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Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts

10/30/22

EU: Record inflation in Europe

Inflation in the UK has surged back up to 10.1 per cent in October, the same figure recorded in July which at the time was a 40-year high.

The Office for National Statistics reported that food prices were creating the biggest upward contribution, at an annual rate of 14.6 per cent.

Eurozone inflation is also continuing to hover around record highs, with the latest estimate predicting annual eurozone inflation of 9.9 per cent - compared to 3.4 per cent a year ago.

Across the wider EU, annual inflation reached 10.9 per cent, according to the bloc's statistics body Eurostat.


Read more at: https://www.ruronews.com


10/6/22

A new European United Nations ?

Prague on Thursday for the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community to discuss the continent's challenges, with leaders insisting on common values.

The new club of nations has been billed as an opportunity for European leaders to have political discussions and was initially pitched as a community of democratic nations in response to Russia's war in Ukraine.

But some of the heads of state in Prague have questioned the presence of some of their counterparts including the Turkish and Azerbaijani leaders, according to an EU official quizzed on the issue.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com

6/29/22

Air Travel Europe: Europe travel troubles are piling up: How to avoid airport nightmares- Zach Wichter

Travelers heading to Europe this summer will have to pack a healthy supply of patience in addition to their passports. While passengers beginning their travels in Amsterdam tend to face the longest lines, Devin Matte said a flight delay leaving Boston caused him to miss his connection to Norway earlier this month. The Somerville, Massachusetts-based software engineer can attest to the customer service chaos travelers are facing in Europe firsthand.

"I talked to one guy who had flown from Atlanta to Amsterdam the night before, and he had to sleep in the airport. People in the airport, they said it was about six hours to get through security," Matte, 24, said.

When trying to rebook his flight, the customer service agent advised him to give himself at least six hours

to get through security if he wound up leaving the airport to stay in a hotel overnight.

While the pilot shortage has led to cancellations and delays in the U.S., a host of other issues overseas are leading to long lines at many major airports across the continent.

Read more at: Europe travel troubles are piling up: How to avoid airport nightmares

6/27/22

City Living: Vienna named the world’s most liveable city in 2022. These 5 European cities also made the top 10 - by Camille Bello

For the third time in the past five years, Vienna has captured the top spot in the Global Liveability Index, an annual report from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) published on Thursday.

The top ten rankings were dominated by western European cities, which make up half of those on the list.

Copenhagen follows Vienna in second place, with Zurich taking third place with Calgary in Canada.

Not far behind is Geneva in number six, followed by Frankfurt at seven. Amsterdam secured number nine.

Read more at: Vienna named the world’s most liveable city in 2022. These 5 European cities also made the top 10 | Euronews

6/11/22

The Netherlands Economy is the Most Competitive in Europe

The Dutch economy rivals European and global competitors making it a welcoming, stable and rewarding choice for foreign businesses to invest. The Netherlands’ GDP per capita is above EU averages and ahead of most nations. The Dutch economy has proven time and time again to be a powerhouse on the global stage. The Dutch punch above their weight by ranking as the most competitive economy in Europe and fourth in the world according to the World Economic Forum, the fourth most competitive nation in the 2020 IMD rankings and fifth in the 2020 Global Innovations Index.

Read more at: The Netherlands Economy is the Most Competitive in Europe

5/2/22

Russian invasion Ukraine: NATO Troops to Conduct War Exercises Across Europe to Deter Russia

Tens of thousands of troops from NATO and other north Atlantic nations will take part in a series of military exercises across Europe in the coming weeks as western countries seek to deter Russian aggression.

The exercises, backed by aircraft, tanks, artillery and armored assault vehicles, will take place in Finland, Poland, North Macedonia and along the Estonian-Latvian border. They will include troops from NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, which includes non-NATO members Finland and Sweden.

“The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century,” Lt. Gen. Ralph Wooddisse, commander of the U.K.’s field army, said in a statement.

The deployments will begin this week in Finland, where troops from the U.S., Britain, Estonia and Latvia will participate in Exercise Arrow to improve their ability to work alongside Finnish forces.

Also this week, some 4,500 troops will take part in Exercise Swift Response, which will include parachute drops and helicopter-borne assaults in North Macedonia. The operation will include forces from U.S., Britain, Albania, France and Italy.

Next month, 18,000 NATO troops, including forces from Britain, France and Denmark, will take part in Exercise Hedgehog along the Estonia-Latvia border.

In late May, about 1,000 British soldiers will join troops from 11 other nations for Exercise Defender in Poland.

Read more at NATO Troops to Conduct War Exercises Across Europe to Deter Russia – NBC Boston

1/27/22

Europe: The future of Europe: who holds the baton? –by Alberto Alemanno

Nine months after its delayed inception, the Conference on the Future of Europe is entering its second, concluding phase. The first two of the randomly selected European Citizens’ Panels have produced their recommendations, now transferred to the political level.

Last Friday and Saturday, the conference plenary—which in an unprecedented manner mixes elected politicians and other institutional actors with ordinary citizens—met to discuss the first 91 citizens’ recommendations received thus far. The two remaining panels, on ‘EU in the world / migration‘, and ‘A stronger economy, social justice and jobs / Education, culture, youth and sport / Digital transformation’, are due to finalise their work by the end of February.

Read more at: The future of Europe: who holds the baton? – Alberto Alemanno

12/13/21

WHO warns of 700,000 more COVID deaths in Europe by March 2022

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Europe remains “in the firm grip” of the coronavirus pandemic and the continent’s death toll could top 2.2 million this winter if current trends continue.

Another 700,000 Europeans could die by March 1, the WHO said on Tuesday, in addition to the 1.5 million who have already succumbed to the virus.

Read more at WHO warns of 700,000 more COVID deaths in Europe by March | Coronavirus pandemic News | Al Jazeera

11/18/21

COVID in Europe: Sweden's new COVID pass as Slovakia targets unvaccinated - by Alice Tidey and Aleksandar Brezar

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in various parts of Europe as the cold weather has affected the spread of the virus.

Countries on the Old Continent are attempting to curb the spike through various means -- from introducing lockdowns for the unvaccinated to limiting access to certain services, or pushing for an increase in vaccination rates.

Read more at: COVID in Europe: Sweden's new COVID pass as Slovakia targets unvaccinated | Euronews

9/13/21

Europe Doesn’t Want to Fight America’s Battles Anymore -by Christopher Caldwell

To listen to the debate in Europe over the chaotic retreat of United States troops from Afghanistan is to be struck by what a huge vocabulary Europeans have developed over the centuries for describing military calamities. What we just witnessed has already been described as a débâcle, a débandade, a dégringolade and a déroute, not to mention a “rout,” a “fiasco” and a “humiliation.”

The question at the heart of these discussions is whether the botched withdrawal is a failure serious enough to merit a rethinking of European-American defense arrangements. The Afghan war was a NATO operation, involving the core of the trans-Atlantic alliance system that dates from the Cold War. American fecklessness has left European leaders infuriated. In Germany, Armin Laschet, who is running to replace his Christian Democratic colleague Angela Merkel as chancellor in national elections this month, speaks of “the greatest debacle NATO has suffered since its founding.”

Read more at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/opinion/afghanistan-europe-nato.html

5/31/21

NATO tests its ability to reinforce Europe in a crisis with massive trans-Atlantic operation-by Murray Brewster

It was the kind of exercise that used to happen regularly in the deepest, darkest depths of the Cold War with the former Soviet Union.

In fact, it has been almost four decades since NATO nations practiced as a group the organizational and logistically complex task of rapidly moving troops and equipment across a potentially hostile Atlantic Ocean to reinforce Europe.

Over the last two weeks, warships, submarines and aircraft belonging to the western military alliance have war-gamed methods to keep the sea lines of communication open in the event of hostilities in Europe.

Read more at: NATO tests its ability to reinforce Europe in a crisis with massive trans-Atlantic operation | CBC News

4/19/21

EU - Soccer: Why European Super League could reshape the future of soccer

On Sunday, 12 of the biggest soccer teams in Europe announced their intention to form their own breakaway Super League in a bold move that challenges the tradition and long-standing history of the European club game, and could change the financial and competitive nature of the sport for generations to come.

Here's what you need to know about this seismic development:

Read more at: Why European Super League could reshape the future of soccer | CBC Sports

4/15/21

Coronavirus: Europe surpasses 1 million COVID deaths, WHO says

More than 1 million people have died from COVID-19 in Europe, the World Health Organization announced on Thursday.

WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge warned that the situation remains "serious," with about 1.6 million new cases reported each week in the region.

Speaking on vaccine fears, Kluge said the risk of people suffering blood clots is far higher for people with COVID-19 than people who receive AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine.

Read more at: Coronavirus: Europe surpasses 1 million COVID deaths, WHO says | News | DW | 15.04.2021

3/20/21

Europe sees a 3rd wave of COVID-19, propelled by variants

European leaders address concerns about the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine by getting the shot amid a third wave of the coronavirus, much of it propelled by variants.

Read more at: Europe sees a 3rd wave of COVID-19, propelled by variants | CBC.ca

1/19/21

USA: Biden to block Trump's proposal to lift US travel restrictions on Europe - by Jessica Glenza

Joe Biden’s administration plans to retain coronavirus travel restrictions on much of Europe, the United Kingdom and Brazil, aides to the president-elect said, shortly after the White House announced plans to lift the measures on 26 January.

Donald Trump signed an executive order late on Monday, ending the travel restrictions that he imposed in March 2020, and instead requiring that travelers present proof of a negative Covid-19 test to enter the US.

Read more: Biden to block Trump's proposal to lift US travel restrictions on Europe | Donald Trump | The Guardian

9/22/20

Coronavirus: Can Europe tame the pandemic’s next wave? - by Kai Kupferschmidt

We’re at risk of gambling away our success,” virologist Christian Drosten warned in the German newspaper Die Zeit last month. His message referred to Germany, but it could have been addressed to all of Europe. After beating back COVID-19 in the spring, most of Europe is seeing a resurgence. Spain is reporting close to 10,000 cases a day, more than it had at the height of the outbreak in the spring. France is back to reporting thousands of cases a day. In Germany, numbers are still low, but rising steadily. The pandemic is affecting countries that saw few cases in the spring, such as Greece and Malta, but is also rebounding in places that suffered terribly, including the cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

Few dispute that Europe rose to the initial challenge. In Bergamo, a hotspot in Italy’s Lombardy region, crematoria were so overburdened in March that army trucks had to transport the dead to other cities—but on 24 May, Lombardy registered zero COVID-19 deaths for the first time. By early July, the European Union and the United Kingdom together averaged fewer than 5000 new cases per day, whereas the United States and Brazil (which together have roughly the same population) had 50,000 and 40,000, respectively. Europeans enjoyed a surprisingly normal summer, with northern Europeans flocking to Mediterranean beaches.

The rising case numbers today aren’t quite comparable to the peak in April because countries are now testing far more people on a daily basis. But the increase shows that Europe relaxed measures too early and too much, says virologist Ab Osterhaus of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, Germany. “The wrong message was given, basically: We have done a great job and now we can relax again.” Instead, Europe could have tried to emulate New Zealand by stopping community transmission completely and zealously guarding against reintroductions, says Devi Sridhar, a global health expert at the University of Edinburgh who has been advising the Scottish government. Scotland committed early on to pushing case numbers down to zero, but other countries did not, and now almost all are seeing a resurgence

Read more at:
Can Europe tame the pandemic’s next wave? | Science | AAAS

9/11/20

USA - California wildfires: California wildfire smoke reaches Europe

Wildfires continued ravaging portions of the western United States on Friday, stoked by gusty winds and dry conditions.

Although some weather relief appears to be en route in the coming days, millions of acres have already burned. Homes and businesses have been engulfed, and injuries to both residents and first responders continue mounting. More than a dozen deaths, including at least 10 in California, have been reported.

Note EU-Digest: Tonight the Dutch KNMI weather report also mentioned that the haze which covered the Netherlands today was directly related to high altitude smoke that was drifting in from the California fires over Europe.
Western wildfires live updates: California wildfire smoke reaches Europe

9/8/20

Europe - Britain: Coronavirus: What's happening around the world on Tuesday


The United Kingdom government faced pressure Tuesday to act fast to keep a lid on coronavirus infections after a sharp spike in new cases across the nation over recent days stoked concerns about the pandemic's prospective path during winter.

In the wake of figures Monday showing that the U.K. recorded nearly 3,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day running, government ministers and scientists voiced concerns that the easing of the lockdown during the summer has prompted many people, particularly young adults, to let their guard down in a country that has seen Europe's deadliest virus outbreak.

Read more: 
Coronavirus: What's happening around the world on Tuesday | CBC News

8/4/20

Europe's coronavirus resurgence: Are countries ready to prevent a 'second wave'?

Many experts agree that Europe is experiencing a resurgence in cases, as people are more relaxed about social distancing during the summer months.

France has seen a 78 per cent increase in its weekly COVID-19 incidence rate per 100,000 people. New cases have increased from a couple of hundred per day to more than 1,000.

Read more at:
Europe's coronavirus resurgence: Are countries ready to prevent a 'second wave'? | Euronews