Month: July 2023

France, Italy Send Firefighting Planes to Greece as Wildfires Burn Around Athens

Italy and France are each sending two firefighting planes to Greece to help it cope with wildfires burning on multiple fronts around Athens, with more extreme heat on the way. The planes and their teams of firefighters are part of an EU civil protection mechanism, and they will join some 30 Romanian firefighters already stationed in Greece as part of a seasonal EU fire program, European officials said Tuesday. Wildfires continued to burn out of control Tuesday to the north and west of Athens, including a blaze near the resort town of Loutraki, where more homes were damaged and evacuations …

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Spain’s Early Election Could Put Far Right in Power for First Time Since Franco

Spain’s general election on Sunday could make the country the latest European Union member swing to the populist right, a shift that would represent a major upheaval after five years under a left-wing government. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and its small far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (“United We Can”), took a beating in local and regional elections. The center-right Popular Party emerged from the May 28 elections with the most votes. Polls for the general election have consistently put the PP in first place — but likely needing support from …

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«Список 31»: Радіо Свобода покаже фільм-розслідування про українських дітей, яких депортувала Росія

У фільмі журналісти показують шлях, яким вивозили дітей у Московську область, а також ідентифікують причетних до їхньої депортації російських посадовців та ставлеників РФ в Україні …

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UN: UK Migration Bill Contrary to International Law

Britain’s Illegal Migration Bill, aimed at stopping thousands of migrants arriving in the country, is at odds with London’s obligations under international law, the United Nations said Tuesday. The bill, which has been passed by parliament and now awaits the formality of being signed into law by King Charles III, means migrants arriving by boat will be refused the right to apply for asylum in the UK. The bill “is at variance with the country’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law and will have profound consequences for people in need of international protection”, the U.N. refugee and human …

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High Anxiety Over Ukraine War Sets in at EU-Latin America Summit That Was Supposed To Be a Love-in

High anxiety set in on the closing day of a summit between European Union and Latin American leaders that was supposed to be a love-in but turned into a diplomatic fracas over the war in Ukraine. Ambassadors worked through much of the night and into Tuesday morning to find even the blandest text to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, with talks hung up over the reservations of some Central and South American nations like Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, an EU official said. “We still need to pinpoint it as close as possible to Ukraine,” said the official, who …

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Аксьонов заявив, що окупований Крим уночі атакували понад 30 БПЛА

Очільник окупаційної влади Криму Сергій Аксьонов заявив про нічну атаку півострова безпілотниками. «Вночі на сході Криму силами ППО збито 9 БПЛА, ще 19 – придушено коштами РЕБ. Постраждалих немає», – написав він у Telegram. Тим часом минулої ночі армія РФ здійснила атаку ударними безпілотниками на південні області України. Деталі по регіонах уточнюються. Наразі відомо про пожежу на Миколаївщині на одному з об’єктів обласного центру. Починаючи з серпня 2022 року в окупованому Криму майже щодня чути звуки вибухів. Окупаційна російська влада пояснює це стріляниною по «українських безпілотниках», «роботою ППО» чи навчаннями військових РФ. Сергій Аксьонов називав безпілотники «основною загрозою» для Криму. …

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Erdogan Heads to Gulf States Seeking Funds for Ailing Economy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday in a three-stop tour of Persian Gulf states to seek trade and investment opportunities for Turkey’s floundering economy. Erdogan arrived in Jeddah accompanied by an entourage of some 200 businesspeople, according to the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. He met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and is expected to meet King Salman. Business forums have been arranged in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during Erdogan’s three-day trip. “We are hoping to improve our relations and cooperation in many fields. We will focus on joint investment …

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Understanding the Implications of No Black Sea Grain Deal

Russia said Monday it is ending its participation in a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine safe passage to export grain from three Ukrainian ports past Russian warships on the Black Sea.  Here is a look at how the grain deal worked and what Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement will mean for both Moscow and Kyiv as well as the global food supply.  What is the grain deal? The United Nations and Turkey brokered the deal to allow grain to be shipped from Ukraine, despite Russia’s ongoing war in that country. Much of the exported grain was shipped to impoverished countries …

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Norway Threatens $100,000 Daily Fine on Meta Over Data

Norway’s data protection agency said Monday it would ban Facebook and Instagram owner Meta from using the personal information of users for targeted advertising, threatening a $100,000 daily fine if the company continues.  The business practices of big U.S. tech firms are under close scrutiny across Europe over concerns about privacy, with huge fines handed out in recent years.  The Norwegian watchdog, Datatilsynet, said Meta uses information such as the location of users, the content they like and their posts for marketing purposes.  “The Norwegian Data Protection Authority considers that the practice of Meta is illegal and is therefore imposing …

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Elton John Backs Kevin Spacey’s Testimony at Actor’s Sexual Assault Trial

Elton John briefly testified Monday for the defense at Kevin Spacey ‘s sexual assault trial as the actor’s lawyer attempted to discredit a man who claimed the Oscar winner aggressively grabbed his crotch while driving to the singer’s summer ball. John appeared in the London court by video link from Monaco after his husband, David Furnish, testified that Spacey did not attend the annual party at their Windsor home the year the accuser said he was attacked. One of the alleged victims said he was driving Spacey to the White Tie & Tiara Ball in 2004 or 2005 when the …

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На тлі прибуття «вагнерівців» у Білорусі виявили 2-кілометрову колону техніки – супутникові фото

У Білорусі журналісти зафіксували ще одну велику колону, ймовірно, бійців російської приватної військової компанії «Вагнера», яка прибула до військової частини в селі Цель, де розташоване наметове містечко. Журналісти білоруської служби Радіо Свобода зафіксували колону сьогодні об 11:12 за місцевим часом. На знімку транспортні засоби розтяглися майже на 2 кілометри від з’їзду з траси М5 Гомель-Мінськ. У колоні можна побачити вантажівки, автобуси, легкові автомобілі, вантажні «Газелі». Сьогодні Telegram-канал «Беларусь головного мозга» показав відео автопоїзда, що рухається у бік Мінська трасою М5 Гомель – Мінськ. Майже всі автомобілі мають символ «Вагнер» та російські триколори. Ймовірно, що це та ж колона, яка прибула …

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Family of Jailed German-Iranian Dissident Concerned Over His Condition 

The family of a German-Iranian political dissident sentenced to death in Iran is expressing concern over his condition after a phone conversation with him Sunday. Ghazaleh Sharmahd, the daughter of Jamshid Sharmahd, wrote on Twitter “After five months, today we had our first phone call with my father, Jamshid Sharmahd. It is concerning that he was deprived of contact with his daughter for two years, and now he has been allowed to speak with me.” “This greatly worries me. Could this be his farewell call,” she said. Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian dual citizen and opposition figure was accused of masterminding …

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