European Union

Stories 441 - 460 | << Prev   Next >>

GDP Nosedives Across Atlantic
 GDP Nosedives Across Atlantic 

GDP Nosedives Across Atlantic

4th-quarter GDP drop signals worsening recession

(Newser) - We're not alone: The euro zone’s recession worsened in the fourth quarter of last year as its GDP saw its biggest decline since records began in 1995, the Wall Street Journal reports. The GDP contracted 1.5% quarter-to-quarter and 1.2% since the year before, EU figures showed. Germany,...

Now Europe Has Gitmo Problem
Now Europe Has Gitmo Problem

Now Europe Has Gitmo Problem

EU leaders ponder course for up to 60 former inmates they've agreed to take in

(Newser) - EU leaders have promised President Obama they’ll take up to 60 detainees as Guantanamo closes, but the devil is in the details over exactly what to do with them, the Los Angeles Times reports. Questions abound over which country should take which detainee, whether they should face prosecution, and...

Iceland Up for Emergency EU Membership

Brussels says it will fast-track process for crisis-stricken nation

(Newser) - Iceland will be fast-tracked into the European Union to rescue the tiny Nordic state from financial disaster, senior officials in Brussels tell the Guardian. Depending on the result of the Icelandic election, the country could apply for membership as soon as May. While accession to the EU normally takes years,...

No Regrets for US Iraq Deserter as Asylum Ruling Looms

German case tests EU 'unlawful war' directive

(Newser) - German authorities will take up the case next week of Spec. André L. Shepherd, who deserted the US Army and sought asylum rather than face a second tour of duty in Iraq. “I’m having the time of my life,” Shepherd tells the Wall Street Journal from a...

Bush's Cheesy War Cuts French Farmers

Massive tariff amounts to ban on Roquefort

(Newser) - On its way out the door, the Bush administration essentially banned France’s prized Roquefort cheese from US shelves with a 300% tariff. The move was a tit-for-tat after the EU banned the import of US beef containing hormones, said a US trade rep. But residents of the cheese-dependent Roquefort...

Iceland to Appoint First Openly Gay Woman as PM

Ex-flight attendant to lead until May elections

(Newser) - Iceland is set to appoint the world's first openly gay woman as prime minister: a former flight attendant who rose through the political ranks to become a cabinet minister. Johanna Sigurdardottir, the 66-year-old social affairs minister, is the pick of the Social Democratic Alliance Party to lead an interim government....

Russian Gas Again Flows to Europe Through Ukraine

Supplies had been cut for 2 weeks amid political squabbles

(Newser) - Gas is again flowing from Russia to Ukraine, a major gas gateway for Europe, after disputes between the two countries shut down supplies for two weeks, Reuters reports. Leaders couldn’t agree on a 2009 gas contract amid political tensions over Ukraine’s wish to join NATO; 20 European countries...

EU Expects Deep, Lengthy Recession

Government spending will be only thing keeping European economies afloat

(Newser) - The European Union said today it is facing a "deep and protracted recession" with government spending the only source of growth. The 16 nations that use the euro will shrink 1.9% in 2009, with the entire EU contracting 1.8%, the European Commission forecasts. The EU will lose...

Cold War Ends: Russia, Ukraine Settle Gas Dispute

Both sides agree to international inspectors monitoring exports

(Newser) - Russia and Ukraine have settled their feisty gas dispute, allowing fuel supplies to start flowing to shivering European nations “within hours,” the Wall Street Journal reports. Both sides agreed to international teams monitoring the pipeline system in Ukraine, which Russia accuses of stealing EU gas for its own...

EU Strikes Deal to End Russian Gas Freeze

Thousands of eastern Europeans left in the cold by Russia-Ukraine dispute

(Newser) - Gas could be flowing back to a frozen Europe within days after Russian and Ukrainian officials agreed yesterday to an EU-brokered plan to have independent observers monitor pipelines, the Guardian reports. Russia cut off all its gas supplies via Ukraine Wednesday over a pricing dispute, leaving hundreds of thousands scrambling...

Russia Stops Supplying Gas to Ukraine

Europe worried about supply disruptions if dispute continues

(Newser) - Russia's gas export monopoly has cut off Ukraine's supply over a contract dispute, and has boosted European supply to head off worries about reliability, Reuters reports. The EU gets 20% of its gas from Ukrainian pipelines. Kiev has already tapped the country's reserves, and maintaining the pressure in the supply...

Guinea Coup Chiefs Promise Elections

US, Europe condemn coup

(Newser) - Rebel army officers who led a revolt in the West African nation of Guinea will meet with foreign diplomats tomorrow to reassure the international community about their future plans, reports BBC. A military junta seized control hours after the death of despotic ruler Lansana Conte. The US, European Union and...

Pirate Hostages Brace for Christmas at Sea

More than 260 remain off Somalia's coast in 14 hijacked vessels

(Newser) - More than 260 hostages will spend Christmas with pirates off Somalia’s coast, CNN reports. At least 14 vessels remain in pirate custody as a tumultuous year—with nearly 100 attacks on cargo ships, oil tankers, and yachts—nears its end. The EU, China, and Iran have stationed naval vessels...

EU Considers Taking Gitmo Prisoners
EU Considers Taking Gitmo Prisoners

EU Considers Taking Gitmo Prisoners

Allies offer to help Obama 'clean up Bush's mess'

(Newser) - European Union countries are considering giving Barack Obama a helping hand by accepting released Guantanamo Bay prisoners for resettlement, the Washington Post reports. Requests from the Bush administration to take Gitmo detainees were flatly rejected by the EU, but Portugal has now signaled its willingness to accept some prisoners and...

China May Launch Pirate Patrol
 China May Launch Pirate Patrol 

China May Launch Pirate Patrol

Officials weigh Chinese naval mission in 500 years

(Newser) - China is poised to embark on its first naval combat mission in 500 years—to take on pirates off the coast of Somalia, reports the Financial Times. Any patrols launched would be closely monitored by the US, Russian and British navies, concerned about China's growing  military power. 

Japan, EU Boost Economies as Bailout Dies

New stimulus packages announced to avert global paralysis

(Newser) - Japan and the European Union announced new measures to bolster their economies in the wake of the collapse of the US auto industry bailout. The Japanese government multiplied its bank recapitalization fund sixfold, to $131 billion, and announced an $11 billion package to save jobs. "We are working at...

French-German Relations Cool Ahead of EU Summit

France, Germany, UK clash over handling recession

(Newser) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy began his six-month European Union presidency by quibbling with Germany, and he appears to be ending his term the same way, Bloomberg reports. Half a year after clashing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over a Mediterranean alliance, Sarkozy shrugged off the traditional France-Germany pre-summit chat and...

14 al-Qaeda Suspects Arrested During EU Summit

Huge police operation as European leaders arrive in Brussels

(Newser) - Belgian police have arrested 14 people with suspected links to al-Qaeda, including 3 who allegedly were planning an attack. The Guardian reports that the suspects may have been planning a suicide bombing at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels, which opened today and is being attended by all the...

EU May Turn Off Edison's Bulbs

Switch to low-energy bulbs could save $12b a year

(Newser) - The European Union may ban incandescent light bulbs, replacing them with low-energy lighting that would slash 13.2 million tons of carbon emissions and create energy savings equal to taking 11 million European households off the grid, reports the BBC. A new report urges the European parliament to follow the...

China Warns of Sanctions for Sarkozy-Dalai Lama Meeting

Dalai Lama criticism of China's lack of 'moral authority' sparks Beijing fury

(Newser) - China is making noises about possible trade sanctions against France to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to meet tomorrow with the Dalai Lama in Poland, reports the Times of London. Such a meeting threatens the "long-term development of ties" with France, warned a Chinese official. China has already pulled...

Stories 441 - 460 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser