⊂ EUROPE ⊃
12 dead in Berlin after truck drives into Christmas market: Twelve people are dead and 45 seriously injured after a truck drove into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin on Monday. Authorities have apprehended the suspected driver, according to a police spokesman. Officials are investigating the crash as an act of terrorism, according to a German intelligence official familiar with the matter. Germany’s interior minister Thomas de Maiziere echoed that statement. The crash occurred at Breitscheidplatz in the western part of central Berlin. The truck had Polish license plates. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was in contact with her interior minister and the mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller.
nytimes.com, politico.eu, cnn.com
Russian ambassador to Turkey shot by Turkish policeman: Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was assassinated at an Ankara art exhibit on Monday evening by a lone gunman shouting “God is great!” and “don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria!”. The killer has been identified as a 22 year old member of the Ankara riot police. It was not clear if he had links to any group. He also wounded at least three others in the assault on the envoy. Turkish officials said the assailant was killed by other officers in a shootout. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone, and the two leaders agreed to cooperate in investigating the killing, and in combating terrorism broadly.
nytimes.com, cnn.com, bbc.com
UN will send monitors to Aleppo: The United Nations Security Council voted on Monday to send United Nations observers to monitor evacuations from the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo and to report back regularly. Russia had threatened to veto an earlier resolution proposed by France, but a compromise was reached on Sunday that would allow the monitors to observe after consultations with interested parties. The resolution passed unanimously. UN Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura said he would convene political talks among Syrian government and opposition groups starting February 8. The foreign and defence ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey will discuss the future of Syria and the city of Aleppo at talks in Moscow on Tuesday.
nytimes.com, reuters.com
Nato and Russia remain divided on Ukraine: The Nato-Russia Council met in Brussels Monday for more than three hours, discussing ways to reduce military accidents but also underscoring their deep disagreement on the conflict in Ukraine. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Nato allies reiterated their strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and insisted that they would never recognise Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea. The EU formally extended economic sanctions against Russia by six months.
washingtonpost.com, reuters.com
Apple appeals against EU tax ruling: Apple Inc. appealed on Monday against the EU’s decision that 14 billion euros in tax breaks the company received from Ireland were illegal. Apple underlined its anger with the EU Commission, which it says ignored evidence from Irish experts before the decision on August 30. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has rejected those claims and on Monday, while making no new comment on a case which is also being appealed by the Dublin government, the EU executive published an edited text of her judgment.
reuters.com, wsj.com
⊂ QUOTES ⊃
„The Commission attempts to rewrite the Irish corporation tax rules … the Commission’s claim is inconsistent with member state sovereignty in the area of direct taxation.“
Ireland’s Department of Finance says the EU Commission wants to rewrite Irish tax rules.
politico.eu
⊂ COUNTRIES ⊃
IMF chief Lagarde found guilty: International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde was found guilty Monday of criminal negligence for a government payout to a business tycoon eight years ago while she served as France’s finance minister, but the IMF said she will remain as the fund’s managing director. A French court found Lagarde guilty of criminal charges linked to the misuse of public funds when she was France’s finance minister nearly a decade ago. But the court did not impose a fine or a sentence.
washingtonpost.com, nytimes.com
Poland drops proposals to restrict media access in parliament: Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday announced that the governing conservatives have scrapped proposals to restrict media access in parliament that had set off an opposition outcry and protests. Senate speaker Stanislaw Karczewski assured journalists that the old media rules would remain in place for the time being. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets since Friday protesting against PiS moves deemed anti-democratic by its opponents.
yahoo.com
Germany and France to work together on asylum issues: In the dispute over a European asylum system, Germany and France have decided to start an initiative to find a compromise, according to German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, who spoke during a press conference with his French counterpart Bruno Le Roux. The French minister pointed out that the two countries agreed on a lot of issues.
handelsblatt.com
Switzerland: Several injured in shooting near Zurich Islamic Centre euronews.com
France: Farmers seek CAP reassurances from presidential candidates euractiv.com
Italy: Government seeks to borrow 20 billion euros to prop up banking sector uk.reuters.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 ⊃
Turkey blocks access to Tor anonymising network: Turkey has blocked direct access to the Tor anonymous browsing network as part of a wider crackdown on the ways people circumvent internet censorship. The crackdown began last month when Turkish ISPs were told to cut off the virtual private networks people use to hide where they go. Activists said the block moved Turkey’s net censorship policies from moderate to severe.
bbc.com