5 Stories from Europe You May Have Missed

[rpannier]

1. Denmark marks 100 years of reunification - but what reunified and what can we learn?

This year is being remembered as the centenary of redrawing borders in one part of Northern Europe, with Monday marking 100 years since the people in the region of Schleswig voted either to remain with Germany or to join Denmark.

It is a year of happiness for the Danes - who eventually saw the reunification of South Jutland (North Schleswig) - and are marking the occasion with an event this week in Aabenraa.

snip

The region was then split into two zones - North Schleswig and Central Schleswig respectively - to have two referendums on whether to become Danish or to remain German.

The first ballot, held in Zone 1 on February 10, 1920, saw a majority of voters choose Denmark, while the second ballot a month later in Zone 2 saw a majority side with Germany.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/10/denmark-marks-100-years-of-reunification-but-what-reunified-and-what-can-we-learn


2. Russia's 'Heinous' Sentencing Of Seven Activists Sparks Social Media Outrage

A Russian regional court’s "heinous" sentencing of seven activists to long prison terms has ignited outrage on social media, with some critics drawing parallels to the show trials of the Stalinist era.

The case -- known as "Set" (Network) -- is the latest in a series of Russian court decisions over the past year against citizens sharing anti-government views that have provoked a sharp response from segments of society.

A district court in Penza -- an industrial town of about half-a-million people some 625 kilometers southeast of Moscow -- sentenced the seven men on February 10 to prison terms of between six and 18 years, lengths normally given to violent criminals.

snip

Authorities say they belong to a group called Set, but the men all claim such a group does not exist and that, although they share antifascist views, they mainly play outdoor war games together.


https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-sentencing-set-network-sparks-social-media-outrage/30429323.html


3. Ukrainian Police Major, Ex-Convict Wanted In Arson Of RFE/RL’s Reporter’s Car

Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General’s Office in Lviv suspects an underworld criminal and a police major of collusion in the arson of a vehicle belonging to RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk.

Iryna Didenko, the lead prosecutor of the Lviv region, signed the charge sheets for the two suspects on February 11.

Accused of ordering the torching of the journalist’s car is a 48-year-old former convict, who is known in the criminal world for black-market schemes and stealing fuel at the Lviv railway.

Allegedly colluding with him was a 43-year-old National Police major in the Lviv region, who sought the arsonist and paid him for the crime, according to Didenko

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-police-major-ex-convict-wanted-in-arson-case-involving-rfe-rl-s-reporter-s-car/30429780.html

4. Northern Ireland police arrest four men in connection with McKee murder investigation

Police arrested four men on Tuesday in connection with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee who was shot during rioting in Northern Ireland last year.

"The arrests have been made under the Terrorism Act after the New IRA claimed responsibility for murdering Lyra," police said in a statement.

The four suspects were arrested in Londonderry also known as Derry and are aged 20, 27, 29 and 52

https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/11/northern-ireland-police-arrest-four-men-in-connection-with-mckee-murder-investigation


5. German digital bank N26 pulls out of UK, blaming Brexit

The German digital bank N26 is has blamed Brexit for its decision to pull out of the UK and close more than 200,000 customer accounts.

The lender has given customers less than two months to move their money, with all UK accounts to be closed by 15 April. It has also stopped offering new accounts to UK residents.

The move comes less than 18 months after the Berlin-based firm launched in the UK. It had about a dozen employees in the UK, with the rest of the business run remotely from the German capital.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/feb/11/german-digital-bank-n26-pulls-out-of-uk-blaming-brexit

[malaise]

1. K & R

[Sherman A1]

2. Thanks for posting

I will have to spend more time watching BBC and DW news going forward. The news from the US is so depressing and wacko.

[BlueMTexpat]

3. Thank you so much for posting!

To the US M$M, it seems as if nothing else is happening across the globe - unless there is some connection to the US.

We are literally being "left behind" and "left out" in so many ways.

Especially since we are fast becoming a Rogue State.

[a la izquierda]

4. Thanks for these!

My eye is mostly turned to Europe these days, but I really only pay attention to news from the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands (it's where I spend the most time).

There's been a spate of letter bombs in the Netherlands since the beginning of the year. Very weird. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/02/letter-bombs-go-off-in-amsterdam-and-kerkrade-no-injuries/

[rpannier]

5. I hadn't heard anything about this

Thanks so much