Europe

Italy: political/culture change?

31 May 2018
Following difficult negotiations after the 4th March election Italy has agreed to have a coalition government. Ministers are drawn from both the anti-establishment Five Star (M5S) and the right-wing League. Their newly chosen…

Belarus: LGBT row with UK embassy

24 May 2018
Belarus has accused the UK embassy in Minsk of ‘creating problems’ by flying a rainbow flag for International Day Against Homophobia. The embassy said the banner directed attention to the discrimination that LGBT…

Sweden: migration and approaching elections

24 May 2018
Far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) have seen growing support in polls as campaign discourse focuses on refugees and migrants. With national elections due in September, migration policy is shaping up to be a core…

Greece to ease overcrowding in island camps

18 May 2018
Greece’s parliament passed a bill on 15 May aimed at making asylum procedures simpler and faster and easing overcrowding in its refugee camps. Five camps on islands close to the Turkish coast hold…

Facebook: Zuckerberg agrees to EU grilling

18 May 2018
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, has agreed to face a grilling from European Union lawmakers over how the data of as many as 2.7 million Europeans could have ended up in the hands…

Russia/Greece/France: protests

11 May 2018
Two days before President Putin’s fourth inauguration, over a thousand people were detained after protests against his extended rule turned violent. Riot police barricaded protesters who then ran into adjoining streets, chanting, ‘Putin…

Spain moves to block Puigdemont

11 May 2018
Spain acted on 9 May to stop pro-independence politicians in Catalonia voting in ex-leader Carles Puigdemont, now in Germany, as their regional head, with an important deadline looming. The constitutional court accepted a…

Brexit talks on Irish border

04 May 2018
At the time of writing Brexit talks are continuing between the EU and British officials. Time is limited to solve the Irish border issue, with just four more rounds of meetings scheduled before…

Malta: volunteer pilots’ search and rescue

04 May 2018
Two French pilots were not content with doing nothing about the annual tragedy of hundreds perishing in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe in small makeshift boats. José Benavente and Benoît Micolon invested…

Ireland's abortion referendum

27 Apr 2018
Ireland goes to the polls on 25 May to vote in a referendum that could end the country’s ban on abortion. Voters will be asked if they want to repeal the eighth amendment…
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