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BUCHAREST Thousands protestedin the Romanian capital Bucharest on Sunday againstthe Social Democrat government that tried to weaken a crackdown on corruption earlier this month.

In early February, the cabinet of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu approved an emergency decree that would have decriminalized several graft offences.

The move drew criticism from Western allies and triggering nationwide protests that at their height drew at least half a million people onto the streets.

The ruling coalition rescinded the decree, which would have shielded dozens of public officials from prosecution, and on Wednesday it reshuffled the cabinet, hoping to draw a line under the matter.

While the numbers of protesters has fallen sharply since early February, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people gathered outside government headquarters on Sunday demanding the resignation of a government they say they cannot trust. Many were carrying pins that read "Resist".

At 1900 GMT they raised pieces of blue and yellow paper above their heads and lit them with mobile phones to form a giant European Union flag.

At previous protests this month, they also formed the Romanian flag. Thousands more protested in other cities across Romania.

In a country report released last week, the European Commission said the government's rescinded decree would have reversed efforts to curb graft which Romania has made in the decade since it joined the EU.

Transparency International ranks Romania among the EUs most corrupt states and Brussels keeps its justice system under special monitoring.

The EU has praised prosecutors and magistrates for their efforts to stamp out corruption, but has noted a trend in parliament to weaken anti-graft legislation.

"Resist" suits me," Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu was quoted telling a local television station. "I am trying to calm things down. I want to enforce the governing program."

The Social Democrats and their junior coalition partner ALDE won a large majority in a December parliamentary election on a promise to raise pensions and wages and boost infrastructure in one of the EU's poorest states. They still enjoy wide support.

On Saturday, around 8,000 people are estimated to have attended a pro-government rally organized by the Social Democrats in the central Romanian town of Targoviste.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; editing by Jason Neely)

MANILA The Philippines condemned on Monday the "barbaric beheading" of an elderly German captive by Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf militants who posted a video of the killing after a deadline for a $600,000 ransom passed.

GAZA Israeli aircraft carried out a series of strikes in Gaza on Monday, wounding at least four people, witnesses said, after a rocket fired from the Palestinian territory hit an empty area in southern Israel.

SEOUL South Korean intelligence believes suspects wanted for the murder of the half-brother of North Korea's leader included several officials who worked for the reclusive state's foreign and security ministries, according to lawmakers in Seoul.

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Thousands of Romanians form EU flag at anti-government rally - Reuters

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, warned European Union chiefs must seize the moment to "reset" the bloc in the wake of Brexit.

The top diplomat stressed the religious state in the city of Rome is "concerned" about populism engulfing Europe and said the time has come for leaders to reform the union.

Populist anti-immigrant parties have made gains in a number of European countries, including Italy, France and the Netherlands, threatening the future of the EU.

Geert Wilders launched his Dutch election campaign with plans to crackdown on migrants and polls predict Front National leader Marine Le Pen will win the first round of France's presidential election.

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It is obvious there are many tensions, many difficulties

Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Both politicians have threatened to take their countries out of the EU if they win power.

Cardinal Parolin told Vatican Radio the European project must be "relaunched" ahead of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome.

He said: It is obvious there are many tensions, many difficulties, but they are also able to become, as they say, a kairos an opportune moment to reset the political relationship on a new basis.

EU member states have pledged to use the March 25 anniversary as an opportunity to "rebuild" the crumbling bloc which has struggled to cope with the arrival of more than 1.3 million migrants since the start of 2015.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to unite Europe and will join EU leaders in the Italian capital next month to celebrate the Treaty of Rome.

The Cardinal's comments come as he launched a blistering attack on out-of touch politicians.

Recognising the gap between the political elite and voters, Cardinal Parolin criticised politics for "sometimes being too distant".

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REUTERS

He called on leaders grasp the needs of the people, of real people, and must be able to give answers that are real answers, so that people come back to live and to hope.

The Cardinal, who has been touted as a future Pope, was speaking after a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and other officials.

In a veiled dig at US President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban and calls to "Make America Great Again", Cardinal Parolin warned isolationism, is "never a good policy".

He said: The inability to welcome and integrate can be dangerous.

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History teaches us this, and we hope that in this sense it will not be repeated.

Last week Pope Francis denounced "populist rhetoric" for fuelling fear.

The Pope called for a radical change of attitude towards immigrants, saying they should be welcomed with dignity.

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Courts in the US have blocked an executive order by President Trump to ban arrivals from seven mainly Muslim countries.

Pope Francis, who did not single out any particular country in his address, said: "Faced with this kind of rejection, rooted ultimately in self-centeredness and amplified by populist rhetoric, what is needed is a change of attitude, to overcome indifference and to counter fears with a generous approach of welcoming those who knock at our doors."

He added: "For those who flee conflicts and terrible persecutions, often trapped within the grip of criminal organisations who have no scruples, we need to open accessible and secure humanitarian channels."

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Now even the Pope says the EU needs to be RELAUNCHED - Express.co.uk

Caroline Vicini will discuss the state of the relationship between the United States and the European Union.

The European Union's deputy ambassador to the United States will speak Monday, March 6, at Nordia House, 8800 S.W. Oleson Road in Garden Home.

The event is free but the deadline to RSVP is Thursday, March 2. Register here.

Caroline Vicini, deputy ambassador, oversees the daily management of the EU Delegation to the United States. Prior to joining the delegation, she served as chief of protocol, with the rank of ambassador, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, Sweden.

Vicini's earlier postings include Algiers, Paris, and Rome, where she also worked at the headquarters of the World Food Program.

Amid global challenges from refugee resettlement to trans-Atlantic trade, Vicini will discuss the state of the relationship between the United States and the European Union.

A reception is set for 5:30 p.m., with her presentation and a question-and-answer session starting at 6 p.m.

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European Union diplomat to speak at Nordia House - Pamplin Media Group

(CNN) White House Strategist Steve Bannon described the European Union as a flawed institution to Germanys U.S. envoy. However, a week later Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the EU in Brussels.

U.S. officials continue to send mixed messages to its European allies at a time where the Bloc is already dealing with the U.K.s departure from the union.

Ever since President Trumps inauguration speech, uttering the phrase America first Germany and other allies have been struggling to find out what that will mean for them. German Chancellor Angela Merkel once enjoyed a close relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama, one that other allies could only envy.

However, now the Chancellor finds that while President Donald Trump respects her as a leader, he told the local Bild Newspaper that he finds her refugee policy catastrophic.

She was one of the first leaders he called. A cordial conversation but not a meeting of minds, she was the first world leader to tell him, point blank, that his immigration ban was wrong and in violation of international law.

Germany has sent ambassadors and emissaries to multiple administration officials hoping to glean where the administration is heading with Germany and the European Union.

In Munich last week, Merkel received some assurances from vice president mike pence: he attempted to reassure the EU by publicly stating a commitment to NATO.

But, sources have told CNN, a conversation between Presidential Advisor Steve Bannon and the German Ambassador to the U.S. one week before pences visit sent a chilling counter-message: the EU was a flawed institution and the United States would be better off dealing with its European allies one by one. A Trump administration official disputed that saying it was a quick meeting and a White House spokesperson described it as a quick hello. German officials, including the foreign minister, have declined to comment, citing the private nature of the conversation.

The EU is already under pressure from Britains impending departure from the EU. The last thing Merkel needs is a Trump administration tacitly supporting more members to leave. Especially when she faces her own elections in September.

There has been no official announcement of when Chancellor Merkel may finally meet President Trump face to face. However, she is known for her meticulous analysis of political dilemmas and all these mixed messages will almost certainly be taken into account.

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White House sends mixed messages on European Union - wwlp.com

Sharing a land border with the European Union comes with both perks and drawbacks. In a bid to boost trade with the EU and promote other aspects of integration, Turkey and Morocco have found that controlling the flow of migrants across their borders with the EU is a powerful bargaining chip.

Last year, the EU made a controversial deal with Turkey, in which the bloc agreed to give the country 6 billion ($6.8 billion) in aid, consider visa-free travel to Europe for Turkish citizens, and renew stalled EU membership talks. In return, Turkey agreed to take back migrants who crossed over to Greece if they never applied for asylum or had their claim rejected. The dealheavily criticized by human rights groupsreduced the number of migrants arriving in Greece by a staggering 90% within a few months of it coming into force.

Since the deal, Turkey has reminded the EU on numerous occasions about its end of the bargain. Last August, Turkey threatened to tear up the deal if its citizens were not granted visa-free travel within months. Turkey threatened this again in November, after the European parliament took a largely symbolic vote to freeze talks on EU membership.

You clamored when 50,000 refugees came to Kapikule, and started wondering what would happen if the border gates were opened, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan said at speech in response to the vote. If you go any further, these border gates will be opened, he added.

Turkey has used migrants as political currency for other matters, too; last month, Turkey warned it could cancel the EU deal after Greece refused to extradite eight Turkish soldiers who fled after a failed coup in July. We are evaluating what we can do, including the cancellation of the readmission deal with Greece, foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in response to the ruling. This week, Turkey once again urged the EU to hurry up and grant its citizens the right to travel to the bloc without visas.

A similar dynamic is playing out on the other side of the Mediterranean, at the only land border between Europe and Africa. Morocco recently hit back at the European Court of Justice, which challenged Moroccos claim to Western Sahara last year. Up until the ruling, Western Saharaa former Spanish colony annexed by Morocco in 1975 was subject to a bilateral free-trade agreement between Morocco and the EU. But since the ruling dismissed Moroccos claim to the territory, the two EU deals with Moroccoa 2000 co-operation agreement and a 2012 trade pactno longer applied.

Any obstacle in the application of this agreement is a direct attack on thousands of jobs on both sides, and risks the resumption of migratory flows, which Morocco has succeeded in containing through a deliberate, sustained effort, the agricultural ministry said in a statement.

To stem migrant flows, the EU pays Morocco tens of millions of euros a year. The agreement has largely quelled the irregular incursions at the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. But tensions at the border have flared once again, with hundreds of migrants storming the fence (paywall) at Ceuta last month.

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Countries are using the EU's greatest fear as their ultimate bargaining chip - Quartz