European Union

U.S. holds back for now amid ethical and practical concerns

The United States has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and businesses as part of a growing row over the imprisonment of opposition figure Alexey Navalny, President Joe Biden’s administration told reporters on Tuesday.

France on Friday recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 receive a single vaccine dose, becoming the first country to issue such advice.

France's Pasteur Institute said on Monday it was ending development of a Covid-19 vaccine with US pharmaceutical company Merck after clinical trial results proved disappointing.

The clearance is a major step in efforts to tame the disease in a region that is fighting a deadly winter surge, as the bloc also tries to keep out a new mutation of the coronavirus found in Europe.

“We think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile,” EU and UK leaders said.

The German government says tests performed on samples taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed the presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his German and French counterparts Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron that any attempt by outside forces to intervene in the political crisis in Belarus would be counterproductive.

Poland's incumbent President Andrzej Duda has narrowly beaten challenger Rafal Trzaskowski in Sunday's presidential vote.

European Union envoys are close to finalizing a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter Europe again, possibly from late next week, EU diplomats confirmed Saturday. Americans are almost certain to be excluded in the short term due to the number of U.S. coronavirus cases.

Travellers coming into the UK will face a 14-day quarantine, spot checks and could be hit with $1865 fines if they break the rules.

Silence of the Brexiteers

Brussels seeks to avoid taking sides in an increasingly bitter battle between Beijing and Washington over responsibility for the crisis

The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on Monday condemned Germany's ban on his group as bowing to US pressure and insisted it was not active in the country.

Coronavirus: France imposes 15-day lockdown, further measures expected

European Union leaders have lashed out over Donald Trump’s travel plan that has sparked chaos at airports across the continent, as the number of global flights takes a steep dive.

Alexander Vindman was told his services were no longer required. Photograph: Michael Brochstein/Zuma/Rex/Shutterstock

Brexit will come 3½ years after Britons voted to leave in 2016

Britain’s parliament gave final approval to Brexit on Thursday, paving the way for the country's departure from the European Union on January 31, and ending years of arguments that toppled two governments and divided a nation.

The UK Parliament is expected to pass landmark legislation enacting the country's departure from the bloc.