Thursday, 04 February 2021 21:21
France: religious transformation of schools
A French low-intensity war is bubbling around radicalising education. At a school in Saumur, a student told his teacher, ‘My father will behead you’. It is impossible to make a precise list of similar incidents that…
Thursday, 28 January 2021 20:43
Vaccination supply chain
The dispute between the EU and AstraZeneca continues. The EU ‘wants clarity on the vaccine delivery schedule’, and requested a clear plan for fast delivery of their reserved vaccines. AstraZeneca explained the complexities of scaling up…
Thursday, 28 January 2021 20:41
Netherlands: Covid lockdown riots
On 23 January, riots began in many Dutch towns and cities against a night-time curfew to slow the spread of Covid. Protesters burned down a Covid testing station, burned vehicles, threw knives at police, looted businesses,…
Thursday, 28 January 2021 20:38
Greece, Turkey: Mediterranean crisis talks
Greece and Turkey were on the verge of military confrontation last August, after Turkey launched its seismic survey ship and a small naval fleet to explore for undersea oil and gas in Eastern Mediterranean waters which…
Thursday, 21 January 2021 21:01
France: Irish truck drivers might need Covid-19 tests
Large numbers of Irish trucks have begun transporting goods via ferries to France, to avoid delays on the more traditional route to continental Europe via Britain, which withdrew from EU trading rules on 1 January. Ireland's…
Thursday, 21 January 2021 20:58
Germany: pragmatic Armin Laschet to succeed Merkel
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a centre-right party, has elected Armin Laschet, the pragmatic governor of Germany's most populous state, as its new leader - sending a signal of continuity before the 26 September election. The…