Europe

• UK bans EU cheese and meat imports 17 April 2025
  The Government has introduced a temporary ban on travellers bringing cheese, meat, and dairy products from the EU, aiming to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. The new rules prohibit items such as cured meats and cheese - even in sandwiches - from being brought into the UK. The move…
• France: tit-for-tat expulsion of Algerian diplomats 17 April 2025
  France has announced the expulsion of twelve Algerian diplomats and recalled its ambassador from Algiers, in response to Algeria’s decision to expel twelve French consular staff. The tit-for-tat expulsions were triggered by the arrest of three Algerians including a consular official, charged with the 2023 kidnapping of political dissident Amir…
• Asylum applications: EU issues list of ‘safe’ countries 17 April 2025
  The EU has proposed a new list of seven ‘safe countries of origin’ - Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia - to fast-track asylum applications from citizens of those nations. The assumption is that most of these claims will be denied, allowing decisions within three months. The move…
• Spain: new emphasis on caring for geriatric animals 17 April 2025
  At Barcelona Zoo, African elephants Susi (52) and Bully (40), and other older animals at the zoo, including a 15-year-old wolf and two 17-year-old big cats, are receiving specialised geriatric care designed to support their health and dignity in old age. These animals, many of whom cannot return to the…
• Russian pastors risk prison to oppose war in Ukraine 11 April 2025
  A quiet yet courageous resistance is growing among evangelical leaders in Russia who are risking their freedom to oppose the war in Ukraine. Bishop Albert Ratkin, pastor of Word of Life Church near Moscow, has been labelled a 'foreign agent' by the Kremlin and has had his church raided. Despite…