Europe
Ukraine election result: Russia’s reaction
Russia's prime minister says there is a chance for improved relations with Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedian with no political experience, was elected president in a landslide victory. Russian state media presented…
Russia: Kim’s visit
President Vladimir Putin was ‘pleased’ with the outcome of his 25 April meeting in Vladivostok with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying he would discuss the results with his Chinese counterparts when he…
France: damaged but still standing
otre Dame suffered desecration during the 1789 French Revolution and was restored by 1804, when it was the venue for Napoleon’s coronation as emperor of France. A restoration project between 1844 and 1864…
EU: Macron and US animosity
Emmanuel Macron is launching a bid to block EU/US trade talks because of Donald Trump’s refusal to sign up to the Paris climate agreement. Trump enraged Brussels when he described the EU as…
Trump calls EU brutal
The US president called Brussels ‘a brutal trading partner’ and criticised the EU's tough treatment of Britain after it gave the UK a further extension at the special Brexit summit. He finished his…
Romania: Christianity v witchcraft
Parts of Romania are hotbeds of the occult and witchcraft, as well as home to large groups of unreached Roma gypsies and Romanians. Witchcraft is a respected (and feared) profession: even the president…
Poland: Harry Potter books burnt
Priests at a Catholic parish in northern Poland have burnt books, including the Harry Potter series, and other items that their owners said had evil forces. Images from the burning at Gdansk’s Mother…
Malta: archbishop’s warning to new president
Archbishop Charles Scicluna delivered the message at the mass on George Vella’s swearing-in as Malta’s tenth president. Scicluna made the point that ‘the economic prosperity of a country is on solid foundations when…
State of Europe Forum
The recent Dutch provincial elections revealed a disturbing degree of provincialism and xenophobia; the leader of the winning party had dedicated his university dissertation to the French extreme nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen! The…
Malta: ship 'hijacked by migrants'
Maltese armed forces have boarded a merchant vessel that was allegedly hijacked by migrants after they were rescued off the coast of Libya. Five of the migrants have now been arrested, accused of…
