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Russian doctors said Friday that gravely ill Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny could be flown to Germany to receive medical care after the opposition politician’s allies accused the Russian authorities of trying to stop his evacuation.Navalny’s life was not in immediate danger; he was in an induced coma and his brain was in a stable condition, …
Read more “Russia Clears Kremlin Critic Navalny to Be Airlifted to Germany in Coma”
Police on Friday questioned former Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat about testimony given to officers by businessman Yorgen Fenech, the suspected mastermind of the death of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.Muscat resigned after it was revealed he was friends with and had received expensive gifts from Fenech, who is awaiting trial for alleged complicity in …
Read more “Malta Police Question Former PM About Killing of Journalist”
Every day, like clockwork, to-do lists for those protesting against Belarus’ authoritarian leader appear in the popular Telegram messaging app. They lay out goals, give times and locations of rallies with business-like precision, and offer spirited encouragement. “Today will be one more important day in the fight for our freedom. Tectonic shifts are happening on all …
Autocrats fall when people lose their fear — and that moment can be signaled dramatically by a simple jeer. As it was last week when Europe’s so-called “last dictator,” Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko, was booed during a speech at a Minsk factory by workers who chanted for him to step down.“Until you kill me, there will …
Autocrats fall when people lose their fear — and that moment can be signaled dramatically by a simple jeer. As it was last week when Europe’s so-called “last dictator,” Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko, was booed during a speech at a Minsk factory by workers who chanted for him to step down.“Until you kill me, there will …
The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Friday the latest round of trade talks with Britain was at a stalemate and a deal at this time looks “unlikely.” Speaking at a news conference in Brussels following the conclusion of the seventh round of trade talks, Barnier said the talks bogged down again on …
Read more “EU Negotiator Says Timely Brexit Deal ‘Unlikely’”
Hundreds of people took to the streets of the Polish city of Bialystok on Thursday evening to demonstrate against the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.Protesters held a banner reading in Polish: “60 kilometers from here people are fighting for freedom.”Bialystok is a major city near the Polish-Belarusian border.Demonstrators of both Belarusian and Polish …
Read more “Hundreds in Bialystok, Poland Protest Lukashenko”
The German and Israeli air forces conducted their first joint combat exercises in German airspace Thursday, as the cooperation between the two countries increases.Officials from both countries described the joint training as emotional and very special. The German air force called the visit a “historic moment.””This exercise, Blue Wings, is very emotional and we are …
Read more “Germany, Israel Conduct Their First Joint Combat Exercises in German Airspace”
The United States on Thursday defended Belarusian protesters and said it supported international efforts to examine the recent contested election, which gave President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term in office.“The United States has been inspired by the display of peaceful expression of the Belarusian people seeking to determine their own future,” said Secretary of State …
Read more “Pompeo: US Stands by Belarusian People, Backs International Efforts to Examine Election”
The brother of a suicide bomber who killed 22 people in 2017 at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 55 years before possibility of parole. “Both brothers bore equal culpability,” said Justice Jeremy Baker, announcing FILE – Hashem Abedi, convicted August 20, 2020, of …
Read more “Brother of Manchester Arena Bomber Sentenced to at Least 55 Years”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron met Thursday at the French presidential retreat on the Mediterranean Sea to discuss the post-COVID-19 economy and other pressing issues facing the European Union. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, greeted Merkel on the grounds of Fort De Bregancon, on the French Riveria — France’s southeastern coast on the …
Read more “French, German Leaders Meet to Discuss EU Economy, Other Issues “
The World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Europe office said it has begun discussions with Russia regarding the COVID-19 vaccine that the nation approved last week without the advanced trials normally required to prove a vaccine works.In a virtual news conference from the organization’s Copenhagen office, the WHO Europe’s senior emergency official Catherine Smallwood said there have …
As protesters continue to take to the streets in Belarus following a disputed August 9 election, Europe says it will impose sanctions on Belarusian officials it says were involved in vote-rigging and in the violent crackdown on opposition demonstrations.Incumbent Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner with 80 percent of the vote. The United States and …
Read more “EU Sanctions Belarus Officials, But Lacks Leverage Against ‘Europe’s Last Dictator’”
A spokesperson for Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny said he is in a coma in a Siberian hospital after being poisoned.Kira Yarmysh posted on social media that the 44-year-old Navalny became ill and collapsed as he was flying Thursday from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk …
Read more “Russian Opposition Leader Hospitalized After Suspected Poisoning”
The United States will not seek the death penalty for two British members of an Islamic State execution squad nicknamed the “Beatles,” whose extradition the Justice Department is seeking, Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday.In a letter this week to Priti Patel, Britain’s interior minister, Barr said if Britain granted an extradition request for Alexanda …
Read more “Barr: US Won’t Seek Death Penalty Against British IS ‘Beatles’”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s warm reception in Prague last week reflects welcomed U.S. investment in the country and shared democratic values. Shortcomings in both areas, meanwhile, are seen as contributing to the decline of a once-promising relationship between Prague and Beijing. Just a few years ago, relations between Beijing and Prague were full of …
Read more “Pompeo’s Success in Prague Seen as Warning Sign for Beijing”
German authorities said Wednesday that the multiple attacks on motorcyclists riding on a Berlin highway Tuesday could be religiously motivated. “An Islamist attack cannot be ruled out,” Berlin police and prosecutors said in a joint statement. The 30-year-old suspect, who authorities say is an Iraqi citizen, allegedly hit several motorcycles intentionally with his …
Read more “Man Drives Into Motorcyclists on Berlin Highway in Suspected Terrorist Attack”
The European Union said Wednesday it does not recognize the results of Belarus’s August 9 election that detractors of President Alexander Lukashenko say was rigged to extend his 26 years in office. The EU also said it would move forward with sanctions on Belarus. “The EU will impose shortly sanctions on a substantial number …
Read more “EU Says It Does Not Recognize Belarus Presidential Election Results”
A political opponent of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko urged European Union leaders Wednesday not to recognize the country’s recent presidential election, declaring it was rigged in favor of Lukashenko.Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya issued the appeal from exile in neighboring Lithuania before European Union leaders hold an emergency summit to discuss the Belarus crisis. “I call on you not …
Read more “Political Foe of Belarusian President Urges EU to Reject Election”
The United Nations reports humanitarian workers are facing unprecedented levels of violence while putting their own lives at risk in order to provide life-saving aid to millions of civilians caught in situations of crisis. This year’s World Humanitarian Day honors and pays tribute to these thousands of unsung, real life heroes. World Humanitarian Day was created …
Read more “Humanitarian Workers Face Unprecedented Violence, UN Says”
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on the European Union to not recognize what she called “fraudulent elections” last week in which she lost to longtime President Alexander Lukashenko. In a video message ahead of an emergency EU summit on the issue Wednesday, Tsikhanouskaya said, “Lukashenko has lost all legitimacy in the eyes of our nation and …
Read more “Belarusian Opposition Candidate Asks EU to Reject Election Results”
A Washington, D.C.-based political analyst faces an uncertain future in Belarus – where he remains in prison charged with inciting mass unrest in the run-up to rigged elections that triggered a wave of protests in challenge to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s 26-year rule. Vitali Shkliarov, 44, is a Belarus native married to an American who news reports say …
More workers joined a growing strike Tuesday to oust authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after he extended his 26-year term in an election that detractors contend was rigged.Thousands of workers began walking off the job Monday at state-controlled facilities, joining actors and broadcasters. Unrest began to escalate after Lukashenko dismissed demands to resign following a severe …
Read more “More Workers Join Strike to Oust Belarusian President Lukashenko”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday urged citizens to wear masks and abide by social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention rules if they want to see restrictions lifted in the country. Speaking with reporters in Dusseldorf where she attended the North Rhine-Westphalia state cabinet meeting, Merkel said the number of new cases in Germany has doubled in …
Read more “Merkel Urges Germans to Follow COVID Restrictions as Cases Surge”