Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announces she has asked for Pope Francis’ intervention in the Falklands dispute between her country and the UK. Visiting the Vatican, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said she had asked Pope Francis to promote dialogue between the two sides. Argentine Pope Francis was elected last week and will be formally… Continue reading Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner asks for Pope Francis’ intervention in Falklands dispute
Category: Europe News
Europe news
Cyprus banks closed until March 21st
Cyprus’ central bank has announced that the nation’s banks will stay closed until Thursday, March 21, as fears mount of a bank run. Cyprus’ banks were closed for a scheduled Bank Holiday on Monday, something that allowed the country to try to implement a levy on savers’ deposits. That move triggered unease among depositors in… Continue reading Cyprus banks closed until March 21st
Cyprus parliament vote on bailout deal delayed until Tuesday
Cyprus’ parliament vote on bailout deal that has sparked huge public anger has been delayed until Tuesday. President Nicos Anastasiades has been meeting MPs in Nicosia and has indicated he wants the terms amended. The 10 billion-euro ($13 billion) bailout agreed with the EU and IMF had demanded that all bank customers pay a one-off… Continue reading Cyprus parliament vote on bailout deal delayed until Tuesday
Asian and European markets fall after Cyprus bailout deal
European markets follow Asian shares downward on fears that the plan to bailout Cyprus could trigger an escalation of the eurozone debt crisis. The EU and IMF want all bank customers to pay a levy in return for a bailout worth 10 billion euros ($13 billion). London’s 100 share index is 1% lower, while France… Continue reading Asian and European markets fall after Cyprus bailout deal
EU CO2 rules will save drivers cash
European drivers will save €3,800 over the lifetime of their cars if the EU imposes strict new CO2 standards on manufacturers, according to a recent study. It says if CO2 emissions from the average car were limited to 95 g per km, fuel use would be cut by a quarter. The innovations to the vehicle… Continue reading EU CO2 rules will save drivers cash
Nicos Anastasiades fights EU demands of bank levy in return for bailout
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades says he is battling against eurozone demands that all bank customers pay a one-off levy in return for a bailout. Nicos Anastasiades said he shared people’s unhappiness with the terms, whereby all bank customers would pay a levy of 6.75% or 10% on their bank deposits. The EU and IMF have… Continue reading Nicos Anastasiades fights EU demands of bank levy in return for bailout
Kate Middleton’s shoe stuck in a grate at St Patrick’s Day parade
Kate Middleton’s shoe became stuck when standing on a grate as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend a St Patrick’s Day parade today. Prince William was on hand to help his pregnant wife – but could not help having a little laugh as she tried to retrieve her shoe. The amusing scene was completed by… Continue reading Kate Middleton’s shoe stuck in a grate at St Patrick’s Day parade
Pope Francis delivers first Sunday Angelus prayer
Pope Francis I has delivered his first Angelus prayer and blessing before a crowd of many thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome. The pontiff also delivered off-the-cuff remarks, about God’s power to forgive, instead of reading a written speech. It was the Pope’s second official appearance before the general public since he was… Continue reading Pope Francis delivers first Sunday Angelus prayer
Olivier Metzner found dead in an apparent suicide
Olivier Metzner, one of France’s best-known criminal lawyers, has been found dead. His body was found floating off his private island in Brittany. A note was found at Olivier Metzner’s home and an investigation has been opened, with police treating the case as suicide. Olivier Metzner made his name in a series of high-profile cases,… Continue reading Olivier Metzner found dead in an apparent suicide
President Nicos Anastasiades defends Cyprus bailout deal amid mass public anger
Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades has said a big bailout, which has provoked mass public anger, was needed to avoid a “disorderly bankruptcy”. The 10 billion-euro ($13 billion) deal agreed by the EU was “a painful but controlled management of the crisis”, he said. Many Cypriots, shocked that the bailout imposes a levy on bank deposits… Continue reading President Nicos Anastasiades defends Cyprus bailout deal amid mass public anger
Pope Francis explains reason behind name choice: “I would like a poor Church, for the poor”
Pope Francis I has said he wants “a poor Church, for the poor” following his election as the next pontiff. The Pope said he chose the name Francis after 12-13th Century St Francis of Assisi, who represented “poverty and peace”. The pontiff urged journalists to get to know the Church with its “virtues and sins”… Continue reading Pope Francis explains reason behind name choice: “I would like a poor Church, for the poor”
Eurozone ministers agree on 10 billion-euro bailout package for Cyprus
Finance ministers from eurozone have agreed a 10 billion-euro ($13 billion) bailout package for Cyprus to save the country from bankruptcy. The deal was reached after talks in Brussels between the ministers and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In return, Cyprus is being asked to trim its deficit, shrink its banking sector and increase taxes.… Continue reading Eurozone ministers agree on 10 billion-euro bailout package for Cyprus
Hungary deploys tanks to reach snowbound cars on M1 motorway
Hungary has deployed tanks to reach snowbound motorists as cold weather causes transport chaos across Eastern Europe. T-72 battle tanks trundled along icy roads, while thousands of people waited in cars on the M1 motorway from Budapest to Vienna. Many had been stuck on the road since Thursday evening. As Hungary was celebrating its national… Continue reading Hungary deploys tanks to reach snowbound cars on M1 motorway
Vatican denies Pope Francis failed to speak out during military rule in Argentina
The Vatican has denied that Pope Francis I failed to speak out against human rights abuses during military rule in his native Argentina. “There has never been a credible, concrete accusation against him,” said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, adding the Pope had never been charged. Federico Lombardi blamed the accusations on “anti-clerical left-wing elements that… Continue reading Vatican denies Pope Francis failed to speak out during military rule in Argentina
Pope Francis warns over Catholic Church need for spiritual renewal
Newly-elected Pope Francis has warned the Catholic Church would become “a compassionate NGO” without spiritual renewal. In a Sistine Chapel Mass with cardinals on his first day as Church leader, Pope Francis said: “If we do not confess to Christ, what would we be? “We would end up a compassionate NGO. What would happen would… Continue reading Pope Francis warns over Catholic Church need for spiritual renewal
EU Summit 2013: Focus on eurozone recession and unemployment
A new EU summit is getting under way in Brussels with issues of jobs and growth expected to dominate its agenda. The eurozone as a whole has been in recession for more than a year and unemployment is now just under 12%. France and some other countries want more flexibility in the budget targets set… Continue reading EU Summit 2013: Focus on eurozone recession and unemployment
Pope Francis I first day of papacy
Pope Francis I has begun his first day at the helm of the Catholic Church, attempting to set out his vision for his papacy amid a testing schedule. The Pope will lead cardinals in his first Mass, begin appointing senior Vatican staff and may visit his predecessor, Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus. Pope Francis I is… Continue reading Pope Francis I first day of papacy
Pope Francis I: Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?
Pope Francis I, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936, is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church, elected on 13 March 2013. He is the first Pope born in the Americas, and the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires has been mooted as… Continue reading Pope Francis I: Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?
Jorge Mario Bergoglio announced as the new Pope who will be known as Pope Francis I
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, has been elected the 266th Roman Catholic Church’s new Pope. The Argentine cardinal is the first Latin American to be Pope. He will call himself Francis I. An hour earlier, white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney announced to the world that cardinals gathered inside had… Continue reading Jorge Mario Bergoglio announced as the new Pope who will be known as Pope Francis I
Habemus Papam! White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney announces new Pope has been elected
White smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel chimney has announced to the world that cardinals gathered inside have elected a new Pope to head the Catholic Church. Crowds in St Peter’s Square cheered and bells rang out as the smoke appeared. The name of the new Pope is expected to be announced shortly. The Catholic… Continue reading Habemus Papam! White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney announces new Pope has been elected
Pope Election Day 2: Black smoke signaling second and third vote inconclusive
Black smoke has poured from Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that the second and third votes in the Papal election have been inconclusive. Cardinals have been meeting for a second day to choose a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned last month. The 115 electors are shut off in Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and a nearby… Continue reading Pope Election Day 2: Black smoke signaling second and third vote inconclusive
Pope Election Day 2: Cardinals resume papal deliberations
Cardinals are beginning their second day of deliberations in the Vatican conclave to elect a new pope, after an indecisive vote on Tuesday. The 115 cardinal-electors are shut off in the Sistine Chapel and a nearby residence until two-thirds agree on a leader for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. Black smoke signaling an inconclusive first… Continue reading Pope Election Day 2: Cardinals resume papal deliberations
Black Smoke Over Vatican: Papal conclave fails to elect a new Pope after first day of voting
The papal conclave has failed to elect a new pope after first day of voting at Vatican. Black smoke rising from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel indicated that their ballot had been inconclusive. The 115 cardinal-electors will vote four times daily until two-thirds can agree on a single candidate. The election was prompted by… Continue reading Black Smoke Over Vatican: Papal conclave fails to elect a new Pope after first day of voting
Papal conclave begins voting to elect new Pope
Cardinals have begun voting to elect a new Pope at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors were locked in the chapel after swearing an oath of secrecy. They will vote four times daily until two-thirds can agree on a candidate. The election was prompted by the surprise abdication of Benedict XVI. There is no… Continue reading Papal conclave begins voting to elect new Pope
Europe snowfall disrupts Frankfurt flights and Eurostar trains
Frankfurt airport, Europe’s third-busiest hub, has partially re-opened after heavy snow caused severe travel disruption in north-west Europe. One of the three runways was operating again for take-offs only, Frankfurt airport operator said. Hundreds of flights via Frankfurt and Paris have been cancelled. The Eurostar high-speed train service between London, Paris and Brussels has been… Continue reading Europe snowfall disrupts Frankfurt flights and Eurostar trains