German lawmakers have approved legislation to ease the rules on gaining citizenship and end a ban on holding dual citizenship. The bill, put forward by centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal coalition, passed parliament on Friday by a 382-234 vote with 23 lawmakers abstaining. The legislation will allow people to become eligible for citizenship after … Read moreGermany’s parliament approves easing citizenship laws
Northern Ireland’s biggest public sector strike in a generation shut schools, halted transport services and left icy roads ungritted in sub-zero temperatures, with people warned to only travel or seek medical help in an emergency. Unions representing approximately 170,000 of the region’s 225,000 public sector workers called the 24-hour strike on Thursday after failing to … Read moreNorthern Ireland grinds to a freezing halt over public pay dispute
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has succeeded in pushing his asylum and immigration bill through the House of Commons after an expected rebellion by Conservative Party MPs came to nothing. Some MPs from Sunak’s own party had threatened to vote against the “Safety of Rwanda” deportation bill on the grounds that government plans to send … Read moreWhat is the UK’s ‘Safety of Rwanda’ bill and why are MPs fighting over it?
France has denied Russia’s claim that there were French mercenaries in Ukraine after Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its troops had killed “foreign fighters” earlier this week. “France helps Ukraine with supplies of military material and military training, in full compliance with international law, in order to help Ukraine in its fight to defend its … Read moreFrance denies Russian claim of mercenaries in Ukraine
NATO will launch its largest exercise since the Cold War next week with about 90,000 personnel set to take part in the months-long wargames, the alliance’s top commander General Chris Cavoli has said. Cavoli said on Thursday that the drills would rehearse NATO’s execution of its regional plans, the first defence plans the alliance has … Read moreBiggest NATO drills since Cold War to start next week
Some European Union lawmakers have called on member states to punish the Hungarian leader Viktor Orban by moving closer to withdrawing his voting rights. At least 120 of the European Parliament’s 705 members signed a letter sent to the parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola, on Friday calling for more pressure on Budapest. “Hungary has been repeatedly … Read moreEU lawmakers push on with move to try and limit Hungary’s voting rights
Malik Al Nasir’s research into a slave trading family for his doctorate was not only an academic project – it was deeply personal. The author and poet, who is of mixed heritage, discovered that his ancestors were not only among the enslaved people the Sandbach Tinne dynasty profited from but also the traders themselves. Sandbach … Read more‘More mainstream’: In the UK, push for slavery reparations gains momentum
Russia launched dozens of attacks across Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said, as Kyiv continued its diplomatic efforts to ratchet up support and military aid. “A total of 40 means of enemy air attack were recorded,” the air force said on Saturday, adding that it destroyed eight missiles. “More than 20 devices” failed to … Read moreUkraine says Russia launched barrage of missile attacks nationwide
A lawsuit launched by far-right fanatic and mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik accusing the state of abusing his human rights has opened in Norway. Breivik, who killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage in 2011, appeared in a court set up in the high-security jail in which he is serving his sentence on … Read moreFar-right mass killer Breivik sues Norway for human rights abuse
Farmers have blocked roads with tractors across Germany, kicking off a week of protests against plans to phase out agricultural subsidies that ministers have warned could be co-opted by the far right. Convoys of tractors and trucks – some with protest banners reading, “No beer without farmers,” and some with posters from the far-right Alternative … Read moreFarmers block roads across Germany to protest against subsidy cuts