Category: Євросоюз

One of Pope Francis’ leading critics said Thursday he was “deeply shaken” by accusations of a sex abuse cover-up against the pontiff and wants an investigation, but is still pressing Francis to respond to an earlier set of questions about his views on marriage. American Cardinal Raymond Burke denied Thursday he had any prior knowledge of the accusation penned by the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The two are like-minded conservatives and have shared the podium at traditionalist conferences before. Burke said he read Vigano’s 11-page accusation that Francis was complicit in a nearly two-decade …

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International calls for restraint grew Wednesday for Syria and its allies, Russia and Iran, to avoid a bloodbath and humanitarian disaster in Syria’s Idlib province. The northwestern province along the Turkish border is the last major part of Syria in rebel hands. Syrian forces are surrounding the province, and observers say a multiparty operation may be imminent. Meeting Wednesday with the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, President Donald Trump called the situation in Idlib “very sad.” “That cannot be a slaughter. If it’s a slaughter, the world is going to get very, very angry and the United …

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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is making a two-day visit to Turkey in the latest step in warming relations between the two countries. Last year, bilateral relations plummeted to the point that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of using “Nazi methods.” But before leaving for Ankara, Maas  said “we are determined to keep working hard to improve our relations. Turkey is more than a large neighbor, it is an important partner of Germany.” Maas will meet Erdogan and top Turkish ministers. The visit is to prepare for Erdogan’s state visit to Berlin later this month, …

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Britain risks huge disruptions to its economy and society, including trade, transport, health care and citizens’ rights, if it leaves the European Union next March without a deal. That’s the conclusion of a new report on the short-term risks of a so-called ‘no-deal Brexit.’ The report comes as lawmakers return to London after a six-week summer break to face growing uncertainty over Britain’s future relations with the EU. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. …

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Kite Runner” author Khaled Hosseini urged world leaders to “act with compassion” towards refugees as he launched his new book inspired by a Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Greece. Hosseini said on Wednesday there was a “deeply concerning” shift in attitudes in Europe — where several countries have closed their borders — and called for greater efforts to resettle those fleeing violence and reunite divided families. “I wrote “Sea Prayer” to pay tribute to those who have perished or gone missing at sea coming to Europe,” said Hosseini at a book launch in London. The …

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First it was Argentina, quickly followed by Turkey. Now anxious investors and policy-makers are watching with alarm the plummeting currencies of several emerging-market economies, most of which have borrowed heavily in dollars. The nosediving currencies are prompting fears of a repeat of the 1997 Asian financial crash or the “Tequila Effect” of Mexico’s 1994 financial crisis. Or is something even worse coming — a financial contagion to compare with 2008? Argentina’s peso dropped 29 percent against the U.S. dollar in August, the worst performer among major emerging-market currencies. Turkey’s currency followed closely, with a 25 percent slide.South Africa’s rand saw …

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British public opinion on leaving the European Union is still deeply split, according to a survey on Wednesday, indicating only a slight increase in support for remaining a member despite growing pessimism about the outcome of negotiations. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, 2019 but has yet to secure an exit agreement to define future relations with Brussels and manage the economic impact of ending over four decades of integration with the world’s largest trading bloc. Polling showed 59 percent of voters would now vote to remain in the bloc, versus 41 percent who would vote …

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French President Emmanuel Macron planned to focus this month on promoting his policies to reshape the economy. Instead, he’s encountered obstacles. The resignations of two popular Cabinet ministers, snags in a pending income tax system, and anger over cuts in family and housing benefits greeted Macron as France returned from summer holidays. Last week, the 40-year-old leader branded the French as “Gauls resistant to change.” He made the remark while reaffirming his intent to push for loosening France’s rigid labor rules despite such resistance. Missing ministers Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot’s resignation last week was an unexpected blow. Hulot, the well-known …

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Laboratory tests by the chemical weapons watchdog confirmed British conclusions that two people in Amesbury, southwest England, were exposed to a Novichok-type nerve agent, it said Tuesday. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said analysis by designated laboratories of samples collected by its team “confirm the findings of the United Kingdom relating to the identity of the toxic chemical.” Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after she and her partner were exposed to the toxin near the city of Salisbury where Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were struck down with the same poison in March. …

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Videos of a group of masked, armed men being led in military-style drills by a right-wing former presidential candidate has raised considerable concern in Slovenia.  Slovenian police said Tuesday they have launched an investigation after video footage and photos appeared on social media.  Nationalist politician Andrej Sisko has confirmed the existence of the group, but he denied that it was doing anything illegal, telling Reuters news agency it was a voluntary defense force consisting of “several hundred people.” Sisko told Reuters his group would secure order if necessary. Interior Minister Vensa Gyorkos Znidar said authorities will not tolerate the existence …

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Catalan President Quim Torra on Tuesday urged his separatist supporters to ensure a massive turnout at upcoming public gatherings, saying large numbers on the streets will help compel the Spanish government to grant the region a vote on self-determination.   Torra said in Barcelona that he is ready to enter talks on Catalonia’s future with the central government in Madrid and that he rejects violence, but added he will only settle for “freedom” —  a reference to secession.   Catalonia “is at a crossroads” in its drive for independence, Torra said in a much-anticipated speech at Catalonia’s National Theater.   …

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Russia on Tuesday joined Iran in expressing support for Syria’s impending operation to retake control of rebel-held Idlib province, the last major opposition stronghold in the country. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Idlib is a pocket of terrorism, and that the situation there is undermining efforts to find a political resolution to the Syrian conflict. That follows statements Monday by Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Idlib should be cleared of “terrorists.” Iranian media also quoted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif saying during a visit to Syria that Idlib should be put back under the control of the Syrian people, and that …

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French President Emmanuel Macron hopes to draw a line under a raft of troubles plaguing his 16-month-old presidency and to re-energize his economic reform drive with a Cabinet reshuffle Tuesday Macron was forced into the move by the surprise exit of his former ecology minister, Nicolas Hulot, who said he despaired at what he felt were hollow commitments on environmental policy. Resigning live on air last week, Hulot’s resignation was a setback for the 40-year-old French leader, who returned from the summer break reeling from a bodyguard scandal and preparing to embark on a new wave of economic reforms. Cabinet …

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Turkey saw the inflation rate rise to nearly 18 percent in August, a 15-year high fueled by a collapse in the Turkish lira, which fell more than 20 percent over the past few weeks. The rising inflation and a falling currency are stoking fears Turkey is on the verge of financial and economic crisis. “It’s the beginning of the slippery slope. It’s going to get worse unless there is a miraculous improvement in the exchange rate,” political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said. “We’ve reached the stage where there is nothing to anchor price expectations. People simply can’t …

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Slovenian President Borut Pahor expressed his concern on Monday after internet footage showed masked members of an armed group led by a fringe politician conducting training exercises. Former presidential candidate Andrej Sisko told Reuters that his group would secure order if necessary, adding that it was doing nothing illegal – although he acknowledged that the weapons it uses have not been registered with the Slovenian authorities. The president said there was no place for such a group in the European Union member state. “President Pahor stresses that Slovenia is a safe country in which no unauthorized person needs or is …

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Party leaders in the Italian coalition government signalled they will seek leeway from the EU to increase next year’s budget deficit, heading on a collision course with the European Commission and investors who want it cut. Following Fitch agency’s decision to lower the outlook on Italy’s debt rating on Friday, neither Matteo Salvini nor Luigi Di Maio — the heads of the League and 5-Star Movement respectively — backed away from promises to reduce taxes and boost welfare spending. Salvini said on Monday he wanted to increase spending, but not exceed the European Union’s deficit limit of 3 percent of …

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British Prime Minister Theresa May got plenty of attention for her trip to Africa last week. Videos of her dancing — one with secondary students who greeted her in South Africa and another with her dancing with young scouts in Kenya — went viral. But May’s dance-floor diplomacy didn’t overshadow her larger mission in Africa, which was to forge business ties for a post-Brexit Britain. In Cape Town, she pledged more than $5 billion to support African markets and also promised that her country would overtake the United States to become the biggest investor in Africa out of the G-7 countries. Cheta …

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Pope Francis on Monday recommended silence and prayer to counter those who “only seek scandal,” division and destruction in what appeared to be an indirect response to allegations that he had covered up for a U.S. cardinal embroiled in sex abuse scandals. Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former papal envoy in Washington, stunned the faithful last month by claiming Francis allegedly lifted unconfirmed Vatican sanctions against disgraced U.S. prelate Theodore McCarrick and demanding that the pope resign. “With people lacking good will, with people who only seek scandal, who seek only division, who seek only destruction, even within the …

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A key opponent of high-tech, automated weapons known as “killer robots” is blaming countries like the U.S. and Russia for blocking consensus at a U.N.-backed conference, where most countries wanted to ensure that humans stay at the controls of lethal machines. Coordinator Mary Wareham of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots spoke Monday after experts from dozens of countries agreed before dawn Saturday at the U.N. in Geneva on 10 “possible guiding principles” about such “Lethal Automated Weapons Systems.” Point 2 said: “Human responsibility for decisions on the use of weapons systems must be retained since accountability cannot be transferred …

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The European Union’s top diplomat said Monday that the world is going through a time of chaos and that the 28-nation bloc must work more closely with international partners as the multilateral system comes under threat. In a speech to EU ambassadors laying out her vision for the year to come, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that “the whole world is going through a moment of chaos, and the question is: is it a moment or is it a long-term trend?” “The very idea of multilateralism is being challenged,” Mogherini said. While she didn’t mention the U.S. or …

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