Europe
Europe: countries redeploy troops
Despite a call by the Iraqi parliament for the withdrawal of its forces, the USA stated it has no plans to do so, even though a draft letter signalling a pull-out was sent…
Ukraine jet crashes, killing 176
On 8 December, a Ukrainian jet bound for Kiev crashed soon after taking off from Tehran. The majority of passengers were from Iran and Canada. Ukraine initially blamed engine failure, but later retracted…
Cyprus: rape case
UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab expressed ‘serious concern’ about a possible miscarriage of justice by a Cypriot court convicting a British teenager of lying about being gang-raped on holiday. The 19-year-old originally told…
France: Strike deadlock continues over pension reforms
The French government and a key trade union on Sunday exchanged bitter accusations over who was to blame for France’s over three-week transport strike against pension reforms, as the stalemate showed little sign…
Albania: unethical building leaves 5,000 homeless
Illegal construction is rife in Albania: many buildings lack permits and don’t adhere to safety codes. The earthquake on 26 November killed 51 people, injured 900, and left 5,000 homeless. Nine people were…
Italy’s gospel radio
European Gospel Radio (EGR) is a non-denominational Christian radio touching any country in the world 24/7 on shortwave, streaming and satellite. It is a non-profit organisation, staffed by volunteers and professional broadcasters based…
Greece: ‘Two different hells’
Arash Hampay arrived in Greece in 2016, escaping persecution in Iran and crossing the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast. After spending 18 months on the island of Lesbos, he now lives in…
France: Russia / Ukraine peace talks
13,000 people have died since fighting began between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian soldiers in 2014. On 10 December 2019 Russia and Ukraine made progress towards restoring peace in eastern Ukraine, at a Paris…
Spain: immigrant centre attacked
On 4 December, a bomb squad in Madrid destroyed a grenade which had been thrown over the wall of a migrant centre for children. Police said it was a training grenade containing a…
The new European Commission
The mandate for the 2019-2024 European Union sees the election of new MEPs to the Parliament and a change to the whole European Commission, as Ursula von der Leyen replaces Jean Claude Junker…
