A recent influx of Tunisian immigrants tests the EU’s southern states, and Germany’s far-right NPD party faces intense scrutiny from a leak of internal communications.
HEADLINES:
Germany Considers Allowing Foreigners to Join Military (Deutsche Welle)
With the end of conscription looming, the German government is considering allowing foreigners who live in Germany to join the military to make up for any possible troop shortage.
Tunisia Rejects Italian Proposal to Police its Coastline (Deutsche Welle)
World leaders have begun reacting to the announcement that Hosni Mubarak has resigned as Egypt’s president and handed over power to the armed forces.
Russia, NATO ‘On Verge of Breakthrough’ (RIA Novosti)
Russia and NATO are about to achieve a new quality of relations, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Monday.
Government defends £1bn of aid to India (The Guardian)
Decision to maintain aid of £280m a year likely to infuriate some MPs, who believe UK should not give aid to a nation that spends £20bn a year on defence
Tunisia boat people put EU to the test (EurActiv)
The European Commission said yesterday (13 February) that it would help Rome to cope with the "exceptional pressure" created by thousands of illegal immigrants fleeing Tunisia for the Italian island of Lampedusa. Malta expressed fear that it would also become a landing point.
Berlusconi refuses to resign, dismisses protest (Reuters)
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Monday he had no intention of stepping down and dismissed a weekend demonstration by women across Italy over his involvement in a sex scandal.
PM "starts procedure" to sack minister (B92)
Serbian PM Mirko Cvetković says he had "started the procedure" to dismiss one of his deputies and economy minister, Mlađan Dinkić.
Minelayer in Pirate Catch and Release (IceNews)
Any pirates captured off the Somali coast by Finnish ships are likely to be released as no nation will accept them for trial. The minelayer Pohjanmaa, which belongs to the Finnish Navy, arrived in the Gulf of Aden this week to join an EU anti-piracy mission. But, according to the ship’s commander, the fate of any detainees is still uncertain.
‘NaziLeaks’ and the NPD: Leak of 60,000 Far-Right E-Mails Reveals Extremist Chaos (Spiegel Online)
A massive leak of internal communications, dubbed "NaziLeaks," has embarrassed Germany’s far-right NPD. The roughly 60,000 e-mails which have been obtained by SPIEGEL reveal blatant racism, internal strife and shady financial dealings within the party.
EDITORIALS AND COLUMNS:
Egypt: 1989 and all that (The Economist)
As Foreign Secretary William Hague completes his whirlwind tour of the Middle East, Con Coughlin asks whether Britain can still influence political events abroad.
Egypt’s Lessons for Russia (The Moscow Times)
Recent events in Egypt are being discussed so passionately on the Russian Internet that one might be mistaken into thinking that Egypt is a geographical neighbor. The two countries certainly have a lot in common. Modern Russia, like Egypt under Mubarak, is a pseudo-democracy, where the rulers are in power largely thanks to rigged elections, control of the mass media and dependent judges. Russia is as corrupt as Egypt — and perhaps even more so. There are enough similarities that Russian political commentators regarded events in Egypt as something that might have a direct influence on the future of Russia.
Irish election: Rise of the independents (globalpost)
He has an upper-class Anglo-Irish accent, which usually grates on most Irish ears, and he is not linked with any political party. But almost every person whom Shane Ross met while campaigning on a damp Wednesday evening in this village near Dublin gave him a warm reception and a promise of support in Ireland’s Feb. 25 election.
Compiled with the assistance of Klee Aiken.
Image: transatlantic.jpg