Month: April 2023

Why China is Trying to Mediate in Russia’s War With Ukraine

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday that Beijing will send an envoy to Ukraine to discuss a possible “political settlement” to Russia’s war with the country. Beijing has previously avoided involvement in conflicts between other countries but appears to be trying to assert itself as a global diplomatic force after arranging talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March that led them to restore diplomatic relations after a seven-year break. Xi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that a Chinese envoy, a former Chinese ambassador to Russia, would visit Ukraine and “other countries” to discuss a possible …

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Deal for Ukraine Grain Transit Made With 5 EU Countries

The European Commission said Friday that it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five European Union countries that had imposed restrictions. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries had ended up in their local markets, which was pushing down prices for local farmers. European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the EU executive had reached “an agreement in principle” with the five “to address concerns of both farmers in neighboring EU countries and Ukraine.” He said the …

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Turkey’s Erdogan Cancels Third Day of Election Appearances

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his election appearances for a third day Friday after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection. Erdogan, who has governed Turkey for two decades as prime minister and then president, is seeking a third presidential term in Turkey’s May 14 elections. He had been due to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed to show he would attend the opening ceremony via video link. Erdogan spoke by phone Friday with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on several matters, including the …

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Turkey Arrests Four Kurdish Journalists Ahead of Crucial Elections

Four Kurdish journalists appeared in court in Turkey this week, accused of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). JinNews reporter Beritan Canozer, journalist Remzi Akkaya, Mesopotamia News Agency (MA) editor Abdurrahman Gok, and MA reporter Mehmet Sah Oruc were taken into custody in coordinated dawn raids Tuesday, in which Turkish police detained at least 128 people in 21 cities. Among those detained are 10 journalists, a lawyer representing arrested Kurdish journalists in other court cases, and members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the third-biggest party in the Turkish parliament. HDP faces a party closure case in …

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Pope, in Hungary, Warns of Rising Nationalism in Europe

Pope Francis, starting a trip to Hungary, pointedly warned Friday of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity.  In a hard-hitting speech to government leaders — including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union — Francis also urged a rejection of “self-referential forms of populism” and strictly nationalist interests.  Francis called for a return to the “European soul” envisioned by those who laid the groundwork for modern Europe after World …

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У Донецькій області через російський обстріл постраждав енергетичний об’єкт – Міненерго

Російські війська 28 квітня завдали удару по одному з об’єктів генерації електроенергії в Донецькій області, повідомила пресслужба Міністерства енергетики. «Під час масованого обстрілу, який Росія здійснила 28 квітня, було зафіксовано попадання в один із об’єктів генерації електроенергії в Донецькій області. Ворог здійснив артилерійський обстріл, внаслідок якого було частково пошкоджено обладнання», – йдеться в повідомленні. Працівники об’єкту не постраждали, наголосили у відомстві. «Інші об’єкти генерації України під час обстрілу 28 квітня не були пошкоджені. Об’єднана енергетична система працює стабільно з профіцитом потужності», – повідомили в Міненерго. 27 квітня на Харківщині на російській міні підірвався автомобіль, в якому перебувала аварійно-відновлювальна бригада енергетиків …

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BBC’s Sharp Resigns After Breaching Rules over Boris Johnson Loan

BBC Chairman Richard Sharp resigned on Friday after an independent report found he had breached public appointment rules by not disclosing potential conflict of interest in his role in securing a $1 million loan for the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson. His exit comes at a time of heightened political scrutiny of the British public broadcaster. A high-profile dispute with highly paid presenter Gary Lineker over neutrality dominated headlines in Britain last month. Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker who became BBC chairman in 2021, had been under pressure since February when a committee of lawmakers said he had made “significant …

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Pope Arrives in Hungary for 3-Day Visit

Pope Francis arrived in Hungary on Friday. During his three-day visit, he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Francis will also preside over an open-air Mass on Sunday in front of parliament. Francis’ visit occurs as Europe is experiencing a migrant crisis and the war in Ukraine. He is expected to address both issues during his visit and he is scheduled to meet with some Ukrainians who fled their homes after Russia’s invasion. Orban famously erected a razor wire fence in 2015 to keep Serbs out of Hungary, but he has welcomed Ukrainians. However, unlike some of …

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