Category Archives: Europe

Take the (Night) Train Redux

My recent trip on the night train from High Point, North Carolina, to NYC.

US and Iran “At Cliff’s Edge”

Patrick Cockburn, the Independent’s Middle East correspondent, discusses the situation in Iran with the Real News Network.

Germany to Ban Use of Glyphosate By End 2023

Germany moves to reduce significantly the use of glyphosate – and ban it outright, starting in 2023.

UN High Seas Treaty Looks Set to Founder

Stage three of UN negotiations on a conservation treaty for the high seas would up last week without “a serious commitment”; prospects for a final agreement remain weak.

Brexit: Thar She Blows

Does Parliament’s revolt agaist Boris Johnson on Brexit amount to progress?

Brexit: Focusing the Mind

What does Johnson’s Brexit gambit portend?

Brexit: Sound and Fury

Even though not much looks to have changed with Brexit, the mere running down of the clock does make a difference.

Wolf Richter: World Trade Skids for First Time Since Financial Crisis

Exports by China, Japan, and Eurozone under pressure — in part because of globally weak demand for new vehicles, which transcends the trade war.

The Amazon is Burning at a Record Rate

This Real News Network interview with Amazon Watch’s Christian Poirier discusses Bolsonaro’s policies that prioritize agribusiness over people – especially indigenous people.

Italy’s Right-Wing Government Collapses – Will the Next One Be Better?

The odd marriage of Lega Nord and Five Star held up longer than expected, but Italy is about to get a new government. How might that work out?

Brexit: According to Script

The commentariat’s Brexit predictions are playing out, sadly.

Brexit Breakup

More consternation about Johnson’s possible Brexit moves.

Austerity Has Made People Less Prepared for a No Deal Brexit

The government says it’s preparing for a Brexit crash out. But ten years of spending cuts have made the people of Britain intensely vulnerable to economic shock.

Britain After Brexit: Welcome to the Vulture Restaurant

US business will asset-strip the UK, but that’s not all: the Pentagon will find the little-known fragments of the British empire very useful.

Signs of Recession Are Hitting Europe—And Its New Central Bank President May Not Be Up for the Challenge

Europe, or more specifically the Eurozone, has a deficient bank regulatory framework which may be tested by economic weakness and wobbly banks. Having Christine Lagarde at the ECB’s helm is not likely to be a plus.