German leader moves to seize the initiative
Germany's new government moved quickly this week to re-establish its central role in European politics, reaching out to the new states of the European Union and negotiating with Britain for a quick agreement on an EU budget.
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International Herald Tribune- Cartoon by Dave Brown for The Independent (London)
Straw aims for EU budget dealThe British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today chaired Brussels negotiations aimed at securing a deal on the EU's future budget before the British presidency runs out at the end of the year.
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The Guardian
Coalition treaty is signed in Germany
Big Coalition
Social Democrats and Christian Democrats signed the coalition treaty Friday after weeks of negotiation. But infighting on one of their biggest proposals could pose trouble before work really begins.
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Deutsche Welle- Cartoon by Jean Veenenbos for Der Standard (Vienna)
APEC ups trade pressure on EuropeThe leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations, including U.S. President George W. Bush, have begun their annual economic summit in South Korea with a call for the European Union to do more to break the impasse in talks on securing a global trade liberalization deal.
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CNN
Europe backs major chemicals lawThe European Parliament has approved far-reaching legislation which will lead to the safety testing of thousands of chemicals used in everyday products. The law, called Reach - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals - would create one database including all chemicals used in the EU.
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BBC
Violence mars World Cup qualifying
Turkish Bath
Swiss, Czech and Spanish soccer fans are in ecstasy after their soccer teams became the last European teams to qualify for the World Cup Wednesday. But the Swiss triumph in Turkey was marred by fan violence.
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Deutsche Welle- Cartoon by Burki for 24 Heures (Lausanne)
Drinking laws passed amid chaos in Scotland
The Scots gave the decision on pubs opening hours to local licensing boards amid chaotic scenes. The debate on the Licensing Bill began with confusion over the number of last-minute amendments. The bill allows the sale of alcohol in pubs and clubs 24-hours a day, but only in exceptional circumstances.
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BBCThe Times (Tories fail to inflict last-minute defeat on 24-hour drinking)
- Cartoon by Peter Brookes for The Times (London)
In Germany, leaders arising from the EastA 51-year-old scientist from Eastern Germany has been elected leader of the Social Democrats as another 51-year-old from the region was poised to become chancellor next week.
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International Herald Tribune
Chirac's riot speech criticised as timid
State of emergency in French suburbs; Before; After
President Jacques Chirac's response to almost three weeks of urban riots in France was widely criticised yesterday as belated, timid and confused. Even in his own centre-right political "family" the President's 13-minute television and radio address to the nation was damned with faint praise.
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The Independent- Cartoon by Zoltan for Tribune de Genève (Geneva)
German investors doubtful of reforms in Ukraine When thousands took to the streets in Ukraine a year ago, one of the things they wanted in addition to fair elections was a better economy. But a year on, many people - foreign investors included - are disappointed.
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Deutsche Welle
Spain probes 'secret CIA flights' Spain is launching an investigation into claims that CIA planes carrying terror suspects made secret stopovers on Spanish soil.
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BBC
Special reportRestless Youth
Can France bring order to the streets and hope to the restive minorities of the banlieues?
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Time Europe- Cartoon by Boligan for Le Monde (Paris)
Lyon burns as riots hit city centre
Violence moves out of the suburbs for the first time while Paris prepares for the worst. Riots spread to the centre of a French city for the first time last night as police clashed with youths in Lyon.
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The Observer- Cartoon by Stephff for De Volkskrant(Amsterdam)
German road clears for grand coalition
- Christo?
- Merkel-Müntefering's savings package!!
Germany's two major political parties agreed on a 35 billion euro package of tax increases and spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit and lower the cost of labor, paving the way for the first grand coalition at the federal level in 39 years.
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International Herald Tribune- Cartoon by Oliver Schopf for Der Standard (Vienna)
Now Blair faces rebellion from MPs over smoking
British Labour MPs plan to defy the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, by voting to outlaw smoking in all pubs despite the Government backing away from a total ban. Senior ministers believe the Health Bill, which would allow smoking in pubs that do not serve food, will be beefed up during its passage through Parliament.
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The Independent- Cartoon by Dave Brown for The Independent (London)
France on riot alert for holiday
"Paris, The City of Light"
France is keeping extra police on duty to prevent a fresh upsurge in violence during a public holiday to commemorate the end of World War I. Police say the rioting that erupted two weeks ago is now less intense and 463 vehicles were set ablaze overnight - one-third of the peak total.
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BBC- Cartoon by Burki for 24 Heures (Lausanne)
Fourth night of fires in Belgium
Youths set fire to 15 vehicles across Belgium in a fourth night of attacks that authorities said looked like imitations of violence in France, leading the far right to call for the expulsion of the perpetrators.
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CNN- Cartoon by Olle for Norra Västerbotten (Skellefteå)
Blair heads for clashes on future reforms
Britain's Tony Blair set himself up on Thursday for high-risk clashes with his party, refusing to compromise on future reforms despite a first parliamentary defeat that raised doubts about his ability to govern.
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Reuters- Cartoon by Morland for The Times (London)
Global experts devise action plan to fight bird flu 
Experts at a global conference in Geneva have acted with unprecedented speed to agree on an aggressive blueprint to tackle bird flu, and strengthen plans to cope with a possible pandemic among humans.
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Deutsche Welle- Cartoon by Brito for Le Monde (Paris)
Court backs Turkish headscarf banTurkey can ban Islamic headscarves in universities, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. The court rejected an appeal by a Turkish woman who argued that the state ban violated her right to an education and discriminated against her.
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BBC
In Europe, Hu faces trade and human rights issues
The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, put human rights concerns along with ambitions to expand trade on the agenda for his meeting Wednesday with President Hu Jintao of China.
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International Herald Tribune- Cartoon by Martin Rowson for The Guardian (London)
EU Grants Turkey Market Economy StatusThe European Commission granted Turkey the much-coveted market economy status on Wednesday but warned the EU candidate to step up the pace of reform and do more to protect human rights.
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Deutsche Welle
Riot emergency brings back curfew laws of the colonial age
"We lost Algeria. We're not gonna lose Clichy-sous-Bois!"
Police began enforcing curfews in riot-hit areas across France last night after President Chirac declared a state of emergency, applying a law last used in the 1960s in an attempt to end the orgy of arson by youths from immigrant housing estates.
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The Times- Cartoon by Chappatte for Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Zurich)
Venus Express en route to probe the planet's hidden mysteries
The European spacecraft Venus Express has been successfully placed into a trajectory that will take it on its journey from Earth towards its destination of the planet Venus, which it will reach next April.
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ESA
France backs curfews to curb riots
The French government approved emergency measures on Tuesday to allow curfews to be imposed in riot-hit areas after youths torched more than 1,000 vehicles in a 12th night of unrest across the country. The protests, blamed on racism and unemployment, receded in the Paris region after shots were fired at police the previous night but continued unabated in other parts of France in the early hours of Tuesday.
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Reuters- Cartoon by Schrank for Basler Zeitung (Basle)
Blunkett resigns again from the British government
The mandatory ingredients for a ratings winner were all there: sex, money, betrayal, triumph over adversity, politics, passion — and paternity suits. Last week, the real-life drama starring 58-year-old David Blunkett, the British Work and Pensions Secretary, reached a climax fit for a daytime soap opera. Last December, Blunkett was forced to resign as Home Secretary when his office granted official favors to his lover. Last week, he had to do it again, after press revelations about a breach of guidelines governing the jobs he took after he quit the first time.
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Time Europe- Cartoon by Peter Brookes for The Times (London)
French riots claim first victim
One man has died as a result of injuries sustained during ongoing riots in France. Rampaging youths also injured 30 policemen and torched hundreds of cars overnight Sunday.
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Deutsche Welle- Cartoon by Jean Veenenbos for Der Standard (Vienna)
UK rebate under fire at EU budget talksBritain will come under renewed pressure today from other EU countries to surrender its cherished rebate as foreign ministers from all 25 members meet to discuss the Union budget for the first time since negotiations collapsed in acrimony at a summit in June.
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The Guardian
Madrid mayor: Visionary or 'pharaoh'?Madrid's chronic neglect of its image is over. Under Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, the city has turned into a big construction site, with trenches, cranes, jackhammers and roadblocks seemingly around every corner.
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International Herald Tribune
Unrest reaches French capital
"What it is necessary, it is to treat the scum with respect"
Protesters in France expanded their arson rampage into the capital city of Paris and along Mediterranean resort communities as the nation's Interior Ministry warned the violence might grow Sunday.
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CNN
Banlieues, la nuit la plus violente (Libération)- Cartoon by Chappatte for Le Temps (Geneva)
Prevent abusive price increases with introduction of the euro Brussels has warned the new EU member states that thorough preparation will boost their people's confidence in the single currency. Presenting a progress report, the monetary affairs commissioner said it helped that many were already used to the money.
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Euronews
Many held as French riots spread
French suburbs on fire
- Like in May 68!
- The children of immigrants are well integrated!
French police have arrested more than 250 people following fresh riots in and around Paris and other parts of France.
Nearly 900 cars were burnt on the ninth consecutive night of unrest in immigrant-dominated areas near Paris, despite a heavy police presence.
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BBC Les émeutes restent intenses en Ile-de-France et s'étendent en province (Le Monde)- Cartoon by Herrmann for Tribune de Genève (Geneva)
Secret Prisons in Poland and Romania?
- "Disappeared and tortured in Europe"?... even me, I'd find hard to believe!
The US-based NGO Human Rights Watch said that, based on flight records and other evidence, it believed Poland and Romania had cooperated with the CIA to set up secret prisons to hold top al Qaeda suspects captives. The European Commission has no specific suspicions that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is running secret prisons in eastern Europe, a spokesman said on Friday.
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Deutsche Welle- Cartoon by Pancho for Le Monde (Paris)
Failure to quell rioting creates a crisis for France
Chirac: "If this is the police force of proximity, thank you!"
A badly rattled French Government was yesterday fighting to contain a wave of suburban violence that has pitted police against rioters in run-down neighbourhoods of northern and eastern Paris for seven nights in a row.
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The Independent- Cartoon by Plantu for Le Monde (Paris)
Fireballs over Germany fuel UFO speculationNumerous sightings of massive fireballs in the skies over Germany this week have led to an upsurge in reports of UFOs, but scientists believe the cause could be a bizarre annual meteor blitz.
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CNN
Blair confesses 'times are tough'
Gordon Brown has told his supporters in Parliament not to rock the boat as Tony Blair’s troubles pile up over the public services and the new terrorism laws. The Chancellor is facing criticism from Blairite ministers for failing to speak out publicly to support the Prime Minister in his current predicament, worsened by the resignation of David Blunkett.
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The Times- Cartoon by Dave Brown for The Independent (London)
European luxury brands challenge Chinese piratesBurberry, Chanel, Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton have fired a legal broadside against Beijing's Silk Market, the reputed flagship of trademark piracy in China, according to local media.
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The Guardian
Paris suburbs are ablaze with anger
Acrid fumes lingered in the air of Aulnay-sous-Bois yesterday. Violence erupted in the northeastern suburbs of Paris. Widespread rioting is forcing the French Government to address its failure to integrate a large immigrant population.
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The Times- Cartoon by Plantu for Le Monde (Paris)
Spain approves Catalonia autonomy
"You should have used a less scarying costume, mummy, dracula, or something like that"
Catalonia plan
Spain's parliament has approved proposals to grant greater autonomy to the north-eastern region of Catalonia. Under the proposals, the affluent region would be called a nation and given the right to control taxation and change laws passed by parliament.
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BBC- Cartoon by Ricardo for El Mundo (Madrid)
Belgium opens trial linked to Madrid bombingsBelgium opened one of Europe's biggest terrorism trials on Thursday, putting on the stand suspected members of an Islamic militant group blamed for the deadly bombings in Madrid and Casablanca. Eight of the 13 suspects in the case stood behind bullet-proof glass in a Brussels courtroom to face charges including providing safe houses to members of the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM).
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Reuters
Free flights on Ryanair - but you could lose your shirt
London 17.32;
- Remember those times when cheap flights would land at all...
- It's coming.
Michael O'Leary, the founder of Ryanair, yesterday announced plans to introduce in-flight gambling by 2007 and said it could eventually help the airline to offer free tickets for all. He admitted it could change the image of airlines but insisted it could only be for the better as the traditional industry appeared to be built around high-cost tickets and terrible food.
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The Guardian- Cartoon by Forges for El País (Madrid)
EU to look into 'secret US jails'The European Commission has said it will examine reports that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) set up secret jails in Eastern Europe. The CIA has declined to comment on claims of a covert prison network.
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BBC
Violence spreads to more troubled Paris suburbs
French President Jacques Chirac called for calm and a firm hand Wednesday in response to six nights of rioting in Paris' troubled suburbs, warning of a ''dangerous situation". The rioting, which spread Tuesday night to at least nine Paris-region towns, has exposed rifts in Chirac's government, with Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy — a presidential hopeful for elections in 2007 — under fire for his tough talk and police tactics.
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International Herald Tribune- Cartoon by Burki for 24 Heures (Lausanne)
Britain's Blunkett resigns amid fresh scandal
A key British cabinet minister has been forced to resign for the second time in less than a year. David Blunkett is in charge of Work and Pensions and has quit over breaking the ministerial code of conduct on taking paid work while out of the cabinet.
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Euronews- Cartoon by Dave Brown for The Independent (London)
Telefonica agrees to buy Britain’s O2Telefonica, Spain’s leading telecoms firm, has agreed to buy O2, a big British mobile operator. As Europe’s phone companies replenish their stocks of cash after some trying times, a new telecoms bubble looks increasingly likely.
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The Economist
OpinionEurope wakes up to multicultural realitiesThe Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered in Amsterdam on Nov. 2, 2004. His murderer, Mohamed Bouyeri, said he killed in the name of Islam. Many saw the idea of a multicultural society irreparably damaged.
- Comment by Peter Philipp for
Deutsche Welle
ECB press conference on Thursday
Tomorrow, Thursday, 3 November 2005, at 2:30 PM (C.E.T.) the European Central Bank's President and Vice-President will explain this month's monetary policy decision taken by the Governing Council and will answer journalists' questions. It's possible to follow online and in real time the ECB's press conference from its premises in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Live webcast: press conference
Bird flu 'likely to spread in Europe'
Further outbreaks of bird flu are expected in Europe and the virus will likely be found next in Greece and Ukraine, a World Health Organization expert said Tuesday.
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CNN- Cartoon by Bandeira for Diário de Notícias (Lisbon)
Violent Paris youths defy police
"Good, now, let's do the qualitative"
The Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois has seen a fifth night of sporadic violence and disturbances were also reported in some neighbouring areas. Police described the latest trouble as "harassment" by small groups, rather than the rioting seen last week.
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BBC Le Monde (Clichy-sous-Bois cristallise les tensions politiques et sociales)
- Cartoon by Plantu for Le Monde (Paris)
