Europe

After Paris violence, pressure mounts on Macron’s post-debate response

Editorial Bureau March 19, 2019

(Reuters) – Just when Emmanuel Macron thought he had regained the upper hand over the yellow vest protest movement with his “great debate”, the latest flare-up of violence reminded the French leader that putting his reform agenda back on track won’t be easy. Town hall

Europe

Dutch police arrest Turkish man suspected of killing three in tram shooting

Editorial Bureau March 19, 2019

Netherlands (Reuters) – Dutch police arrested a Turkish man suspected of shooting dead three people and wounding five on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday. Police said the suspect, 37-year-old Gokmen Tanis, had been taken into custody after an hours-long manhunt and had earlier run-ins with authorities in the Netherlands. The […]

Europe

Turkey escalates crackdown on dissent six years after Gezi protests

Editorial Bureau March 19, 2019

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Unzile Aksakoglu struggles to explain to her seven-year-old daughter why her father Yigit has spent four months in jail and may never leave, because of his alleged role in mass protests against Turkey’s government when she was just a year old. After all, the people originally prosecuted over the 2013 protests – […]

Europe

Flags at half-mast after Utrecht shooting, police search for motive

Editorial Bureau March 19, 2019

(Reuters) – Flags flew at half mast on government buildings across the Netherlands on Tuesday, a day after a gunman opened fire on a tram on the outskirts of Utrecht, killing three people. A suspect – 37-year-old Turkish-born Gokmen Tanis – was detained after a seven-hour manhunt on Monday, and by Dutch law must be […]

Europe

Worth giving time to reach Brexit deal – German foreign minister

Editorial Bureau March 18, 2019

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – German foreign minister Heiko Maas said on Monday it was worthwhile giving more time to reach an agreement with Britain over its exit from the European Union, although a long Brexit extension would be difficult. “Before we get to a hard Brexit it’s worthwhile having another go rather than just arguing about […]

Europe

Latvian foreign minister says he would back Brexit extension

Editorial Bureau March 18, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said he would encourage his government to agree to a Brexit extension ahead of a European Union summit this week. “My own government is going to discuss this issue next Tuesday, in preparation for a Thursday and Friday European Council. What is important of course is that […]

Europe

French PM plans new security measures after Champs Elysees rioting

Editorial Bureau March 18, 2019

(Reuters) – France’s prime minister will present plans on Monday to crack down on rioters, his office said, after a new flare-up of violence linked to the yellow vest protest movement. Rioters ransacked stores and restaurants while lighting fires along Paris’ Champs Elysees avenue on Saturday as they clashed with police. Cutting short a weekend […]

Europe

Canada to extend military training mission in Ukraine – source

Editorial Bureau March 18, 2019

(Reuters) – Canada will announce as expected on Monday that it is extending a 200-strong military training mission in Ukraine, a source directly familiar with the matter said on Sunday. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan are scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Monday. “It is […]

Europe

Parisians clean up after more weekend rioting on Champs Elysees

Editorial Bureau March 17, 2019

PARIS (Reuters) – Workers began cleaning up the Champs Elysees in Paris on Sunday after rioters ransacked stores and restaurants in a new flare-up of violence linked to the yellow vest protest movement. Cutting short a weekend ski trip, President Emmanuel Macron returned to Paris late on Saturday for a crisis meeting with ministers at […]

Europe

Spain orders Franco’s body be exhumed from mausoleum

Editorial Bureau March 16, 2019

(Reuters) – Spain will exhume the body of dictator Francisco Franco to remove it from a state mausoleum seen by many as a monument to fascism, the Socialist government announced on Friday, in one of its last moves before a snap election due on April 28. The plan to move divides opinion in a country […]