http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/?service=Rss http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bnp-struggling-to-make-friends-in-brussels-1739607.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bnp-struggling-to-make-friends-in-brussels-1739607.html <p> The British National Party's first two Euro-MPs are finding it increasingly hard to win friends and influence people in Europe. </p> Europe Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:24:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/virgin-mary-seen-in-tree-stump-in-limerick-1738887.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/virgin-mary-seen-in-tree-stump-in-limerick-1738887.html <p> As a place of worship, it&rsquo;s verging on the bizarre: a tree stump in the grounds of a church in Co Limerick, Ireland, which many believe depicts an image of the Blessed Virgin. </p> Europe Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:58:28 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/five-injured-in-superfast-pamplona-bull-run-1738387.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/five-injured-in-superfast-pamplona-bull-run-1738387.html ]]> <p> A lightning-fast running of the bulls in Pamplona left five people slightly injured Thursday but no one was gored. </p> Europe Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:44:00 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/new-evidence-may-solve-mystery-of-decapitated-monks-1738067.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/new-evidence-may-solve-mystery-of-decapitated-monks-1738067.html ]]> <p>One of the most troubling and mysterious episodes in recent French history – the brutal death of six French monks in Algeria in 1996 – is to be re-investigated with the co-operation of the French state.</p> Europe Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ireland-to-hold-second-eu-vote-referendum-1738072.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ireland-to-hold-second-eu-vote-referendum-1738072.html <p>Ireland will hold a second referendum on the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty, Prime Minister Brian Cowen, has announced. Mr Cowen has won legal guarantees from his EU partners to address concerns of voters who in June last year opposed the treaty, designed to streamline EU decision-making and give the 27-nation bloc a greater say in world affairs. </p> Europe Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/irish-treaty-vote-set-for-october-1737167.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/irish-treaty-vote-set-for-october-1737167.html <p> The Taoiseach has announced that the re-run of the Lisbon Treaty referendum will be held, as expected, on October 2nd. </p> Europe Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:39:30 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italian-politician-resigns-over-racist-chant-1737047.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italian-politician-resigns-over-racist-chant-1737047.html <p> An Italian lawmaker in Premier Silvio Berlusconi's coalition has resigned after being filmed singing a racist chant about Naples and its residents. </p> Europe Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:55:33 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-student-is-a-spy-iran-says-1736226.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-student-is-a-spy-iran-says-1736226.html ]]> <p>France demanded yesterday the immediate release of a 23-year-old student accused by Iran of spying after she took pictures of a street demonstration with her mobile phone.</p> Europe Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/serbian-pilot-killed-in-jet-crash-1735427.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/serbian-pilot-killed-in-jet-crash-1735427.html ]]> <p> A Serbian military jet crashed near Belgrade during a training flight today, killing the pilot and a soldier on the ground, the Defence Ministry said. </p> Europe Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:55:11 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/is-there-an-engineer-on-the-flight-1734421.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/is-there-an-engineer-on-the-flight-1734421.html <p>Passengers on a Thomas Cook flight from Menorca to Glasgow avoided a long delay when an unlikely hero emerged to fix a mechanical problem with their plane.</p> Europe Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tent-city-that-awaits-the-g8-1734425.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tent-city-that-awaits-the-g8-1734425.html ]]> <p>Silvio Berlusconi switched the location of the G8 summit to the city of L'Aquila as a way of focusing world attention on Italy's most disastrous earthquake for 30 years. </p> Europe Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/row-over-new-iron-cross-1734427.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/row-over-new-iron-cross-1734427.html <p>Adolf Hitler claimed it was the happiest day of his life when he was awarded it as a soldier during the First World War and most films about the ensuing conflict would be unthinkable without a jackbooted German general showing off the medal on his tunic.</p> Europe Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kercher-murder-knife-is-wrong-weapon-says-expert-1733987.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kercher-murder-knife-is-wrong-weapon-says-expert-1733987.html ]]> <p> The knife police say killed British student Meredith Kercher could not have been used to cut her throat, a forensic expert told a court today. </p> Europe Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:30:38 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/meet-the-blackbelt-hardman-aiming-to-lead-bulgaria-1732195.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/meet-the-blackbelt-hardman-aiming-to-lead-bulgaria-1732195.html ]]> <p>Since communism collapsed 20 years ago, Bulgarians have been waiting for a saviour to rid the land of its plagues: corruption, nepotism and impunity for the powerful of the day. Today as the country goes to the polls, hopes are now pinned on a bodyguard-turned-politician with cropped hair, a karate black belt and the epaulettes of a general.</p> Europe Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gunmen-kill-nine-chechen-police-in-russias-ingushetia-1731450.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gunmen-kill-nine-chechen-police-in-russias-ingushetia-1731450.html <p> Nine Chechen police officers were killed today in the Russian republic of Ingushetia after gunmen opened fire on their convoy, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing the republic's interior ministry. </p> Europe Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:29:19 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/singer-jailed-for-forced-abortion-1731271.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/singer-jailed-for-forced-abortion-1731271.html <p> The Algerian singer Cheb Mami has been sentenced to five years in a French prison after being found guilty of forcing an attempted abortion on his former lover. The 42-year-old star of Algeria's popular rai music, whose real name is Mohamed Khelifati, was arrested on his arrival in France on Monday night, having fled to Algeria two years ago.</p> Europe Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cardinal-newman-moves-step-closer-to-sainthood-1730927.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cardinal-newman-moves-step-closer-to-sainthood-1730927.html <p> Campaigners for the canonisation of John Paul Newman are praying for another miracle after the Pope confirmed that the Cardinal was responsible for curing a case of spinal debility more than 100 years after his death. </p> Europe Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:02:20 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/and-finally-germans-see-the-funny-side-of-mrs-merkel-1729630.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/and-finally-germans-see-the-funny-side-of-mrs-merkel-1729630.html ]]> <p>As a child, she was so politically chameleon-like that she didn't ride a bike. The reason: she saw no difference between left and right. Now in her fifties, she stands somewhat gormlessly on a podium, sporting a golden crown engraved with a giant "A" and celebrating her coronation as Miss Tschörm&#228;nie.</p> Europe Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/air-france-jet-not-destroyed-in-flight-1729631.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/air-france-jet-not-destroyed-in-flight-1729631.html <p>An intact Air France Flight 447 slammed belly first into the Atlantic Ocean at high speed, a top French investigator said yesterday, adding that problems with speed sensors were not the direct cause of the crash.</p> Europe Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/writers-attack-new-italian-race-laws-1729637.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/writers-attack-new-italian-race-laws-1729637.html <p>Italy's parliament yesterday gave final approval to a controversial law which criminalises illegal immigration and legalises unarmed vigilante patrols by citizens. The law was assured an easy final passage by being tied to a confidence vote, so that MPs in the ruling coalition were virtually obliged to vote for it.</p> Europe Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/troops-gather-on-georgian-border-1729636.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/troops-gather-on-georgian-border-1729636.html ]]> <p>It's easy to see how things could spiral out of control: the two sides are braced for combat. At Ergneti on Georgia's border with South Ossetia, Georgian military police stand guard behind high barricades made of sandbags and two metre-high slabs of concrete. Out of sight barely 20 metres away, the forces of South Ossetia and Russia are mustered behind barricades of their own, their national flags fluttering. </p> Europe Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-why-is-the-un-setting-up-in-calais-and-can-it-resolve-the-refugee-problem-1727950.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-why-is-the-un-setting-up-in-calais-and-can-it-resolve-the-refugee-problem-1727950.html Europe Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/felipe-gonzalez-takes-on-blair-for-eu-presidency-1728005.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/felipe-gonzalez-takes-on-blair-for-eu-presidency-1728005.html ]]> <p>He oversaw the modernisation of Spain and secured its entry into the EU; he ruled for 13 years before falling from view in a 1996 political scandal. But now Felipe Gonzalez, the charismatic former Socialist prime minister is once more stalking the land and being spoken of as a challenger to Tony Blair in the race to become the first "President of Europe". </p> Europe Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/croatian-prime-minister-quits-politics-1727407.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/croatian-prime-minister-quits-politics-1727407.html <p> Croatia's Prime Minister Ivo Sanader resigned and quit politics today after hinting at frustration with his country's delayed EU membership bid as a reason for the shock announcement. </p> Europe Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:30:06 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-asks-who-to-blame-for-deadly-train-inferno-1726687.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-asks-who-to-blame-for-deadly-train-inferno-1726687.html <p> Pressure was building on Italian authorities today to determine who was to blame for an explosion of a passing freight train that set fire to nearby homes and burned families alive while they slept. </p> Europe Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:46:39 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-gambling-industry-closes-shutters-1726649.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-gambling-industry-closes-shutters-1726649.html <p> Tens of thousands of casinos, slot-machine parlors and gambling halls across Russia are shutting down, complying with sweeping new restrictions. </p> Europe Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:35:51 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/apocalypse-on-railway-in-tuscany-1726203.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/apocalypse-on-railway-in-tuscany-1726203.html ]]> <p>The pretty, tree-lined streets of the Tuscan seaside resort of Viareggio would still have been busy just before midnight on Monday, when a freight train passing through derailed. Its cargo of liquid gas exploded, engulfing the town's station and surrounding homes in flames leaving at least 13 dead and dozens seriously injured. </p> Europe Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/757-reports-near-miss-with-lawnmower-1725588.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/757-reports-near-miss-with-lawnmower-1725588.html <p> A plane carrying almost 200 passengers had a close shave with a tractor lawnmower as it landed on a foggy night, it was disclosed today. </p> Europe Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:33:34 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/14-killed-as-gas-train-explodes-in-town-inferno-1724728.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/14-killed-as-gas-train-explodes-in-town-inferno-1724728.html ]]> <p> At least 14 people were killed and 50 injured overnight in Italy when a freight train hauling liquefied petroleum gas derailed and exploded as it passed their homes, officials said today. </p> Europe Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:36:04 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/britons-injured-in-turkey-hotel-fire-1725328.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/britons-injured-in-turkey-hotel-fire-1725328.html <p> Seven Britons were recovering today after being injured in a hotel fire in Turkey, the Foreign Office said. </p> Europe Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:14:22 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/artist-flees-turkey-after-brush-with-leader-1725168.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/artist-flees-turkey-after-brush-with-leader-1725168.html <p> An artist who was cleared of mocking Turkey's prime minister by portraying him as a dog in a collage has fled the country after hearing his acquittal has been overturned. </p> Europe Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:01:14 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/child-porn-hidden-in-swiss-hiphop-website-1724947.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/child-porn-hidden-in-swiss-hiphop-website-1724947.html <p> Child pornography was downloaded from a Swiss hip-hop music website to around 2,300 computers in 78 countries, Swiss police said on Monday. </p> News Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:35:24 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/judges-say-yes-to-dr-no-trademark-bid-1724867.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/judges-say-yes-to-dr-no-trademark-bid-1724867.html <p> European judges today said yes to a German company's bid to trademark Dr No - despite opposition from the American owners of the rights to the James Bond films. </p> Europe Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:09:28 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/le-pens-daughter-in-national-front-victory-1724476.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/le-pens-daughter-in-national-front-victory-1724476.html ]]> <p>The French political establishment scrambled yesterday to try to block a significant electoral breakthrough by the daughter of the veteran far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. </p> Europe Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bones-confirmed-as-st-pauls-remains-1723751.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bones-confirmed-as-st-pauls-remains-1723751.html <p> The first scientific test on what is believed to be the remains of the Apostle Paul appears to confirm that they are genuine, the pope said. </p> Europe Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:22:23 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trabant-parade-remembers-the-first-crack-in-berlin-wall-1722949.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trabant-parade-remembers-the-first-crack-in-berlin-wall-1722949.html ]]> <p>A procession of restored Trabant cars streamed through a replica of a metal gate this weekend, commemorating the place and time, 20 years ago, when Hungary and Austria opened the first breach in the Iron Curtain and, in former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's words, "took the first brick out of the Berlin Wall". </p> Europe Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-turns-to-g8-and-gaddafi-for-comfort-1722950.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-turns-to-g8-and-gaddafi-for-comfort-1722950.html ]]> <p>Dogged by domestic problems, Roman emperors would launch international adventures to divert public attention. In the same vein, facing a series of domestic scandals that would have embarrassed the Emperor Tiberius, Italy's Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, today takes to the world stage by announcing the programme for this year's G8 summit. </p> Europe Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-steps-in-to-save-the-great-hamster-of-alsace-1722469.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-steps-in-to-save-the-great-hamster-of-alsace-1722469.html <p>Like a seven-year-old child, the French government faces punishment for failing to look after its hamsters.</p> Europe Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/its-20-years-since-reunification-but-is-germany-still-divided-1716993.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/its-20-years-since-reunification-but-is-germany-still-divided-1716993.html ]]> <p> Most visitors to Germany's reunited capital wouldn't recognise it as such, but there is still a bit of original Berlin Wall left standing in the city's Bernauerstrasse – a street once famous for daring escapes from the former Communist East to the West. The section stands on a piece of litter-strewn wasteland and is little more than 50 yards long. The concrete pipe that used to run along the top of it – to thwart any attempt at climbing into capitalism – has turned black and is falling off. The Wall's once comparatively smooth, graffiti-smeared surface has been picked to the bone: souvenir hunters have hacked away at it so completely that there is not much left beyond the rusting steel-reinforcement rods that somehow hold it together still. </p> Europe Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/student-hoax-wins-magazines-top-prize-1721554.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/student-hoax-wins-magazines-top-prize-1721554.html <p>Amid its traditional mixture of glossy celebrity and gritty reportage, the magazine Paris Match published this week a searing double-page spread on student poverty in France. </p> Europe Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-last-days-of-the-court-of-king-silvio-1721558.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-last-days-of-the-court-of-king-silvio-1721558.html ]]> <p> There is a sudden stench of decay coming off the court of King Silvio. </p> Europe Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bribes-and-bombs-scandal-returns-to-haunt-sarkozy-1720010.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bribes-and-bombs-scandal-returns-to-haunt-sarkozy-1720010.html ]]> <p>A political scandal is gathering pace over claims that 11 French submarine engineers were murdered in a bomb attack in Karachi seven years ago to punish France for the non-payment of arms contract "commissions" to senior Pakistani officials.</p> Europe Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/autoban-german-town-goes-carfree-1720021.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/autoban-german-town-goes-carfree-1720021.html ]]> <p>The Germans may have given the world the Audi and the autobahn, but they have banished everything with four wheels and an engine from the streets of Vauban – a model brave new world of a community in the country's south-west, next to the borders with Switzerland and France. </p> Europe Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/court-overturns-politkovskaya-verdict-1720016.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/court-overturns-politkovskaya-verdict-1720016.html <p>Russia's Supreme Court has overturned the acquittal of three men charged with the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist whose reporting directly challenged the country's most powerful leaders.</p> Europe Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/family-of-gas-death-children-face-wait-for-justice-1718607.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/family-of-gas-death-children-face-wait-for-justice-1718607.html <p> The family of two children gassed to death in a holiday tragedy almost three years ago hit out today after a trial linked to the case was delayed for six months. </p> Europe Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:01:40 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gay-referee-gets-red-card-in-turkey-1718056.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gay-referee-gets-red-card-in-turkey-1718056.html ]]> <p>Turkey's football authorities were at the centre of a growing scandal this week after a referee they had sacked for homosexuality and outed to the press began fighting back in the courts and the press.</p> Europe Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miracle-escape-for-boy-as-car-plunges-into-turkish-shopping-centre-1716927.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miracle-escape-for-boy-as-car-plunges-into-turkish-shopping-centre-1716927.html ]]> <p> These CCTV images taken last Saturday captured the dramatic moments when a car left the road and hit a pedestrian standing on the pavement. </p> Europe Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:49:33 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/oap-gang-tortured-financial-adviser-1716327.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/oap-gang-tortured-financial-adviser-1716327.html <p> A group of pensioners has been accused of kidnapping and torturing a financial adviser who lost over &euro;2m of their savings. </p> Europe Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:07:46 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/silvios-teflon-triumph-berlusconi-enjoys-electoral-success-1715992.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/silvios-teflon-triumph-berlusconi-enjoys-electoral-success-1715992.html ]]> <p>Silvio Berlusconi can breathe again. After weeks of revelations about his private life – culminating in a prosecutor's decision to question dozens of young women on suspicion that they were paid to attend his parties – Italy's Prime Minister shrugged off the pressure yesterday, recording a convincing victory for his centre-right coalition in provincial and municipal elections across the country. </p> Europe Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sarkozy-sidelines-young-black-cabinet-minister-1715997.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sarkozy-sidelines-young-black-cabinet-minister-1715997.html ]]> <p>President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a larger than expected government reshuffle last night, sidelining his emblematic, young black minister Rama Yade and giving France its first overtly gay cabinet minister. </p> Europe Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/east-german-football-gets-the-kick-it-needs-1716000.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/east-german-football-gets-the-kick-it-needs-1716000.html ]]> <p>The drab, once communist eastern town is a nonentity in the German football world, its team seemingly welded to the country's fifth division. However Markranst&#228;dt is preparing for a radical upturn in its fortunes thanks to the soft drinks giant Red Bull and a huge cash injection.</p> Europe Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sarkozys-louis-xiv-moment-1714155.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sarkozys-louis-xiv-moment-1714155.html ]]> <p>Nicholas Sarkozy yesterday trod where no French president for 161 years has dared, or chosen, to tread when he spoke to parliament.</p> Europe Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/millions-at-risk-from-mediterranean-tsunami-1712767.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/millions-at-risk-from-mediterranean-tsunami-1712767.html <p> Millions of people living and holidaying along the Mediterranean coast are at risk of being hit with a tsunami, a new report warns. </p> Europe Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:25:36 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/apology-over-women-hired-for-berlusconi-1712251.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/apology-over-women-hired-for-berlusconi-1712251.html <p>A businessman who recruited young women to attend parties at Silvio Berlusconi's homes has apologised to the Prime Minister for the scandal.</p> Europe Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-why-has-the-eta-problem-flared-up-again-and-can-it-ever-be-resolved-1712262.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-why-has-the-eta-problem-flared-up-again-and-can-it-ever-be-resolved-1712262.html Europe Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/seven-killed-in-french-helicopter-crash-1711769.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/seven-killed-in-french-helicopter-crash-1711769.html <p> Seven people, including six employees of an amusement park, were killed when a helicopter crashed in a rural area of eastern France on Saturday night, local authorities said. </p> Europe Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:28:50 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-ready-to-reduce-nukes-in-us-deal-1711108.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-ready-to-reduce-nukes-in-us-deal-1711108.html <p> Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says his country is ready for a reduction of strategic weapons in an arms control agreement with the United States. </p> Europe Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:51:50 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-split-over-plan-to-outlaw-burqa-1710747.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-split-over-plan-to-outlaw-burqa-1710747.html ]]> <p>A suggestion that the full-length veil, or burqa, might be outlawed in France split the French government down the middle yesterday. </p> Europe Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/acropolis-now-a-museum-for-the-elgin-marbles-1710787.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/acropolis-now-a-museum-for-the-elgin-marbles-1710787.html ]]> <p>From a distance, you could almost mistake it for a designer multi-storey car park. The grey concrete and angular lines are certainly a contrast to the classical marble edifice in whose shadow it stands. Yet the Parthenon seems to look down on the architectural upstart not with disapproval but pride, affection, and most of all hope. Hope that the new offspring can finally bring the ancestral treasures home. </p> Europe Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/showgirl-taped-herself-in-bedroom-with-italian-pm-1709929.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/showgirl-taped-herself-in-bedroom-with-italian-pm-1709929.html <p> A showgirl who claims that she and other women were paid to attend Silvio Berlusconi's private parties said yesterday that she had pictures showing her with the Italian prime minister in his bedroom. </p> Europe Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:10:23 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/air-france-set-to-pay-out-to-crash-victims-families-1709687.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/air-france-set-to-pay-out-to-crash-victims-families-1709687.html <p> Air France's chief executive says the company will give about &pound;15,000 as an advance to the families of the victims of the crash of Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. </p> Europe Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:51:40 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/car-bomb-in-spains-basque-country-kills-policeman-1709268.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/car-bomb-in-spains-basque-country-kills-policeman-1709268.html ]]> <p> A powerful car bomb exploded today near the Basque city of Bilbao, killing a policeman in an attack that bore the hallmarks of the separatist group ETA, officials said. </p> Europe Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:04:21 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ireland-set-to-win-lisbon-treaty-concessions-1708995.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ireland-set-to-win-lisbon-treaty-concessions-1708995.html <p>European Union leaders will approve concessions for Ireland today that will enable it to hold a second referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon.</p> Europe Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/worlds-best-comic-collection-opens-to-public-in-france-1708791.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/worlds-best-comic-collection-opens-to-public-in-france-1708791.html ]]> <p> From Saturday comic books will have their own Louvre, a museum devoted to the art of speech-bubbles, super-heroes, boy journalists, stubborn Gauls and facetious talking animals. </p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:39:27 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/incest-probe-siblings-forced-to-have-sex-1708553.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/incest-probe-siblings-forced-to-have-sex-1708553.html <p> Police last night confirmed they were investigating horrific allegations of serious sexual abuse in a family in the west of Ireland. </p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:43:11 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/autopsies-suggest-air-france-jet-broke-up-in-sky-1708208.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/autopsies-suggest-air-france-jet-broke-up-in-sky-1708208.html <p> Autopsies have revealed fractures in the legs, hips and arms of Air France Flight 447 victims, injuries that — along with the large pieces of wreckage pulled from the Atlantic — strongly suggest the plane broke up in the air, experts say. </p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:29:11 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-paid-me-to-go-to-his-party-woman-says-1707907.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-paid-me-to-go-to-his-party-woman-says-1707907.html <p>Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denounced as "garbage" a newspaper interview with a woman who said she had been paid &euro;1,000 (&pound;850) to attend a party at his Roman residence.</p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sarkozy-attacked-for-soaring-expenses-1707911.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sarkozy-attacked-for-soaring-expenses-1707911.html ]]> <p>Soaring French presidential expenses under Nicolas Sarkozy have come under blistering political attack – despite the absence of either duck pond or moat at the Elyseé palace. </p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mistress-meant-to-kill-billionaire-sm-lover-1707912.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mistress-meant-to-kill-billionaire-sm-lover-1707912.html ]]> <p>The macabre killing of one of France's wealthiest men was an intentional murder and not a "crime of passion", a Swiss jury decided yesterday. </p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-terrorists-shoot-officer-guarding-witness-1707915.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-terrorists-shoot-officer-guarding-witness-1707915.html <p>Gunmen killed a police anti-terrorist officer guarding a witness in the centre of the Greek capital yesterday in a brazen escalation of domestic militant attacks prompted by massive riots in December. </p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/world-focus-a-second-term-for-barroso-is-hardly-a-sign-of-approval-1707914.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/world-focus-a-second-term-for-barroso-is-hardly-a-sign-of-approval-1707914.html ]]> <p>Jose Manuel Barroso is almost certain to clinch a second term as European Commission president when EU leaders meet in Brussels today – thanks largely to the absence of a strong challenger.</p> Europe Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ahmadinejad-defies-unrest-with-escape-to-russian-talks-1706911.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ahmadinejad-defies-unrest-with-escape-to-russian-talks-1706911.html ]]> <p>It was business as usual for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday, as he used a summit in Russia to attack the United States for causing the global economic crisis, without once mentioning his disputed election win or the mass protests sweeping his capital city.</p> Europe Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-end-of-the-road-for-russias-roulette-1706937.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-end-of-the-road-for-russias-roulette-1706937.html ]]> <p>The time is 7am and the sun has long come up over Moscow, but inside the Shangri-La casino, the tables are thronged with gamblers, most of whom have been here through the night, throwing down chips on blackjack and poker. It's a sight that is soon to disappear, as Russian officials insist they will strictly enforce a law due to come into force at the end of this month that bans all casinos in the country, except in four gambling zones.</p> Europe Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/what-a-pain-in-the-derriegravere-how-louis-xv-shot-his-horse-1706939.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/what-a-pain-in-the-derriegravere-how-louis-xv-shot-his-horse-1706939.html ]]> <p>How King Louis XV came to shoot his own horse in the bottom is described, by the monarch himself, in a batch of royal letters to be auctioned in Paris today. </p> Europe Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boy-saves-drunk-mother-from-fire-1706587.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boy-saves-drunk-mother-from-fire-1706587.html <p> Police in Poland said an eight-year-old boy saved his sister and three drunk adults from a fire by calling police and fighting the flames before help arrived. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:20:47 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/climate-change-divides-the-alps-down-the-middle-1706028.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/climate-change-divides-the-alps-down-the-middle-1706028.html <p>The dramatic effect of climate change on the Alps comes into focus as never before this week with the publication of a major report which reveals that the mountain range is rapidly dividing into two contrasting climatic zones, each posing new problems. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-gangs-lethal-virus-ransom-scam-on-costa-del-sol-backfires-1706033.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-gangs-lethal-virus-ransom-scam-on-costa-del-sol-backfires-1706033.html <p>The victim was warned that he would first feel feverish, then sweaty and dizzy, then he would vomit and die from a lethal virus, unless he paid &euro;12,000 (&pound;10,160) as his own ransom. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spokesman-in-court-for-contempt-in-milosevic-trial-1706174.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spokesman-in-court-for-contempt-in-milosevic-trial-1706174.html <p>The lawyer for a former Yugoslav war crimes tribunal spokeswoman told UN judges yesterday they would be reining in free speech if they convicted his client of deliberately breaching confidentiality orders. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/masked-police-beat-protesters-at-political-rally-1706175.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/masked-police-beat-protesters-at-political-rally-1706175.html <p>Georgian police clashed with opposition activists in the capital yesterday, arresting dozens and beating demonstrators, along with several journalists. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tarzan-racist-savage-or--first-ecowarrior-1706035.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tarzan-racist-savage-or--first-ecowarrior-1706035.html ]]> <p>Moi Tarzan, toi Jane. If you visit the Eiffel Tower this summer, study the steelwork carefully, because you might see, or imagine you see, a familiar figure leaping from strut to strut. Tarzan of the Apes has taken up residence in the Musée du Quai Branly, the museum near the base of the Eiffel Tower, which is dedicated to non-Western – or, as some people insist, "primitive" – forms of art. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/crash-jet-airline-replaces-speed-sensors-on-fleet-1706176.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/crash-jet-airline-replaces-speed-sensors-on-fleet-1706176.html <p>Air France has replaced the air speed sensors on its entire fleet of Airbus A330 and A340 long-haul aircraft, a pilots' union official yesterday. The company had been under pressure from pilots who feared the devices could be linked to the crash of Flight 447. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fascist-vigilante-group-is-banned-1706177.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fascist-vigilante-group-is-banned-1706177.html <p>A new vigilante group has been banned from walking the streets because of the similarity between its uniforms and those worn by Mussolini's Fascists in the 1930s. </p> Europe Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-presidency-welcomes-netanyahus-speech-1705488.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-presidency-welcomes-netanyahus-speech-1705488.html <p> The presidency of the European Union today welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Sunday speech giving his endorsement - albeit with conditions - to a Palestinian state. </p> Europe Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:29:51 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/knox-stands-up-to-the-examination-of-her-life-1704813.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/knox-stands-up-to-the-examination-of-her-life-1704813.html ]]> <p>For the second day in a row, Amanda Knox was cool, calm and collected. So much so that some wondered how the same girl who broke down in a state of dazed confusion during an all-night police interrogation could withstand two such intense days of pressure on the witness stand, with the whole world watching. But she did, for the most part with flying colours. </p> Europe Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/more-flight-447-bodies-found-1704831.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/more-flight-447-bodies-found-1704831.html <p>Six more bodies have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, bringing to 50 the number found after an Air France jet crashed on 31 May, killing all 228 on board. Investigators have also received the first wreckage: two plane seats, oxygen masks, water bottles and several structural pieces, some no bigger than a human hand.</p> Europe Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/euro-festivals-go-pop-1704833.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/euro-festivals-go-pop-1704833.html ]]> <p>The musician Neil Young will tonight entertain thousands of fans at the Isle of Wight festival before packing up his guitar and heading off to a sold-out Glastonbury, where he will headline along with Bruce Springsteen and a reformed Blur in a fortnight's time.</p> News Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/134bn-bond-scam-arrests-1704893.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/134bn-bond-scam-arrests-1704893.html <p>Two middle-aged men have reportedly been detained in Italy while trying to take $134bn in US bonds – equivalent to the entire GDP of Kazakhstan – into Switzerland. </p> Europe Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/knox-in-the-witness-box-i-did-not-kill-meredith-1704134.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/knox-in-the-witness-box-i-did-not-kill-meredith-1704134.html ]]> <p>A confident and convinced Amanda Knox told jurors and the world a very different side to the story of Meredith Kercher's murder yesterday.</p> Europe Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/memoirs-of-popes-beloved-wanda-threaten-beatification-1704150.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/memoirs-of-popes-beloved-wanda-threaten-beatification-1704150.html ]]> <p>To him, she was "My Dear Dusia" and he signed his letters "Br" – short for brother. She was one of a handful of people by his bedside when he died, and visited him in hospital when he survived an assassination attempt.</p> Europe Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/amanda-knox-pressured-by-police-to-implicate-bar-owner-1703408.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/amanda-knox-pressured-by-police-to-implicate-bar-owner-1703408.html ]]> <p> An American student on trial in Italy for the murder of her British roommate testified Friday for the first time, her voice sometimes shaking, and said the last time she saw the victim was hours before the killing. </p> Europe Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:00:31 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mladic-the-most-wanted-man-in-europe-1703207.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mladic-the-most-wanted-man-in-europe-1703207.html ]]> <p>He is held responsible for the longest and bloodiest siege since the Second World War and the most pitiless massacre since the defeat of the Nazis, but that has not prevented the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, Ratko Mladic, from enjoying a long and placid retirement. </p> Europe Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/artist-to-fix-work-that-putin-criticised-1703232.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/artist-to-fix-work-that-putin-criticised-1703232.html <p>A distinguished Russian artist has promised to change a painting he completed 36 years ago after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told him a sword depicted in the work of art was too short.</p> Europe Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vixen-thief-is-imelda-marcos-of-germany-1703234.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vixen-thief-is-imelda-marcos-of-germany-1703234.html <p>A vixen has been nicknamed the "Imelda Marcos" of Germany's fox population after being identified as the culprit behind the theft of more than 120 shoes in a provincial town.</p> Europe Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bosnia-tv-shows-fugitive-mladic-in-home-videos-1702848.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bosnia-tv-shows-fugitive-mladic-in-home-videos-1702848.html ]]> <p> Bosnian state television has broadcast several video clips it says show war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic living freely in Serbia despite genocide charges filed against him by a UN tribunal in 1995. </p> Europe Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:36:27 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sm-murder-was-crime-of-passion-claims-mistress-1702176.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sm-murder-was-crime-of-passion-claims-mistress-1702176.html ]]> <p>The lover of a wealthy French financier yesterday admitted that she shot him four times while he was bound to a chair dressed in a latex body-suit. </p> Europe Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/alarm-in-baltic-as-kremlin-seizes-control-of-soviet-past-1702182.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/alarm-in-baltic-as-kremlin-seizes-control-of-soviet-past-1702182.html ]]> <p>In Russia it is not only the future that is unpredictable; often the past is equally in doubt. One minute Leon Trotsky was a hero of the Revolution, the father of the Red Army and a strong contender to succeed Lenin; the next minute he never existed. Until the late 1980s, the 1917 Revolution was the pinnacle of human achievement; suddenly in the 1990s it was seen as an utter failure.</p> Europe Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/antiimmigration-party-member-becomes-italys-first-black-mayor-1701893.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/antiimmigration-party-member-becomes-italys-first-black-mayor-1701893.html <p> A card-carrying member of Italy&rsquo;s anti-immigration Northern League has been elected the country&rsquo;s first black mayor. </p> Europe Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:38:48 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/notebook-of-sketches-by-picasso-worth-1637m-stolen-1701095.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/notebook-of-sketches-by-picasso-worth-1637m-stolen-1701095.html ]]> <p>A notebook containing 32 sketches by Pablo Picasso, valued at about &euro;8m (&pound;7m), vanished yesterday from the Picasso Museum in central Paris. </p> News Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eta-planned-to-assassinate-judge-with-poisoned-brandy-1701106.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eta-planned-to-assassinate-judge-with-poisoned-brandy-1701106.html <p>Eta Basque separatists planned to kill one of their most hated enemies, Spain's crusading magistrate Baltasar Garzon, with a poisoned bottle of brandy sent as a gift by an ostensible admirer, it emerged this week.</p> Europe Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-breached-human-rights-by-not-protecting-wife-1701107.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-breached-human-rights-by-not-protecting-wife-1701107.html <p>In a landmark ruling that further undermined Turkey's shaky reputation on human rights, a European Court yesterday found that the country's government had failed to protect a woman who was brutalised by her husband for more than a decade.</p> Europe Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:01 +0100