⊂ EUROPE ⊃
US and European allies condemn Taliban over ’summary killings‘: The United States and their European allies condemned the Taliban on Sunday following reports that former members of the Afghan security forces were executed or forcibly disappeared. „We are deeply concerned by reports of summary killings and enforced disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces as documented by Human Rights Watch and others,“ a statement released by the US State Department said. The text was also signed by Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
euronews.com
Kabul: Several European countries are working on opening up a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan that would enable their ambassadors to return to the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.
reuters.com
Pope Francis meets migrants and denounces Europe’s migrant crisis: Pope Francis returned Sunday to Lesbos, the Greek island at the heart of a huge wave of migration into Europe six years ago. „In Europe there are those who persist in treating the problem as a matter that does not concern them,“ Pope Francis said as he spent some two hours at Lesbos‘ Mavrovouni camp where nearly 2,200 asylum seekers live. “We are in the age of walls and barbed wire,” the pope said. “Let us stop this shipwreck of civilization!” At the start of his Athens visit on Saturday, Francis warned against populism’s „easy answers“.
dw.com, france24.com, politico.eu
Manfred Weber questions Nord Stream 2 because of Ukraine crisis: For weeks, Russia has been reinforcing its troops at several sections of the border with Ukraine. The governments of Ukraine and the US warn that the goal could be an attack in January in which Belarus could also participate, according to the Ukrainian secret service. US President Joe Biden on Friday pledged to make it “very, very difficult” for Russia’s Vladimir Putin to take military action in Ukraine. Biden and Putin are set to talk about Ukraine in a video call on Tuesday. Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, has warned against a military escalation of the Ukraine conflict. „If Putin uses weapons, then the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is finished,“ Weber told German media.
nbcnews.com, cnbc.com, handelsblatt.com
- EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell: „It depends. Can you imagine a real invasion like in Crimea? I don’t know.“ spiegel.de
- Ukraine could be „next Afghanistan“ for Russia if it invades, US senator warns theguardian.com
Belarus summons Ukraine attache over alleged airspace violations dw.com
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European populist far-right parties meet in Warsaw: Leading nationalist and far-right figures from several European Union countries met for a summit in Warsaw on Saturday. The meet was purportedly to build connections between the various far-right factions who are split among two groups in the EU Parliament. The so-called „Warsaw Summit“ was hosted by Poland’s ruling ultraconservative, nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS). They were joined by France’s far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Santiago Abascal from Spain’s Vox party. Emissaries from Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ) also took part while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Italy’s Lega were absent.
dw.com
Macron holds Saudi talks with crown prince: French President Emmanuel Macron held face-to-face talks in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, becoming the first major Western leader to visit the kingdom since journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder. Macron appeared upbeat about discussions, and said on Twitter: „With Saudi Arabia, we have made commitments for Lebanon: to work together, to support reforms, to enable the country to emerge from the crisis and to preserve its sovereignty.“
reuters.com, dw.com
Iran: US seeks Russian and Chinese support to salvage Iran nuclear deal; Air defence test sparks loud blast near Iran nuclear site theguardian.com; france24.com
Islamist terror: More than 150 dead in attacks in Mali and Niger spiegel.de
Black Sea incident: Russia says airliner had to lose height to avoid NATO spy plane reuters.com
United States: Bob Dole, WWII hero and former Republican presidential candidate, dies at 98 nbcnews.com
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
Thousands march against Covid restrictions in northwest Europe: Tens of thousands of protesters marched through several northwest European cities on Saturday to demonstrate against coronavirus restrictions imposed amid a surge in infections. Over 40,000 protesters were reported marching in the Austrian capital of Vienna, while thousands more protested in the Dutch city of Utrecht. In Brussels, groups of protesters clashed with police. In Berlin, where a new government is set to take office within days, small groups gathered to protest after a large demonstration was banned.
reuters.com, politico.eu
Omicron variant in Europe:
- Denmark reports „concerning“ spike in Omicron variant as cases triple in 48 hours france24.com
- In the UK, there were 86 new cases of the Omicron variant, Britain’s health security agency said on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 246 nytimes.com
- Romania detects first cases of Omicron coronavirus variant reuters.com
- Compulsory vaccination in Austria: draft provides for fines of up to 3600 euros rnd.de
- More and more Spanish regions insist on 3G rule nau.ch
Nehammer to take over as Austrian leader: Austria’s ruling conservatives on Friday picked the current interior minister, an immigration hardliner, to lead them and the nation after a wave of resignations by senior officials set off by their fallen star Sebastian Kurz. Nehammer takes over a party in disarray since Kurz stepped down as chancellor in October because he had been placed under criminal investigation on suspicion of corruption offences. Kurz denies wrongdoing.
euronews.com
France:
- French conservative party chooses its first female presidential candidate to take on Macron politico.eu
- Far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour’s rally north of Paris attracted attention and chaos, as videos show his supporters throwing punches at anti-racism campaigners protesting the event politico.eu
- Far-left leader of the Rebel France party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is seeking the presidency for the third time, also staged a rally on Sunday nbcrightnow.com
Germany’s Free Democrats vote to back three-party government deal: The neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) on Sunday backed the coalition agreement negotiated with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party. The decision brings acting Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz one step closer to taking the reins from Angela Merkel as Germany’s next chancellor next week.
dw.com, politico.eu
UK opposes EU policy in Bosnia-Herzegovina derstandard.at
Italy: Government moves to crack down on violence against women reuters.com
Austria: Young motocross star among three skiers killed in avalanche independent.co.uk
⊂ POLITJOBS ⊃
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⊂ LAST BUT NOT LEAST ⊃
Dutch Princess Beatrix tests positive for coronavirus: Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands has tested positive for COVID-19, Dutch officials said Sunday. The 83-year-old former Dutch queen was tested after she experienced “mild cold complaints,” according to a statement from the Government Information Service (RDV). “The Princess is at home in isolation and adheres to the rules of life for people who have tested positive,” the RVD said.
politico.eu