Europe
Brexit border stalemate
Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, was challenged by British and Irish parliamentarians on the potential for violence if Brexit allowed any physical infrastructure to return to the Irish border. Senator Frank Feighan…
Polish election result
Poland's electoral officials have reported that a pro-European Union opposition party has defeated the ruling conservatives in local elections in Warsaw. The 21 October national elections were a popularity test for the conservatives,…
Norway: NATO war games
NATO has launched its biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War, amid rising tensions with Russia. About 50,000 soldiers from 31 countries are taking part in a mock battle in…
Crimea: eighteen students killed
Attacks by disaffected teenagers at schools and colleges have hit the headlines recently in Russia. In January, a student in Siberia attacked a teacher and fellow-students with an axe and set fire to…
The poorest country in Europe
Albania is considered to be the poorest country in Europe, with a high level of poverty and little access to basic social services. Thousands of children face injustice in many forms of abuse,…
Russia: Putin’s popularity decreasing
A survey by the independent pollster Levada Centre shows the number of Russians regarding Putin as Russia’s most trusted politician has fallen significantly recently. The survey asked respondents to list five or six…
Europe: kicking the plastic habit
The EU is taking a hard line on single-use plastics, with the European parliament's environment committee voting to bolster the Commission’s plastics policy. The report now lays out bans on plastic straws, plastic…
UK government attacks EU
The UK government is demanding action from the EU amid strong frustration over the lack of proposals from Brussels on a post-Brexit relationship. Speaking to CNBC recently, several members of the Government appeared…
Russia cyber-attacks
Dutch military intelligence disrupted a Russian cyber-attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The attack, which was thwarted with the help of British officials, came after Russia had also attempted…
EU: ambassadors discuss no-deal Brexit
A leaked document has revealed that EU officials are making no-deal Brexit preparations due to ‘uncertainty’ over a deal passing through the House of Commons. EU ambassadors held a rare ‘closed session’ on…

