Month: May 2024

Georgia set to adopt ‘foreign influence’ bill despite mass protests

Tbilisi, Georgia — Georgia was set to adopt a “foreign influence” bill on Tuesday despite mass protests against a law criticized for mirroring repressive Russian legislation. Thousands of Georgians, mainly youths, have rallied outside parliament for three straight nights and have promised to be back when MPs are due to arrive Tuesday to pass the contentious legislation. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze vowed Monday to push it through in a third reading. “Tomorrow the parliament of Georgia will act on the will of the majority of the population and pass the law,” he said. He warned that if authorities backed down, …

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Erdogan defends Hamas, says members are being treated in Turkish hospitals

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that more than 1,000 members of the militant Palestinian group Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey as he reiterated his stance that it was a “resistance movement.” A Turkish official later said Erdogan had “misspoke” and meant that Gazans more generally were being treated in Turkey. “If you call Hamas a ‘terrorist organization,’ this would sadden us,” Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara after Mitsotakis had referred to Hamas as such. “We don’t deem Hamas a terrorist organization… More than …

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Russia using ‘hybrid’ approach to grow Arctic presence

Analysts say Russia is adopting a so-called hybrid approach to growing its strategic influence in the Arctic, through research, increased maritime activities and tourism. For the inhabitants of one remote Norwegian community, the announcement of a new boat bringing tourists from Russia means more than just a few extra visitors. Henry Wilkins reports from Svalbard, Norway. …

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Greece’s prime minister in Turkey for talks as the regional rivals seek to improve relations

ISTANBUL — Greece’s leader arrived in Turkey’s capital on Monday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as both countries pursue a normalization program and seek to put aside decades-old disputes. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was welcomed by Erdogan and a military guard of honor at the presidential palace in Ankara before the leaders’ fourth meeting over the past year. They are expected to hold two hours of discussions followed by a news conference. Turkey and Greece, which are NATO members, have been at odds for decades over a series of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and …

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King Charles hands Prince William military title in rare joint appearance

London — Britain’s King Charles handed over a senior military role to his son Prince William at a ceremony Monday, marking a rare joint appearance for the pair as the king steps up his return to public duties after his cancer diagnosis. Charles presented William with the title of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a position the 75-year-old monarch held for 32 years, in front of an Apache helicopter, and watched by service personnel at the Army Flying Museum in southern England. “He’s a very good pilot indeed,” Charles said of his son, a former helicopter search and rescue pilot …

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