Euobserver.com

Turkey has accused Greek jets of "harassing" a scientific research vessel in the Aegean Sea in claims denied by Athens. Four Greek F-16s approached the Cesme ship in international waters on Monday and one plane dropped a flare in the sea nearby, Turkey's defence minister said on Tuesday. "Greek jets never harassed the Turkish vessel," the Greek defence ministry said. Ankara and Athens are currently preparing to resume de-escalation talks.

Hundreds of riot police in Tbilisi used tear gas to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters following the arrest of opposition party leader Nika Melia on Tuesday. Another mass protest against the government of Russia-friendly oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili has been called for Friday. The EU called for "maximum restraint and responsibility" by both sides on Tuesday. "Georgia has moved backward on its path toward ... the Euro-Atlantic family," the US said.

EU countries whose economies are dependent on tourism push for the introduction of passports that would allow holiday and business travellers to move between countries.

Ethiopia's civil war could fuel a new EU refugee drama, amid "out of control" violence, Finland's foreign minister has warned.

The UK government agreed on Tuesday to allow the EU more time to formally ratify the post-Brexit trade deal, which came into effect this year. The provisional application was extended until 30 April. The deal still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament, and it needs to be translated into 24 languages, in a legally-sound way. The provisional application was originally planned to end this month.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases to "lead by example" and make ambitious commitments to cut their emissions. "This is a credibility test of their commitment to people and planet. It is the only way we will keep the 1.5-degree goal within reach," he said in a virtual meeting. China and the United States are the world's biggest polluters.

A report on Tuesday by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission found a funding gap in 5G innovation between Europe and the US of between €4.6bn to €6.6bn annually, recommending an increase in public sector funding. "This investment gap represents a major challenge for the rapid evolution of 5G in Europe, which runs the risk of being left behind in the race for 5G leadership," the study warns.

Covid-19 caused the death of a Serbian man in February 2020, 10 days before the first official fatality in Europe was reported by France, according to a study by researchers in Belgrade. The 56-year-old Belgrade construction worker, who was not abroad, died on 5 February last year. New evidence showed he died due to Covid-19. Scientists argue that Covid-19 was present in Europe earlier than previously thought, Reuters reported.

The European Commission has written to Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Finland, Denmark and Sweden, urging them to obey travel restrictions recommendations of the European Council.

MEP Leïla Chaibi unpacks Uber's efforts to undermine the rights of gig economy workers in Europe.

While producers in Europe need to live up to demanding labour standards, the European Commission does not make the slightest move to protect them against competition from countries that use forced labour on a massive scale.

Recycling packaging-waste is largely in the hands of the industry itself, via 'Green Dot' organisations. This creates a conflict of interest - because the industry benefits from the sale of as many individual bottles, wrappers, cans and trays as possible.

Politically-motivated justice, the capture of state institutions by the private interests of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, rapid socio-economic decline, and increased corruption, all are making Georgians hopeless about their future, writes former Georgian ambassador to the EU.

Vince Muscat, one of three alleged hitmen charged with planting the bomb that killed Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has plead guilty of her murder. Caruana Galizia was assassinated in October 2017, near her home in Bidnija, Malta. She had for years received threats for exposing corruption in the island-nation. Muscat is now set to testify against two brothers, also charged with her murder.

Czech hospitals are running out of intensive care capacity due to the high incidence of coronavirus in the country, AFP reported. "In no way can we maintain the current standards of healthcare. The system as a whole is close to its limit," deputy health minister Vladimir Cerny said on Tuesday. The Czech Republic has registered over 1.16 million cases and 19,500 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

The EU has urged Ethiopia to let the international community see what it is doing in its Tigray region after four months of civil war and reports of atrocities. "Some 80 percent of Tigray's population is unreachable ... it's a complete blackout," EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said in Brussels Monday, following a fact-finding mission to the conflict zone by Finland. There must be "full and immediate access", Borrell said.

The EU warned it is considering sanctions on Myanmar while the United States penalised two more generals for links to the military coup, as Western countries sought to press the junta to avoid a violent crackdown after weeks of protests, the Reuters news agency reports. "We are not prepared to stand by and watch," German foreign minister Heiko Maas said in Brussels, adding that sanctions could follow if diplomacy failed.

The Canadian parliament on Monday passed a non-binding motion to declare China's treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority as "genocide", Deutsche Welle writes. The motion was introduced in the house of commons by the opposition Conservatives. Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau, along with his cabinet, abstained from the vote. The non-binding motion passed by 266-0. China's treatment of the Uighur minority in the northwestern Xinjiang province has drawn international condemnation.

The EU is preparing to extend a freeze on excessive public borrowing, in order to help cope with the pandemic. "In coming weeks we will decide if and how to extend the freezing of the [Stability and Growth] Pact, and in the coming months we will start thinking about how to re-calibrate it according to Europe's new strategic objectives," EU economic affairs commissioner Paolo Gentiloni told Italy's La Stampa Monday.

Four migrants trying to get from the Spanish exclave of Melilla in Morocco by ship had buried themselves in broken glass in a container to hide, Spanish authorities said Monday. They found 42 stowaways aboard a ship, some of whom were also hiding among broken bottles and toxic ash. Spain has caught 1,781 migrants inside its Melilla perimeter so far this year and intercepted 11,700 people there last year.