Travels News
The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday rejected a case brought over a UK bakery’s refusal to bake a gay wedding cake, saying British legal options had to be exhausted before it would get involved. Plaintiff Gareth Lee, who lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2014 ordered a cake for a gay activist event …
Read more “Rights Court Throws Out UK Gay Wedding Cake Case”
Taiwan said on Wednesday it would create a $200 million fund to invest in Lithuanian industries and boost bilateral trade as it tries to fend off diplomatic pressure on the Baltic state from China. The Lithuanian government, meanwhile, ordered the state-owned railway company not to sign a contract with a China-owned Spanish bridge builder, citing …
Read more “Taiwan to Set Up $200 Million Fund to Invest in Lithuania Amid Dispute With China”
The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and current and former officials, adding pressure against their secessionist efforts threatening Bosnia-Herzegovina’s fragile union. In its statement, the U.S. Treasury Department accused Dodik of corruption and threatening Bosnia-Herzegovina’s stability and territorial integrity. “Milorad Dodik’s destabilizing corrupt activities and attempts to dismantle …
Read more “US Sanctions Bosnian Serb Leader for Secessionist Efforts”
Novak Djokovic was denied entry into Australia and his visa was canceled after he arrived in Melbourne late Wednesday to defend his title at the season-opening tennis major. The Australian Border Force issued a statement early Thursday local time saying Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet entry requirements and “has visa has …
Read more “Australia Denies Entry to Novak Djokovic, Cancels Visa”
The United States and Germany reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity on Wednesday, warning of “massive” and “severe consequences” if Russia invades neighboring Ukraine. The renewed warning comes days ahead of scheduled U.S.-Russia talks in Geneva next week. “Both Germany and the United States see Russia’s actions toward Ukraine as an immediate and urgent challenge to peace and stability in Europe,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a press conference with …
Read more “US, Germany to ‘Respond Swiftly’ if Russian Aggression Against Ukraine Escalates”
French President Emmanuel Macron burst into the presidential race with an explosive remark about the country’s minority of unvaccinated people — in an apparent effort to win support from mainstream voters but at the risk of widening divisions over the issue. Macron used a vulgarity to describe his strategy for pressuring vaccine refusers to get …
Read more “With Salty Language, Macron Berates France’s Unvaccinated”
China has pulled off a rapid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the star performer of major economies in 2021 was India, which grew its economy faster. Analysts are predicting India will be the world’s fastest-growing major economy this year, too, the start of a long-term trend, they say. The investment bank Nomura forecasts …
Polish President Andrzej Duda has tested positive for coronavirus, a top aide tweeted on Wednesday, after several people around him were infected. “The President feels good, is not seriously ill and is under constant medical supervision,” top aide Pawel Szrot said in a tweet. He said the president was in isolation. Duda also caught coronavirus …
Read more “Poland’s President Tests Positive for COVID-19, Top Aide Says “
Britain’s justice secretary said Wednesday he wanted to put the “fear of God” into those who threaten women and that restoring women’s faith in the legal system was his “top priority” following a string of high-profile murders in London. Dominic Raab said he was “shocked and horrified” by the recent killings of several women, including …
For the next six months, France will be running the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, giving President Emmanuel Macron a key role in shaping the future of the bloc in a year that looks set to be yet another highly turbulent and fractious one for the EU. Macron takes the …
Read more “EU Risks Being Dragged into Macron’s Bid for Reelection”
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to create what he described as “a pious generation” of young Turkish nationalists that would be loyal to traditional Islamic values. But political analysts say winning the votes of young people could be his biggest challenge ahead of elections in 2023. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …
As the world continues to struggle with the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus and the still-lingering delta variant, scientists in France said they have discovered a new variant that contains multiple mutations. Experts at the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille say they discovered the new variant back in December in 12 …
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has scheduled a special meeting of allied ambassadors and top Russian officials for next week as both sides seek dialog to prevent open conflict over Ukraine, a NATO official said on Tuesday. Worried about Russia’s military build-up along Ukraine’s border, the Western military alliance has been seeking a meeting of the …
Read more “NATO Head Schedules Special Meeting with Russia Amid Ukraine Crisis “
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with eastern NATO allies Monday about Russia’s military buildup along Ukraine’s border, calling for a “united” NATO stance. In a phone call Monday with his counterparts in nine eastern NATO countries, known as the Bucharest Nine, Blinken said the United States was committed to “close consultation and coordination …
Read more “Blinken Calls for ‘United’ NATO Stance on Russian Troop Buildup Near Ukraine”
Five world powers have agreed to work together to stop the further spread of nuclear arms and to avoid nuclear conflict, according to a joint statement. “We believe strongly that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented,” said the five permanent U.N. Security Council members China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States, …
Read more “Five Global Powers Pledge to Avoid Nuclear Conflict”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who is seeking reelection. The right-wing prime minister is often at odds with other Western leaders. Orban, in power since 2010, is preparing for parliamentary elections in April or May, with his ruling Fidesz party facing six opposition parties. Trump said in …
The websites of one of Portugal’s biggest newspapers and of a major broadcaster, both owned by the country’s largest media conglomerate Impresa, were down on Monday after being hit by a hacker attack over the weekend. Expresso newspaper and SIC TV station both said they reported the incident to the criminal investigation police agency PJ …
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday the nation’s current surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant is going to put “considerable” pressure on the National Health Service but that there is no need for new restrictions at this time. Johnson made the comments to reporters while visiting a vaccination center in Buckinghamshire. …
Read more “UK’s Johnson: Omicron Surge to Put Pressure on Health System”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to reset relations with Moscow and is planning a face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin later this month. Senior German officials were already scheduled to get together with Russian counterparts in January in a bid to ease geopolitical tensions amid rising alarm that the Kremlin is planning a further …
Read more “Smaller European Nations Uneasy as Germany’s Scholz Plans to Meet Putin”
The German operator of a cruise ship that has been stuck in Lisbon’s port due to an outbreak of the coronavirus among its crew pulled the plug on the voyage on Sunday after some passengers tested positive, port authorities said. The AIDAnova, with 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew on board, docked in Lisbon on Dec. …
Read more “COVID Outbreak Ends Cruise for Thousands on German Ship in Lisbon”
U.S. President Joe Biden told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday that the United States and its allies would “respond decisively” should Russia further invade Ukraine. In a phone call, the two leaders also discussed diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions over Russia’s massive troop buildup along Ukraine’s eastern flank. Biden and Zelenskiy discussed measures to …
Read more “Biden to Ukraine: US, Allies Would ‘Respond Decisively if Russia Further Invades’”
France has lowered the age of its mask mandate to 6-year-old children, officials announced Saturday. The news comes just days before schools reopen Monday, following the winter holiday break. While the mandate requires children to wear masks in indoor public places, the mandate will also include outside locations in cities like Paris and Lyon where …
The European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as “green” investments after a yearlong battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly. The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will be included in the EU “sustainable finance …
Read more “EU Moves to Label Nuclear, Natural Gas Energy as ‘Green’”
The Holocaust survivor Gertrude Pressburger, who became famous during Austria’s 2016 presidential campaign with a video message in which “Mrs. Gertrude” warned of hatred and exclusion triggered by the far right, has died at 94. Pressburger died Friday after a long illness, her family told the Austrian press agency APA on Saturday. Austrian President Alexander …
Read more “Austrian Holocaust Survivor ‘Mrs. Gertrude’ Dies at 94”