Month: August 2023

2 Arrested for Arson as Multiple Wildfires Burn Across Greece

Fire department officials in Greece arrested two men Saturday for allegedly starting wildfires on purpose, while hundreds of firefighters battled blazes that have killed at least 21 people in the past week. One man was arrested on the Greek island of Evia for allegedly setting fire to dried grass in the Karystos area. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August. A second man arrested in the Larissa area of central Greece also was accused of intentionally setting fire to dried vegetation. Officials blamed arson for several fires …

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Russia’s Military Ties With Iran Will Withstand Geopolitical Pressure: RIA

Russia’s military cooperation with Iran will not succumb to geopolitical pressure, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday, following reports that Washington has asked Teheran to stop selling drones to Moscow. “There are no changes, and cooperation with Iran will continue,” Ryabkov said, according to a report Saturday from Russian state news agency RIA. “We are independent states and do not succumb to the dictates of the United States and its satellites.” The U.S. is pressing Iran to stop selling the armed drones, which Russia is using in the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported earlier this month, …

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Norway Rebuilding Reindeer Fence Along Russian Border to Stop Costly Hooves’ Crossings

Norway is rebuilding a dilapidated reindeer fence along its border with Russia in the Artic to stop the animals from wandering into the neighboring country — costly strolls for which Oslo has to compensate Moscow over loss of grassland. Norwegian officials said Thursday that so far this year, 42 reindeer have crossed into Russia seeking better pastures and grazing land. The reindeer barrier along the Norway-Russia border spans 150 kilometers (93 miles) and dates back to 1954. The Norwegian Agriculture Agency said a stretch of about 7 kilometers (4 miles) between the Norwegian towns of Hamborgvatnet and Storskog would be …

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Russia Hopes to Raise Fish, Seafood Exports to China After Japan Ban

Russia hopes to increase its marine product exports to China in the wake of China’s ban on Japanese seafood imports after the release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Russia is one of the biggest marine product suppliers to China, with 894 Russian companies allowed to export seafood, Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian food safety watchdog, said in July. In a statement late Friday, Rosselkhoznadzor said it was seeking to increase the number of exporters. “The Chinese market in general is promising for Russian fish products. We hope to increase the number of certified …

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Rescue Ship Saves 438 Migrants in Mediterranean: NGO

The rescue ship Ocean Viking has saved 438 migrants in distress in the Mediterranean over the last two days, the organization that runs it, SOS Mediterranee, said Friday. The rescues took place in international waters off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia, the France-based NGO said. Earlier in the day, the NGO said that Thursday it had “rescued 272 people” of 23 different nationalities from three boats in the central Mediterranean, the most perilous maritime crossing in the world for the migrants. Those rescued included “32 unaccompanied minors, nine babies and five people with disabilities,” said the organization, which is …

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US Accuses Russia, China of Covering for North Korea at UN

The United States on Friday accused China and Russia of blocking a unified U.N. Security Council response to North Korea’s missile launches, including Thursday’s attempt by Pyongyang to put a spy satellite in space.  During an emergency Security Council meeting, 13 of the 15 members — all but Moscow and Beijing — condemned Pyongyang’s second spy satellite test in three months, which used ballistic missile technology.  “This should be an issue that unifies us. … But since the beginning of 2022, this council has failed to live up to its commitments because of China’s and Russia’s obstructionism,” said U.S. Ambassador …

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Q&A: How Do Europe’s Sweeping Rules for Tech Giants Work?

Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe must comply with one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people see online. The European Union’s groundbreaking new digital rules took effect Friday for the biggest platforms. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted by the 27-nation bloc, long a global leader in cracking down on tech giants. The DSA is designed to keep users safe online and stop the spread of harmful content that’s either illegal or violates a platform’s terms of service, such as promotion of genocide or …

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Kremlin Denies Claims It Masterminded Prigozhin’s Reported Death

The Kremlin labeled as “an absolute lie” on Friday the Western conjecture that Russian President Vladimir Putin masterminded Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reported death.   The chief of the mercenary Wagner Group reportedly was on the jet that crashed Wednesday evening just outside of Moscow.   Prigozhin’s name was on the passenger manifest, and he reportedly was among the 10 people aboard who died in the crash. Putin cited “preliminary information” saying that Prigozhin and his top associates in the Wagner mercenary group all had been killed.  Earlier on Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov scolded U.S. President Joe Biden for suggesting that the Russian …

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