Countries

A new law that comes into effect in Poland this week will scrap income tax for roughly 2 million young workers. It's an attempt by the government to stop the dramatic brain drain Poland has experienced since it joined the European Union 15 years ago.
Source: edition.cnn.com

The human rights groups “Memorial” and the “Committee Against Torture,” together with the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, held a press conference where they presented new evidence of torture, abductions, and summary executions in Chechnya in January 2017. The team of journalists and activists obtained testimony from witnesses who were held at that time at the same police base that reportedly houses Chechnya’s “secret prison”.
Source: meduza.io

Germany has allowed thousands of people related to refugees with asylum status to join them. The government agreed to change the rules on family reunification for some refugees last year.
Source: dw.com

The city of Barcelona has finally issued a building license for Sagrada Familia, the famed Roman Catholic Church designed by Antoni Gaudí. The church has stood unfinished for more than a century, but now has official permission from the city authorities to continue with its construction with a projected completion date of 2026.
Source: neweurope.eu

Demonstrators in Russia have launched fresh protests against unfair treatment of the opposition ahead of city elections in Moscow next month. Police have detained hundreds of protesters, including activist Lyubov Sobol.
Source: dw.com

After massive street protests and warnings from the European Union, it took a gruesome murder case and a supreme court ruling to finally stop Romania's controversial judicial reform in its tracks.
Source: euronews.com

The UK’s equality watchdog has demanded that disabled and older people should have the legal right to homes in the community rather than being forced to live in institutions.
Source: theguardian.com

Inter-regional Association of Human Rights Organizations “Agora” appealed to David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, with regard to severe Internet and mobile disruptions during the protest rallies in Moscow and Ingushetia.
Source: meduza.io

The Netherlands joins a number of other European nations in implementing the controversial law. Some consider burqas a symbol of the oppression of women, while others view the ban as a violation of religious freedom.
Source: dw.com