⊂ EUROPE ⊃
Berlin on high alert as suspect search resumes: The German capital was on high alert Tuesday with one or more suspects still at large in a deadly truck assault on a Christmas market. The only suspect so far — a Pakistani asylum seeker taken into custody shortly after the bloodshed — was released by police Tuesday because of insufficient evidence. That meant the culprit was still on the run, and far-right politicians wasted no time in pinning responsibility for the deaths on Chancellor Angela Merkel. Late Tuesday, the “Islamic State” terrorist organisation claimed the attacker had acted on the group’s behalf. Its level of involvement, if any, in coordinating the attack remained unclear.
nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com
Moscow sends investigators to Ankara: Investigators from Russia arrived in Turkey to investigate the death of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, who was shot multiple times by a Turkish police officer Monday while making a speech in Ankara. One senior Turkish government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was unlikely the gunman acted alone. The Turkish government has pinned responsibility for the assassination on a group behind exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen. Russia, Turkey and Iran have cast themselves as the essential deal-makers in Syria on Tuesday, saying at a trilateral meeting in Moscow that their cooperation could pave the way for a future settlement in Syria.
nytimes.com, usatoday.com, abcnews.com (Syria)
EU agrees new gun rules: EU member states have reached an agreement for stricter gun rules, which will see some firearms banned altogether. Support for the new rules gained traction following several terror atrocities on European soil, including the Paris, Nice and Brussels attacks over the past two years. The bill, which still needs to be formally adopted by ministers and MEPs, imposes new curbs on acquisition and oversight and makes it more difficult to obtained reactivated weapons. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he would have liked to go further.
dw.com, euobserver.com
EU Commission accuses Facebook of providing misleading information: The Commission has charged Facebook Inc with providing misleading information during its takeover of the online messaging service WhatsApp, opening the company to a possible fine of one percent of its turnover. The issue regards a WhatsApp privacy policy change in August when it said it would share some users‘ phone numbers with parent company Facebook, triggering investigations by a number of EU data protection authorities. Brussels said Facebook intentionally or negligently submitted misleading information, breaching EU merger rules.
reuters.com, independent.co.uk
EU Commission: Benefits for EU migrant children abroad dw.com
Cooperation: EU and Jordan adopted partnership priorities consilium.europa.eu
Spanish MEP: Trump presidency is excellent for EU-Latin America relations euractiv.com
Climate: EU countries stall over carbon market reform euractiv.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„If we don’t abide by the rules, the eurozone will fall apart.“
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, asked about Greece’s plans to pay pensioners a Christmas bonus while it is in the midst of a bailout programme, has warned that the eurozone could fall apart.
n-tv.de
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Gunman found dead after Zurich attack: A man who opened fire at an Islamic centre in Zürich on Monday has been found dead, Swiss police said. The gunman, a 24-year-old Swiss citizen, had no known links to terrorist groups, but officials said that he was already wanted for the fatal stabbing of a friend whose body was found on Sunday at a playground in Zurich. He had entered an Islamic prayer hall Monday evening and fired shots at worshipers inside, wounding three people before fleeing the scene, police said Tuesday. The three wounded are in a stable condition in hospital.
politico.eu, nytimes.com
Scotland wants EU market access: Scotland wants to stay in the EU’s single market after the United Kingdom leaves the bloc and will push for more powers to protect its interests. The head of its pro-independence government, Nicola Sturgeon, said Scotland wants a deal that allows it access to the single market and free movement of the EU migrants that underpin its economy, its ageing population and its outlying rural communities. Despite being a supporter of secession, Sturgeon said her preference in the Brexit aftermath was for the whole of the UK to stay in the single market.
reuters.com
Italy wants billions to prop up banks: The Italian government said late Monday that it is asking parliament to let it borrow as much as 20 billion euros for a potential bank rescue plan in the eurozone’s third largest economy. Both houses of parliament are expected to discuss the plan on Wednesday, according to Italian media. Weighed down by hundreds of billions of dollars of bad loans, Italy’s banking sector has become a major worry for investors in recent months.
politico.eu, cnn.com
Belgian police seize weapons in Brussels raid: computer materials in a raid in suburban Brussels. The city’s public prosecutor said on Tuesday the search was aimed at a person suspected of being in possession of arms and explosives and who was thought to have made threats of a terrorist nature. The Brussels prosecutor’s office said in a statement that no terror charges had been laid against the person, who is known to police for theft and assault.
nytimes.com, dw.com
⊂ JOB-BOARD ⊃
politjobs.eu: PlasticsEurope seeks Public Affairs Manager (m/f) *** GIZ seeks Policy Advisor (m/f) *** Siegfried Mureșan MEP offers Traineeship *** European Sunlight Association seeks Communication Officer *** ChildFund Alliance seeks Director – Brussels Office *** Mototrola Solutions seeks Director of Government Affairs – Europe and Africa *** Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft sucht Praktikant (m/w) *** Uni Europa seeks Policy Officer (m/f)
politjobs.eu, politjobs.eu/submit (Inserat schalten)
⊂ MALFUNCTION ⊃
Finnish and Russian Santas meet: The Finnish Santa Claus and the Russian Grandfather Frost met at the Finnish-Russian border to exchange gifts on Monday. The annual event, which celebrates the friendship between the two neighbours, includes traditional dancing and singing by performers of both countries.
euronews.com