Türkiye Confirms Bid to Join the BRICS Block
This week a Turkish official and the Kremlin confirmed reports of formally applying to join the BRICS block of economically developing nations.
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Bulgaria and Romania Partially Join Schengen Area
Bulgaria and Romania are the newest partial members of the Schengen Area, the border-free travel zone guaranteeing free movement of goods, people, and capital, which is now comprised of 29 members. Despite the veto from Austria, which enforces the new Schengen status in Bulgaria and Romania to remain unchanged for land borders, their accession is significant for both countries, aiding efforts to install ties to the European Union (EU).
Read MorePR Aid Stunts Are No Substitute for a Ceasefire in Gaza
For a population to go from relatively food secure to experiencing famine in such a short period of time is nothing short of a war crime, an assessment that many UN officials have agreed to according to The Guardian. EU Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell has consistently reiterated that this famine is not the result of a natural disaster but an engineered policy of collective punishment by the Israeli government, saying that “starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine.”
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The European Union Lifts Travel Restrictions on Fully Vaccinated Americans
On April 25, the head of the European Union announced that American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be permitted to visit the bloc’s countries over the summer, reports The New York Times.
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German Politician Resigns Over Mask Corruption
In Germany, corruption allegations are threatening the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as well as its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) ahead of elections in multiple German states. The CDU is the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been in power for 15 years. However, this scandal is coming just months before she planned to step down in September. BBC News notes that with Merkel leaving office, strong CDU leadership is needed if the party is to pick up the torch from the chancellor.
Read MorePolish Media Goes Offline to Protest Ad Tax
To protest a newly proposed media tax, dozens of independent media outlets in Poland decided to suspend new coverage and other programming on Wednesday, February 10, with various television screens, web portals, and front pages blank or blacked out for over 24 hours.
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European Union Overturns Export Controls Amid Poor Vaccine Rollouts
On January 30, the European Union reversed its decision to restrict COVID-19 vaccine exports into Britain through Northern Ireland, according to the New York Times.
Read MoreCompanies Seek Vaccine Approval as COVID-19 Cases Rise
On Tuesday, November 30, biopharmaceutical firms BioNTech and Moderna applied for approval of their respective COVID-19 vaccines in the European Union (EU), The Wall Street Journal reports. National Geographic says the EU is expected to conclude Pfizer’s assessment by December 29 and Moderna’s by January 12. Both Moderna and Pfizer Inc. also applied for emergency usage of their vaccines in the United States at the end of November, though it is unclear when a decision will be made.
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EU-UK Trade Talks Under Increased Pressure to Reach Agreement
The European Union and the United Kingdom have resumed negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal as soon as possible. Tariffs and quotas will be imposed, creating economic shocks for both if no trade deal is reached between the two parties by the end of the year.
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Ivory Coast Incumbent Wins in Contested Election
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has won a controversial third term in an election that his opponents are decrying as a sham. Ouattara won the election by a landslide, capturing 94 percent of the votes as the opposing candidates urged their supporters to abstain from voting in the election, according to BBC News.
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