Over one million reach Europe by sea

More than one million refugees and migrants have reached Europe by sea since the start of 2015, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says. More than 80% of the 1,000,573 people arrived in Greece, with the majority landing on Lesbos island, it said. About 844,000 travelled to Greece from nearby Turkey. Most of the others - over 150,000 - crossed the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. The migrant crisis is Europe's worst since World War Two. Migration to Europe in graphics Migrants offered 'bad weather discounts' The migrants reaching Europe by land The number of sea arrivals has increased vastly since 2014, when it was recorded at slightly more than 216,000. "Increasing numbers of refugees and migrants take their chances aboard unseaworthy boats and dinghies in a desperate bid to reach Europe," the UNHCR said on its website. "The vast majority of those attempting this dangerous crossing are in need of international protection, fleeing war, violence and persecution in their country of origin." About 49% of those crossing the Mediterranean Sea are from Syria, with 21% coming from Afghanistan, it added. The number of those dead or missing at sea is now at 3,735.  Paul Adams in Lesbos says that while the island feels less overwhelmed than usual, thousands more people are still waiting to be registered so they can travel further into Europe.

migrants should be fighting Isis, not 'invading' Europe

The Czech president, Milos Zeman, has called the movement of refugees into Europe “an organised invasion” and declared that young men from Syria and Iraq should stay in their countries to “take up arms” against Isis. The message from our appeal is clear: we stand with the refugees Katharine Viner Katharine Viner Read more “I am profoundly convinced that we are facing an organised invasion and not a spontaneous movement of refugees,” said Zeman in his Christmas message to the Czech Republic. Compassion was “possible” for refugees who were old or sick, and for children, he said but not for young men who should be back home fighting against jihadists. “A large majority of the illegal migrants are young men in good health and single. I wonder why these men are not taking up arms to go fight for the freedom of their countries against the Islamic State,” said Zeman, who was elected Czech president in early 2013. Fleeing their war-torn countries only served to strengthen Isis, he said. The 71-year-old evoked a comparison to the situation of Czechs who left their country when it was under Nazi occupation from 1939 to 1945. It is not the first time Zeman has taken a controversial stance on Europe’s worst migrant crisis since World War II.

Twitter is winning war on trolls and extremists, says its Europe chief

 These are critical times for Twitter. The social media giant, which is 10 years old in March, has amassed 320 million users and a valuation of more than $33bn (£22bn). But it desperately needs to turn back waves of negative headlines and to find ways to engage more deeply with the margins of its audience. Twitter's recent history has been beset by stories of trolling and extremism. Celebrity users, the great cheerleading asset for the platform in its fledgling years, have been closing their accounts. Many of them have been women. As damaging has been the supposed use of the site by Islamist jihadis and their recruiting sergeants. But Twitter is fighting back. Boosted in October by the return of its founder Jack Dorsey, now permanent chief executive, it believes it is winning its war on trolls and clearing its decks of violent extremists. Speaking to The Independent ahead of the company's tenth anniversary, Bruce Daisley, head of Twitter in Europe, said: "We have spent longer and put more effort into user safety than any other issue. The measures we've taken correlate directly with a reduction in the amount of bad behaviour on the platform." The site's agents have been targeting suspected abusive users by "asking more people" that they identify themselves. "If someone is behaving in a way characteristic of a bad actor, we send them a phone verification," said Mr Daisley. "That allows us to tell the user that what they do here exists in the real world. It normally acts as a stark reminder. Secondly, it allows us to see whether that user has already got other accounts set up on their phone that have been suspended."

Rome to host golf gladiators for first time

It's one of Europe's greatest cities, with a rich history of sport stretching back thousands of years. Rome's Colosseum may once have witnessed bloody battles to the death, but in 2022 the Eternal City will host golf's most gladiatorial contest for the first time. Italy overcame competition from Austria, Germany and Spain to be named only the third country from mainland Europe to stage the Ryder Cup -- golf's greatest team event, where Europe takes on the United States over three days. Denmark, Portugal and Turkey had also been in contention when the bidding process began in June 2014, but later withdrew. "I would like to offer my congratulations to Italy, whose bold and ambitious bid has seen them become the host nation for the 2022 Ryder Cup," European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said Monday. "History has shown time and again that the Ryder Cup is pure theater with the players the stars, and there is no question that the Eternal City of Rome will provide a wonderful backdrop for one of the great occasions in world golf."