Thursday, 28 February 2019 22:02
Spain: Gibraltar and visa-free travel
In a bitter row over the sovereignty of Gibraltar, Spain has threatened to block visa-free access to the EU for Britons. Madrid refuses to back down on a controversial description of Gibraltar. Spain has made numerous…
Friday, 22 February 2019 09:33
Vatican: first-ever abuse conference
Catholic bishops are meeting to discuss the Roman Catholic church's response to the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy for the first time. The Vatican says it wants four days of reflection and…
Friday, 22 February 2019 09:30
Europe: Huawei and 5G security
President Trump wants Europe to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from their next-generation 5G information networks, citing security risks (giving China power inside telecommunication networks where they could modify or steal information or conduct undetected espionage).…
Thursday, 14 February 2019 21:51
France: far left and far right protesters
In Lyon a brawl between rival groups, fighting with fists, rocks, and sticks, highlighted bitter divisions among the ‘yellow vests’, who have now led anti-government protests for 13 consecutive weekends. The fighting is evidence of widening…
Thursday, 14 February 2019 21:48
Europe: recession risk and the church
The economic outlook across the Eurozone has deteriorated in 2019 as the probability of the entire Euro area falling into recession increases. Italy is in an officially-declared recession, and data suggest that Germany, France, and the…
Friday, 08 February 2019 00:15
EU / Ireland: further Brexit talks planned
On 7 February, following a ‘robust but constructive’ meeting between Jean-Claude Juncker and Theresa May, who was seeking changes to her Brexit deal, Mr Juncker stressed that the withdrawal agreement would not be redrawn, but he…