A post-Scottish independence ‘United Kingdom of Southern Britain and Northern Ireland’ would not only be one of Europe’s most oddly named states but perhaps one of its most short-lived as well. In the wake of David Cameron’s decision to veto a new European treaty, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales have issued a joint demand to the British Prime Minister. Alex Salmond and Carwyn Jones wrote to 10 Downing Street ‘to show the strength of our mutual feeling regarding the exclusion of the devolved administrations from policy development and decision-making on issues of direct interest to our administrations, in particular with regard to European matters, many of which are devolved’.
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The new year started like the old one; with bad news. The rating agency Standard and Poor (S&P) stripped France and Austria of their tripe A rating, along with Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia who were also downgraded by one notch. Italy and Spain suffered even worse with a two notch downgrade to BBB+ and A respectively. As expected, Portugal and Cyprus bonds have been downgraded to junk status. The only good news is that the downgrade was long expected and hardly surprising. In early December S&P has warned of possible downgrades just before the Europe’s decision makers met for yet another summit that was promised to tackle the debt crisis for good. S&P reasoned its downgrade by arguing that the summit failed to deliver.
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Ukraine’s politicians, even when they can agree on little else, want European integration. They battle on despite the lack of enthusiasm often shown in EU capitals and the heavy price they pay in their relations with Russia. This was illustrated by Ukraine’s recent announcement that it will adopt EU standards for food quality control. The head of the state veterinary and biosecurity service of Ukraine, Ivan Bisiuk, said he was determined to follow the model of EU states, with controls stretching from animal feed and pesticides through to food sales to consumers.
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So often it is engineering solutions that meet our insatiable demands to ‘push the limits’ both in technological and physical terms. And so it is, that engineers have their brains picked and have their crystal balls consulted once again to realise those engineering solutions. E-mobility is yet another of those societal demands and indeed our European engineers will undoubtedly provide what is essentially a huge missing link in the conundrum that has been formed by calls for greener transport, lower CO2 emissions, energy efficiency and the general rising costs (and scarcity) of fossil fuels.
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Visiting the Brussels Fine Arts Fair is more, than a regular visit to a museum or a gallery to admire the artifacts on display. It is about an experience of floating through epochs and cultures; about the sensation of being a traveler and a theatre spectator at once. From crossing the threshold of the fair, gilded like fairy-tale Sesame from ‘Thousand and one nights’, one enters the dreamy space of artistic creations.
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Lesotho is the ‘kingdom in the sky’ for good reason. This stunningly beautiful, mountainous country is nestled island-like in the middle of South Africa and it is a fascinating travel detour from its larger neighbour. The best kept secret of the mountain kingdom is Afri-Ski – a mountain magic dream of snow, sun, fun and laughter, located in the northern part of Lesotho.
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New export opportunities of between €20billion and €40billion a year by 2020 could emerge for European companies trading with Japan and Korea according to a report conducted on behalf of the European Commission. ‘The Executive Training Programme’s: EU Trade with Japan & Korea’ report maintains that if export growth from the EU to Japan and Korea follows growth patterns in non-EU exports over the last ten years, EU companies could enjoy significant new export opportunities by 2020.
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The extraordinary elections to the Parliament of Kazakhstan didn’t bring any surprises – a major victory belongs to ‘Nur Otan’ led by incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbaev
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As riots engulf the country questions are being raised as to what triggered the events in what has been, up to now, one of the most resilient nations to austerity cuts in Europe.
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The German socialist Martin Schulz was elected in the first round of voting in what has been labelled a "stitch-up" by one of his rivals, British Conservative Nirj Deva. “We have been stitching up the presidency of this parliament, which is representing 500 million people in the largest economy in the world, by doing barter deals —your turn, my turn — just like in Russia with what Mr Medvedev and Mr Putin have been doing,’‘ Deva stated in an e-mail circulated to the entire parliament.
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Pakistan will begin day four of the second Test on 125-4, a lead of 55 over England, in Abu Dhabi....
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More than 50 GPs involved in new clinical commissioning groups have warned the NHS may be "in peril" if government reforms are derailed....
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Violence breaks out in Senegal after the country's top court rules that President Abdoulaye Wade can run for a third term in office....
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Snowstorms and sub-zero temperatures have hit parts of south-eastern Europe, leaving at least one person dead and thousands more without power....
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in the UK to meet PM David Cameron following France's decision to speed up the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan....
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The founder of a French company that makes breast implants linked to a health scare was charged Friday with involuntary injury, his attorney said in a TV interview....
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South Sudan says it will complete its threatened shutdown of oil production on Saturday after no deal was reached with Sudan over pipeline use....
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The group is in talks with Lex Fenwick, a former Bloomberg chief executive, to become chief executive of Dow Jones and fill a position that has been empty for six months...
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Judith Iles, from Chepstow, had suffered two chest infections and was becoming increasingly dependent on people to look after her - like her mother had been....
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The Prime Minister will announce the legislation amid evidence that motorists high on drugs are escaping punishment because of gaps in the law and a lack of specialist equipment for police....
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Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood says the Energy Secretary, pictured, would have to stand down if he is charged with a cover up over the speeding points row....
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Reginald Wharton, was at the Boots in Torquay, Devon, with his four-year-old twins, when he intervened to help detain shoplifters....
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Hulk Hogan on the truth about wrestling...
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After one of the warmest winters on record, blackbirds, song thrushes and chaffinches – normally quiet until the start of March – have been trying their luck in late January....
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Two senior judges have set a legal timetable aimed at ending the nightmare that began when Asperger's sufferer Gary hacked into NASA and Pentagon computers....
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After one of the warmest winters on record, blackbirds, song thrushes and chaffinches – normally quiet until the start of March – have been trying their luck in late January....
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After what she put herself through, you can’t help but wonder whether the truly terrifying thing is the demands the TV industry places on even its most cherished female stars....
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Photographer John Cantlie's conflict pictures re-imagined in the virtual landscape....
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The oil discovery is thought to contain at least 350 million extractable barrels — worth more than £20 billion — and production is expected to begin as early as 2016....
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Splashing out on weekend holiday breaks and concert tickets makes people happier than indulging in spending sprees at High Street stores, a new report has shown....
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