http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/?service=Rss http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/50000-dead-starfish-found-on-irish-beach-1816242.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/50000-dead-starfish-found-on-irish-beach-1816242.html <p> Extreme weather conditions have killed tens of thousands of starfish and left them strewn across a sheltered beach. </p> Europe Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:59:50 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fury-on-the-streets-as-axe-hovers-over-german-workers-1815739.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fury-on-the-streets-as-axe-hovers-over-german-workers-1815739.html ]]> <p>Thousands of Opel workers staged lightning strikes and angry protests across Germany yesterday after the sudden refusal by the car giant's American parent company, General Motors, to sell off its European operations.</p> Europe Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/backlash-at-cameron-over-euro-referendum-1815741.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/backlash-at-cameron-over-euro-referendum-1815741.html <p>David Cameron suffered a backlash at home and abroad yesterday as his new policy on Europe upset Tory Eurosceptics and some of Britain's European Union partners.</p> UK Politics Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/sin-city-show-celebrates-the-paris-brothel-that-was-loved-by-cary-grant-1815759.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/sin-city-show-celebrates-the-paris-brothel-that-was-loved-by-cary-grant-1815759.html ]]> <p>It was sleaze all right, but sleaze of a refined and exclusive kind. Throughout their long heyday, the brothels of Paris were as alluring and luxuriously chic as any gentlemen's club or aristocratic salon. </p> News Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-minister-eu-wont-bend-rules-for-tories-1815393.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-minister-eu-wont-bend-rules-for-tories-1815393.html <p> A renegotiation of EU institutions to suit the Conservatives if they win power is "out of the question" and London risks isolation if it makes such demands, France's minister for Europe said today. </p> Europe Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:26:15 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/court-ruling--keeps-fairer-sex-off-the-fairway-1814797.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/court-ruling--keeps-fairer-sex-off-the-fairway-1814797.html <p>A premier Dublin golf club can continue to block women from membership, the Irish Supreme Court has decreed, in a ruling that a dissenting judge argued was discriminatory.</p> Europe Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cia-agents-sentenced-in-italy-rendition-case-1814799.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cia-agents-sentenced-in-italy-rendition-case-1814799.html ]]> <p>In a stiff rebuke from across the Atlantic to the policies of former US president George Bush, a judge in Milan yesterday sentenced 23 American citizens to up to eight years in prison for their part in the secret abduction of a Muslim cleric in 2003 and his rendition for questioning in Egypt, where he was imprisoned and tortured.</p> Europe Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czechs-leave-cameron-stranded-over-lisbon-treaty-1814182.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czechs-leave-cameron-stranded-over-lisbon-treaty-1814182.html ]]> <p>Europe's leaders celebrated last night after the Lisbon treaty was finally ratified after two years of delay, paving the way to the creation of a new-look European Union.</p> Europe Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/crucifixes-banned-from-italian-schools-1814200.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/crucifixes-banned-from-italian-schools-1814200.html <p>The European Court of Human Rights has said that the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms, prompting an angry reaction from the Catholic Church and government officials in Rome. </p> Europe Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/father-of-anthropology-dies-aged-100-1814203.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/father-of-anthropology-dies-aged-100-1814203.html <p>Claude Levi-Strauss, widely considered the father of modern anthropology for work that included theories about the similarities between tribal and industrial societies, has died aged 100. </p> News Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-plays-for-time-in-court-debut-1814202.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-plays-for-time-in-court-debut-1814202.html ]]> <p>The former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared before the international war crimes tribunal for the first time yesterday, but only to repeat that he needed more time to prepare his defence. </p> Europe Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-anthropologist-claude-levistrauss-dies-1814037.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-anthropologist-claude-levistrauss-dies-1814037.html <p> Claude Levi-Strauss, widely considered the father of modern anthropology for work that included theories about commonalities between tribal and industrial societies, has died. He was 100. </p> Europe Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:02:48 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czech-court-endorses-eu-reform-treaty-1813752.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czech-court-endorses-eu-reform-treaty-1813752.html <p> A Czech court ruled today that the EU reform treaty is in line with the country's constitution, removing the proposed charter's last legal hurdle and intensifying pressure on President Vaclav Klaus to sign the document already ratified by the other member nations. </p> Europe Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:20:33 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/web-users-targeted-for-madeleine-mccann-video-1813748.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/web-users-targeted-for-madeleine-mccann-video-1813748.html ]]> <p> British police appealed today for internet users worldwide to spread a new video aimed at pricking the conscience of the key witness who knows what happened to Madeleine McCann. </p> Europe Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:39:54 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miliband-met-by-icy-reception-on-debut-mission-to-moscow-1813638.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miliband-met-by-icy-reception-on-debut-mission-to-moscow-1813638.html ]]> <p>David Miliband's demands that the man suspected of involvement in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko be extradited to London were again refused by the Russian government in high-level talks in Moscow yesterday.</p> Europe Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/first-black-female-winner-for-frances-top-literary-prize-1813643.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/first-black-female-winner-for-frances-top-literary-prize-1813643.html ]]> <p>The French-Senegalese writer Marie NDiaye yesterday became the first black woman to win the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary prize.</p> News Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkels-home-town-rises-from-the-ashes-1813644.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkels-home-town-rises-from-the-ashes-1813644.html ]]> <p> The bit of rural ex-Communist hinterland in which Angela Merkel grew up has undergone an imaginative makeover since the 55-year-old pastor's daughter embarked on her political career. Ms Merkel, now one of the world's most powerful leaders, will today address the US Congress in a symbolic speech marking two decades since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.</p> Europe Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/row-is-brewing-with-catholic-church-over-visionary-claims-at-shrine-1813427.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/row-is-brewing-with-catholic-church-over-visionary-claims-at-shrine-1813427.html <p> A stand-off between Catholic Church authorities and a self-proclaimed visionary threatens to escalate into a major showdown next month. </p> Europe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:13:03 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/at-least-two-killed-in-tenerife-landslide-1813418.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/at-least-two-killed-in-tenerife-landslide-1813418.html <p> A landslide has killed at least two people and may have buried another two on the popular holiday island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, the Spanish government said last night. </p> Europe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:54:48 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-to-end-tribunal-boycott-1813332.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-to-end-tribunal-boycott-1813332.html ]]> <p> Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic will boycott his genocide trial again today but will attend a hearing tomorrow on how to get the case back on track, one of his legal advisers said. </p> Europe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:53:14 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mafia-boss-captured-after-16-years-on-run-1813194.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mafia-boss-captured-after-16-years-on-run-1813194.html ]]> <p>Italian police arrested one of the country's most wanted mafia bosses yesterday, dealing a blow to one of the most powerful criminal clans in the region around Naples. </p> Europe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/polanski-offers-swiss-a-sizeable-bail-in-cash-1813196.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/polanski-offers-swiss-a-sizeable-bail-in-cash-1813196.html <p>A lawyer for film director Roman Polanski, who has been held in a Swiss prison since September, says a new bail offer – of a "very, very significant" cash amount – will be filed today. </p> Europe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/lorcas-grave-awakens-other-ghosts-1813199.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/lorcas-grave-awakens-other-ghosts-1813199.html ]]> <p>The excavation of a mass grave on a Granada hillside where the poet Federico Garcia Lorca was murdered during the Spanish Civil War has reinforced calls for the area to be investigated. "Lorca was just one of 4,000 executions on a roadside just a kilometre long," says Juan Antonio Lopez Diaz, a Granada University professor. "There are so many bodies there that pine trees were planted just to stop them being uncovered by rainfall erosion."</p> Europe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-woman-killed-by-landslide-on-tenerife-1813147.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-woman-killed-by-landslide-on-tenerife-1813147.html <p> Two people died after a landslide on to a beach today on the Spanish island of Tenerife, though no one is believed to be trapped beneath the rocks, local emergency services said. </p> Europe Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:06:51 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miliband-in-key-visit-to-russia-1813015.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miliband-in-key-visit-to-russia-1813015.html <p> Foreign Secretary David Miliband is making his first official visit to Russia today. </p> Europe Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:11:51 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/east-germans-watch-transfixed-as-their-country-falls-apart-1812783.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/east-germans-watch-transfixed-as-their-country-falls-apart-1812783.html ]]> <p><b>25 October 1989</b></p> Europe Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/is-miliband-set-to-desert-sinking-ship-1812917.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/is-miliband-set-to-desert-sinking-ship-1812917.html ]]> <p>David Miliband's chances of becoming foreign minister of Europe increased dramatically yesterday after it emerged that the most senior figure in the EU is privately leading a campaign on behalf of the Foreign Secretary.</p> UK Politics Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/how-bid-was-doomed-to-fail-from-the-start-1812259.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/how-bid-was-doomed-to-fail-from-the-start-1812259.html <p>As Nicolas Sarkozy said, it is a golden rule in Brussels that an early frontrunner rarely makes it to the finish line. And during this week's European summit, it became clear that Tony Blair's race to become EU President had well and truly run aground.</p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkel-and-sarkozy-unite-to-end-blairs-european-dream-1812260.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkel-and-sarkozy-unite-to-end-blairs-european-dream-1812260.html ]]> <p>Tony Blair's hopes of becoming the first President of Europe have been dealt a potentially lethal blow by France and Germany. The European Union's two most powerful nations appeared to slam the door on a bid by the former prime minister to become President of the European Council.</p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sleeping-rough-at-12-ndash-the-boys-who-dreamt-of-britain-1812264.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sleeping-rough-at-12-ndash-the-boys-who-dreamt-of-britain-1812264.html ]]> <p>Dozens of children – sent from Afghanistan by their parents in the hope of finding a better life in Britain – are sleeping rough on the streets of Calais following the demolition of the town's last remaining asylum camp, an investigation by The Independent has found.</p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/history-made-as-chirac-is-told-to-stand-trial-1812278.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/history-made-as-chirac-is-told-to-stand-trial-1812278.html ]]> <p>Jacques Chirac, the former French president, was ordered to stand trial for alleged corruption while he was mayor of Paris. He is accused of embezzling taxpayers' money to pay more than 20 political cronies for posts that turned out to be non-existent. Mr Chirac now becomes the first former head of state in French history to be put on trial. </p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/girls-bid-to-sail-around-world-blocked-1812267.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/girls-bid-to-sail-around-world-blocked-1812267.html <p>A girl who wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world is still too inexperienced to be allowed to set off on her quest, a court ruled yesterday.</p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/my-parents-dont-know-that-we-are-living-like-this-1812265.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/my-parents-dont-know-that-we-are-living-like-this-1812265.html <p> Every morning Ismail Safi is woken up by the dew that has seeped through his blue blanket and on to his clothes. His current home is a strip of concrete under a canal bridge in eastern Calais where 17 fellow Afghan refugees sleep together in an attempt to keep warm as the early morning traffic passes overhead. </p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-man-with-no-name-relives-horrors-of-stasi-1812287.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-man-with-no-name-relives-horrors-of-stasi-1812287.html ]]> <p>The award-winning film The Lives of Others, which exposed the workings of East Germany's hated secret police, always seemed a bit of a joke to Wolfgang Arndt. The 50-year-old does not need to be told what the Stasi did. He was spied on by its agents since his school days, arrested and detained, beaten and drugged by its officers and subsequently jailed for six years. </p> Europe Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/blair-likely-to-face-battle-for-presidency-says-brown-1811999.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/blair-likely-to-face-battle-for-presidency-says-brown-1811999.html ]]> <p> Gordon Brown today acknowledged that Tony Blair is likely to face a stiff battle to become the first president of the European Union. </p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:52:36 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brown-hails-breakthrough-in-climate-talks-1811941.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brown-hails-breakthrough-in-climate-talks-1811941.html ]]> <p> Gordon Brown declared a "breakthrough" in climate change talks today as EU leaders named the price of tackling carbon emissions. </p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:17:02 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/jacques-chirac-to-stand-trial-for-corruption-1811887.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/jacques-chirac-to-stand-trial-for-corruption-1811887.html ]]> <p> Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial in an alleged corruption scandal dating back to his tenure as Paris mayor, a judicial official said today. </p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:02:58 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/browns-baroness-emerges-from-the-shadows-1811702.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/browns-baroness-emerges-from-the-shadows-1811702.html <p>Baroness Cathy Ashton is one of the lowest-profile ministers to have served in Gordon Brown's Cabinet. But she has impressed observers since moving to Brussels last year to replace Peter Mandelson as Trade Commissioner.</p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/support-for-blair-crumbles-despite-pms-rescue-mission-1811703.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/support-for-blair-crumbles-despite-pms-rescue-mission-1811703.html ]]> <p>Tony Blair's prospects of becoming the first EU President were fading last night despite a last-minute plea from Gordon Brown to Europe's leaders to "get real" and back his predecessor for the post.</p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/browns-opposition-to-climate-change-plea-1811704.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/browns-opposition-to-climate-change-plea-1811704.html <p>Next month's crucial climate change conference in Copenhagen could be jeopardised by European wrangling over the cost of tackling global warming, Gordon Brown warned EU leaders.</p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/camorra-assassin-escapes-as-naples-looks-the-other-way-1811728.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/camorra-assassin-escapes-as-naples-looks-the-other-way-1811728.html <p>Even by the mafia's brutal standards, the killing of a man smoking a cigarette outside a central Naples bar in broad daylight was shocking in its ruthlessness.</p> Europe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/edward-davey-the-wrong-brit-for-the-wrong-job-1811451.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/edward-davey-the-wrong-brit-for-the-wrong-job-1811451.html <p> It’s a long-standing gripe of pro-Europeans that historically Britain has played a poor hand in Europe. </p> Commentators Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:24:21 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/blair-bid-for-eu-presidency-wins-support-from-brown-1811143.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/blair-bid-for-eu-presidency-wins-support-from-brown-1811143.html ]]> <p>Gordon Brown travels to Brussels today to press the case for Tony Blair to become the first president of the European Union, but indications from around the continent last night suggested the appetite for Blair was waning and that he might have a fight on his hands.</p> Europe Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconis-scarlet-fever-gives-way-to-red-mist-1811149.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconis-scarlet-fever-gives-way-to-red-mist-1811149.html ]]> <p>Most people who contract a serious illness take to their beds and try to sleep it off – but not Silvio Berlusconi.</p> Europe Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ss-man-goes-on-trial-for-wwii-murders-1811155.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ss-man-goes-on-trial-for-wwii-murders-1811155.html ]]> <p>A former member of the Waffen SS went on trial yesterday on three counts of murder for the killings of three civilians in the Netherlands during the Second World War.</p> Europe Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pound250000-eu-presidential-shower-sarkozy-never-used-1810743.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pound250000-eu-presidential-shower-sarkozy-never-used-1810743.html <p> French financial watchdogs slammed President Nicolas Sarkozy for spending £160m on his country's six months in charge of the EU - including £250,000 on a personal presidential shower which he never used. </p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:42:33 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-should-radovan-karadzic-be-forced-to-turn-up-for-his-own-trial-1810456.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-should-radovan-karadzic-be-forced-to-turn-up-for-his-own-trial-1810456.html Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/convicted-war-criminal-back-in-belgrade-1810498.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/convicted-war-criminal-back-in-belgrade-1810498.html ]]> <p>Radovan Karadzic's successor as Bosnian Serb president left a Swedish prison yesterday and arrived in Belgrade after winning early release from her sentence for committing war crimes.</p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/caught-by-wiretap-karadzic-boasting-about-genocide-plans-1810499.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/caught-by-wiretap-karadzic-boasting-about-genocide-plans-1810499.html ]]> <p>Painting him as "the supreme commander" and "hands-on leader", prosecutors yesterday opened their war-crimes case against Radovan Karadzic and dramatically revealed the existence of wiretaps which could see the former Bosnian Serb leader incriminated by his own voice.</p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/luxembourg-pm-fights-blair-for-eu-presidency-1810500.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/luxembourg-pm-fights-blair-for-eu-presidency-1810500.html <p>Luxembourg's Prime Minister has fired the starting-gun in the race to become EU President by confirming his interest in the job.</p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/europes-revolution-living-complex-10-a-monument-to-the-failures-of-reunification-1810525.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/europes-revolution-living-complex-10-a-monument-to-the-failures-of-reunification-1810525.html ]]> <p>Twenty years ago, the prosaically named Living Complex 10 was the pride and joy of the East German mining town of Hoyerswerda. Now Wolfgang Kietschke is one of the last people still living there, huddled away in his small ground-floor flat with just a small dog for company. </p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mitterrand-guilty-in-arms-scandal-1810526.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mitterrand-guilty-in-arms-scandal-1810526.html ]]> <p>A former French interior minister and the son of the late president François Mitterrand were yesterday convicted of taking payments for the illegal sale of arms to Angola during the country's civil war in the 1990s. </p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mills-loses-appeal-in-berlusconi-bribe-case-1810523.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mills-loses-appeal-in-berlusconi-bribe-case-1810523.html <p>David Mills, the estranged husband of the British minister Tessa Jowell, has lost an appeal against a sentence for accepting a £366,000 bribe from Silvio Berlusconi in 1997, a ruling which is likely to weaken the Italian Prime Minister's defence in the case.</p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/outrage-as-irish-mp-recommends-one-for-the-road-1810521.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/outrage-as-irish-mp-recommends-one-for-the-road-1810521.html <p>A politician from Ireland's governing party has said "jumpy" drivers might benefit from having a relaxing alcoholic drink to steady their nerves.</p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/scientology-fined-163545000-in-first-conviction-for-fraud-1810519.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/scientology-fined-163545000-in-first-conviction-for-fraud-1810519.html ]]> <p>The Church of Scientology was branded an "organised fraud" by a French court yesterday and fined €600,000 (£545,000) for preying financially on vulnerable believers.</p> Europe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mobile-phone-firm-behind-meteorite-hoax-1810304.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mobile-phone-firm-behind-meteorite-hoax-1810304.html <p> A Swedish mobile phone operator acknowledged today it was behind an elaborate meteorite hoax in Latvia and pledged to reimburse the Baltic nation for all costs spent by police, rescue and military workers in the incident. </p> Europe Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:40:51 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-holidaymaker-dies-in-fall-1810303.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-holidaymaker-dies-in-fall-1810303.html <p> A British woman has died in the Spanish holiday resort of Marbella after reportedly falling as she tried to climb into her apartment from outside. </p> Europe Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:38:09 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/church-of-scientology-convicted-of-fraud-1810284.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/church-of-scientology-convicted-of-fraud-1810284.html ]]> <p> A Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than €600,000 ($900,000) today but stopped short of banning the group as prosecutors had demanded. </p> Europe Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:23:30 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-forecast-300000-muslim-deaths-1810278.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-forecast-300000-muslim-deaths-1810278.html ]]> <p> UN prosecutors opened their genocide case against Radovan Karadzic today - despite his continued boycott of the case - calling him the "undisputed leader" of Serbs responsible for atrocities throughout Bosnia's brutal four-year war. </p> Europe Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:15:35 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-glued-to-saga-of-the-fugitive-1809952.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-glued-to-saga-of-the-fugitive-1809952.html ]]> <p>They seek him here. They seek him there. Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Jean-Pierre Treiber bears little resemblance to the daring, aristocratic Scarlet Pimpernel. He is a former forest worker and game-keeper, accused of the brutal kidnapping and double murder of a young, lesbian couple in 2004. </p> Europe Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/racist-on-trial-for-murdering-muslim-woman-in-courtroom-1809953.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/racist-on-trial-for-murdering-muslim-woman-in-courtroom-1809953.html ]]> <p> A German accused of brutally murdering a pregnant Egyptian woman in full view of courtroom judges went on trial yesterday amid massive security in Dresden to answer for a crime that has provoked outrage across the Muslim world. </p> Europe Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/radovan-karadzic-snubs-hague-court-1809628.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/radovan-karadzic-snubs-hague-court-1809628.html ]]> <p> Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic refused to attend the start of his war crimes trial today saying he was not ready, and judges said they would impose a legal team on him if he failed to show up again. </p> Europe Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:40:55 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-trial-to-start-but-will-he-be-in-the-dock-1809436.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-trial-to-start-but-will-he-be-in-the-dock-1809436.html <p>The war crimes trial of Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian-Serb leader who spent years on the run disguised as a mystic to avoid war crimes charges, is set to open today at The Hague. But the relatives of those who died in the Srebrenica massacre look like being deprived of the satisfaction of seeing the man accused of orchestrating the genocide actually standing in the dock.</p> Europe Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/first-gay-foreign-minister-wins-a-place-in-merkelrsquos-dream-team-1809352.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/first-gay-foreign-minister-wins-a-place-in-merkelrsquos-dream-team-1809352.html ]]> <p> Angela Merkel's new centre-right coalition government will take office this week on a pledge to slash income taxes and with a controversial and openly gay foreign minister who is renowned for refusing to answer questions in English. </p> Europe Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:10:03 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/opposition-activist-killed-in-southern-russia-1809270.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/opposition-activist-killed-in-southern-russia-1809270.html <p> Regional police say a prominent opposition activist in the Russian province of Ingushetia has been shot and killed by unidentified gunmen. </p> Europe Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:28:39 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miliband-backs-blair-as-eu-president-1809268.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/miliband-backs-blair-as-eu-president-1809268.html <p> Foreign Secretary David Miliband today gave his strong backing to Tony Blair's candidacy to be the first permanent President of the European Union. </p> Europe Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:25:19 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-week-the-iron-curtain-began-to-be-torn-apart-1808996.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-week-the-iron-curtain-began-to-be-torn-apart-1808996.html ]]> <p><b>Countdown to the fall of the wall</b></p> Europe Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/transsexual-blackmail-plot-forces-governor-of-lazio-to-step-down-1809211.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/transsexual-blackmail-plot-forces-governor-of-lazio-to-step-down-1809211.html <p>A scandal has rocked Italy's main opposition party on the eve of today's nationwide primary designed to select a new leader and relaunch the party's sagging fortunes. </p> Europe Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/us-files-polanski-extradition-request-1808670.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/us-files-polanski-extradition-request-1808670.html ]]> <p> The United States has asked Switzerland to hand over Roman Polanski to authorities in California, where he could serve up to two years in prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. </p> News Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:18:12 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/could-it-be-miliband-ndash-and-not-blair-ndash-for-europe-1808418.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/could-it-be-miliband-ndash-and-not-blair-ndash-for-europe-1808418.html ]]> <p> The dark clouds that have gathered around Tony Blair's hopes of becoming EU President could yet reveal a silver lining for a younger British hopeful. Murmurs that David Miliband could be in the running for the number two post of EU high representative have grown louder in the past few days, amid tentative hopes nominations could be announced during next week's nail-biting summit in Brussels next week. </p> Europe Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-cracks-down-on-fake-kalashnikovs-1808422.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-cracks-down-on-fake-kalashnikovs-1808422.html ]]> <p>Russia has been a major market for counterfeit music, movies and computer programs from around the world, but at least one Russian product has been pirated worldwide: the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle.</p> Europe Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/charge-of-the-caughtshort-brigade-1808094.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/charge-of-the-caughtshort-brigade-1808094.html <p> A trader plans to give drunken revellers the shock of their lives if they continue urinating against his shop front. </p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:57:28 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sicilian-prefers-prison-to-house-arrest-with-wife-1808072.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sicilian-prefers-prison-to-house-arrest-with-wife-1808072.html <p> A Sicilian builder transferred from prison to house arrest tried to get himself locked up again to escape arguments with his wife at home, Italian media reported yesterday. </p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:19:19 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czech-leader-klaus-happy-with-eu-treaty-proposal-1807907.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czech-leader-klaus-happy-with-eu-treaty-proposal-1807907.html <p>Czech President Vaclav Klaus is satisfied with a proposal by the European Union's Swedish presidency addressing his demands to modify the EU's Lisbon Treaty, his office said on Friday.</p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:10:31 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/legal-threat-to-web-group-that-opposes-berlusconi-1807651.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/legal-threat-to-web-group-that-opposes-berlusconi-1807651.html ]]> <p>The 20,000 members of a Facebook group called "Let's Kill Berlusconi" face an investigation after Rome magistrates said that the group could prompt an assassination attempt against the Italian Prime Minister.</p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-to-boycott-war-crimes-trial-opening-1807656.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/karadzic-to-boycott-war-crimes-trial-opening-1807656.html <p>The former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has told judges he will boycott the start of his trial for war crimes next week. </p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/iltat-cest-moii-the-cult-of-sarko-1807658.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/iltat-cest-moii-the-cult-of-sarko-1807658.html ]]> <p>Never before has a 23-year-old student's announcement that he's withdrawing a job application caused such waves of astonishment and relief. Last night Jean Sarkozy, the son of the French President, abandoned his dream of taking over the political leadership of the huge <i>La Défense</i> skyscraper park just west of Paris.</p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-church-agrees-to-conduct-gay-weddings-1807657.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-church-agrees-to-conduct-gay-weddings-1807657.html ]]> <p>Sweden's Lutheran Church agreed yesterday to conduct gay weddings, becoming the first major church to do so.</p> Europe Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-fears-effects-of-shrinking-families-1806868.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-fears-effects-of-shrinking-families-1806868.html <p>In Italy, population anxiety is an inescapable theme: the native population sees itself left standing by vigorous new arrivals. </p> Europe Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/hurling-ireland-stunned-by-gay-star-1806872.html http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/hurling-ireland-stunned-by-gay-star-1806872.html ]]> <p>Donal Og Cusack, 32, is a solid gold star in the macho world of Irish hurling. Cork's goalkeeper for more than a decade, this son of a crane driver from the small town of Cloyne has rewritten the way the game is played, to the fury of many traditionalists.</p> Others Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/georgia-welcomes-president-garcia-1806893.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/georgia-welcomes-president-garcia-1806893.html ]]> <p>Andy Garcia is playing a very different type of leading man this week. The Hollywood star, best known for his very American roles in The Untouchables and Ocean's 11, has taken on the part of Georgia's flamboyant leader Mikheil Saakashvili in a big-budget film about last year's Russian-Georgian war.</p> News Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/1989-europes-revolution-the-lost-city-of-bonn-1806899.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/1989-europes-revolution-the-lost-city-of-bonn-1806899.html ]]> <p>John le Carré called Bonn "a small town in Germany" when his Cold War thriller of the same name was published just seven years after the building of the Berlin Wall. Two decades on from the Wall's demise it could be argued that the novelist's town has grown even smaller.</p> Europe Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-tourists-drown-in-spain-1806596.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-tourists-drown-in-spain-1806596.html <p> Two Britons who drowned in stormy waters while on holiday in Spain were named today. </p> Europe Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:04:09 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tv-appearence-boosted-support-for-french-farright-leader-1806549.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tv-appearence-boosted-support-for-french-farright-leader-1806549.html <p> British National Party leader Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time may have parallels with the successful prime-time TV debut of a far-right French politician, an academic warned today. </p> Europe Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:46:09 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-provides-easier-path-for-anglicans-to-become-catholics-1806532.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-provides-easier-path-for-anglicans-to-become-catholics-1806532.html <p> Pope Benedict XVI has paved the way for thousands of Anglicans worldwide to join the Roman Catholic Church while maintaining elements of their own spiritual heritage. </p> Europe Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:04:37 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/holidaymaker-plunged-five-floors-to-his-death-1806530.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/holidaymaker-plunged-five-floors-to-his-death-1806530.html <p> A holidaymaker plunged five floors to his death after trying to leap across hotel balconies during a "lads weekend" in Spain, an inquest heard today. </p> Europe Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:55:48 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/polanski-refused-bail-over-flight-risk-1806271.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/polanski-refused-bail-over-flight-risk-1806271.html ]]> <p>Roman Polanski lost his appeal to be released from custody yesterday. A Swiss court rejected multiple offers from the 76-year-old film director to post bail or go under house arrest to reassure authorities that he would stay in the country. </p> Europe Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kidnapped-aid-worker-flies-home-after-trauma-of--mock-executions-1805630.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kidnapped-aid-worker-flies-home-after-trauma-of--mock-executions-1805630.html ]]> <p>Irish aid worker Sharon Commins arrived back in Dublin last night, free at last after three and a half months as a hostage of bandits in the mountains of Darfur, in western Sudan. </p> Europe Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-to-investigate-secret-mafia-talks-1805632.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-to-investigate-secret-mafia-talks-1805632.html <p>Italy's Justice Minister has promised a full investigation into allegations that governments in the early 1990s held secret negotiations with the Mafia to try to stop a spate of attacks on the state.</p> Europe Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/seduced-by-the-memory-of--mata-hari-1805637.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/seduced-by-the-memory-of--mata-hari-1805637.html ]]> <p>In February 1917, a French judge and a dozen police officers barged into Suite 113 in a luxurious hotel on the Champs Elysées. The beautiful female occupant appeared – naked, according to one account – and handed around chocolates in a captured German helmet. </p> Europe Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconis-tv-channel-stalks-antibribes-judge-1805240.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconis-tv-channel-stalks-antibribes-judge-1805240.html <p>A television channel owned by the media empire of Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, has been accused of an extraordinary attempt to harass the judge who earlier this month ruled against his business empire in a bribery case.</p> Europe Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/secret-tunnels-that-brought-freedom-from-berlins-wall-1804765.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/secret-tunnels-that-brought-freedom-from-berlins-wall-1804765.html ]]> <p>When the East German government built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to prevent its citizens from leaving, the regime failed to take into account the ingenuity and creativity of those willing to risk anything to escape the communist system. While some flew over the barrier in hot air balloons, others sailed far around it, via the Baltic Sea, and still others were smuggled across, hidden in secret compartments in cars. But several hundred took advantage of the soft, sandy soil under Berlin to tunnel their way beneath the wall.</p> Europe Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/blair-for-president-not-necessarily-a-good-idea-says-his-former-adviser-1804869.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/blair-for-president-not-necessarily-a-good-idea-says-his-former-adviser-1804869.html ]]> <p>Tony Blair's former chief adviser on the EU has misgivings about the ex-prime minister becoming President of Europe, as the campaign to overturn his bid gathers pace.</p> Europe Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/we-asked-you-could-you-really-stomach-tony-blair-as-eu-president-these-are-your-responses-1804881.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/we-asked-you-could-you-really-stomach-tony-blair-as-eu-president-these-are-your-responses-1804881.html <p><b>YES</b></p> Europe Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/president-blair-loses-sarkozys-support-1804354.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/president-blair-loses-sarkozys-support-1804354.html ]]> <p>Tony Blair's chances of becoming the first EU "president" nose-dived yesterday when President Nicolas Sarkozy distanced himself from the former prime minister's undeclared campaign for the post. </p> Europe Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/queen-nefertiti-rules-again-in-berlins-reborn-museum-1804370.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/queen-nefertiti-rules-again-in-berlins-reborn-museum-1804370.html ]]> <p>For sixty-six years, much of the historic Neues Museum, Berlin's equivalent to the Louvre, was a bombed-out ruin in the heart of the city. Today it will reopen for visitors with a bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti taking pride of place, after a €212m (£193m) restoration masterminded by leading British architect David Chipperfield.</p> Europe Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/has-the-original-labyrinth-been-found-1803638.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/has-the-original-labyrinth-been-found-1803638.html ]]> <p>A disused stone quarry on the Greek island of Crete which is riddled with an elaborate network of underground tunnels could be the original site of the ancient Labyrinth, the mythical maze that housed the half-bull, half-man Minotaur of Greek legend.</p> Architecture Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/party-over-catalonia-bans-happy-hour-1803652.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/party-over-catalonia-bans-happy-hour-1803652.html ]]> <p>The Catalan government has some sobering news for stag party-goers, football fans and other British holidaymakers who dream of cheap drinks on the beach: it has outlawed "happy hour" and other special offers that entice thirsty tourists to the Costa Brava and Barcelona. </p> Europe Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sex-discount-for-cyclists-at-berlin-brothel-1803658.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sex-discount-for-cyclists-at-berlin-brothel-1803658.html ]]> <p>A Berlin brothel is claiming the title of Germany's first "green" sex establishment after offering clients eco-discounts if they can prove they arrived by bicycle or public transport.</p> Europe Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-backs-his-old-friend-blair-for-role-as-eu-president-1802812.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-backs-his-old-friend-blair-for-role-as-eu-president-1802812.html <p>Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has backed his old chum Tony Blair for President of Europe in an open letter to <i>Il Foglio</i>, the newspaper part-owned by his estranged wife Veronica, which is mounting a campaign in support of Mr Blair. </p> Europe Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:01 +0100