Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has left no doubt about who is in control in his country. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko left little doubt about who was in control of his country following last week’s elections. The European Union had hoped for more democracy. But it would appear that many in Belarus are happy with the status quo. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was one of... 

EU industry commissioner Antonio Tajani Europe should establish a new authority with powers to block foreign takeovers of strategic European businesses, EU industry commissioner Antonio Tajani has argued. The authority is particularly necessary as Chinese companies increasingly look to grow their overseas investments, the Italian politician said in an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt... 

An EU flag flutters inside the European Union headquarters in Brussels. Brussels: It’s been a stormy year for the European single currency, and there are very real fears that the sovereign debt crises that hit Greece and Ireland could engulf other eurozone countries. The EU has been under fire for its response to the crisis and for not doing enough to prevent a fresh set of bailouts. No one could... 

The European Commission has come under fire for producing more than three million copies of an EU diary for secondary schools which contains no reference to Christmas but includes Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim festivities. More than 330,000 copies of the diaries, accompanied by 51 pages of glossy information about the EU, have been delivered to British schools as a “sought after” Christmas... 

Europe’s willingness to take directions from other world powers is “pitiful” and “pathetic” China’s top man in Brussels has said. The remarks by Chinese ambassador Song Zhe come as a leaked US diplomatic cable revealed that Washington quickly swung into action earlier this year when the Spanish EU presidency suggested the Union should lift its arms embargo with... 

A British member of the European parliament was thrown out of a debate on Wednesday, after quoting Nazi slogans in German in the chamber. ‘Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer (One People, One Kingdom, One Fuehrer),’ said Godfrey Bloom from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), which wants Britain’s exit from the EU. He was speaking in Strasbourg, France, during a debate on plans... 

As America has been moving left, Europe is taking the opposite course. Social-Democratic parties have lost some of their dominance. These two maps plot political power. For countries with coalition governments, the holder of the Prime Minister or being the largest party in the coalition is used. Purple is where the Prime Minister and President are from different blocks (for countries where the President... 

As an EU member it’s obligated to take in asylum-seekers. But as the flow of desperate Somalis and others hoping to reach Italy and farther has increased, it is making it harder than ever, drawing criticism from rights groups. Reporting from Valletta, Malta — When the 24-year-old Somali chemistry teacher saw the airplane overhead, he prayed that his nightmare journey was finally over.?? Already,... 

Members of the European Parliament have responded critically to new demands for data by Washington for people traveling to the United States. US officials are demanding access to additional European police databases in their hunt for potential terrorists traveling to the US. The demands include DNA samples, fingerprints, access to criminal registers and other information. The request is being opposed... 

A beggar on the streets of Venice. The Italian remarks come hot on the heels of Roma expulsions in France. Italy has said it intends to expel citizens from other EU states if they are not able to support themselves, in a move apparently inspired by France’s current crackdown on Roma. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni told daily newspaper Corriere della Sera on Saturday (21 August) that French... 

European politicians and journalists visiting Iceland in recent months have been quite astonished to experience first hand how little interest Icelandic MPs and Icelanders in general have in joining the European Union. So astonished in fact that Icelandic lawmakers have repeatedly been asked if the EU application delivered by the Icelandic government in 2009 is really serious. Well, quite frankly... 

Robert Mugabe told EU and other diplomats to ‘go to Hell’ over their sanctions regime EU, German and US envoys to Zimbabwe have been berated by Harare for walking out of the funeral of President Robert Mugabe’s sister. The diplomats left the burial ceremony on Sunday after Mr Mugabe used the occasion to lay into the West. In his speech for his younger sister Sabina, who died at age... 

The European Union’s antitrust regulators said Monday they have launched two formal investigations into IBM for alleged antitrust abuses in the mainframe computer market. In a news release, the European Commission said it is investigating allegations by software competitors T3 and Turbo Hercules that IBM tied its mainframe operating system to sales of its mainframe hardware. By doing so, the companies... 

The European Union (EU) on Monday adopted a new round of sanctions against Iran that, if implemented, will have serious implications not only for the EU as the Islamic Republic’s largest trading partner, but also for its energy security. The new European sanctions target Iranian shipping and air cargo companies, impose visa bans on officials and freeze assets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary... 

Luc Everaert The International Monetary Fund this morning released its latest review of the eurozone economy, a collection of 16 countries that, judging from the report’s conclusions, are becoming the continent’s new Brothers Grimm. Growth is slow — and at risk of getting slower because bank credit has dried up. The banks themselves are undercapitalized and far too dependent on government...