Europe

Italy’s Di Maio signals imminent end of government, thanks Conte

Editorial Bureau August 20, 2019

ROME – Luigi Di Maio, head of the ruling 5-Star Movement, signalled the imminent demise of Italy’s coalition government on Tuesday by thanking Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte for his time in office. “Whatever happens, I wanted to tell you that it was an honour to work together

Europe

Germany takes back four Islamic State children from Syria

Editorial Bureau August 20, 2019

BERLIN- Germany has for the first time allowed children whose parents were suspected members of Islamic State to return to Germany from northern Syria and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said it will push for more such children to come to the country. Like other western countries, Germany faces a tricky decision on how to […]

Europe

Open Arms suggests Italy take rescue ship migrants to Spain

Editorial Bureau August 20, 2019

MADRID/LAMPEDUSA – The commanders of a rescue ship with 98 migrants aboard declined to leave Italian waters on Monday, saying that its resources were exhausted and suggesting that Italy’s Coast Guard should take the migrants to Spain. The Open Arms ship, run by a Spanish charity of the same name, has been stranded at sea […]

Europe

Canary Islands wildfire prompts 9,000 evacuations; reaches park

Editorial Bureau August 20, 2019

TEJEDA, Spain – An out-of-control wildfire on Gran Canaria in Spain’s Canary Islands kept spreading on Monday, increasing to 9,000 the number of people evacuated from eight municipalities and reaching a natural park, authorities said on Monday.  The blaze, which began on Saturday near the town of Tejeda, is advancing on several fronts, propelled by […]

Europe

Chiding Macron, Putin says ‘I don’t want yellow vests in Russia’

Editorial Bureau August 20, 2019

FORT BREGANCON, France – Vladimir Putin rebuked his French counterpart on Monday, saying he did not want “yellow vest” protests spring up like in France, after Emmanuel Macron urged the Russian leader to abide by democratic principles following weeks of protests in Moscow. Macron, who was meeting Putin at his summer residence in southern France […]

Europe

Spain offers ports to stranded migrant boat but chastises Italy

Editorial Bureau August 19, 2019

MADRID/LAMPEDUSA – Spain on Monday repeated its offer to allow 107 migrants stranded for more than two weeks in the Mediterranean to land in a Spanish port but it criticised Italy for barring them from coming ashore on an Italian island. The Spanish charity and rescue ship Open Arms said earlier on Monday that Madrid […]

Europe

Turkey replaces three pro-Kurdish party mayors for suspected militant links

Editorial Bureau August 19, 2019

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – Turkey replaced pro-Kurdish party mayors with state officials in three southeastern cities and detained more than 400 people for suspected militant links on Monday, the Interior Ministry said, in a move likely to fuel tensions in Turkey’s southeast. Ahead of nationwide local elections in March, President Tayyip Erdogan had warned of such

Europe

France’s Macron to discuss Brexit with PM Johnson on Thursday

Editorial Bureau August 19, 2019

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron will meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Aug. 22 to discuss Brexit as well as the crises in Iran and Syria, an official from Macron’s office said on Monday. “The President of the Republic will host Boris Johnson for a working dinner at the Elysee Palace, which will […]

Europe

No more spending excuses for Merkel as investment bottlenecks ease

Editorial Bureau August 19, 2019

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has fended off growing calls for more fiscal stimulus by citing the slow outflow of existing federal funds – but data suggests the money is indeed being used up as local authority bottlenecks gradually clear. With Europe’s largest economy on the brink of recession and borrowing costs at record […]

Europe

Germany, Hungary to mark end of the Iron Curtain

Editorial Bureau August 19, 2019

SOPRON, Hungary – Thirty years ago on Monday Hungarian border guards for the first time allowed people from communist East Germany to cross freely into Austria and hundreds of them rejoiced. The Iron Curtain was passing into history. This was a milestone in a year of momentous change in Europe, leading in a few short […]