Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Britain’s planned departure from the European Union is “a mistake, not a disaster”, former premier David Cameron said during a conversation caught on camera in Davos Wednesday. Cameron stepped back from frontline British politics in the wake of the historic 2016 referendum, but was caught airing …
Read More »EU suspends Kenya water project after fatal shooting
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The European Union late Wednesday suspended a large-scale water conservation project in Kenya after evictions of local indigenous people turned fatally violent this week. The indefinite suspension of the $38 million (31 million euro) project follows the reported killing of a member of the local Sengwer …
Read More »Trump decision looms over Iran deal as Europe watches
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump was set Friday to decide whether to jeopardize the 2015 Iran nuclear deal by re-imposing American sanctions, against the wishes of European leaders who say the agreement is working just fine. Washington agreed to sanctions relief under the terms of …
Read More »Fresh row as EU monitors issue critical Kenya poll report
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | European Union election monitors said Wednesday that Kenya’s flawed presidential poll had “weakened” the country’s democracy in a critical report that triggered an angry government response. President Uhuru Kenyatta won a second term in an October rerun after his initial victory was nullified by the Supreme …
Read More »Migration to dominate southern EU meet in Rome
Rome, Italy | AFP | The heads of seven southern European states gather in Rome on Wednesday to tackle one of the stubbornest thorns in the EU’s side: flows of migrants from war-torn and impoverished countries. The leaders of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain will meet in the …
Read More »Bulgaria takes over revolving EU presidency
Sofia, Bulgaria | AFP | Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member state, on Monday took over the bloc’s six-month revolving presidency with the ongoing migrant crisis and Brexit among the top items on its agenda. “Bulgaria will take charge of the EU presidency at a key moment for the union …
Read More »‘10,000 refugees’ to be relocated from Libya to EU in 2018
Rome, Italy | AFP | Up to 10,000 people stranded in refugee camps and detention centres in Libya could be relocated to Europe in 2018, the Italian government said on Sunday. The initiative would be part of an attempt by EU countries to address the deteriorating conditions in Libya, where …
Read More »Britain’s May dubbed ‘Madam Brexit’ by translator
Warsaw, Poland | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May was left smirking at a press conference with her Polish counterpart on Thursday after a translator accidentally called her “Madam Brexit”. May was in Warsaw for talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, with the discussions inevitably turning to Britain’s 2019 departure …
Read More »EU urges probe after dozens killed in Ethiopia clashes
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | The European Union called Wednesday for an independent probe into clashes between two of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic groups, which officials say left at least 61 dead last week alone. There have been a string of recent clashes over the border between the two ethnically …
Read More »Taxi or app? Uber faces big EU court decision
Luxembourg, Luxembourg | AFP | The EU’s top court will decide Wednesday if ride-hailing app Uber is an ordinary taxi company and should be regulated as such, in a decision that will be closely watched around the world. The case is yet another thorn in the side for scandal-rocked Uber, which …
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