Category: Europe

The World Bridge Federation is a member of the International Olympic Committee and must adhere to its anti-doping rules Bridge authorities should look at the sport’s “totally unsuitable” anti-doping rules after world number one Geir Helgemo was banned for a year, says the Monaco Bridge Federation. Helgemo, who is Norwegian but represents Monaco in the […]

Federer is only the second man to win a ton of ATP titles Roger Federer has won his 100th ATP Tour title at the Dubai Tennis Championships – 6,600 days after winning his first in Milan. The 37-year-old Swiss – a 20-time Grand Slam champion – beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4. Federer’s first ATP […]

Image copyright Getty ImagesImage caption Students in Hamburg joined climate strikes on Friday German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she supports school students’ protests about climate change. It appears to contradict some education officials, who have criticised participants for skipping school and threatened them with exclusion. Mrs Merkel said students might be frustrated at the […]

Image copyright Strasbourg deputy mayorImage caption The stone was found knocked off its plinth on Saturday morning A memorial stone at the site of Strasbourg’s old synagogue has been vandalised, the deputy mayor of the eastern French city says. Alain Fontanel tweeted a picture of the marble slab after it was knocked off its plinth, […]

Ivan Rakitic scored his first La Liga goal since 20 October Barcelona moved 10 points clear at the top of La Liga after a second El Clasico win in four days, Ivan Rakitic’s goal all but ending Real Madrid’s faint title hopes. Rakitic kept his composure to beat Thibaut Courtois after a one-two with Sergi […]

Image copyright Getty Images The government will pay £33m to Eurotunnel in an agreement to settle a lawsuit over extra ferry services in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In December, the Department for Transport (DfT) contracted three suppliers to provide additional freight capacity on ferries for lorries. But Eurotunnel said the contracts were handed […]

Image copyright AFP The EU has rejected calls for an agreement to protect UK and EU expats’ rights, if there is a no-deal Brexit. Tory MP Alberto Costa quit his government job to table an amendment calling for the protections. It was backed by the government in votes on Wednesday, with Mr Costa urging the […]

Image copyright Getty ImagesImage caption Max Hauke, pictured in Sochi 2014, was filmed blood doping during the Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld The skiing world is embroiled in a “blood doping” scandal – where athletes illegally inject specially altered blood back into themselves. Graphic footage has been leaked showing Austrian cross-country skier Max Hauke […]

Image copyright French fire brigadeImage caption Women firefighters are already often called sapeuses-pompières Decades after other French-speaking countries adopted feminine names for professions, the official guardians of the language in France have also backed the change. The Académie française, whose members are known as “immortals”, has said it has no obstacle in principle to such […]

Image copyright Getty ImagesImage caption Tens of thousands of UK pensioners live in Spain Spain’s cabinet has approved measures for Britons in Spain to continue living there as now if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said the main purpose was that no-one, British or Spanish, would be left […]