Canada

The European Union warned the Canadian government of retaliation if it doesn't lift visa requirements for citizens of the Czech Republic by the end of the year. At a news conference in Brussels, EU minister Jacques Barrot said Canada's decision to mandate visas for Czechs last July was "unacceptable," the EUobserver reported. Canada said the move was in response to a flood of refugee claims being made by Czech gypsies, also known as Roma. The government said in 2006, it received four refugee claims from Czechs and after lifting visa restrictions in 2007, the number ballooned to around 3,000. (UPI)