Month: April 2021

60 Germans Arrested in Protest Over Coronavirus Restrictions

Police in central Berlin have clashed with protesters outside the German parliament, which is considering a bill to give Chancellor Angela Merkel the power to impose tougher restrictions as the nation suffers a third wave of coronavirus infections.   A police spokesman said officers had to break up the protest because people were not wearing masks or keeping a minimum safe distance. He said about 60 people were detained, and that while police had to use pepper spray against other demonstrators who threw bottles and tried to climb over barriers, acts of violence were minimal.   Many of the protesters …

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European Union Moves to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

The European Union’s executive branch on Wednesday announced proposals designed to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI), banning its use in practices such as surveillance and facial scanning that threaten personal rights.At a news briefing in Brussels, European Commission Executive Vice President and Tech Commissioner Margrethe Vestager noted the benefits of AI in the medical field, agriculture and engineering.“I think those examples illustrate very well what we want AI in Europe to be: a force for progress,” she said.The proposed regulations address the human and societal risks associated with specific uses of AI, such as mass surveillance and biometric …

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German Court Refuses Effort to Block EU Recovery Fund

Germany’s top court has refused to issue an injunction blocking the country’s participation in the European Union’s 750 billion-euro (more than $900 billion) coronavirus recovery fund, clearing the way for the launch of the fund and its common borrowing aimed at supporting green and digital economic development. The Federal Constitutional Court said Wednesday it turned back a motion for a preliminary injunction from a group including economics professor Bernd Lucke, a founder of the populist Alternative for Germany who has since left the party. The group argued that the European Union treaty forbids the common borrowing backed by member countries’ …

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More Football Teams Exit Super League

Juventus, Atlético Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan announced Wednesday they were dropping out of the Super League of 12 leading European football clubs.The development followed the Tuesday withdrawal of six British teams that were part of the project launched this week.Four other teams were included in Sunday’s announcement of the breakaway competition that drew sharp criticism from players, fans and football authorities.Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli said Wednesday that the league can no longer proceed.”I remain convinced of the beauty of that project,” Agnelli told Reuters, saying it would have been the best competition in the world. “But admittedly … I mean, I don’t think that that project is now still up and …

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EU Targets Cutting Emissions 55% by 2030

The European Union announced Wednesday a provisional agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the 27-member bloc by 55% by 2030. The 2030 target is part of a larger goal of getting the EU to be carbon-neutral by 2050. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement puts the EU “on a green path for a generation.” “It is our binding pledge to our children and grandchildren,” she added. EU member states must approve the deal before it becomes official. Wednesday’s agreement comes ahead of the start of a two-day virtual summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden for world leaders to discuss ways …

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Czech Republic Urges EU, NATO Allies to Retaliate Against Russia Over 2014 Explosion

The Czech Republic is urging European and NATO allies to take joint retaliatory action against Russia following accusations that Russian spies were behind a huge explosion at a Czech arms depot in 2014. They claim the spies were also part of a special unit that tried to assassinate a double agent in Britain.The central European country evicted 18 Russian embassy staffers over the weekend, saying they were identified as intelligence officers. “We succeeded in breaking up both of the big Russian (spy) operation cells, and for the Russian side, it will be very complicated to put them together again,” Acting …

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European Public Broadcasters Facing Twin Threats

The pandemic has boosted audiences for Europe’s public service media, with Europeans turning to fact-based news, according to the broadcasters’ trade association and academic studies.  Television, radio and digital channels all have shown upswings, especially in western Europe. But while the public has appeared to have been appreciative, the continent’s public broadcasters are facing a twin threat. Central Europe’s populist governments have been or are seeking to reduce their editorial independence, transforming them into official mouthpieces, warn rights campaigners and journalists.  And in western Europe, center-right governments are coming under mounting pressure from conservative lawmakers and populists to defund public broadcasters. FILE …

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European ‘Super League’ Plans Set Off Battle for Future of Football

The governing bodies of world football have threatened to ban any club or player taking part in the new European Super League from playing in their competitions, raising the prospect that some of the world’s biggest stars could be banned from representing their countries in the FIFA World Cup. Battle lines are being drawn for the future of football, after a dozen top European clubs signed up to the breakaway competition, which critics say will destroy the traditional structure of the game. On both sides, powerful forces are squaring up for a fight that could decide the future of the global …

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Fearing COVID Slump, Spain Tries to Deter Migrants

Spain’s leaders worry a world economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could send large numbers of African migrants to Europe, using Spain as a gateway.  In this report narrated by Jonathan Spier, Alfonso Beato in Barcelona reports that Spanish authorities are holding thousands of West African migrants, including potential asylum seekers, in emergency camps set up on the Canary Islands.Camera: Alfonso Beato  …

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Doctors Say They Were Denied Access to Kremlin Critic Navalny

Doctors associated with jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny say they have been barred from seeing him, despite reports he is seriously ill from an ongoing hunger strike. According to his personal physician, Dr. Anastasia Vasilyeva, she and three other medical experts tried to visit Navalny at a prison clinic and were denied entry. They said they waited outside prison gates for hours. “It’s a show of disrespect and mockery of the doctors,” Vasilyeva said in a tweet, noting Navalny’s “life and health are clearly in danger.” FILE – Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny attends a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 20, 2021.On …

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