European Union

Denmark's military intelligence head Lars Findsen has been suspended after it was revealed that the agency had broken laws and misled the intelligence watchdog. Two others have also been suspended, the BBC reported. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service is said to have been spying on Danish citizens, passing on information about them, and failing to investigate allegations of espionage in the armed services. Defence minister Trine Bramsen promised an investigation.

Facebook's French subsidiary agreed to pay more than €106 million in back taxes, including a penalty, after a 10-year audit of its accounts by French tax authorities, Reuters reported. France is pushing to overhaul international tax rules on digital companies. Current tax rules allow companies to funnel sales generated in local markets in Europe to their regional headquarters, often based on countries with low corporate tax rates, such as Ireland.

Britain's public debt has surpassed £2 trillion for the first time, piling pressure on finance minister Rishi Sunak amid the need for emergency support for the pandemic-hit economy, Reuters reported. The debt stands at 100.5 percent of Britain's economic output, the highest since 1961. The debt surge is the result of an increase in government spending to offset the negative effects of the pandemic and a decrese in tax revenues.

Catalonia's leader Quim Torra on Monday outlined a set of new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus cases in the Spanish region before students return to school in September. The measures include a ban on social gatherings of more than 10 people, except for work meetings and when traveling. The regional government in Murcia also introduced a ban on social gatherings of more than six people.

The American biotechnology company Moderna said Monday it had concluded advanced talks with the EU to supply 80 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, which is currently in late-stage testing, Reuters reported. The potential agreement provides for an option for EU countries to buy an additional 80 million doses. Moderna is the fifth company with which the EU has concluded talks in an effort to secure a Covid-19 vaccine.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg said she has returned to school after a year off campaigning to curb climate change, AFP reported. "My gap year from school is over, and it feels so great to finally be back in school again!", the 17-year-old tweeted. While campaigning for action against climate change around the world, Thurberg did her lessons remotely.

A new report indicates that the EU's plan to reduce the bloc's greenhouse emissions by 55 percent by 2030 is "technically and economically feasible" - with a reform of EU carbon market and "adequate safeguards" for low-income EU countries.

Instead of taking sides, the EU can benefit the most from simultaneous engagement with China and India, as tensions between the Asian giants grow.

Turkey and Greece have announced they will both hold military exercises in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean, increasing tension between Nato allies.

The authorities in Belarus arrested two leading opposition figures on Monday (24 August) and called a Nobel laureate in for questioning, a day after thousands of people defied the army to march demanding the downfall of president Alexander Lukashenko.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about Finland tightening its border restrictions once again, Slovenia's radical left party, Levica, questioning the government's plans to increase military spending, and so much more.

Germany on Monday (24 August) announced details of its first "green" bond placing, tapping financial markets to fund environmental projects for the first time.

The president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party of Croatia, Milorad Pupovac, said on Monday (24 August) that Serbs in Croatia didn’t need Belgrade’s mentorship or Zagreb’s patronage, as the party had developed its own, independent platform. “There’s no need...

Serbia will procure three COVID-19 vaccines, with the Chinese one to arrive as early as November, the Srpski Telegraf daily reported yesterday (24 August). Quoting sources from the government’s Crisis Headquarters, the paper added that Serbian physicians are already “studying...

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis have finalised a deal in Athens in which Bulgaria bought a 20% stake in the LNG terminal near Alexandroupoli. The deal has been in preparation for more than a year....

The Greek government dismissed on Monday (24 august) Turkey’s stated intention to start a dialogue and de-escalate tensions over gas drillings activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, saying Ankara is not reliable. “A reliable interlocutor is needed for a dialogue”, Greek...

On Monday (24 August), an Italian-developed coronavirus vaccine began its first clinical trial as the first volunteer, a woman who said she hopes “to be useful to our country”, received a jab at Rome’s infectious disease hospital known as Spallanzani....

Finland has restored its border controls with a number of countries within and outside the Schengen Area due to the worsening coronavirus situation abroad. From Monday (24 August), controls were reinstated for travel between Finland and Iceland, Greece, Malta, Germany,...

Belgium’s capital is one of ten European regions recording the fastest-growing surge of new coronavirus cases in past weeks, Belgium’s top state virologist Marc Van Ranst said, urging authorities not to let their guard down against the virus. “The politicians...

Over the weekend, motorists waited in traffic for hours (in some cases up to 12 hours) at the border between Austria and Slovenia, after a regulation that took effect on Saturday (22 August) required travellers to either sign a declaration...