European Union

Anti-riot police guarding the Bulgarian parliament weathered smoke bombs, firecrackers and stones on Wednesday (2 September), as anti-government protests turned violent on their 56th day, with over 50 people hurt and nearly 100 arrested. Protesters said they had no choice...

France is due to present a mammoth spending plan for its virus-hit economy Thursday (3 September), hoping to reverse a dramatic downturn in growth and ward off the threat of mass layoffs at struggling companies.

The European Union's efforts are focused on de-escalation and dialogue because it is in no one's interest to have an accident in the Eastern Mediterranean amid the escalating crisis between Greece and Turkey, an EU official said on Wednesday (2 September).

Business consultancy EY has identified 1,000 green projects it says will help Europe recover stronger and more resilient from the economic slump caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The EU is preparing its ‘Action Plan’ to address structural racism in Europe. With digital high on the EU’s legislative agenda, it’s time we tackle racism perpetuated by technology, writes Sarah Chander.

Canada, the United States, the European Union and Britain are discussing possible sanctions against Belarus over its crackdown against protests following a disputed election, a Canadian source directly familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (2 September). If sanctions were...

Germany saw good demand for its first-ever green bond on Wednesday (2 September), in a landmark moment for Europe's climate-focused finance drive.

COVID-19 infections in Europe are getting close to the levels seen in March when the outbreak began its peak phase there, the head of the EU's public health agency said on Wednesday (2 September), warning governments not to reduce the 14-day quarantine for people infected.

The representatives of member states' governments appointed three judges and an advocate-general to the EU Court of Justice.

The French government releases on Thursday its €100bn stimulus plan to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis over two years, lining up billions of euros in public investments, subsidies and tax cuts, Reuters reports. The government plans. €35bn for making the eurozone's second biggest economy more competitive, €30bn for more environmentally friendly energies and €25bn for supporting jobs, officials said ahead of the press conference on Thursday.

Covid-19 infection rates in the EU - 46 per 100,000 were almost back to those at the height of the Spring lockdown, Andrea Ammon, the head of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, told MEPs in video-talks Wednesday. "The virus has not been sleeping over the summer. It did not take vacation ... We are almost back to numbers that we have seen in March", Ammon said added.

The European Union condemned "in the strongest possible terms" on Wednesday (2 September) the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and called on Russia to thoroughly investigate the assassination attempt and bring those responsible to justice.

A story about a gay man who beat depression has seen a Norwegian news website taken offline for well over a year in Russia.

The European Parliament passed new rules last December aimed at greater accountability of the unregulated bodies known as friendship groups. Not one group has since made public any declarations of support, which is a requirement.

MEPs have raised concerns about the lack of coordination and common Covid-19-related criteria among member states - while the EU virus-alert agency said that priority should be given to the harmonisation of test capacities and methodologies.

There are two avenues available for states to ensure that evidence of the abuses by Belarus authorities is collected, analysed, and preserved by impartial and independent international experts.

German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny "was to be silenced", and is a "victim of a crime". Merkel said Navalny, now in a Berlin hospital, was a victim of an attack with a chemical agent of the Novichok group. She condemned the attack, saying "it raises severe questions that only the Russian government can answer and will have to answer," she said.

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Wednesday he is "worried and disappointed" by the UK's lack of engagement in negotiations over the future relationship. Barnier said London has not engaged on "credible guarantees for open and fair competition", a compromise on fisheries or a meaningful dispute-settlement mechanism. The two sides need to reach an agreement by October to have enough time for formal ratification.

A court in northern Spain on Wednesday ordered that the descendants of dictator Francisco Franco must hand over the Galician villa, 'Pazo de Meirás', where Franco spent his summer holidays, with the judge ruling that it is property of the state, The Guardian reported. Spain's justice ministry started proceedings in the summer of 2018 after the dictator's heirs put the property on sale for €8m.

Fourteen people accused of helping jihadist gunmen storm French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket went on trial Wednesday, five years after the terror attack, AFP reported. The suspects face charges of conspiracy in a terrorist act or association with a terror group. The three assailants were killed by police. Charlie Hebdo marked the trial by republishing cartoons of prophet Mohammed that had angered Muslims around the world.