Europe

Malta rescues 216 migrants in upsurge of Mediterranean crossings

Editorial Bureau May 25, 2019

VALLETTA (Reuters) – A Maltese armed forces patrol boat picked up more than 200 migrants from two dinghies in the Mediterranean and was bringing them to Malta on Saturday, a spokesman said. At least one pregnant woman and a number of children were believed to be among the 216 rescued

Europe

French police hunt suitcase bomber after blast in Lyon

Editorial Bureau May 25, 2019

LYON (Reuters) – French police were hunting a suspected suitcase bomber on Friday after an explosion in the central city of Lyon that injured 13 people, officials said. The suspect was captured on security video leaving a bag in front of a bakery shortly before an explosion occurred at around 5:30 pm, police sources and […]

Europe

French far-right tops poll, EU vote turns into Le Pen/Macron duel

Editorial Bureau May 25, 2019

(Reuters) – Support in France has risen for both Marine Le Pen’s far-right party and President Emmanuel Macron’s candidates three days before voting in the European parliament elections, an opinion poll showed. Le Pen’s National Rally remained in the lead in voting intentions, according to the survey by OpinionWay for Les Echos newspaper published

Europe

Sweden’s Thunberg demands climate action on day of global school strikes

Editorial Bureau May 25, 2019

STOCKHOLM/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg urged European politicians on Friday to focus on a climate crisis instead of “bickering”, as children walked out of classes around the world to back her demands for urgent action to curb carbon emissions. Thunberg, 16, said the threat of societal breakdown posed by runaway climate

Europe

Migration will dictate Hungary ruling party ties to EU centre right – foreign minister

Editorial Bureau May 24, 2019

PARIS (Reuters) – Migration policy will determine whether Hungary’s ruling party remains in the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) grouping after the bloc’s parliamentary elections, the foreign minister said on Thursday. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz Party was suspended by the EPP, the parliament’s main centre-right

Europe

League leader says Italy government to focus on its priorities after EU vote – paper

Editorial Bureau May 24, 2019

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s coalition government won’t fall after this week’s vote for the European parliament but will have “to do a number of things” which are priorities for the right-wing League party, its leader, Matteo Salvini, was quoted as saying. Asked if the League could topple the government if it got more than 30 […]

Europe

In upset, Dutch Labour party trumps populists in European vote – exit poll

Editorial Bureau May 24, 2019

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Labour party of European Commissioner Frans Timmermans on Thursday won a surprise victory in a Dutch election for European Parliament, an exit poll showed, easily beating a Eurosceptic challenger who had been topping the polls. The leading social democrat candidate to head the EU Commission, Timmermans propelled his pro-European party to

Europe

Poland’s PiS ready to talk with Italian, Spanish far-right – PM

Editorial Bureau May 24, 2019

(Reuters) – Poland’s ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS) are ready for talks on a European parliamentary alliance with Italy’s far-right League party and Spain’s Vox, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Polska Times.pl in remarks published on Friday. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who leads the League, has been trying to form

Europe

Istanbul’s ousted mayor says billions wasted under Erdogan’s AKP

Editorial Bureau May 23, 2019

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party spent 80 million lira ($13 million) in three years on an Istanbul city website, the ousted opposition mayor said on Wednesday, part of what he said was a wider misspending of billions of lira of public money. Ekrem Imamoglu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), […]

Europe

Turkey preparing for possible U.S. sanctions over S-400s – minister

Editorial Bureau May 23, 2019

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s defence minister said it was preparing for potential U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems, even while he said there was some improvement in talks with the United States over buying F-35 fighter jets. Turkey and the United States have been at odds on several fronts including […]