Belgium

BRUSSELS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived here Monday for the 21st China-European Union (EU) leaders' meeting.

China and Europe are two major forces and markets in the international arena, and are important cooperation partners to each other, Li said upon his arrival.

Li said he looks forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with the European side on bilateral ties and other issues of common concern on the basis of mutual respect, consultation, coordination and win-win outcomes.

DUBLIN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said that it is "extremely unlikely" that one of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) could veto any proposal to grant Britain a longer extension to strike a Brexit deal, according to a Saturday report by a local TV channel RTE.

BRUSSELS, April 3 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appeared to close the door on Wednesday before British Prime Minister Theresa May's request for a second short extension of Brexit, saying it would not be possible if the withdrawal agreement was not approved by the British House of Commons by April 12.

LONDON (AP) — European Union lawmakers say British citizens should be allowed to travel in Europe visa-free after Brexit but only if the U.K. grants the same right to EU citizens, as the bloc prepares for Britain’s possible departure without a deal.

The EU’s Civil Liberties Committee voted overwhelmingly Wednesday — 38 votes in favor, 8 against and 3 abstentions — to allow tourism or business trips.

LONDON (AP) — The eurozone economy received a double dose of bad news Monday as inflation fell further away from the European Central Bank’s target and a closely monitored survey showed the crucial manufacturing sector shrinking at its fastest rate in six years.

The developments suggest Europe is struggling to cope with global trade tensions and the uncertainty of Brexit, among other things.

BRUSSELS, March 29. /TASS/. The European Council’s emergency summit on Brexit will take place on April 10 in view of the rejection of another Brexit deal by the UK House of Commons earlier on Friday, European Council President Donald Tusk stated on Twitter.

"In view of the rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement by the House of Commons, I have decided to call a European Council on 10 April. #Brexit," he wrote.

28 Mar 2019; AFP: European lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for an EU-wide ban on single-use plastic products such as the straws, cutlery and cotton buds that are clogging the world's oceans.

The text had already been approved in negotiations with member states and EU officials and it will now be rapidly approved into law. The ban comes into effect from 2021.

27 Mar 2019; DW: The European Union's mission "Sophia" to curtail migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean will no longer deploy naval ships, in a decision aimed at resolving a dispute with Italy over where rescued asylum-seekers disembark.

Negotiations in Brussels on Tuesday resulted in the operation being granted another six-month mission without the two remaining navy ships in service but with strengthened air surveillance instead, according to news agencies citing unnamed EU sources.

26 Mar 2019; DW: The European Parliament on Tuesday voted with a large majority to end daylight savings time in the EU by 2021. 

Under the proposals, each member state would decide whether to continue with twice-a-year clock changes or stick permanently to summer or winter time.

Clock ticking

26 Mar 2019; DW: Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the production of energy reached a new record in 2018, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report on Tuesday.

CO2 emissions are the main driving force behind global warming, which scientists fear could spiral out of control unless drastic action is taken to reduce global emissions.

The IEA's key findings: