sexual assault, French media have reported.

Depardieu, 75, was being questioned by officers at a police station in the 14th arrondissement of Paris over allegations by two women that he had assaulted them, one on a film set in 2021 and the other on another shoot in 2014.

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UK will not accept return of asylum seekers from Ireland, Rishi Sunak says

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Prime minister dismisses potential deal with Dublin, increasing prospect of an escalating UK-Irish crisis

Rishi Sunak has said the UK will not accept the return of asylum seekers from Ireland and dismissed the prospect of a deal with Dublin.

The prime minister doubled down on his Rwanda deportation plan and appeared to reject any deal with the Irish government, which is alarmed at asylum seekers entering the republic from Northern Ireland.

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Delivery firm Getir to quit UK, Europe and US and focus on Turkey

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Grocery service grew during Covid pandemic but has retreated amid competition and waning demand

The grocery courier firm Getir is to quit the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the US to focus on its home market of Turkey amid heavy competition and waning demand for rapid home deliveries.

The closure marks the latest shakeout of the fast grocery delivery industry which grew rapidly during the Covid pandemic but has sharply retreated since.

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EU to investigate Meta over election misinformation before June polls

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Brussels to act later this week against Facebook and Instagram owner over policies on deceptive advertising and political content, reports say

The EU is set to launch formal proceedings against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, amid concerns it is not doing enough to counter Russian disinformation before the EU elections in June, according to reports.

It is also expected to express concerns about the lack of effective monitoring of election content and a potentially inadequate mechanism for flagging illegal content.

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Russia makes more gains around Avdiivka as Ukraine awaits US aid

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Ukrainian officials say situation ‘very difficult’ but ‘not catastrophic’ amid loss of two villages and fighting in Ocheretyne

Russia has consolidated recent battlefield gains in the east of Ukraine, and is attempting to break through Ukrainian defensive lines before a long-awaited package of US military assistance arrives at the frontline.

On Sunday Russian troops advanced near the city of Avdiivka. They seized two villages and expanded a narrow corridor around the rural settlement of Ocheretyne, which the Russians entered a week ago. Ukrainian security officials described the situation in the Donbas region where Russia is attacking on multiple fronts as “very difficult”. It was “not critical or catastrophic”, they added.

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