Month: April 2023

The Dutch national intelligence agency painted a grim picture Monday of a growing number of internal and external threats to the rule of law in the Netherlands compounded by Russia’s war in Ukraine, international cyberattacks and espionage. In its annual report, the General Intelligence and Security Service called China “the biggest threat to the Netherlands’ economic security.” The agency’s director-general, Erik Akerboom, said that China is targeting the Netherlands as an innovative country that develops new technology. “We see that every day they try to steal that from the Netherlands,” he told The Associated Press. “The Chinese use cyber as …

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Italian police scooped up two tons of cocaine, wrapped in protective plastic and bobbing in the sea off eastern Sicily, authorities said Monday. The financial police squad estimated that the recent “catch” would have fetched about 400 million euros (nearly $450 million) in street sales. The packages of cocaine were strung together with netting, police said in a statement. There was just enough plastic wrapping to keep the cocaine from getting wet without weighing it down and possibly sinking it. Investigators hypothesized that a cargo ship left it in the sea as part of a scheme for another vessel to …

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A French court on Monday acquitted Airbus and Air France of manslaughter charges over the 2009 crash of Flight 447 from Rio to Paris, which killed 228 people and led to lasting changes in aircraft safety measures. Sobs broke out in the courtroom as the presiding judge read out the decision, a devastating defeat for victims’ families who fought for 13 years to see the case reach court. The three-judge panel ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence of a direct link between decisions by the companies and the crash. The official investigation found that multiple factors contributed to the disaster, …

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Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, said she visited jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow Monday and that she found him in good spirits. Russia has accused Gershkovich of spying. “This is the first time we’ve had consular access to Evan since his wrongful detention over two weeks ago,” Tracy said in a short statement in Russian on Telegram. “He feels well and is holding up. We reiterate our call for Evan’s immediate release.” Gershkovich was arrested last month in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, 1,800 kilometers east of Moscow, while on a reporting assignment. Russia …

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Slovakia has delivered the remaining nine of the 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets that it promised to Ukraine, the Slovak Defense Ministry said on Monday. The ministry said the warplanes were transported overland for security reasons in a “complicated logistics operation.” The first four were flown from Slovakia to Ukraine by Ukrainian pilots on March 23. “We are doing the right thing,” Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said in a statement. On March 17, the Slovak government approved a plan to give Ukraine its entire fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 planes, becoming the second NATO member to answer Ukraine’s plea for warplanes …

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French firefighters are trying to extinguish a large fire that has broken out on the country’s southern border with Spain. It is France’s first major forest fire of the season. “We deplore the loss of nearly 1,000 hectares,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Monday. The fire is under control, but it has not been fully extinguished, the minister added. Darmanin cautioned that this summer will be “extremely difficult” due to a dry winter in southern Europe. He said he expects the fires will be “as difficult as summer 2022,” when 785,000 hectares were decimated in Europe. France has deployed about …

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Former Chancellor Angela Merkel is to be decorated with Germany’s highest possible honor on Monday in recognition of her near-record 16 years at the helm of the country.  President Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to bestow the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for special achievement on the four-term chancellor, who will become only the third ex-leader to receive that level of distinction. The other two were Konrad Adenauer, West Germany’s first leader, and Helmut Kohl, who led Germany to reunification.  Merkel, 68, was the first woman to lead Germany and the first chancellor who grew up behind the Iron Curtain …

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Russia and Belarus won’t be allowed to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments if the war in Ukraine continues, the group’s president said Sunday. With both nations already barred from competing in IIHF events through 2024, its president, Luc Tardif, said a decision on the two countries’ eligibility in 2025 will be made in March. “I hope Russia and Belarus will come back as soon as possible, because it will mean the war is over,” Tardif said during a news conference held on the final day of the women’s world hockey championships being held in the Toronto suburbs. “It’s …

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday that he will press for a trade agreement between the European Union and Indonesia as part of his country’s efforts to reduce its reliance on China for crucial raw materials. Speaking at the opening of the annual Hannover Messe trade fair, Scholz told Indonesian President Joko Widodo that a trade deal between Southeast Asia’s most populous nation and the 27-nation bloc would create an economic area with 700 million people. “I am working to finally get this agreement across the finish line,” Scholz said of the negotiations between Jakarta and Brussels, which have been …

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Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his country’s broad ties with China on Sunday, including military cooperation, as he met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow.  “Development of relations between our two nations is going well in all areas — in the economy, social, cultural and educational sectors, and in military departments,” Putin said in opening remarks.  The Kremlin posted footage of the meeting showing Putin shaking hands with Li and then sitting down at a table. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was also present. Beijing had announced Li’s visit to Moscow last week, saying he would meet defense …

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected in Baghdad on Monday on his first visit to Iraq since Russia invaded his country, the foreign ministry said. Kuleba is due to hold talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as well as Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. They will discuss “bolstering bilateral ties, as well as regional and international” issues, said the statement quoting foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahhaf. Kuleba’s visit comes less than a week after Sudani received a phone call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the time, Zelenskyy said he …

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