The ridesharing service Uber announced on Tuesday that it will continue operating in Germany despite a nationwide ban. In a lawsuit filed by representatives of the taxi sector, a court prohibited the company from using an app to connect customers with drivers of private vehicles. The right step against an overly aggressive company, some commentators write approvingly. Others see the ruling as proof of over-regulation in Germany’s service sector.
An independent Scotland could not rejoin the EU if it used the pound informally, a senior British minister will say on Tuesday (9 September), according to a former top EU official. Scotland’s historic independence referendum is less than three weeks away.
It’s tempting to say that it’s been a classic summer for exposing the failings of British EU policy, but it would be more accurate to say that it’s been a summer much like any other: poor.
The European Central Bank (ECB) holds its monthly meeting in Frankfurt today – the day after ECB President Mario Draghi’s 67th birthday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a seven-point plan for settling the Ukraine conflict on Wednesday. It foresees negotiations for a ceasefire between Kiev and the separatists by the end of the week. This shows that peace diplomacy is still possible, some commentators conclude in delight. Others fear Moscow is aiming for a permanently “frozen” conflict.
European countries should allow more Syrian refugees to entry Europe legally and safely.
There are now nearly 3 million registered refugees from Syria. About 96% of them live in five countries neighbouring Syria – Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Many refugees in those countries live in appalling conditions, without adequate food, water, shelter, healthcare, or other basic necessities of life, and many also face abuse of various types. Some groups, such as Palestinians, face particularly dire circumstances, including being prohibited from entering some countries in the region.
History often seems obvious in retrospect; writing a diary catches it as it runs through the fingers.
Russian forces have invaded Ukraine, with or without the right epaulettes. History often seems obvious in retrospect; writing a diary, it seems, catches it as it runs through the fingers. Andrey Kurkov’s Ukraine Diaries, recently published by Harvill Secker, in translation by Sam Taylor, take us from 31 November 2013 – the night of the first rallies on Kyiv’s Maidan [Independence Square] – to 24 April 2014, as the Donbas descended into war; at which point, Kurkov wonders if Ukraine can survive its Victory Day on 9 May?
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