European Union

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EU Maternity Benefits May Triple

(Newser) - Maternity leave benefits in the EU are set to triple if a new proposal goes through, the Telegraph reports. New moms would see a bump from 14 to 18 weeks of paid leave under the plan and would get a full paycheck during that time—rather than lower sick-pay rates....

Stimulus Sours Obama's European Honeymoon

US urges more spending; EU focused on regulation

(Newser) - European leaders’ love affair with President Obama has hit its first snag: Obama is pushing Europe to spend more to battle the financial crisis, while Europe would prefer to focus on stricter regulation, the Los Angeles Times reports. “The Americans should be more modest about giving lessons, because the...

Liechtenstein to Open Tax Books; Pressure's on Swiss

International pressure bends EU nation, but Switzerland is the prize

(Newser) - Liechtenstein, bowing to international pressure, said today it would adopt international standards on transparency in tax matters, turning the screws on other tax havens like Switzerland, the New York Times reports. Yesterday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development added Switzerland, Luxembourg, and others to a list of tax havens...

Clinton: 'Reset' Relations With Russia

But US won't forget all our differences with Moscow

(Newser) - Ahead of her meeting today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Hillary Clinton advocated a thaw in relations with Russia, an approach a bit less "confrontational" than her predecessors. "We're going to press the reset button," she told the BBC at an EU meeting in Brussels, but...

Brown Tells US to 'Seize the Moment'

Now more than ever the rest of the world wants to work with you

(Newser) - Gordon Brown inspired applause breaks and a standing ovation in Congress today, urging America to team up with England in battling the financial crisis, the BBC reports. Brown urged lawmakers not to indulge impulses toward protectionism—which “protects no one,” the prime minister quipped—and called for new...

Leaders Warn of Economic 'Iron Curtain'

Eastern Europe melts down, but Western leaders refuse bailout

(Newser) - EU leaders meeting in Brussels yesterday rejected a Hungarian-led effort to bail out the faltering economies of Eastern Europe, leading to apocalyptic warnings of an economic "Iron Curtain," with millions of unemployed workers heading west. Countries from the Baltic states to Poland and Romania have seen their once-booming...

EU Meets Over Economic Crisis

Protectionism concerns weigh on leaders

(Newser) - European Union leaders have begun an emergency meeting about the economic crisis amid fears of protectionism among nations, the BBC reports. The Brussels summit comes after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would bail out France’s auto industry if it didn’t send jobs out of the country. “...

GDP Nosedives Across Atlantic
 GDP Nosedives Across Atlantic 
Feb 13, 2009 6:20 AM CST

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
Feb 8, 2009 12:14 PM CST

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...

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