Europe News

EU recession over, but sharp contrasts in east

A woman holds a sign reading
AFP - Sunday, November 22

WARSAW (AFP) - - The European Union may have inched out of its sharpest recession since the global slump of the 1930s, but green shoots are not emerging uniformly across the 27-nation bloc's eastern member states. More »

  • Anglican leader, pope meet amid tensions

    AFP - Sunday, November 22

    VATICAN CITY (AFP) - - Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams sought to ease tensions between the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches at "cordial" talks at the Vatican on Saturday.

  • Belgian ex-premier Wilfried Martens, pictured in June 2009, met party leaders Saturday as he began a royal commission to organise a smooth political transition after current PM Herman Van Rompuy was named as EU president.

    Belgian ex-premier meets party chiefs as hunt begins for new PM

    AFP - Sunday, November 22

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - - The hunt began in earnest Saturday for a new Belgian prime minister after Herman Van Rompuy was chosen as the EU first president, with his predecessor Yves Leterme appearing in pole position.

  • Award-winning Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar gives a press conference in Arrecife airport on November 17. Haidar has declined an offer by Madrid to grant her refugee status following her expulsion from the territory by Morocco, a representative said Saturday.

    W.Sahara activist refuses Madrid offer of refugee status

    AFP - Sunday, November 22

    MADRID (AFP) - - Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar has declined an offer by Madrid to grant her refugee status following her expulsion from the territory by Morocco, a representative said Saturday.

  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) meets with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (L) in Moscow. Westerwelle emphasised strong relations with Russia during his first visit to Moscow Friday, but remained discreet on human rights issues.

    New German foreign minister on first Moscow visit

    AFP - Saturday, November 21

    MOSCOW (AFP) - - Germany's new Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle emphasised strong relations with Russia during his first visit to Moscow Friday, but remained discreet on human rights issues.

  • The Croatian parliament ratified on Friday a deal with Slovenia for international arbitration to resolve a border row between the two countries that blocked Zagreb's bid to join the European Union.

    Croatian parliament ratifies Slovenia border deal

    AFP - Saturday, November 21

    ZAGREB (AFP) - - The Croatian parliament ratified on Friday a deal with Slovenia for international arbitration to resolve a border row between the two countries that blocked Zagreb's bid to join the European Union.

  • Russian Orthodox worshippers leave a memorial service for slain priest Daniil Sysoyev at Saint Thomas's church in southern Moscow. An Russian Orthodox priest who was an outspoken critic of both Islam and ultra-nationalist groups was shot dead in his Moscow church by a masked assassin.

    Russian Orthodox priest critical of Islam shot dead

    AFP - Saturday, November 21

    MOSCOW (AFP) - - An Russian Orthodox priest who was an outspoken critic of both Islam and ultra-nationalist groups was shot dead in his Moscow church by a masked assassin, investigators said Friday.

  • Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been derided by Russian premier Vladimir Putin who attacked the leader, saying it may not be safe to wear ties around him alluding to the widely-circulated footage in which Saakashvili put the tip of his tie into his mouth and chewed on it as he waited to be interviewed last year.

    Putin derides Georgian leader Saakashvili

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    YALTA, Ukraine (AFP) - - Vladimir Putin on Friday delivered one of his most searing attacks yet against the Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili, saying it may not be safe to wear ties around him.

  • Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) exchanges documents with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Moscow in April 2009. Putin announced late Thursday a compromise deal with Ukraine on the thorny issue of gas supply, lessening the threat of multibillion-dollar fines that might cripple Ukraine's economy.

    Russia, Ukraine reach gas compromise deal: Putin

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    YALTA, Ukraine (AFP) - - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced late Thursday a compromise deal with Ukraine on the thorny issue of gas supply, lessening the threat of multibillion-dollar fines that might cripple Ukraine's economy.

  • Belgian Prime Minsiter Herman Van Rompuy arrives at a European Union summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. European leaders on Thursday chose Van Rompuy to become the first president of the European Union, diplomatic sources said.

    Europe names Belgian PM as first president

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - - EU leaders on Thursday picked little known Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy as Europe's first president with a mission to give the continent a greater world profile.

  • Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appears in the courtroom of the International Criminal Tribunal on November 3. The UN war crimes tribunal on Thursday appointed a London lawyer to represent Karadzic during his genocide trial, a legal adviser to the Bosnian Serb wartime leader said.

    UN tribunal picks London lawyer for Karadzic

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    THE HAGUE (AFP) - - The UN war crimes tribunal on Thursday appointed a London lawyer to represent Radovan Karadzic during his genocide trial, a legal adviser to the Bosnian Serb wartime leader said.

  • Belgian Prime Minsiter Herman Van Rompuy arrives at a European Union summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. European leaders on Thursday chose Van Rompuy to become the first president of the European Union, diplomatic sources said.

    Belgian PM chosen as first EU president

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - - European leaders on Thursday chose Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to become the first president of the European Union, diplomatic sources said.

  • British supermodel Kate Moss attends the opening of Topshop in New York City in April. Moss has been accused of giving the wrong message to anorexics and teenage girls when she gave her backing for a slogan encouraging them not to eat.

    Model Moss rapped for 'skinny feels good' motto

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    LONDON (AFP) - - British supermodel Kate Moss was accused Thursday of giving the wrong message to anorexics and teenage girls when she gave her backing for a slogan encouraging them not to eat.

  • Video: Hundreds of football fans took to the streets of Paris and Marseille on Wednesday night after Algeria beat Egypt 1-0, qualifying the team for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. Fans were seen waving Algerian flags and cheering in both French cities. Duration: 00:30

    French riots after Algeria-Egypt match

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    PARIS (AFP) - - Football fans battled with police, torched cars in cities across France and looted a supermarket after Algeria beat Egypt to qualify for the World Cup finals, police said.

  • The British government borrowed a record 11.4 billion pounds (12.8 billion euros, 19 billion dollars) in October, official data showed on Thursday.

    UK public sector borrowing hits record £11.4 bln

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    LONDON (AFP) - - The British government borrowed a record 11.4 billion pounds (12.8 billion euros, 19 billion dollars) in October, official data showed on Thursday.

  • Members of the Russian Constitutional Court attend a hearing on the death penalty in St. Petersburg. The Court on Thursday ordered that the death penalty cannot be applied in Russia even after January 1 when a moratorium expires.

    Russian court forbids use of death penalty

    AFP - Friday, November 20

    SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) - - Russia cannot apply the death penalty even after a moratorium expires next year, a court ordered Thursday, in a major step towards abolishing capital punishment in the country.

  • Slovenian President Danilo Turk (L) and his Russian counterpart Dimitri Medvedev applaude as they watch a World Cup 2010 qualifying match between Slovenia and Russia. Medvedev has fired one of his top advisors for abuse of office in one of the biggest changes to his Kremlin administration since taking power, media reported on Thursday.

    Russian president fires top advisor: reports

    AFP - Thursday, November 19

    MOSCOW (AFP) - - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has fired one of his top advisors for abuse of office in one of the biggest changes to his Kremlin administration since taking power, media reported on Thursday.

  • Former Danish fashion model and photographer Helena Christensen poses at the launch of her new exhibition of photographs highlighting the threat of climate change on people living in Peru, in central London.

    Model Helena Christensen examines climate change in Peru

    AFP - Thursday, November 19

    LONDON (AFP) - - Supermodel-turned-photographer Helena Christensen urged politicians and world leaders to commit to real changes at the upcoming Copenhagen climate talks, as she launched a photo exhibition in London documenting climate change in Peru.

  • EU and Russian leaders met in Stockholm on Wednesday for a summit dominated by energy issues and climate control. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt hosted Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for the meeting. Duration: 01:07

    EU-Russia summit sees climate progress, rights row

    AFP - Thursday, November 19

    STOCKHOLM (AFP) - - EU criticism of Russia's rights record and fears Moscow will delay its WTO entry clouded EU-Russia talks Wednesday, but the two sides aligned on climate issues ahead of a key summit in December.

  • A patient wears a mask in a waiting room of a hospital in August 2009. Resistance to antibiotics is increasing in Europe and throughout the world because of their excessive use, a deadly and costly curse according to health experts meeting in Stockholm Wednesday.

    Experts warn antibiotic-proof bacteria threaten global health

    AFP - Thursday, November 19

    STOCKHOLM (AFP) - - Resistance to antibiotics is increasing in Europe and throughout the world because of their excessive use, a deadly and costly curse according to health experts meeting in Stockholm Wednesday.

1 2