Europe news now

Here are some of the latest news stories from Europe:

Politics

• The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials over the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and the arrest of a dissident journalist. (BBC News)
• The UK and EU have reached a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol, which will allow for the free movement of goods between the two regions. (The Guardian)
• The French government has announced plans to introduce a new law aimed at reducing the use of plastic packaging in the country. (The Local France)

Economy

• The European Central Bank has kept interest rates unchanged, citing concerns over the impact of the pandemic on the economy. (Financial Times)
• The German economy has contracted by 0.1% in the first quarter of the year, according to official figures. (Deutsche Welle)
• The UK's Office for National Statistics has reported that the country's economy grew by 0.1% in the first quarter of the year. (BBC News)

Health

• The World Health Organization has reported a surge in COVID-19 cases in Europe, with over 1.5 million new cases reported in the past week. (WHO)
• The European Medicines Agency has approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12-15. (The Guardian)
• The UK has reported a record number of COVID-19 hospital admissions, with over 3,000 patients in hospital with the virus. (BBC News)

Other News

• A massive wildfire has broken out in the Greek region of Evia, with thousands of people evacuated from their homes. (The Guardian)
• The European Space Agency has launched a new satellite to monitor the Earth's climate. (ESA)
• The UK's Prince William and his wife Kate have visited the European Parliament in Brussels, where they met with EU officials and discussed issues such as climate change and mental health. (BBC News)

These are just a few of the latest news stories from Europe.