⊂ EUROPE ⊃
38 killed in Istanbul attack: A Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for two bombings in Istanbul Saturday that killed at least 38 people, mostly police officers. The Kurdish Freedom Hawks (TAK), a breakaway group of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), said in a statement on its website that it was behind Saturday night’s blasts, which shook a nation still trying to recover from a failed military coup and a number of bombings this year. Thirty-eight people, mostly police officers, were killed and 155 wounded, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said in a press conference Sunday.
reuters.com, cnn.com
Austria to veto further EU accession talks with Turkey: Austria will block the continuation of EU talks with Ankara over Turkey‘s future membership in the bloc, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said Saturday, citing human rights violations in the country. The EU should suspend the accession talks, Kurz said, echoing a recent proposal by the EU Parliament. Kurz said he closely coordinated his position with Turkey‘s neighbour Bulgaria and with the Netherlands.
en.europeonline-magazine.eu
Bombing at Egyptian Christian cathedral: Egypt has declared three days of mourning on Sunday after a bombing at a chapel adjacent to Egypt’s main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 25 people and wounded another 49. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The bombing came two days after a bomb elsewhere in Cairo killed six policemen, an assault claimed by a group named “Hasm”, which the Egyptian government believes is a violent offshoot from the deposed Muslim Brotherhood group.
theguardian.com, foxnews.com
Syrian city of Palmyra retaken by “Islamic State”: On Sunday, fighters of the “Islamic State” terrorist group retook Palmyra from Syrian troops in a major advance after a year of setbacks in Syria and neighboring Iraq. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its jets had delivered 64 airstrikes overnight and claimed to have killed 300 militants in the raid. Syrian rebels have received a US-backed proposal to leave Aleppo along with civilians under safe passage guaranteed by Russia, rebel officials said as government forces closed in on Sunday, but Moscow denied a deal had been reached.
cnn.com, nytimes.com, reuters.com (Aleppo)
US elections: Trump dismisses CIA findings of Russian election tampering nytimes.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„The implementation of the deal has not gone as far as we hoped.“
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday criticised the EU’s refugee deal with Turkey, but still called it a model for other countries.
politico.eu
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Social Democrats claim victory in Romania: Romania’s leftist Social Democrat Party (PSD) says it will begin talks on forming a coalition after exit polls had them winning Sunday’s parliamentary election. The PSD is seeking re-election a year after the coalition it led stepped down amid street protests triggered by a fatal nightclub fire in Bucharest. Winning close to 46 percent of the vote, the PSD will bring into government their long term liberal ally known as ALDE which took about 6 percent.
euronews.com
Elections in Macedonia: Macedonians voted Sunday in the hope of electing a government capable of returning stability to the small Balkan country that has been shaken by a political crisis. Nationalist leader Nikola Gruevski’s centre-right VMRO-DPMNE party won 38.9 percent of the votes counted by midnight local time, with the main opposition Social Democrat SDSM at 36.3 percent, the country’s state electoral commission said. A final result is expected around midday on Monday.
reuters.com
Greek lawmakers approve 2017 budget: Greek lawmakers approved the country’s 2017 budget on Saturday, projecting a return to strong economic growth next year but also imposing a wave of tax hikes and austerity cuts prescribed by its international lenders. The budget called for of approximately one billion euros of new taxes on cars, telephone services, television, fuel, tobacco, coffee and beer. Public spending on salaries and pensions will be cut by 5.7 billion euros. The country is also eyeing 2.7 percent economic growth next year, having achieved a higher than predicted primary surplus in 2016.
dw.com
Italy’s foreign minister asked to form new government: Italian President Sergio Mattarella has asked departing Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni to form a new government, hoping to lead Italy out of a political crisis that ensued with the resignation of Matteo Renzi as prime minister. Renzi stepped down last week after the defeat of a referendum on constitutional changes that he had hoped would streamline Italy’s government. Gentiloni said he had accepted the challenge of forming a new government out of a sense of responsibility.
wsj.com, nytimes.com
France: State of emergency may be extended cnn.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 ⊃
British foreign secretary Johnson in Saudi Arabia: Boris Johnson used a visit to Saudi Arabia to stress the country’s links with the UK, with both countries playing down his criticism of Riyadh’s regional puppeteering. Johnson was rebuked last week by Downing Street after suggesting that Saudi Arabia backed proxy wars in the Middle East. Speaking at a joint press conference in Riyadh with Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir, Johnson said he wanted to emphasise the friendship that exists between the UK and Saudi Arabia.
bbc.com, theguardian.com