Reading Time: 2 minutes Eat Out to Help Out launches today – with government paying half on restaurant bills As of today customers will get up to 50% off on bills when visiting participating restaurants, pubs and cafes across the UK. Half price discount will run through August and applies to all food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed on the Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes 500,000 Roma citizens murdered in Nazi-occupied Europe Today’s rising hate crime and persistent discrimination towards Roma, Sinti and Travellers across Europe underlines the need to learn from the past to build a better future for Roma, as we commemorate Roma Holocaust Memorial Day. Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August pays tribute to the Roma Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Extra £2m to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 Scotland’s four science centres are being offered an extra £2 million in emergency funding to help weather the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The money is on top of annual funding of £2.67 million from the Scottish Government, and means they will be able to start Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Northvolt’s battery gigafactory marks the first of its kind in Europe The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a $350 million loan agreement to support the financing of Europe’s first home-grown gigafactory for lithium-ion battery cells, Northvolt Ett, in Sweden. The financing is supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main pillar of the Investment Read More…
Reading Time: 4 minutes The EU has committed over €750 billion to COVID-19 the stimulus plan Find out what the EU is doing to help Europe get back on its feet following the devastating economic effects brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read our timeline of EU measures to tackle Covid-19 for an overview of everything the EU is doing to Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Pay rises for doctors, police and more in the public sector Public sector workers, including doctors, teachers and police officers, will see above inflation pay rises this year, the Chancellor has announced today Reflecting the vital contributions public sector workers make to the United Kingdom, these pay rises cover the Armed Forces, teachers, police Officers, Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Approximately 7 million litres of diesel fuel were The Hague, 17 July 2020 Eurojust supported the Italian national authorities in cracking down on an organised crime group involved in large-scale tax fraud concerning diesel fuel and other financial crimes. 7 people were arrested in Italy and several assets were seized. The estimated damage caused by Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Minimum staffing levels in care homes has been detriment to seniors In future, provisions on a minimum staffing level in units for service housing with 24-hour assistance and for long-term institutional care for older people will be laid down by law. Until now, quality recommendations have been used to determine the staffing levels. After the Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Can the FAA under Trump be trusted The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation FOCA and the US Federal Aviation Administration FAA have signed a declaration of intent to strengthen collaboration in the area of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Collaboration will focus on research and development and on the exchange of ideas, personnel and information Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Scotland’s economy is tied to that of the UK Finance Ministers from the devolved administrations are urging the UK Government to ease the financial restrictions imposed on devolved governments so they can better respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Ahead of the Chancellor’s Summer Statement, Kate Forbes, Rebecca Evans and Conor Murphy are calling for Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Norway commits 190 million to fight against modern slavery. 40 million people currently subjected to modern ‘Civil society has a vital role to play in achieving our goal of ending modern slavery. As part of the development programme, we are therefore allocating NOK 190 million over a period of four years to support the work Read More…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fighting terrorism: Indictment filed against two suspects. Major terrorist attacked by Turkish Police The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has filed an indictment in the Federal Criminal Court against a Swiss-Tunisian dual national and a Swiss national resident in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The suspects are alleged to have attempted to Read More…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Over €100 Billion has already been allocated to economic relief The Spaniard Government and social stakeholders have signed an Agreement for Economic Reactivation and Employment, a new agreement that lays the foundations to speed up the economic recovery and create quality jobs following the crisis caused by COVID-19. This agreement comes from a vocation to Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Pub setting is an ideal environment for infection The UK Chancellor visited a pub in London to see how they’re planning to reopen safely at the weekend. the measured reopening of hospitality will allow the 1.4 million workers in this sector who have been furloughed to return to work safely the pub is one of Read More…
Reading Time: 6 minutes Dismantling of an encrypted network sends shockwaves through organised crime groups across Europe At a joint press conference today, French and Dutch law enforcement and judicial authorities, Europol and Eurojust presented the impressive results of a joint investigation team to dismantle EncroChat, an encrypted phone network widely used by criminal networks. Over the last months, Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute 84 out of 85 regions back changing Russias Constitution President Putin visited polling station No. 2151 located on the premises of the Russian Academy of Sciences and took part in the nationwide vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin said nearly 78% of voters backed amending about 60% of the constitution because they Trusted Putin. The move will essentially put Putin in power Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes EUR 2 million to support Iraq’s medical units Finland has committed EUR 2 million to support Iraq’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The support is part of Finland’s development cooperation carried out in Iraq. The funds will be channelled to Iraq via the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS), administered by UNDP. The main part of Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Germany ups their support for Sudan amidst political crisis. Germany is bringing international representation Following the peaceful revolution in 2019, the Sudan is now at a historic crossroads. After the peaceful revolution, what Comes next? In 2019 the peaceful protests by the courageous and resolute Sudanese people led to the fall of President Bashir’s regime. Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes £100 million rescue package for England’s zoos and aquariums. England is still far away from opening up Zoos and aquariums in England set to receive up to £100 million in additional support to help them continue to care for their animals through coronavirus pandemic. Zoos and aquariums in England are set to receive up to Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sexual violence survivors cannot be forgotten. The voices of survivors cannot be silenced On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the UN and the EU join their voices to call on the international community to accelerate its action to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence: “We re-commit to working together to Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes EU Donates 72,000 CONVID-19 Detection Kits to Guatemala. EU playing major humanitarian role in USA absents Today Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei received seventy two thousand (72,000) RT-PCR tests for the detection and diagnosis of the virus causing the respiratory syndrome of COVID-19 as part of a donation of the European Union (EU). This support will serve Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes UNHCR refugees and displaced persons – all-time high. Germany playing a major role in refugee support Sad state of affairs: Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, published annual figures today (18 June 2020) on displacement and forced migration. According to these figures, a total of 79.5 million people were displaced at the end of 2019 – 8.7 million Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Norway elected to the UN Security Council. Ireland and Canada were the other countries vying for a seat Norway was elected as a member of the UN Security Council for the period 2021–2022. “We would like to thank the UN member states for the confidence they have shown in us. The world needs more international Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Norway Supports Quantum Leap for the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund. Norway has committed 500M NOK The scale of violent conflicts the world is facing today requires a concerted international effort. The Norwegian Government has decided to provide 500 million NOK (approximately 52 million USD) for the next strategic phase of the UN Peacebuilding Fund Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Switzerland regrets sanctions against International Criminal Court. America continues to act unilaterally Switzerland regrets the more severe measures that the USA decided on 11 June 2020 against the International Criminal Court (ICC). It reaffirms its support for the ICC as an independent institution that prosecutes the most serious crimes and thereby contributes to lasting peace Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Finnish Government injects €100M Euros into universities. Finland universities are among the best worldwide The Finnish Government will make a one-off investment in the future by providing universities with capital. On the basis of research impact criteria, EUR 33 million will be allocated to universities in the fall of 2020 and, on the basis of Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes The French Embassy goes GREEN. The embassy’s electricity consumption decreased by 27% between 2009 and 2014 The “Green Embassy” project takes significant steps to make the French Embassy greener by targeting transportation, energy usage, waste management, water, consumption, shipping, and more. AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAM The French Embassy in the U.S. has undergone extensive renovations and Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Norway ratifies agreement regulating fishing in the Arctic Ocean. Canada among the five nations involved After the Norwegian Parliament approved a new agreement that aims to prevent unregulated fishing in the central Arctic Ocean and promote scientific research in the region, Norway now ratifies the Agreement. This agreement is an important part of the global Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Places of worship to re-open for individual prayer in the UK. Spiritual and mental health remains imperative Places of worship across England will be permitted to reopen for individual prayer from Monday 15 June, the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed today (Sunday 7 June). This decision follows discussions between the Government and representatives of major faiths through the Places of Worship Taskforce which Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes 76th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Tuesday, 6 June 1944 Allies invaded of Normandy “Today, on the 76th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, we remember and honour the brave Canadians and Newfoundlanders who fought, and those who gave their lives, alongside Allied forces in a battle that became a Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Norway host donor group for Palestine facing a $1.4B Deficit. Peace with Palestine and Israel is unlikely Norway Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide led a video meeting of donor countries in the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) for Palestine. EU High Representative Josep Borrell co-hosted the meeting. For the Palestinians, Prime Minister Mohammad Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Coronavirus shrinks Switzerland’s first-quarter GDP by 2.6 %. Food & Service sector hit hardest, 23.4% fall Switzerland’s GDP fell by –2.6 % in the 1st quarter of 2020, after rising by +0.3% in the previous quarter*. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the measures to contain it, economic activity in March was severely restricted. The Read More…
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Government of Spain approves Minimum Living Income. A living wage can lift families out of poverty. Spain seeks to eradicate poverty and encourage participation in the labour market and the social inclusion of people in situations of vulnerability. The Spanish Government estimates a minimum living income will benefit some 850,000 households and 2.3 million Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Supporting Ethiopia & Somalia in the fight against COVID-19. Germany provides millions in aid to Africa Millions of people in the Horn of Africa depend on humanitarian aid. COVID-19 is making the situation worse. In Ethiopia and Somalia, cooperation with the German Red Cross has made it possible to respond quickly and flexibly to the Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes COVID-19 reduced the number of Swiss Francs exiting country. Less money being sent back home to families Large numbers of migrants living and working abroad send part of their wages to their families back home on a regular basis. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, low-income countries have seen a dramatic fall in these remittances Read More…
Reading Time: 5 minutes Yemen: Displaced at Heightened Covid-19 Risk. The armed conflict that began in Yemen in March 2015 Over 500,000 Vulnerable in Renewed Fighting in North A displaced family in their tent in al-Sowida camp for internally displaced people in Marib governorate, north Yemen, February 2020. The family had been displaced twice, the second time after fleeing Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes In Germany, Anti-Semitism Creeps into Covid-19 Protests. Attacks Against Jewsis Institutions Rose 13 Percent Across German cities last weekend, thousands of people from many walks of life protested German government measures taken to control the spread of Covid-19. Yet some people used the protests as a pretext for displays of anti-Semitism, or open or thinly Read More…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Spain Set To Tackle COVID-19 And Re-Open Country. Museums, Libraries, Film Sets and Cultural Shows Opening Up Museums can open their doors to the public to visit permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, but cultural and educational activities will remain suspended. The adaptation of the facilities at museums to guarantee compliance with the Ministry of Health Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Italy Will Resume Public Mass On May 18. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti signed the Protocol May 7 In Italy, Masses, weddings, funerals and baptisms are set to resume in Italy on 18 May, with the provision that those attending abide by a strict set of social distancing and sanitation measures. After two months of live-streamed Masses Read More…
Reading Time: 7 minutes Reopening In The COVID-19 Era: How To Adapt To A New Normal. Maintain that 6-foot distance, even in the water Carter Vu, owner of an Atlanta hair salon bearing his name, checks the hair color treatment on Ann Walsh on April 24, the first day such businesses were allowed to open in Georgia after a Read More…
Reading Time: 8 minutes Daily Life In Italy During The CoViD-19 Pandemic. Italy may never recover for decades and decades For more than a month, Italians had heard of the ‘Corona Virus’ in China, having seen the stories on the news about how the Chinese Government was handling the epidemic. This news seemed like something that was from a Read More…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Will Greece Rise To The Fore From The Covid-19 Ashes? Greece May Never Recover For Decades The Corona virus has been a shock to the world and continues to be so. There can be no doubt that the economies of most major countries will be decimated as a result, and life as we have known Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Hungary Kicks Patients Out Of Hospitals To Prep For Covid-19. The order aimed to free up 36,000 beds A nurse in protective gear works at the Szent Laszlo Hospital in Budapest, Hungary, during the Covid-19 pandemic, April 27, 2020. © 2020 Balogh Zoltán/MTI via AP Covid-19 Evacuations Leave Some Without Access to Proper Health Care Like other Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Norway To Play Leading Role In International COVID-19 Summit. The Goal Is To Raise As Much Money As Possible The European Commission, under its President, Ursula von der Leyen, is to hold a virtual donor conference to mobilise political and financial support for efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Coronavirus Global Response Summit will be held Read More…
Reading Time: 3 minutes Scotland Issues 3.3% Pay Raise For Health Care Staff Retroactive To April 1, 2020 Pay Rise For Health Care Staff Health care staff are to receive an immediate 3.3% pay increase backdated from 1 April. The move, agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA, means staff will not need to wait for the pay to Read More…
Reading Time: 7 minutes Will Norway’s Government $50 Billion NOK Measures To Boost Economy The Norwegian Government today proposed $50 Billion NOK in additional financial measures to soften the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak in Norway. The newly submitted measures are directed at industries, companies and certain groups that have been particularly hard hit during the pandemic and are Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Italy is grateful for the 150 ventilators and urgent help provided by Russia to battle the Coronavirus In this challenging phase, Italy is receiving help and support from many countries, and it is evident the solidarity mechanism triggered by the international community. Our nation can only be grateful for this solidarity. Materials and capabilities from Russia Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes England Increases COVID-19 Testing To 100K People A Day. Unprecedented mass-scale testing by any country. England will carry out 100,000 tests for coronavirus every day by the end of this month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged today. Increased testing for the Nation Health Service (NHS) will form part of a new 5-pillar plan, bringing together Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute Finland Accepts 175 Refugees In Wake Of The Coronavirus And Provide 12 Million EURO For Financial Relief On 2 April, the Finnish Government adopted an amendment to the national implementation programme of the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The amendment concerns how the compensation paid by the European Commission to Finland for the Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes European Union Signs Historic Freetrade Agreement Viet Nam. The Value Of The Deal Totals $50 Billion The Council of the European Union has approved the ambitious free trade agreement with Viet Nam. Industrial tariffs can thereby soon be eliminated, and binding high standards for climate change mitigation, employee rights and fair competition will be put Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Norwegian companies Laerdal Medical and Servi have developed an emergency ventilator in collaboration with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment that could help to double the number of breathing machines at Norwegian hospitals by the end of May. For some of the most seriously ill coronavirus patients, respiratory assistance is necessary for survival. ‘This is Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes In a joint statement issued by the Germany’s Foreign Affairs Minister Heiko Maas and France’s Jean-Yves Le Drian, a renewed call for peace in Eastern Ukraine is paramount to help combat the mounting infected by the Coronavirus. At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic poses a historic challenge to the international community, we must actively pursue Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes In Italy, an increase in deaths due to coronavirus was again recorded. Over the past day, 743 people died from COVID-19. This was stated at a press conference by the head of the Department of civil defense Angelo Borelli, reports the Italian TV channel Rai News. According to the Italian Ministry of Health, the total Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute (Photo: Chesnot/Getty Images) French graphic novel artist, Albert Uderzo who is best known for his work on Astérix, has died. He was 92. He was the son of Italian immigrants who had retired from drawing in late 2011. French news agency AFP on Tuesday quoted his son-in-law as saying: “He died in his sleep at his home in Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Spanish military deployed to fight the coronavirus pandemic have been finding elderly patients in retirement homes abandoned and, in some cases, dead in their beds, the defence ministry has said. In emergency measures, the military has been brought in to help disinfect care homes in Spain, one of Europe’s worst-hit countries. The Defence Minister Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute French scientists have successfully tested the cure for COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine, which is used as an apparatus for malaria, in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin has been shown to be highly effective against a new type of virus. However, it is unambiguous to consider the drug acting against COVID-19 prematurely, according to a study by scientists Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is working on an amendment to the Immigration Regulations Act to allow foreign workers already in Norway to receive a residence permit extension. This amendment is of great importance to agriculture. The coronavirus situation is causing major agricultural challenges as closed borders and quarantine restrictions lead to a Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute Today marks six years since Russia illegally annexed Crimea. Canada unequivocally condemns this violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and of international law. For six years, the international community has witnessed grave human rights violations in Crimea committed by state agents of Russia. These have included arbitrary arrests and detentions, disappearances, torture and the Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute “We continue to pray for all who are ill due to this pandemic”, Pope Francis introduced the Saturday morning liturgy at the Casa Santa Marta. Then he specified his intention for the day: “Today, I would like to ask a special prayer for families: families who from one day to the next find themselves at home Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute Local, mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections that were due to take place in May this year will be postponed until May 2021, the Government has confirmed today. The Government will also work with the devolved administrations to ensure that they have the necessary powers to take the same approach. The decision was taken Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute The new President of Greece, Ekaterina Sakellaropoulou, has been sworn in and assumed the office of the head of state. The ceremony was held on Friday at a special session of the country’s Parliament. Sakellaropoulo became the first woman President of the Greek state. After a brief prayer in Parliament Sakellaropoulo took the oath on Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute In Italy, fresh data was provided on the number of people infected with COVID-19 and who died from the disease caused by the coronavirus. During the day, the number of infected people in the country increased by more than two thousand, and the number of deaths- by almost 200 people, according to La Repubblica. The Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Over the past 24 hours, the number of deaths from coronavirus in Italy has increased by 133. The head of the Department of civil protection Angelo Borrelli reported this, ANSA writes. The total number of deaths from the disease in Italy reached 366 people, he said. According to Borrelli, the number of infected people increased Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dr Stella Bosire awarded the Commonwealth Point of Light award for her tireless championing of rights and mentorship of some of society’s most vulnerable people. NAIROBI, Kenya, Dr Stella Bosire was awarded the Commonwealth Point of Light award, at an event hosted by the British High Commission in Nairobi, focussed on empowering women. Cabinet Secretary Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Finland has signed the European Plastics Pact, where a large number of European countries, companies and associations make a commitment to acting on a voluntary basis to reduce the environmental harm caused by plastics. “The Pact signed today serves as a great example of cooperation between states, companies and non-governmental organizations. The goals of the Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute The first cases of the Coronavirus has been confirmed in Norway. The Norwegian health authorities are monitoring the situation closely and are prepared for more cases. The Norwegian health authorities are prepared for the Coronavirus, and have already put several measures into action. Those who have tested positive are healthy, but they are in daily Read More…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Today, 36 genebanks from all continents deposited seeds at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, at a deposit event hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister and co-chair of the UN group of SDG Advocates, Erna Solberg. President of Ghana and co-chair Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other members of the Group of Advocate also participated at the Read More…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Geneva: France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO today met at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Geneva to discuss the WHO Academy, which will be the world’s largest and most innovative lifelong learning platform in global health. The Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute The right to vote in Scottish Parliament and local government elections has been extended today, with the passing of the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill. The Bill extends voting rights to all foreign nationals with leave to remain, including all those granted refugee status. It also extends candidacy rights to foreign nationals with indefinite Read More…
Reading Time: < 1 minute On October 28, 2019, over 15,000 Georgian government websites and media outlets were taken offline and defaced in yet another attempt by Russia to destabilize Georgia and undermine its democratic institutions. According to our assessment, these actions were carried out by the Sandworm Team, who are sponsored by the cyber-units of Russia’s military intelligence agency, Read More…