Riots rock Athens —again

Striking Greek workers shut down transport and tried to storm the parliament building in Athens as lawmakers passed 4.8 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in budget cuts.

Bomb blast at JP Morgan amid Greek strikes

Amid strikes and protests against new austerity measures imposed by the Greek government, a bomb exploded at the Athens offices of JP Morgan, causing damage but no injuries.

Moscow demands answers on US-Romania “missile shield” deal

Russia’s foreign ministry voiced its concern at Romania’s plans to host part of a new US “missile shield” system for Europe, demanding explanations from Washington.

Lithuania: foreign minister resigns amid scandal over secret CIA prisons

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas resigned Jan. 21 in the midst of a dispute with President Dalia Grybauskaite over secret CIA secret prisons in the country.

Spain: court convicts five for aiding Madrid train bombings

Spain’s National Court convicted five people for their involvement in the 2004 Madrid train bombings on charges of supporting terrorist groups that planned attacks.

Spain: judge finds ETA attempted to kill former prime minister

Spanish Judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska ruled that Basque separatist group ETA had tried three times to assassinate former Spanish prime minister José Maria Aznar in 2001.

France: conservative leader introduces bill to ban burqas in public

Jean-Francois Cope, leader of France’s conservative party, introduced legislation that would ban wearing of the burqa in public and make it punishable by 750 euros.

Italy: authorities detain African immigrants following violence

More than a thousand African immigrants were put aboard buses and trains in southern Italy and shipped out to detention centers, following an outbreak of violence in the town of Rosarno.

Neo-Nazis trying to finance assassination plot behind theft of Auschwitz sign?

The gang that stole the “Arbeit macht frei” sign from Auschwitz concentration camp reportedly intended to use the proceeds from sale of the sign to finance an assassination plot.

Greek police arrest 150 on eve of shooting anniversary

Greek police conducted raids in Athens in an effort to avoid a repeat of last year’s violent protests as the first anniversary of the police shooting of Alexis Grigoropoulos approaches.

Swiss minaret ban deals double blow to Bosnian refugees

Swiss voters approved a ban on minarets at the urging of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. Switzerland’s 400,000 Muslims include many Bosnian and Kosovar refugees from ex-Yugoslavia.

Geneva: police use tear gas on WTO protesters

Police with water cannon fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a protest opposing the World Trade Organization summit that opens this week in Geneva.