Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, women’s day, and Finland's PM resigns | Europe Briefing

Published on 08/03/2019 - 06:09•Updated 13:23

Our round-up of key stories from across Europe today.

1. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is given diplomatic protection

The UK will exercise diplomatic protection for a British-Iranian mother detained in Tehran as part of the Government’s continuing efforts to secure her release.

Watch Good Morning Europe's report on this in the above video player.

READ: Detained British-Iranian mother granted diplomatic protection by the UK

2. Europe marks International Women’s Day

The official theme for this year's International Women's Day is #BalanceforBetter, but there are many unofficial events taking place too.

READ: Catch-up on some of Euronews content on International Women's Day

3. Finland's PM resigns over healthcare reform failure

Finland's Prime Minister Juha Sipila has officially offered his government's resignation to the president.

It came as the government abandoned plans for a major healthcare and social services reform.

READ: Finland's prime minister Juha Sipila offers government's resignation over failed healthcare reforms

4. Orban and Weber on Europe-EPP row

European People's Party (EPP) group leader Manfred Weber said on Friday that it is up to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to decide on the political grouping he wants to be in.

Earlier on Friday Orban said that his ruling nationalist Fidesz party may drop out of the centre-right EPP amid a row over his government's anti-Brussels media campaign.

5. Theresa May in last-ditch warning to EU

Theresa May is seeking to turn the tables on the EU, as both sides go into a critical weekend deadlocked ahead of a decisive Brexit vote in the House of Commons next week.

In response to calls from Brussels for the UK to put forward new ideas over the Irish backstop, the British prime minister is putting the onus on Brussels to make concessions.

“The decisions that the European Union makes over the next few days will have a big impact on the outcome of the vote,” May will say on Friday, according to pre-released extracts from her speech.