Month: March 2023

Macron Says Unpopular Pension Reform Necessary, Will Enter Into Force by Year-End 

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said a deeply unpopular new law that raises the retirement age was necessary and would enter into force by the end of the year. “Do you think I enjoy doing this reform? No,” Macron said in a rare TV interview. “But there is not a hundred ways to balance the accounts … this reform is necessary.” Until the government pushed the pension bill through without a vote, the protests against a bill that will push the retirement age by two years to 64 had gathered huge, peaceful crowds in rallies organized by unions. But since …

READ MORE

UN Weekly Roundup: March 4-10, 2023

Editor’s note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch. UN chief makes brief trip to Ukraine U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday assailed Russia’s yearlong invasion of Ukraine as a violation of international law as he arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine,  for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on extending grain shipments from the war-torn country and securing the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The two men met on Thursday in the Ukrainian capital. UN nuclear board meets following chief’s visit to …

READ MORE

США передали Україні предмети історичної спадщини, які намагалися незаконно ввезти з Росії – Ткаченко

«Серед них: мечі-акінаки скіфської культури VI-V ст до н.е. (ареал поширення – лісостепова, степова частина України та АР Крим) та крем’яна шліфована сокира III тисячоліття до н.е.» …

READ MORE

Why Would Russia Use Hypersonic Missiles to Strike Ukraine?

The latest Russian missile barrage against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure has marked one of the largest such attacks in months.  On Thursday, Russia fired more than 80 missiles in a massive effort to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and cripple the country’s energy system.  Russia has been regularly launching similar strikes since October in a bid to demoralize Ukrainians and force the government to bow to the Kremlin’s demands.  Thursday’s strikes differed from earlier attacks, though, by including a larger number of sophisticated hypersonic missiles that are the most advanced weapons in the Russian arsenal. But just like previous barrages it has …

READ MORE

ОК «Південь»: війська РФ вивели 6 кораблів у Чорне море, серед них – ракетоносій

«Якщо зранку всі ракетоносії перебували в пунктах базування, то протягом дня кількість бойових кораблів збільшувалась/зменшувалась, але зафіксувалася на позначці – шість» …

READ MORE

Georgian Parliament Revokes Controversial ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill That Sparked Protests

In a dramatic turn of events, Georgian lawmakers have voted to drop a controversial “foreign agents” bill just days after its first reading sparked massive protests over fears the legislation, which mirrored a similar law in Russia, and would have severely restricted dissent and the activity of civil society groups in the country and push it toward authoritarianism.  Parliament on March 10 voted in the second reading of the draft, a day after the ruling Georgian Dream party announced it was withdrawing the proposed legislation in the face of the protests.  Lawmakers voted 35-1 against the bill, thus canceling it. …

READ MORE

Заповідник «Києво-Печерська лавра» розриває договір оренди з УПЦ (МП)

Заповідник просить релігійну організацію до 14 березня надати список представників від монастиря у кількості двох-трьох осіб «для включення до складу комісії з приймання-передачі державного майна, що буде утворена за наказом органу управління державною установою» …

READ MORE

EU Wants Joint Naval Exercises Amid Growing Maritime Security Threats

The European Union wants to hold joint naval exercises as part of plans published Friday to step up its efforts to protect critical infrastructure at sea.  Concerns about threats to Europe’s maritime infrastructure were heightened by attacks in September on the Nord Stream pipelines, which left them spewing natural gas into the Baltic Sea.  The EU has updated its maritime security strategy, outlining plans to hold an annual naval exercise from 2024 and coordinate member countries’ national efforts to protect gas pipelines, undersea data cables, offshore wind farms and other critical maritime infrastructure.  EU environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius told Reuters …

READ MORE

British Ministry: Intervals Between Russia’s Missile Attack in Ukraine Will Likely Increase

Following the wave of missiles strikes that Russia launched Thursday against Ukraine, the British Defense Ministry said Friday that the intervals between such strikes will likely grow. The ministry said that Russia needs time “to stockpile a critical mass of newly produced missiles directly from industry before it can resource a strike big enough to credibly overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.” Russia launched the barrage of missile attacks across Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least six and leaving hundreds of thousands without heat and electricity. It was the largest such attack on Ukraine in three weeks, with Ukrainian forces saying they …

READ MORE