News Review|Europe World News

In Knock
Rachel Andrews 11 July 2018
Tags: abortion | ireland | religion

Father Brian McKevitt delivered the homily at Knock Basilica in County Mayo on Sunday. The service was billed as an All Ireland Act of Reparation, a communal act of repentance on behalf of those of us who voted Yes in the referendum on 25 May. Ireland, Fr McKevitt said, has become a ‘pro-choice’ society, where people have decided that either God does not exist or is irrelevant, and are making their own decisions about what is right or wrong. ‘I will go to Mass on Sunday, if I choose,’ he said. ‘I will stay with my spouse, if I choose. I will look after my children, if I choose. I will marry a person of the same sex, if I choose. I will even end the life of an unborn child, if I choose.’Read More

German neo-Nazi found guilty of 10 murders

A German woman has been found guilty of involvement in 10 neo-Nazi murders, bringing to a close one of the longest running trials in German history.

Beate Zschaepe was convicted of a litany of crimes including murder, membership of a terrorist organization, bomb attacks and a number of robberies.

She showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.

Zschaepe was arrested in 2011, after two accomplices were found dead following an apparent murder suicide.

The 43-year-old had been a member of a group known as National Socialist Underground (NSU), an organisation that Germany’s Attorney General described as a "right-wing extremist group whose purpose was to kill foreigners, and citizens of foreign origin." Read more

Greece hints at Russian diplomats' expulsion

NICOSIA, Cyprus – Relations between Greece and Russia came under strain Wednesday after Greece's government spokesman suggested that Russian diplomats stationed in the country could be expelled for acting unlawfully and "disrespecting" the Greek state.

Spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said that "all measures" will be taken against the Russian diplomats.

"It's not possible for us to accept behavior that violates international law and doesn't show respect to the Hellenic Republic," Tzanakopoulos told private TV station Skai.

"The assessment is that there has been such behavior and that's why all measures will be taken." Read more

Merkel hits back at Trump’s attack: I remember Soviet occupation

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected accusations by Donald Trump that Germany is “totally controlled by Russia,” reminding the U.S. president that she remembered Soviet occupation, and saying it is “good that we are independent today.”

“Because of given circumstances I want to point out one thing: I experienced the Soviet occupation of one part of Germany myself. It is good that we are independent today,” said Merkel, who grew up in East Germany, a former satellite state of the Soviet Union. Read more

Catalan leader visits Scotland for historic meeting

After years of holding Catalan separatists at arm's length despite obvious sympathy for their cause, Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meets Catalan president Quim Torra for the first time on Wednesday.
Torra is visiting Scotland and will also meet with Clara Ponsati, a former Catalan minister who is fighting an extradition request by Spain on charges of "violent rebellion" for her role in Catalonia's failed independence bid in 2017.

Ponsati, a 61-year-old professor in political economy at the University of St Andrews, has been released on bail as she challenges the extradition through the Spanish courts.

Torra and Ponsati are due to give a press conference in Edinburgh at 1000 GMT on her case, after which Torra will meet Sturgeon at her official residence in Bute House.

Michael Keating, professor of political science at the University of Aberdeen, said the meeting between Torra and Sturgeon is possible thanks to "a degree of normality" returning to Catalonia after last year's events.

There is a long-running affinity between Scottish and Catalan separatists. Read more

Anarchists and engineers

Time: 5pm on a warm June day. Setting: a busy junction in the most bike-friendly city in the world’s most bike-friendly country. In the background an accordionist is playing jaunty folk tunes outside the shopping centre. In the foreground there is a constant stream of cyclists, coming from all directions but mainly heading between Utrecht railway station, with its massive underground cycle sheds, and the pretty old town.

Helmets for Dutch cyclists, whatever their age, are unthinkable. Brakes, lights, bells and other fripperies are optional extras. Sometimes they look where they are going. Sometimes they text. Sometimes they stop at red lights. Sometimes they don’t. Usually they stick to their lanes but sometimes they swerve on to the pavement. Whatever. The accordionist played faster and faster. It was like watching an endless circus act, full of a mad midsummer joy that it was impossible not to share, even vicariously. Summer is short and so, for the unwary visitor, is life. Read more

Germany and Russia gas links: Trump is not only one to ask questions

Donald Trump may have used typically emotive – if premeditated – language from the outset at the Nato summit in Brussels to lambast Germany for its willingness to build a gas pipeline, but the US president’s view that this will make Europe deeply dependent on Russian gas is widely shared by European politicians, thinktanks and energy specialists, including some in Berlin.

No country is more angry about the pipeline than Ukraine, the country Trump is supposedly set to abandon when he meets Vladimir Putin on Monday in Helsinki.

Ukraine stands to lose billions of much needed dollars if Russia can transfer its gas transmissions to Europe across the Baltic sea, away from a pipeline currently running across Ukrainian territory.

Earlier this week the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, warned: “This is not a commercial project – it is not economical or profitable – it is absolutely a political project. There is no point, from the economic point of view, creating this project. This is absolutely a geopolitical project.” Read more

Education company GEMS shelves multibillion dollar London IPO - sources

LONDON/ABU DHABI (Reuters) - The initial public offering (IPO) of Blackstone-backed (BX.N), Middle East-focussed education company GEMS has been shelved, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Sources familiar with the deal had said the London listing was delayed after authorities in Dubai unexpectedly decided to freeze tuition fees, meaning the company’s financial forecasts had to be adjusted.Read more

Leaders arrive for Nato Summit in Brussels - in pictures

Members gather at the alliance's new headquarters in Belgian capitalRead more

Greece 'orders expulsion of two Russian diplomats'

Greece has ordered the expulsion of two Russian diplomats and barred the entry of two others for allegedly undermining national security, local media report.

The Greek government has accused the Russian officials of acting to obtain and distribute sensitive information.

Russia said on Wednesday it would mirror the move by expelling two Greek diplomats, according to reports.

It marks a rare downturn in diplomatic relations between Athens and Moscow, who have shared close ties for decades.

Greece called for the immediate expulsions amid claims that a number of Russian diplomats were involved in efforts in the country to extract material that could then be used to bribe Greek state officials, the Athens daily Kathimerini reports.

One of the two diplomats to be expelled was named as Russian embassy official Victor Yakovlev, according to Kathimerini, which cites senior diplomatic sources.

The Kathimerini report contains allegations that Russia has in some way tried to intervene in sensitive issues, particularly with respect to the issue of the name of Macedonia.Read More

The Holocaust Existentialist

Claude Lanzmann, the filmmaker who fundamentally changed the way the world saw the Holocaust, died on July 5 at age 92.

Calling him a “savant and artist,” French President Emmanuel Macron eulogized Lanzmann as the man who had ensured France would forever preserve the memory of the Shoah. The last living member of France’s glorious postwar existentialist intellectual community, Lanzmann was a follower, and friend, of Jean-Paul Sartre and inherited the position of editor of the famed philosopher’s prestigious journal Les temps modernes after Sartre’s wife (and Lanzmann’s former lover) Simone de Beauvior passed away. Read More

At NATO summit, Trump renews criticism of European allies

As soon as he arrived in Brussels for the NATO two-day summit from Wednesday, US president Donald Trump said his efforts had pushed other NATO countries to contribute more to the Western defense alliance but it was still not enough to offset the burden on U.S. taxpayers.
Although NATO has much to be triumphalist about as it stages its first biennial summit at its new billion dollar headquarters in Brussels, many summit leaders paradoxically appear anxious as they face the alliance’s de-facto leader, Donald Trump, who brings with him tough talk on defense spending.
The summit is shaping up to be one of the most difficult alliance gatherings in years as Trump continues to pressure NATO allies to increase their military spending.

Trump has repeatedly criticized alliance members for their levels of defense spending ahead of the meeting.

In a series of tweets and comments to reporters as he departed Washington, D.C., on July 10, Trump suggested NATO’s other 28 members should “reimburse” the United States for its spending on the alliance.

Most worried are the the East-European members of the Alliance, who fer the growing Russian threat. Poland and Romania are actually hosting key elements of the US-built anti-missile shield, and fear that Trump might want to dismantle it.Read more

German neo-Nazi jailed for life over racially motivated murders

Rama-Tsipras Meeting: Soon to obtain a positive solution between two countries

LONDON – During the meeting between the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Greek counterpart Aleksis Tsipras held at the London Summit, it was agreed that a positive solution could be soon obtained between Albania and Greece.

Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ditmir Bushati, highlighted the importance of the sea delimitation deal between the two countries.

“We have taken steady steps forward in the talks on a new agreement on sea delimitation, an agreement based on the principles of international public law in the field of sea, on top of all a new agreement which would be equitable and applicable for both our countries”, said Bushati..Read More

5 questions with... Ana Gomes

1. Is there anything you have personally achieved or done that would surprise people?
   My happy family life, despite having so little (but quality) time to dedicate to my loved ones since becoming an MEP.

1. What is the most humbling thing you have experienced in your career?
   Learning that you cannot achieve anything alone, you always have to engage with others, you always have to communicate and impart to others. Being good at communicating with others is crucial to be effective.

1. How would you describe your political/leadership style in three words?
   Engaging, frank and committed.

1. What was the most inspirational and influential book you have read and why?
   A biography for children on the hard life and scientific achievements of Marie Curie, which my mother insisted I read when I was seven years old. It instilled in me the sense that I should work to improve humanity and doing so requires study, determination and persistence.

1. What do you do in your free time to relax and unwind?
   Play with my grandchildren, read newspapers and magazines, gardening, looking out at the sea.Read More

'US must explain military presence near Russia borders

Russia’s defense minister says the US accuses his country of “aggression,” while its own military is advancing closer and closer to Russian borders, calling on Washington to explain why its military bases are edging closer to Russian soil.

“Today, recuperating Russia is being viewed not as an ally but as a threat to the US dominance,” Sergei Shoigu said in an interview with Italy’s Il Giornale newspaper, which was released on Wednesday.

“I, as president of the Russian Geographical Society, have for a long time wanted to present the US colleagues with a globe so that they would look at it and explain to us, why the ‘US adversaries’ designated by them are located in the Middle East and East Asia, while all their military bases and groups are nearing Russia's borders,” he added.Read More

German neo-Nazi jailed for life over racially motivated murders

The only surviving member of a German neo-Nazi cell behind a shocking series of racist murders was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison, capping one of the longest and politically charged trials of the post-war period.

Beate Zschaepe, 43, was found guilty of 10 counts of murder in deadly shootings of nine Turkish and Greek-born immigrants as well as of a German policewoman. The murders were carried out by a trio known as the National Socialist Underground (NSU).Read More

NATO Summit: Trump lashes 'captive' Germany in furious tirade

US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Germany at the start of a tense NATO summit, accusing Berlin of being "captive" to Russia and demanding it and other allies immediately step up defence spending.

The two-day meet in Brussels was already shaping up to be the alliance's most difficult in years, with Europe and the US engaged in a bitter trade spat and Trump demanding that NATO allies "reimburse" Washington for the cost of defending the continent.Read more

Dublin's Eilis Ryan announces intention to run for European seat

Workers Party councillor Eilis Ryan has revealed that she will contest the European elections next year in the Dublin region.

The socialist and feminist is one of the first figures to confirm she will put her name forward for the May 2019 elections.

Ireland is due to get another two seats after Britain leaves the European Union, bringing its total tally in the European parliament to 13.

However, this is unlikely to be formally confirmed until December. Furthermore, it is unclear yet where the extra seats might go.Read More

Euro 'Fairly Close to $1.30' at End of 2019, Says Investec's Shaw

Bloomberg Surveillance
July 11th, 2018, 11:22 AM GMT+0100
Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, discusses expectations for the euro amid trade tensions and potentially tighter policy from the European Central Bank. He speaks with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)
Read More

Germany dismisses Trump criticism, says it's not a captive of Russia

Germany can take President Donald Trump’s criticisms in its stride, the country’s Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told CNBC Wednesday.
Trump kicked off this week’s NATO summit with scathing words for Europe’s economic powerhouse, calling it “captive” to Russia over its plans for an $11 billion gas pipeline that would connect the two countries and increase Germany’s reliance on Russian energy supply.

“I think we can cope with it,” von der Leyen said in response to the berating from the U.S. president, speaking to CNBC's Hadley Gamble on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. Read More

'American Idiot' could top UK charts in time for Trump visit

Ahead of Donald Trump's UK visit, protesters have been plotting to hijack the British music charts in a push to have a special song at number one just in time for his arrival.

A campaign to get Green Day’s 2004 hit ‘American Idiot’ to the top of the charts has attracted thousands of supporters and is well on the way to achieving the musical quest.

“Simple. When President Trump arrives on UK soil for his visit on Friday 13th July 2018, 'American Idiot' will be the official No.1 single. Are you in?” The campaign’s Facebook page reads.

The ‘Get American Idiot to No.1 for Trump’s UK Visit’ organisers said they’ve rallied more than 20,000 supporters because it’s “hilarious”. They also said they know the campaign is “idiotic” but they’re doing it anyway.Read More

Russia and the Council of Europe

A Westminster Hall debate on ‘Russia and the Council of Europe’ has been scheduled for Wednesday 18 July 2018 from 9.30am to 11.00am. The debate has been initiated by John Howell MP.

The Library will produce a briefing for this debate and the page will be updated when it is made available. You can be notified when this takes place by emailing papers@parliament.uk Read More

China's CIC sovereign fund says trade war would hurt its investments

PARIS, July 11 (Reuters) - The president of China’s CIC sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday that a trade war appeared unavoidable, and that the dispute would have a negative impact on CIC’s investments.

“None of us is hoping for this trade war, (but) it seems to be unavoidable,” said China Investment Corp (CIC) President Tu Guangshao, who was speaking at a financial conference in Paris.

China has accused the United States of bullying and warned it would hit back after President Donald Trump’s administration raised the stakes in their trade dispute, threatening 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods.Read More

How to Reduce Nuclear Risks in Helsinki
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Presidents Trump and Putin will finally meet next week in Helsinki for a bilateral summit. Throughout the Cold War, summits between US and Soviet leaders were overwhelmingly welcomed in both countries and the world as an opportunity to reduce tensions. After the Cold War, these meetings became routine. Today, the scheduling of the Trump-Putin summit has proven controversial across the Euro-Atlantic region. Yet it is our region that stands to benefit the most from renewed dialogue between Presidents Trump and Putin—and leaders across Europe—particularly if it is focused on cooperation in areas of existential common interest.

Reducing and eliminating nuclear and other military risks is a vital common interest for all nations—especially in an era of destabilization, where serious political differences, new military technologies, and a breakdown in arms control could trigger a nuclear catastrophe. The United States and the Russian Federation have a shared responsibility to work together along with other nations to clarify our differences and mitigate these risks. Progress can only be made through the engagement of leaders. Moreover, in every country that possesses nuclear weapons, anything relating to nuclear policy is inherently “presidential.” Read More