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European Parliament awards Chinese dissident human rights prize

17.12.2008 @ 17:42 CET

The jailed Chinese dissident Hu Jia has been awarded the European Parliament's top human rights award - granted since 1988 to those who stand up for fundamental freedoms - with a symbolic empty chair in the middle of the Strasbourg chamber due to his imprisonment.

Portugal urges EU to shelter Guantanamo prisoners

12.12.2008 @ 09:26 CET

Portugal has stepped to the forefront of efforts to grant asylum to people who were imprisoned at the US military base in Guantanamo, Cuba, and come from right-abusing regimes such as Algeria or Sudan.

EU states not applying free movement rules, Brussels says

10.12.2008 @ 17:38 CET

EU member states' implementation of rules on free movement and residence within the bloc has been "rather disappointing," the European Commission said on Wednesday.

German reporter comes out on top in EU bribery case

06.01.2009 @ 17:42 CET

The Belgian judiciary on Tuesday definitively closed a case brought by the EU anti-fraud office, OLAF, against Brussels-based German journalist Hans-Martin Tillack in 2004.

Russian firms most likely to use bribes abroad

09.12.2008 @ 11:42 CET

Companies based in Russia are perceived as being the most frequently engaged in bribing high-level politicians and political parties when doing business abroad, a survey released on Tuesday - international anti-corruption day - reveals.

MEP attacks EU consular reaction in Mumbai

08.12.2008 @ 17:19 CET

EU citizens need legally-binding rules on consular protection abroad after the Mumbai terrorist strike exposed flaws in the current set-up, a senior Spanish MEP has said, accusing a German official of "shameful" conduct in India.

EU seeks better rights for asylum seekers

03.12.2008 @ 18:00 CET

EU countries should take better care of people who come to seek asylum, the European Commission said on Wednesday, unveiling a series of proposals aiming to make the current EU asylum rules better.

Google, Fastest Rising EU Searches 2008

01M6 replay (French Television Station).
02Meinvz (German Social Networking).
03Kino.to (Online Music Platform).
04Ikariam (Free Browser Game).
05BBC I player (BBC's download services).

06Facebook (Global social network).
07Wkw (German Social Network).
08Tuenti (Spanish social network).
09Obama (The next U.S. President).
10Heath Ledger (Mourned Australian actor).

Fastest rising searches. Provided exclusively by to and covering the 27 EU states. For more information on Google Zeitgeist click here.

Google, Top EU Trends Of 2008

01Euro.
02Neuwagen (Cross-border car sales).
03VAT.
04Fuhrerschein (Driver's License).
05Directive.

06Import.
07Ireland.
08NATO.
09Commission.
10Romania.

Most popular searches. Provided exclusively by to and covering the 27 EU states. For more information on Google Zeitgeist click here.

EUobserver, Most Read Articles - This Week

EUobserver, Most Read Articles - This Month

Bulgaria bitter over Brussels decision on graft

26.11.2008 @ 09:27 CET

Caught by surprise by the European Commission's decision on Tuesday to strip Bulgaria of €220 million in EU money over persistent corruption concerns, the country's politicians voiced their frustration and disappointment.

Bulgaria loses €220 million in EU money

25.11.2008 @ 17:33 CET

Bulgaria has irreversibly lost €220 million of pre-accession EU funding over its persistent failure to tackle corruption, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.

Referendum threat to EU-Swiss passport-free deal

27.11.2008 @ 17:45 CET

Switzerland will join the European Union's passport-free zone on 12 December, EU ministers have agreed. But the Alpine country's participation in the "Schengen area" could be interrupted if it votes to shut out EU workers from Bulgaria and Romania in a referendum next year.

German MPs call for Iran group amnesty

25.11.2008 @ 09:24 CET

A group of 150 cross-party parliamentarians in Germany has signed a petition calling for Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahedin Organistaion of Iran (PMOI), to be taken off the EU's terrorist register in line with European court rulings.

MEPs back foreign worker 'blue card' plan

21.11.2008 @ 09:19 CET

The European Parliament has endorsed the idea of an EU work permit, dubbed the 'blue card' after the US Green Card, allowing employment to non-Europeans in any country within the 27-nation bloc.

EU not tackling corruption in east, say justice experts

13.11.2008 @ 19:00 CET

The EU should use the most of its pre-accession leverage in pushing countries to reform and deliver results in the fight against corruption and organised crime before they join the club, not to repeat the experience of Romania and Bulgaria, who are still struggling with these issues two years after accession, a panel of European justice experts told a conference in the European Parliament.

14:33 CET 07.01.2009

[Comment] Someone in Brussels should listen to Ireland

The European media has been awash with horror stories of government excess in electronic surveillance. But the European ...
Italy in major anti-immigration push

The Italian government on Wednesday presented plans to tighten up its immigration policy, which include making staying i...
EU buildings target of foiled terror plot

European Union buildings and the Sheraton Hotel in the EU's capital, Brussels, were among the targets of an Islamist ter...

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Intercultural Dialogue, Camden
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Intercultural Dialogue, Football
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Intercultural Dialogue, Multi-Cultural Couples
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Intercultural Dialogue, Ashley Walters
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Russian gas deliveries to Europe cut off

Today @ 10:21 CET

All deliveries of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine stopped this morning, with Kiev saying Gazprom completely cut off gas supplies to European consumers at 7h44 local time, AP reports. For its part, Russia says it is Ukraine that has closed the last pipeline pumping gas to Europe, writes Itar-Tass.

German billionaire kills himself over financial crisis

Today @ 09:53 CET

German billionaire Adolf Merckle, aged 74, has committed suicide after his business empire lost around €400 million due to the economic crisis, BBC reports. He was ranked as the world's 94th richest person in 2008, and his family controls a number of German companies.

Iceland abandons UK lawsuit over anti-terror bank seizure

Today @ 09:36 CET

Iceland has abandoned its legal action over the UK’s use of anti-terrorism legislation to seize the assets of Icelandic bank Landsbanki in October last year. Reykjavik took the decision as there was little hope of winning the lawsuit, according to the government’s legal advisors.

Poles more keen to join euro

06.01.2009 @ 09:32 CET

Sixty five percent of Poles are keen to join the eurozone compared to 54 percent in mid-2008, according to a GfK poll for Gazeta Wyborcza. The Polish government last year unveiled a plan to join the single currency by 2011, with initial plans to hold a referendum on the topic dropped last month.

Belarus latest to receive IMF bailout

06.01.2009 @ 09:17 CET

Belarus is the latest European country set to receive an emergency loan from the IMF. It is on track to being awarded €1.8bn to help it deal with the ongoing economic crisis. The former Soviet republic has been hit hard by a steep drop in exports to Russia and aid from its larger neighbour.

Italian, Spanish inflation falls steeply

06.01.2009 @ 09:16 CET

Italian and Spanish inflation slid dramatically last month, with rates in Spain dropping to 1.5% - the lowest level in 10 years, and to 2.3% in Italy, its lowest for a year and a half, reports the FT, quoting official figures issued Monday.

Barroso: €200bn stimulus may not be enough

06.01.2009 @ 09:16 CET

EU Commission President Barroso has said an increase to the bloc's €200bn stimulus package cannot be ruled out. “The EU gave a very adequate response, but the situation is evolving," he said Monday. "We can't exclude that there is a revision of the response in function of what becomes necessary."