France: protests continue
26 Sep 2019
Protests against President Macron and globalisation, neoliberalism, corruption, labour code reform and high taxes have been happening weekly by the ‘yellow vest’ movement since 17 November 2018. They have attracted hundreds of thousands of people across…
Italy: glacier near collapse
26 Sep 2019
Italian authorities have closed roads and evacuated mountain huts after experts warned that part of a glacier on Mont Blanc could collapse. About 250,000 cubic metres of ice are in danger of breaking away from the…
Spain: aftermath of unprecedented storm
20 Sep 2019
It smells of mud and damp. Mattresses, household appliances, chairs and broken tables are tossed outside on almost every street hit by last week’s worst storm in 140 years. Residents in Orihuela, one of many towns…
EU parliament - solutions?
20 Sep 2019
Jean-Claude Juncker has asked Britain to table ‘operable proposals in writing’ to the Irish Backstop. On 19 September the UK gave the EU written suggested solutions ‘reflecting the ideas the UK has put forward’ saying that…
Russia: election results hit ruling party
12 Sep 2019
After the elections on 8 September, the ruling party’s majority in Moscow has decreased dramatically (26 seats out of 45, down from 40). This follows two months of intense protest, denouncing the authorities' decision to ban…
France: Macron ally corruption probe
12 Sep 2019
The National Assembly president Richard Ferrand, a close ally of President Macron, was put under formal investigation in a financial impropriety case. In a statement on 12 September the assembly said that Ferrand, who denies any…