Category: Євросоюз

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday calling for the immediate release of American reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since late March on espionage charges that he denies. The vote was 422-0 in favor of the nonbinding measure. In addition to calling for the journalist’s release, the resolution urged U.S. executive branch officials to raise Gershkovich’s case in all interactions with the Kremlin. The reporter for The Wall Street Journal was arrested on March 29 while on assignment in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Moscow has accused him of espionage, which he, his …

READ MORE

European Union antitrust regulators took aim at Google’s lucrative digital advertising business in an unprecedented decision ordering the tech giant to sell off some of its ad business to address competition concerns. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch and top antitrust enforcer, said that its preliminary view after an investigation is that “only the mandatory divestment by Google of part of its services” would satisfy the concerns. The 27-nation EU has led the global movement to crack down on Big Tech companies, but it has previously relied on issuing blockbuster fines, including three antitrust penalties for Google worth billions …

READ MORE

At least 59 people have died and dozens are feared missing off the coast of southern Greece after a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized and sank, authorities said Wednesday. A large search and rescue operation was launched in the area. Authorities said 104 people have been rescued so far following the nighttime incident some 75 kilometers (46 miles) southwest of Greece’s southern Peloponnese region. Four of the survivors were hospitalized with symptoms of hypothermia. It was unclear how many passengers might remain missing at sea after the 59 bodies were recovered, the Greek coast guard said. Six coast guard vessels, …

READ MORE

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday underscored U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression, meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and announcing $325 million more in military aid ahead of an annual summit of NATO members in Lithuania’s capital in July. White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from the White House. …

READ MORE

When peanuts are dropped into a pint of beer, they sink to the bottom before floating up and “dancing” in the glass.  Scientists have dug deep to investigate this phenomenon in a study published on Wednesday, saying it has implications for understanding mineral extraction or bubbling magma in the Earth’s crust.  Brazilian researcher Luiz Pereira, the study’s lead author, told AFP he first had the idea when passing through Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires to learn Spanish.   It was a “bartender thing” in the city to take a few peanuts and pop them into beers, Pereira said.  Because the peanuts are …

READ MORE

The World Food Program said Tuesday it will be forced to end food assistance to 2.5 million Syrians next month if it does not receive at least $180 million in donations to fund programs through the end of this year. “Further reductions in ration size are impossible; our only solution is to reduce the number of recipients,” said WFP Syria Director Ken Crossley in a statement. “The people we serve have endured the ravages of conflict, fleeing their homes, losing family members and their livelihoods. Without our assistance, their hardships will only intensify.” The WFP currently assists 5.5 million people …

READ MORE

The World Health Organization warns the catastrophic destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine June 6 risks unleashing an epidemic of physical and mental health problems. “So far there have been no reports of disease outbreaks, but we remain prepared to scale up our support as needed,” said Jarno Habicht, WHO representative in Ukraine. In view of the looming disaster, Habicht left his base in Kyiv for Istanbul, where he arrived early Tuesday morning to meet with donors to drum up support for an anticipated large-scale, life-saving operation in Kherson and surrounding communities. According to Ukrainian authorities, the destruction of …

READ MORE

Kosovo’s prime minister on Tuesday presented a plan to defuse tensions in its Serb-majority north that would include fresh local elections and cuts in special police, bowing to pressure from key Western supporters of its independence. Kosovo police meanwhile said they arrested a Serb identified by Pristina as an organizer of attacks on NATO peacekeepers who deployed in the north last month amid violent Serb unrest over the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in their area. During the operation to arrest Milun Milenkovic, three Kosovo Albanian policemen were slightly injured, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said on his Facebook page. Some …

READ MORE

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to meet outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Tuesday as jockeying to secure Stoltenberg’s successor intensifies. The meeting was originally set for Monday but was postponed after Biden underwent a root canal procedure. While the White House says the official agenda for the meeting is to discuss the alliance’s upcoming July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the issue of who will be next at NATO’s helm during this difficult period in its 74-year history will no doubt be front and center, as the alliance faces Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Stoltenberg, …

READ MORE

Latest developments: French President Emmanuel Macron pledges continued deliveries of ammunition, weapons and armed vehicles in the coming weeks, saying France wants Ukraine’s counteroffensive “to be as successful as possible.” U.S. President Joe Biden to host NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House after talks delayed by a day for Biden dental procedure. Russia-installed official says the death toll in Russia-controlled areas following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine rose to 17. Ukrainian officials said Tuesday a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine killed at least 10 people and injured 25 others. Serhiy …

READ MORE

A 44-year-old mother of three was sentenced Monday to more than two years in an English prison for medically inducing an abortion about eight months into her pregnancy. Justice Edward Pepperall in Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court said the “tragic” case required him to balance the woman’s reproductive rights with the rights of the fetus and said the sentence might deter others from exceeding the 24-week limit on abortions. Pepperall said the mother could have avoided prison if she had pleaded guilty sooner and that he was sentencing her despite her “deep and genuine remorse” and the fact that her children, including …

READ MORE

Across the United States this past weekend, demonstrators protested the transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children to territories occupied by Russia. VOA Correspondent Natasha Mozgovaya reports from Seattle. …

READ MORE

Latest developments: Russian President Vladimir Putin observed Russia’s national day on Monday. During an awards ceremony, Putin spoke about national unity and patriotic pride for “the greatness and glory of the fatherland,” at what he admitted was a “difficult time” for the country. U.S. President Joe Biden’s meeting with outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been pushed back a day after Biden underwent an unexpected root canal procedure. The two are now expected to hold talks Tuesday. Swiss authorities said Monday’s attack of several government websites was claimed by the NoName hacking group controlled by pro-Russian hackers. The government websites …

READ MORE

A Swedish appeals court on Monday said police had no legal grounds to block two gatherings where protesters had planned to burn the Quran earlier this year. A burning of Islam’s holy book outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm in January sparked anger in the Muslim world, leading to weeks of protests and calls for a boycott of Swedish goods, and further stalled Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Following that incident, police refused to authorize two other requests, one by a private individual and one by an organization, to hold Quran burnings outside the Turkish and Iraqi Embassies in Stockholm in …

READ MORE

Pakistani authorities are touting the arrival of the first shipment of discounted Russian crude oil as “transformative,” however, analysts say the extent of relief it will bring the country’s crisis-riddled economy is not clear.   Pakistan’s minister for petroleum, Musadik Malik, told the Reuters news agency that Islamabad paid Moscow for the cargo in yuan, the Chinese currency. The Pakistani government has so far not disclosed the price. Announcing the arrival of the Russian vessel “Pure Point,” with a little more than 45,000 metric tons of crude oil, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a tweet Sunday night that …

READ MORE

Recent clashes in Northern Kosovo between Kosovars and ethnic Serbs are raising concerns about a possible new conflict in the region. From Brussels, Valentina Vasileva has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by David Gogokhia. …

READ MORE

Koshini’s rooftop bar serves up local wine and a stunning view of Tbilisi, bathed, one recent evening, in a rosy sunset. The clientele sipping cocktails are not hip young locals, but Russians. “People here see the difference between the Russian government and its people,” says 30-year-old Aleksabd Klabukov from Saint Petersburg, who arrived here shortly after his country’s forces invaded Ukraine. “I didn’t agree with the war,” Klabukov says, adding, “I feel welcome here.” Anti-Russian graffiti blanketing Tbilisi’s streets tells a more complicated story between the two countries and their peoples. Georgians have given the recent influx of Russians like …

READ MORE

The controversial and colorful former prime minister of Italy – Silvio Berlusconi – has died.  The perpetually tanned billionaire media magnate was 86 and was being treated for leukemia. Berlusconi began building his fortune as a real estate developer and then moved on to create a highly successful television network.  At one point, he was known as Italy’s richest man.  And then he moved into politics, an arena which scholars say he Americanized.  The right-wing politician served as prime minister in four governments beginning in 1994. Berlusconi faced a host of political scandals during his political foray.  He was known …

READ MORE

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to meet outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House Monday as jockeying to secure Stoltenberg’s successor intensifies. While the White House says the official agenda for the meeting is to discuss the alliance’s upcoming July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the issue of who will be next at NATO’s helm during this difficult period in its 74-year history will no doubt be front and center, as the alliance faces Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, is the longest-running NATO chief in a generation and has had his tenure …

READ MORE

An 11-year-old British girl was shot dead Saturday in France.   Her father and mother also were injured in the incident at the family’s home in the village of Saint-Herbot in Brittany. The Guardian, a British newspaper, reports the father is in critical condition after being shot in the head.   The girl’s 8-year-old sister escaped unharmed, running to neighbors to tell them what happened.   Public prosecutor Carine Halley said a 71-year-old Dutch national, a resident of the same village, was detained after the shootings.   “The motives for this tragedy are not yet known,” Halley said. “It appears there had been a …

READ MORE