Category: Євросоюз

The United States is condemning, in the strongest terms, the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Galizia who was investigating alleged government corruption. “It was a cowardly attack that took the life of a talented and brave … reporter who dedicated her career to fighting the rule of law and shining a light on corruption,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday. She said the FBI has responded quickly to the prime minister’s call for U.S. help in the investigation. A Dutch forensic team is also in Malta to help. Monday’s blast blew up Galizia’s car just moments after she left …

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In a rare public speech Tuesday, the head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency said the terror threat in the country is worse now that it has ever been during his 34-year career. “It’s clear that we’re contending with an intense UK terrorist threat from Islamist extremists,” MI5 chief Andrew Parker said. “That threat is multi-dimensional, evolving rapidly and operating at a scale and pace we’ve not seen before. But so too is our response.” Parker said the MI5, also known as he Security Service, has noted a “dramatic upshift” in the threat this year, with a total of 36 people …

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge say their third child will be due in April. The royal couple had already revealed that they were having a child, but didn’t previously say which month the child is due. The brief statement released Tuesday by their Kensington Palace office offered no further details. The former Kate Middleton had announced she was pregnant after missing a royal engagement in September. As with her other two pregnancies, she is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, or acute morning sickness. She has since appeared in other events, including one Monday in which she danced with a person …

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Spain’s top court ruled Catalonia’s independence referendum illegal Tuesday, saying that the regional law backing it violated Spain’s constitution. The Catalan government had passed the “self-determination referendum law” on September 6. Spain’s high court said the law must be suspended temporarily as it assessed the Spanish government’s opposition to it, but Catalonia went ahead with the referendum on October 1. According to court regulations, the suspension was to last five months while judges come up with a ruling, but the pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia claimed that the universal right to self-determination outweighs Spain’s laws. But Catalonia’s government spokesperson, Jordi Turull, …

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U.S. President Donald Trump meets Tuesday at the White House with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for talks that are expected to focus on military cooperation, energy security and economic investment. A White House statement issued earlier this month said the two leaders will seek to “enhance our partnership and demonstrate our shared commitment to enduring democratic values that are so important to securing peace and prosperity around the world.” Trump’s talks with the key ally come as U.S. relations with Turkey have become increasingly strained, contributing to more instability in the region. The two leaders are expected to take …

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The European Union’s foreign policy chief describes U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision not to re-certify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal as an “internal U.S. process.” European countries, along with the other signatories, Russia and China, said Tehran is keeping its end of the deal. But President Trump claims Iran has repeatedly violated the letter and spirit of the agreement, which suspends sanctions in return for limits on the country’s atomic program. WATCH: Europe Mulls Policy Response as Trump Repeats Threat to End Iran Deal   The EU commissioner for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, said Monday that the Iran …

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Two Serbian students have appeared before a court over the street protests last April against the election triumph of President Aleksandar Vucic. Pavle Terzic and Gavrilo Vucetic gave statements Tuesday at the misdemeanor court after police accused them of organizing a protest without notifying authorities. They have denied the charges. Dozens of people, including opposition politicians, have gathered outside the court in support of the students while alleging government intimidation. Vucic swept the vote in April winning the presidency in the first round of balloting. A former nationalist, Vucic has been accused of stifling democratic freedoms despite his pledge to …

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At least three people have been killed as Tropical Storm Ophelia battered Ireland on Monday. One of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the northeastern Atlantic hit every corner of Ireland with wind speeds of 190 kilometers per hour recorded at the southernmost tip of the country. Ophelia knocked down trees and power lines, leaving more than 330,000 homes without power. About 200 flights from Ireland’s two main airports in Dublin and Shannon were canceled. The airports are expected to reopen Tuesday as cleanup begins. “There are still dangers out there, but the cleanup has started in some areas …

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Turkey has offered assistance to the Iraqi government in its effort to take control of the city of Kirkuk from Kurdish peshmerga forces. The offer was made in a statement by the Turkish foreign ministry: “We once again emphasize the importance we attach to the protection of Iraq’s political unity and territorial integrity.” Ankara strongly backs Baghdad in its opposition to an independence referendum passed last month by Iraqi Kurds. Turkey fears similar secessionist demands from its own large restive Kurdish minority. “Ankara’s thinking is that if Kirkuk is taken back from Iraqi Kurds, then their dreams of independence are …

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The European Union has imposed new sanctions on North Korea aimed at punishing the country for its nuclear and ballistic weapons program. EU foreign ministers agreed Monday to a total ban on EU investment in the communist country, a measure that goes beyond the latest U.N. sanctions. They also banned the sale of oil and refined petroleum products to North Korea, in a largely symbolic move aimed at encouraging countries that have more significant levels of trade with North Korea to follow suit. The ministers also cut the amount of money that people can send to North Korea from $17,700 …

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Turkey is expanding its latest military intervention in Syria rapidly, sending more special forces and commandos into Idlib as part of a high-risk effort agreed to with Moscow and Tehran to establish a de-escalation zone in the northwest Syrian province that is mainly controlled by an al-Qaida offshoot. The intervention is the biggest incursion by the Turks in Syria since last year, when Turkish forces partnered with Free Syrian Army (FSA) militias, once aided by the U.S. but now dependent on Ankara, to clear Islamic State militants, as well as Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), from a stretch along the …

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At least 34 people have died after wildfires ravaged Portugal and Spain’s Galicia region, rescuers said on Monday. In Portugal, at least 31 people died in fires that blazed through forests in the northern and central parts of the country, causing residents to flee towns and villages, and injuring more than 50 people. Local media reports said several people are still missing, including a one-month old baby. Three people have been reported dead in Spain; two victims were found in a burned-out car on the side of the road. In Portugal, the government declared a state of emergency for regions …

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Sebastian Kurz, leader of Austria’s conservative People’s Party (OVP), is set to become the world’s youngest leader after declaring his party’s victory in Sunday’s general election. At 31, Kurz is believed to be younger than North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and France’s Emmanuel Macron who is approaching 40. With most of the votes counted, The People’s Party won more than 31 percent of the vote and is expected to form a coalition with right-wing Freedom Party (FPO).VOA’s Zlatica Hoke has more. …

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There is more trouble for disgraced U.S. movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he has started the process to strip Weinstein of the Legion of Honor — the highest honor in France and one of the world’s most prestigious awards. France presented Weinstein the honor in 2012 in recognition of his efforts to promote French and other European cinema around the world. Four French actresses are among the 13 who accuse Weinstein of sexually assaulting or harassing them over several decades. This latest blow against Weinstein came a day after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts …

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Innsbruck no longer plans to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics after its promise to organize low-cost and sustainable games failed to convince residents.   The province of Tyrol said Sunday it will drop plans to host the games after 53.35 percent of voters had rejected the idea in a referendum. In Innsbruck, the capital of the province, 67.41 percent of residents said “no” to a possible bid.   Results from postal voting will be announced Monday but were not expected to significantly change the outcome.   “The decision stands,” Tyrol governor Guenther Platter said. “I was, and still am …

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Ireland dispatched its armed forces to bolster flood defenses on Sunday and warned people against non-essential travel as the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia threatened the country with its worst storm in 50 years. Ophelia, the sixth major hurricane of the Atlantic season, is due to make landfall on the south west coast of Ireland at around 0500 GMT on Monday, the Irish weather service said, describing the storm as “unprecedented.” Hurricane force winds are likely off Ireland’s south coast but they are expected to ease before they reach the coastline, said the weather service, which has declared a Status Red …

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Former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton cautioned Britain on Sunday over its push to secure a trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump after it leaves the European Union. Clinton, the Democratic Party candidate who lost out to Trump in last November’s election, also said Britain would face serious disruption if it left the EU without a negotiated deal with Brussels. The British government has talked up the prospect of bilateral trade deals with the United States and others as one of the major benefits of leaving the EU following last year’s surprise referendum vote to leave. Asked about the …

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Catalonia’s president is facing a critical decision that could determine the course of the region’s secessionist movement to break away from Spain. The Spanish government has given Carles Puigdemont until Monday morning to clarify if he did or didn’t actually declare independence earlier this week. Puigdemont told Catalan lawmakers Tuesday that he had “accepted” a mandate for independence based on the results of a disputed referendum, but that he wanted parliament to delay its implementation “for a few weeks” to give one last chance to open negotiations with Spain. If Puigdemont replies “Yes” to Madrid on Monday, then Spain’s government …

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A Refugee Food Festival showcasing the cooking talents of refugee chefs from five different countries has won the hearts of Geneva residents by connecting through the food of their national cuisines.  Over the past week, local chefs have turned their kitchens over to their refugee counterparts from Syria, Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Nigeria. Nadeem Khadem al-Jamie smiles broadly as clients at this high-end restaurant applaud his culinary skills. Nadeem, a 29-year-old Syrian refugee, says cooking is his passion. An interpreter explains that he learned how to cook from his uncle and worked in his family restaurant in Damascus before …

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Polls are open in Austria where voters are casting ballots in a snap election that analysts say could result in a resurgence by conservatives. Opinion polls favor Sebastian Kurz, the 31-year-old charismatic conservative party leader and current foreign minister, who observers say has succeeded in reinventing the conservative party and galvanizing the Austrian right, including the far right, following the breakdown of a coalition between conservatives and socialists. The campaign has been dominated by the issue of immigration. Austria, with a population of just less than 9 million, accepted 90,000 asylum seekers, most of them Muslim, during the 2015 migrant …

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