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By Alexander Tanas CHISINAU (Reuters) – Parliament in ex-Soviet Moldova voted on Thursday to hold a referendum in October on European Union membership, the cornerstone of President Maia Sandu’s policies, alongside a presidential election. Sandu singles out Russia and corruption as the biggest threats to the sovereignty of the country lying between Ukraine and Romania. …

Moldovan parliament votes to hold EU referendum, presidential election on Oct. 20 Read More »

By Ali Kucukgocmen TBILISI (Reuters) – Dimitri Chikovani, a member of Georgia’s opposition United National Movement (UNM) and an active protester against a controversial new law said he was attacked by five people last week, blaming the government for seeking to intimidate opponents. Mass protests have swept through the capital Tbilisi over the past month …

Georgian opposition member says government is intimidating protesters Read More »

By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The incoming Dutch government led by nationalist Geert Wilders’ PVV party will look to opt out of European Union migration rules, setting up a clash with Brussels even before it has taken office. Wilders on Wednesday reached a deal to form a coalition with three right-wing partners, almost six …

New Dutch government to look for ‘opt out’ of EU asylum rules Read More »

By Kirsty Needham and Camille Raynaud SYDNEY/PARIS (Reuters) – New Caledonia’s Pacific neighbours called for de-escalation and a return to dialogue between France and the island territory’s political parties, after a third night of violent riots that have killed four people and led to hundreds of arrests. France declared a state of emergency in New …

Pacific countries call for calm as New Caledonia riots continue Read More »

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Gordon Black, a U.S. soldier being held in the Russian city of Vladivostok, has pleaded guilty to theft charges and is cooperating with investigators, Russia’s RIA state news agencies reported on Thursday. “He is cooperating (with the investigation), he admitted (guilt),” RIA cited a representative of the local interior ministry as saying. …

US soldier held in Russia pleads guilty, RIA agency reports Read More »

By Ayhan Uyanik and Boldizsar Gyori BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (Reuters) – Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a “very serious” but stable condition on Thursday, a hospital official said, after he was shot five times in an assassination attempt that has laid bare deep political divisions in the country. The shooting was the first …

Slovak leader Fico stable after surgery but condition ‘very serious’ Read More »

KOTOR, Montenegro (Reuters) – The six Western Balkan countries brought together by the European Union met in Montenegro’s Adriatic resort of Kotor on Thursday to see how to speed up reforms, create their own single market and ultimately join the bloc. Having been promised EU membership years ago, the accession process across the region comprising …

Leaders from Western Balkans, EU, meet to discuss growth plan, reforms Read More »

BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (Reuters) – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a “very serious” but stable condition in an intensive care unit on Thursday, a hospital official said, a day after being shot five times at close range in an assassination attempt. Slovak police have charged Fico’s suspected attacker with attempted murder, tvnoviny.sk reported …

Factbox-What we know so far about Slovak PM Fico’s attacker Read More »

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday upheld a head scarf ban at secondary schools in Flanders, Belgium’s northern region. Students at Flemish secondary schools are allowed to wear head scarves during religion classes but have to remove them during other classes. The ban had been challenged by three young …

European Court upholds Belgium’s school head scarf ban Read More »