Europe - CDE News - The Dispatch

Germany’s Merkel set to agree to cautious easing of COVID-19 lockdown

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was expected on Wednesday to agree a gradual relaxation of coronavirus curbs with regional leaders, but the rules can be tightened again if infections jump, according…

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UPDATED: Poland’s new coronavirus cases accelerating

Poland's new daily coronavirus cases have jumped to 15,698 on Wednesday from 7,937 the day before, Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska told public radio adding the third wave is accelerating.…

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UPDATED: Hungary’s Fidesz to leave EPP grouping in European Parliament

Hungary's ruling Fidesz party said on Wednesday it was leaving the largest centre-right political group in the European Parliament after the faction moved towards suspending it in a tug-of-war over…

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UPDATED: Explosion at Dutch COVID-19 testing centre

An explosive went off at a coronavirus testing centre north of Amsterdam before sunrise on Wednesday, shattering windows but causing no injuries in what police called an intentional attack. An…

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Spain lowers coronavirus tally after recount, infection rate falls

Spain revised downwards its tally of coronavirus cases after eliminating those registered twice in the region of Catalonia and its health ministry said the rate of infection had also fallen.…

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Photo Story: Ice on the River Ogre in Latvia

A boy walks on the ice float fragments piling on a bank of the Ogre river, near Ogre, Latvia. Latvia saw a new 'heat record' this week with air temperatures…

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Sweden heading into third wave of pandemic

Sweden appeared headed into a third wave of the pandemic, the Health Agency said, as it tightened crowd restrictions for shops amid a recent rise in new COVID-19 cases and…

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Obey rules, PM warns, as Portugal turns corner in tough COVID-19 battle

Portugal had its fewest COVID-19 patients in hospital in four months on Tuesday, data showed, as its prime minister warned that enforcing lockdown curbs remained essential in a country that…

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Contestants have to travel to Rotterdam for Eurovision Song Contest

Artists from 41 countries will appear live at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands under plans set out by the event's organisers. Executive supervisor Martin Osterdahl told the…

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Sarkozy ready to sue France before European court to prove innocence

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday he was ready to go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights to prove his innocence, his first public…

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Italy closes schools in worst-hit coronavirus areas – Update

ROME, March 2 (Reuters) - Italy's government on Tuesday ordered the closure of all schools in areas hardest hit by COVID-19 and extended curbs already in place on businesses and movement…

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UK royal Meghan awarded 450,000 pounds in costs after court privacy win

LONDON (Reuters) - Meghan, Britain’s Duchess of Sussex, was awarded 450,000 pounds ($630,000) on Tuesday as a provisional payment towards her legal costs after she won a privacy claim against…

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Austria and Denmark to produce own Covid-19 vaccine with Israel

Austria and Denmark, chafing at the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines within the European Union, have joined forces with Israel to produce second-generation vaccines against mutations of the coronavirus. The move by the…

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Serbia donates COVID-19 vaccines to Bosnia’s Muslims, Croats

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Former wartime enemy Serbia donated 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Bosniak-Croat region of neighbouring Bosnia on Tuesday, allowing it to launched its inoculation campaign. The…

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Contagious Brazil COVID-19 variant evades immunity, scientists warn

LONDON (Reuters) - A highly transmissible COVID-19 variant that emerged in Brazil and has now been found in at least 20 countries can re-infect people who previously recovered from the…

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EU top court says Polish judges have right to appeal nominations

WARSAW (Reuters) - Judges applying to join Poland's Supreme Court should have the right to challenge the opinions of a body reviewing candidates, the European Union's top court said, drawing…

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Italy reports first Nigerian Covid variant in Brescia

ANSA - The Nigerian variant of COVID-19 was isolated in Brescia north of Milan on Tuesday. Arnaldo Caruso, president of the Italian society of virology, said "for the first time…

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German exports to UK fell almost a third in January as Brexit hit

German exports to the United Kingdom fell by 30% on the year in January as the impact of Brexit turned Europe's largest economy away from the UK, exacerbating the hit…

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Turkey’s reopening relieves restaurants but worries doctors

Turkish restaurants reopened and many children returned to school on Tuesday after the government announced steps to ease COVID-19 curbs even as cases edged higher, raising concerns in the top medical association.…

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Revamped Alitalia to start with 45 planes, get 1 bln euros in aid

A revamped Alitalia will start with 45 planes, have around 4,500 workers and get just over 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in state support, less than half of what was previously envisaged,…

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Romanian politician jailed for corruption and money laundering

A Romanian court sentenced a former government minister as well as the daughter of former president Traian Basescu to jail on Tuesday for money laundering and instigating others to take bribes in…

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Germany to extend coronavirus lockdown until March 28 – reports

Germany plans to extend its coronavirus lockdown until March 28 while easing some restrictions from next week, a draft document to be discussed by Chancellor Angela Merkel and federal state leaders showed on…

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UK banks face savings glut on road to pandemic recovery

Britain's big four banks amassed more than 200 billion pounds ($277.52 billion) of new deposits last year as customers reined in spending through pandemic lockdowns, far outstripping extra lending to struggling businesses and households.…

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Gorbachev, last Soviet leader, to mark 90th birthday on Zoom as Putin lauds him

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, was expected to throw a Zoom party on Tuesday to celebrate his 90th birthday as President Vladimir Putin lauded him as an outstanding statesman who…

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Scientists concerned with post-Covid effects on children

Scientists in the United Kingdom have expressed their concern that Covid in children should not be ignored given the lack of a vaccine for this age group, but cautioned that…

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England to bid for 2030 World Cup

England is expected to prepare a bid for the 2030 World Cup and the Football Association has expressed its support, together with the other home nations and the Republic of…

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Pilots union calls for government to act quickly on Alitalia revamp

Italy's new government must act quickly to break the deadlock over the revamp of Alitalia, the trade union representing the airline's pilots and flight attendants said ahead of state talks…

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Sven Giegold backs Anti-Money Laundering (AML) proceedings against Germany

Outspoken Green MEP Sven Giegold has backed the initiation of infringement proceedings against Germany regarding the implementation of the 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive. Giegold, who has often spoken about Malta's…

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Spain ready to act unilaterally if no EU agreement on vaccine passports is reached

Spain said today that unless European Member States agree on vaccine passports, it is prepared to act unilaterally and open up green corridors for vaccinated British tourists. The country's Tourism…

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UK finds vaccines 80% effective at preventing hospitalisations in over-80s

The Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are more than 80% effective at preventing hospitalisations from COVID-19 in those over 80 after one dose of either shot, Public Health England (PHE) said on Monday, citing a pre-print study. PHE said the real…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Kamieniec Zabkowicki Palace, Poland

The Kamieniec Zabkowicki Palace in Kamieniec Zabkowicki village, south-western Poland. Kamieniec Zabkowicki Palace is a monumental nineteenth-century Neo-Gothic palace. The builder and first owner of the Kamieniec Zabkowicki Palace (then…

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“There is only one Pope”- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Vatican News / Corriere della Sera - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s resignation from the papacy, which became effective eight years ago, [28 February 2013] was a “difficult choice,” but made…

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Five injured in Baghdad protest ahead of Pope visit to Iraq

BAGHDAD, March 1 (Reuters) - At least five people were injured on Monday when Iraqi security forces wielding clubs broke up a street protest in Baghdad's central Tahrir Square, security…

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Sardinia becomes Italy’s low-Covid-19-risk white zone

CDE/Ansa - The island of Sardinia has become Italy's first region to be classed as a low-COVID-19-risk white zone,. The new status enables bars and pubs to stay open to…

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Italy factory activity grows for eighth month running in February

Italian manufacturing activity expanded for the eighth month running in February and at a faster rate than the month before, a survey showed on Monday, despite coronavirus restrictions still weighing…

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Britain’s online grocery boom

The online share of British grocery sales hit a record 16% in January, up from 8% in the same month last year, driven by increased demand during the country's third…

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Morrisons adds 300 UK stores

British supermarket chain Morrisons extended a deal with convenience store operator McColl's to rename 300 McColl's outlets as Morrisons Daily shops, increasing the brand's presence in the neighbourhood market. Morrisons…

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Photo Story: Charles Michel visits Georgia

Handout photos made available by Georgian President's Press Service shows Charles Michel, the president of the European Union Council (L) and Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili (R) attending a news conference…

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Former Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu arrested after club offices raided

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested on Monday after Catalan police officers searched the La Liga club's offices. A regional police spokeswoman confirmed several arrests had been made following an…

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Switzerland ‘losing global clout’

Switzerland’s fading influence on the international stage is a cause of concern to former Swiss National Bank (SNB) chairman Philipp Hildebrand. Hildebrand, who this week ended his race to become…

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French court finds former President Sarkozy guilty of corruption

A French court found former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty on Monday of trying to bribe a judge and influence peddling, making him the second head of state in modern-day France to be…

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Pope’s risky trip to Iraq defies sceptics

Rockets have hit Iraqi cities and COVID-19 has flared,yet, barring last-minute changes, Pope Francis will embark on a whirlwind four-day trip starting on Friday to show solidarity with the country’s…

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Photo Story: Italy prepares for the 71st Sanremo Music Festival

Sanremo Festival host and artistic director, Amadeus and Rai Radio2 Dj Ema Stokholma (R) pose during a photocall on occasion of the 71st Sanremo Italian Song Festival, in Sanremo, Italy,…

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Prince Philip moved to different hospital

Britain's Prince Philip, the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth, was transferred to a different hospital in central London on Monday to have tests for a pre-existing heart condition as well…

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UPDATED: Finland declares state of emergency as COVID-19 cases rise

The Finnish government declared a state of emergency on Monday due to rising COVID-19 infections, a step that would allow the Nordic country to shutter restaurants and to impose other…

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Search for mystery patient zero in bid to limit UK spread of Brazilian variant

Officials are scrambling to try and locate the first people in the UK believed to have contracted the newest variant of coronavirus to arrive in the country, first detected in…

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Pfizer vaccine may be less effective in people with obesity, says study

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may be less effective in people with obesity, data suggests. Italian researchers have discovered that healthcare workers with obesity produced only about half the amount of antibodies…

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Slovakia to tighten anti-COVID measures

Slovak government will tighten anti-epidemic measures from March 3, including stricter limits on people’s movement, as the country struggles with the resurgent coronavirus. The government of Prime Minister Igor Matovic…

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Former French president Sarkozy faces verdict in corruption trial

A French court is to hand down its verdict in the corruption trial of former president Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday, with prosecutors demanding prison time for the 66-year-old. Sarkozy, who led France…

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Norway’s capital Oslo tightens coronavirus lockdown

Norway’s capital Oslo will tighten lockdown measures to combat a sharp rise in coronavirus infections linked to a more contagious variant, the city’s governing mayor said. The variant, which was…

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Russian scientists say Sputnik V performs well against COVID mutations

A Russian trial testing the effectiveness of revaccination with the Sputnik V shot to protect against new mutations of the coronavirus is producing strong results, researchers said. Last month President…

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Italy’s former PM Conte accepts task of trying to revive 5-Star Movement

Italy’s former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, a technocrat who had previously refused any direct party affiliation, on Sunday took on the task of reviving the fortunes of the 5-Star Movement…

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German health advisers signal end of Oxford/AstraZeneca age restrictions – FT

CDE/FT/ZDF - A German government health advisers have signalled they might allow older individuals to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as EU governments come under increasing pressure to clear the…

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Charles Michel visits Moldova

During a brief visit to Chișinău, European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday praised Moldova’s renewed efforts to contain corruption and strengthen the rule of law, and pledged continuing help…

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Germany register 5.5% fall in beer sales

POLITICO - Germans have discovered an alarming COVID-19 side effect: a loss of taste for beer. Sales of the country's national beverage fell 5.5 percent last year to 8.7 billion…

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Up to six cases of Brazil’s Manaus variant of coronavirus detected in UK

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Up to six cases of the variant of coronavirus first identified in the Brazilian city of Manaus have been detected in Britain for the first…

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Italy reports 192 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, 17,455 new cases

ROME (Reuters) - Italy reported 192 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, while the daily tally of new infections declined to 17,455, the health ministry said. On Saturday, the country had reported…

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