Britain’s government pledged Friday to strengthen border security, as a daily record number of people crossed the English Channel to the U.K. in small boats. The measures that reportedly could involve the Royal Navy, come amid broader concerns in Europe about a rising number of migrants re-emerging following lengthy coronavirus lockdowns.
The Netherlands is among several European nations stepping up measures to halt a new rise in coronavirus infections.
France faced two battles Wednesday with firefighters struggling to contain wildfires and authorities warning of a new wave of coronavirus infections.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Europeans are crowding beaches and other areas amid a massive heatwave. That has added to deaths at sea, including in the Netherlands.
The European Union’s statistics agency has reported the most significant economic falls within the 27-nation bloc since it began recording the figures 25 years ago.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has urged the European Union to help end an alleged government crackdown on independent media in Hungary.
Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists began a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Monday as part of efforts to end their six-year conflict.
Spain and several other European nations are taking new measures to halt an increase in reported coronavirus cases. The decisions come amid fresh warnings by authorities of a widespread “second wave” of infections.
Prosecutors in France say a fire that erupted in the Gothic cathedral of the western French city of Nantes started deliberately. Tourists and residents watched in horror Saturday as firefighters battled the blaze at the 15th-century St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in the city’s historical center.
A pro-Western party in North Macedonia is trying to form a coalition government after it claimed victory in somewhat historic but troubled elections. The Balkan nation’s first national vote under a new state name faced a suspected hacking attack impacting the publishing of results.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a further summit of European Union member states may be required if Friday’s planned meeting fails to produce agreement on an economic stimulus package to help the bloc recover financially from COVID-19, the Washington Times reports.
The French government and unions have signed an agreement to give over eight billion euros in pay rises for the nation’s troubled health workers. France’s recently appointed Prime Minister Jean Castex said the move was overdue amid the devastating coronavirus pandemic in the European Union member state.
Israel can expect a third intifada if it moves ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, an advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
Any changes to Israel’s eastern border would impact relations between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, France and Germany, the countries’ foreign ministers said on Tuesday.
A French court has launched an inquiry into the alleged mishandling by the outgoing French government of the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement comes while elsewhere in Europe, and the former Soviet Union, tensions also rise over the way leaders deal with the crisis.
France was to name a new prime minister later Friday after Edouard Philippe and his cabinet resigned amid mounting concerns about the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation.
Borders reopened across Europe on Monday after three months of coronavirus lockdowns. But many restrictions persist and remain unclear how willing Europeans will be to travel this summer.
More anti-racism and counter-protests are due to continue in the U.S. and around the world after the second high profile killing of a black man in the United States within weeks. U.S. authorities say an Atlanta police officer has been fired following the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, over the weekend. A second officer has been placed on administrative leave.
A human rights group supports a European court case against Hungary for “failing to protect its citizens” and “causing death” by emptying hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.
British and French officials say migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty are using increasingly desperate measures to reach Britain. In the latest case, four migrants tried to cross the English Channel on a makeshift raft made from two windsurfing boards tied together. They were reportedly using shovels as paddles.