Europe

Roughly 95 percent of the population had access to high-speed internet in OECD countries last year   In a technologically connected world, some countries are emerging at the head of the pack, new research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development finds. That matters economically because broader access means there’s greater opportunity for work, …

  Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are to be granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin. Dublin City councillors voted to award the honour in recognition of Mr Obama’s “moderating and progressive” influence on the world stage. They also acknowledged Mrs Obama’s work for the …

    Mass rallies persist nationwide despite scrapping of contentious decree that decriminalised some corruption offences. An estimated 500,000 protesters have rallied in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, following a government climbdown over a contentious corruption decree in the face of week-long mass demonstrations. Fulfilling a promise made late on Saturday, the …

    Pro-Russian separatists and government troops blame each other for increasing ceasefire violation In the past week, eastern Ukraine has suffered some of the heaviest fighting seen for a long time. Heavy artillery fire, a car bomb explosion and other ceasefire violations coincided with a phone call between US …

  The British Prime Minister Theresa May © Andrew Parsons / www.globallookpress.com British Prime Minister Theresa May came under the threat of a potential terrorist attack last week when information on her flight from Washington to Ankara became available to anyone with a real-time aircraft tracker, experts said. The Flightradar24 …

  Far-right leader presidential candidate Marine Le Pen arrives at a conference in Lyon, Franceon Feb. 5, 2017 Michel Euler—AP LYON, France (AP) — French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen blasted the “two totalitarianisms” of globalization and Islamic fundamentalism Sunday in a speech formally launching her presidential campaign that hit all …

  © Thomas Samson, AFP | People sit near a hologram of French far-left presidential candidate for “La France insoumise”, Jean-Luc Mélenchon (C) during a campaign meeting on February 5, 2017 in La Plaine Saint Denis, northern Paris. French far-leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon held simultaneous presidential campaign rallies Sunday in two …

  “Our Donald”, or “the other Donald”? European Union leaders meeting in Malta found themselves taking sides, between their summit chairman, “our Donald” Tusk, and the new U.S. president, Donald Trump. But despite declarations of unity, EU states are split on how to respond to policies from a man who …

Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Auckland arrives after 14,535-kilometre trip which took 16 hours 23 minutes The world’s longest commercial flight landed in New Zealand on Monday with the arrival of Qatar Airways’s 14,535km (9,032-mile) Doha-Auckland service. “We’ve officially landed in Auckland,” the airline tweeted as flight QR 920 …

  A huge cleansing of Turkey’s state and other institutions is continuing as people from all walks of life find themselves being hunted down and taken into custody. At least 652 people were put in prison, while 1,325 others were detained over the past 10 days, according to Turkish news …