16/02 – Today’s headlines from across the EU

EUROPEAN HEADLINES

FT Europe – Russia and Turkey edge closer to clash after Syria strikes mount. Direct confrontation threatens as tension rises. Two countries back opposing sides.

WSJE – Hospitals In Syria Hit By Airstrikes. Violence in northern Syria escalated Monday with the US and others accusing the Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, of bombing hospitals while capturing more rebel-held territory, casting deep doubt on a planned cease-fire.

INYT – Obama legacy hangs on battle over court. President must break strong G.O.P. resistance to leave a lasting imprint.

BBC Europe – Cameron in Brussels for crucial EU talks. David Cameron is in Brussels to drum up European Parliament support for his EU reform demands, ahead of Thursday’s key summit of European leaders. He met the parliament’s president, Martin Schulz, who said MEPs would play a “constructive” role in the process. Mr Schulz said although the parliament would not veto any deal, he could offer no guarantees it would back it fully.

FRANCE

Le Monde – Syria: Europe powerless against Putin. At the conference on security in Munich, the clash between Russia and the West makes a ceasefire less probable than ever.

Les Echos – EDF alerts the State on its financial situation. The decline in the market price threatens its margins. The group calls for new regulation of nuclear investments. English EPR: the project changes the risk profile. The state should take its dividend in shares.

GERMANY

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) – Growing tensions between Turkey and Russia. Ankara accuses Moscow of driving barbaric attacks on a peaceful population in Syria.

Suedeutsche Zeitung (SZ) – Merkel is fighting against isolation in Europe. Ahead of the EU summit, the Chancellor is urgently looking for allies in the refugee policy. A coalition of a few countries and a compromise with Turkey shall avert a failure.

ITALY

La Repubblica – Hospitals bombed in Syria. Five hospitals and two schools were bombed in Syria. At least fifty people were killed. One of the affected hospitals was supported by the French aid charity Médecins sans Frontières.

Il Sole 24 Ore – Stock exchanges and bonds rise: surge of banks and cars. Milan grows of 3.19%, spread at 137. Beijing pushes the Yuan.

POLAND

Gazeta Wyborcza – Russian-Polish blockade of trucks. Starting from today, Polish trucks are banned from driving Russian roads and Russian vehicles are not allowed in Poland. Russia pays an increasingly bitter price for the clash as its shipment costs surge up to 100%.

SPAIN

El País – Iglesias sets the price for a pact: vice-presidency and referendum. Podemos’ leader asks PSOE for real political power with the control of CNI, CIS and BOE. Socialists criticise Iglesias and recall that the initiative comes from Sanchez. The president of the Congress sets the investiture session for 2 March.

The Times – New cancer drug offers hope of a lasting cure. Scientists have raised the prospect of a lasting cure for cancer after discovering a “living drug” with the power to prevent patients from suffering a relapse of the disease.

The Guardian – Seven-day NHS ‘might not cut deaths”. Report casts doubts on key point in dispute. No evidence higher mortality rate is avoidable.