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European Union

Kabul hotel guests describe lax security

Kabul - Al Maghrib Today

Visitors to an upmarket Kabul hotel attacked by Taliban gunmen have described glaring security breaches before the assailants went on a bloody rampage targeting guests, in a city constantly under threat. Bags were not checked, scanners did not work and body searches were non-existent, according to witnesses, as the private company providing security to the state-owned Intercontinental Hotel comes underRead more

Puigdemont accuses EU of not defending rights in Catalonia

Copenhagen - Al Maghrib Today

Catalonia's sacked president Carles Puigdemont on Monday repeated accusations that the European Union is failing to defend fundamental rights in the wealthy Spanish region. During his first foreign visit since leaving Spain to live in voluntary exile in Brussels on 30 October, Puigdemont told students at the University of Copenhagen the EU showed "failures" in the face of crises bothRead more

EU's Mogherini 'extremely worried' by Turkish offensive in Syria

Brussels - Al Maghrib Today

The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said Monday she was "extremely worried" by Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia targets in Syria, saying she would seek urgent talks with Turkish officials. "I'm extremely worried and will discuss this among other things with our Turkish interlocutors," Mogherini said after a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers where the issue was raised,Read more

China's waste import ban upends global recycling industry

Beijing - Al Maghrib Today

For years China was the world's top destination for recyclable trash, but a ban on certain imports has left nations scrambling to find new dumping grounds for growing piles of garbage. The decision was announced in July and came into force on January 1, giving companies from Europe to the United States barely six months to look for other options,Read more

Abbas urges EU countries to 'swiftly' recognise state of Palestine

Brussels - Al Maghrib Today

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Monday urged EU member states to "swiftly" grant official recognition to the state of Palestine as he arrived to meet foreign ministers from the bloc in Brussels. "We truly consider the European Union as a true partner and friend, and therefore we call its member states to swiftly recognise the state of Palestine and weRead more

Tens of thousands join Greek protest

Thessaloniki - Al Maghrib Today

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of northern Greece's biggest city Thessaloniki on Sunday, police said, in a long-running row between Athens and Skopje over the use of the name Macedonia. Athens argues that the name Macedonia suggests that Skopje has territorial claims to the northern Greek region of the same name, of which Thessaloniki is theRead more

Europe's space agency braces

Paris - Al Maghrib Today

The European Space Agency (ESA) is drawing up contingency plans for projects, commercial deals, and staffing that may be adversely affected by Brexit, senior officials said Wednesday. Programmes throw in flux by Britain's pending departure from the European Union (EU) include the Copernicus satellite constellation to monitor environmental damage, and the Galileo satellite navigation system. "It is not an easyRead more

Brexit special trade agreement possible

Paris - Al Maghrib Today

Emmanuel Macron has said Britain can secure the bespoke Brexit trade deal Theresa May wants, but warned there would be a trade off. The French President said giving the UK’s financial services full access to the single market without accepting its rules was “not feasible”. He also said that while he respected the result of the June 23 referendum, he would “love” toRead more

UK retail sales slide in December

London - Al Maghrib Today

British shop sales slid by much more than expected in December, capping off the weakest year for retail since 2013 as consumers squeezed by the Brexit hit to prices continued to keep a tight grip on spending. Retail sales volumes dropped 1.5 percent from November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, well below economists' forecasts of a monthly dip of 0.6Read more