Month: December 2023

Євросоюз

Syriac Christmas Message Stirs Debate in Turkish Parliament

Diyarbakir, Turkey/Washington — Turkey’s parliament erupted in controversy this week when the nation’s only Assyrian lawmaker delivered a Christmas message in his native Syriac language, offending other legislators who believe that only Turkish should be spoken in the national assembly. “Starting with our Greek, Armenian and Assyrian citizens living in Turkey, I congratulate all Christians on Christmas,” said George Aslan, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), during a budget debate Monday. “I hope the new year brings love and peace to our country and the whole world. “I would like to deliver the same message …

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Євросоюз

White House Says It Is Preparing New Proposal to Free American Journalist Jailed in Russia

washington — The White House said Thursday that it is preparing a new proposal to Russia to secure the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and another jailed American. “We’re working hard to see what we can do to get another proposal that might be more successful,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The Kremlin rejected a previous proposal. Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich has been imprisoned since March on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. Gershkovich’s jailing underscores Moscow’s years-long crackdown on press freedom, experts say. The other American is Paul Whelan, a …

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Євросоюз

EU Pays Last of Ukraine Budget Support for 2023

BRUSSELS — The European Union on Thursday paid the final tranche of a multibillion-euro support package to Ukraine to help keep its war-ravaged economy afloat this year, leaving the country without a financial lifeline from Europe as of next month. The EU has sent 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) each month in 2023 to ensure macroeconomic stability and rebuild critical infrastructure destroyed in the war. It’s also helping to pay wages and pensions, keep hospitals and schools running, and provide shelter for people forced from their homes. To ensure that Ukraine has predictable, longer-term income, the EU’s executive branch, the European …

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