Europe Archives

/ARTS WEEKLY/CULTURE-BALKANS: Romans Rise from the Waters

After 15 years of pause, archaeological excavations have been resumed in Serbia, an area rich with remains of ancient Roman sites along the Danube and Sava rivers.

RELIGION: Europe Divided over Headscarves

By Julio Godoy

The insistence of two schoolgirls in France on wearing headscarves to school raises a religious issue that divides Europe.

PORTUGAL: Special Treatment Upsets Non-Brazilian Immigrants

By Mario de Queiroz

An agreement that went into effect this month in Portugal, which benefits undocumented immigrants from Brazil, has upset foreign nationals from other Portuguese-speaking countries.

RIGHTS-SPAIN: Same-Sex Marriage Receives Strong Political, Social Support

By Tito Drago

The push for the legalisation of same-sex marriage received a strong show of political and social support Wednesday in Spain when three homosexual couples applied for a marriage licence.

DEVELOPMENT: EU Must Change, Says Ex-Premier

By IPS Correspondents

The European Union must change in order to bridge the North-South divide, a top official says in a report.

POLITCS-EU: US Ties Override Defence Divide

By IPS Correspondents

Relations between the United States and the European Union remain "close and fully transparent" despite EU plans to boost its military capacity independent of NATO, top officials here say.

/ARTS WEEKLY/GERMANY: A Season for Angry Literature

By IPS Correspondents

Award-winning author-journalist from Moscow Anna Politkovskaja was not among the scores of Russian writers seen moving about the recent Frankfurt Book Fair, which this year focused on contemporary Russian literature.

CORRUPTION-ROMANIA: Not As Good As Dracula Any More

By IPS Correspondents

Ask a Romanian to name a national hero, and most will mention Vlad the Impaler, the 15th century leader admired for his vicious zero tolerance of criminals.

RIGHTS-BRITAIN: Asylum Seekers Face a Dark Winter

By Sanjay Suri

Asylum seekers who came to Britain in search of refuge could face cold and hunger on the streets of London this winter, activists say.

PORTUGAL-SPAIN: Olivenca or Olivenza – CIA List Revives Old Border Dispute

By Mario de Queiroz

The ''Group of Friends of Olivença'' in Portugal welcomed this year's edition of the CIA World Factbook, because it lists an all but forgotten claim to the small town of Olivenza in Spain in its chapter on international border disputes.

HEALTH-FRANCE: Smoking Bills

By Julio Godoy

Heavy smokers will need more cash and stronger resistance to health warnings to go on as before.

DEVELOPMENT-EU: New Confusions Threaten Aid

By Sanjay Suri

New proposals over aid presented to the European Union come as a further threat to developing countries, two groups of leading non-governmental organisations in Britain and Germany said Tuesday.

RIGHTS-BALKANS: Campaign Against Child Trafficking Begins

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic

A regional campaign against children trafficking was launched this week in Serbia amid reports of an alarming rise in such cases.

HEALTH-SERBIA: After the Wars, the ‘Vietnam Syndrome’

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic

It was only after a young policeman killed four of his colleagues last week that the phenomenon that has come to be called the "Vietnam Syndrome" has drawn attention in Serbia.

POLITICS-BALKANS: Minefields Keep Old Wars Going

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic

The landmines planted during the wars in the Balkans have proved lethal leftovers. They have killed hundreds, and maimed many more. The number of amputations carried out in Belgrade alone runs into thousands.

DEVELOPMENT: EU Faces Test of Lessons from Cancun

By IPS Correspondents

A leading civil society group has called on the European Union to produce effective cooperation with a group of developing nations in new trade talks.

DEVELOPMENT: Britain Set To Seal Future of GM in Europe

By Sanjay Suri

The future of GM crops in Europe has been in the balance for some time, but that balance is now tilted more in favour of the anti-GM lobby following the results of a government-sponsored consultation process last week.

DEVELOPMENT-EU: NGOs Find Offer on Subsidies Inadequate

By IPS Correspondents

Leading non-governmental organisations say the European Union's proposals to further reform the controversial Common Agricultural Policy are inadequate.

POLITICS-EU: Dispute Arises over a New Defence Front

By IPS Correspondents

Plans to introduce a European Union military planning capability independent of NATO could threaten EU-U.S. relations, says a top U.S. diplomat.

/ARTS WEEKLY/BRITAIN: A Circus and So Much More

By IPS Correspondents

The French-Canadian company Cirque du Soleil has dramatically changed the way audiences view a circus. They have got rid of animals, sequins and traditional clowns, and presents shows with contemporary live music, interlocking stories and multi-talented performers.