EU and the world
President Victor Yanukovych yesterday called for Ukraine's constitution to be overhauled - handing more power to himself. Critics warn he is taking the country down an increasingly authoritarian path and say this sits uncomfortably with his stated desire for closer integration with the EU.
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As the UN calls for more aid for flood-stricken Pakistan, critics have claimed that the Taliban are proving more generous than some EU countries. And questions are also being raised about the bloc's failure to get its much-discussed disaster reaction force off the drawing board.
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The gloves came off today as new UK Prime Minister David Cameron took a fierce swipe at EU heavyweights France and Germany for dragging their heels on Turkey's accession bid, accusing his European partners of protectionism and prejudice.
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EU foreign ministers agreed today to the toughest economic restrictions yet on Iran. The hope is that this will bring Tehran back to the negotiating table and perhaps break the seemingly endless cycle of on-off talks, recriminations and sanctions over its nuclear programme.
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As part of a drive to boost its foreign policy influence, the EU has unveiled plans to have more of a say at the UN. If the planned resolution is passed the bloc could soon enjoy many of the same privileges as UN member states, a move that may ruffle a few feathers.
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Fifty-two Cuban political prisoners might soon be enjoying their rum and cigars again, now their government has agreed to free them. Their release, which came after the Spanish foreign minister stepped in, could signal a breakthrough in Havana’s relations with the EU.
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Five EU foreign ministers have accepted an invitation from Israel to visit the Gaza Strip, a rare concession from Tel Aviv which is now easing its strict blockade on people and goods entering the Palestinian area. But does this mean real change is afoot?
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US President Barack Obama's dramatic firing of the head of the multinational forces in Afghanistan has again highlighted fundamental disagreements over NATO's strategy. News of the dismissal has not gone down well in Europe, where support for the mission is dwindling fast.
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Israel today confirmed it plans to ease the blockade on Gaza, but MEPs and campaigners are not impressed. They are calling on Europe and the US to push the Israeli government to end the blockade once and for all.
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Just a day to go and Europe's attention is firmly fixed on a completely different continent. Thirteen European teams have made the long trek to South Africa and the anticipation is rising to fever pitch ahead of tomorrow's kickoff.
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Slovenians have narrowly voted to accept independent arbitration in a decades-old border dispute with next-door neighbour Croatia, clearing the way for Zagreb to complete EU membership talks and potentially sign on the dotted line by 2012.
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Israel's decision to send in commandos to storm a convoy of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip - a move that left at least 10 activists dead - has been condemned by the international community.
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At a ceremony today Poland officially unveiled a battery of US Patriot surface-to-air missiles that will be stationed at a military base near its border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The move has met with a stony response from Moscow.
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