TRIP MAGAZINE

Berlin — Germany needs both structural reforms and more investment in public infrastructure to overcome recession, the European head of the International Monetary Fund said in an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung. “Without a functioning infrastructure, there can be no productive economy,” Alred Kammer told the paper in an interview published on Tuesday. In order to mobilize …

Read more “Germany needs reform and investment to overcome recession, says IMF Europe head”

PENTAGON — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia “poses a significant security threat to the international community.” The comments at a Cabinet meeting in Seoul followed Yoon saying Monday that the deployment of North Korean troops to the battlefield in Ukraine could happen “more quickly than …

Read more “South Korea says Russia-North Korea military cooperation ‘poses significant security threat’”

state department — Top diplomatic and military officials from the United States and South Korea are set to convene in Washington this Thursday as the two allies closely monitor and express concerns about North Korea’s deployment of about 10,000 troops to Russia. Meanwhile, U.S. officials and analysts say that China could be displeased by Russia’s growing …

Read more “US, South Korea to confer on North Korean troop deployment to Russia “

RABAT, Morocco — Morocco’s King Mohammed VI welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco on Monday, kicking off a state visit with a series of bilateral agreements, including major investments in renewable energy and transportation. Macron’s trip to Morocco — his first in six years — comes as immigrants, including North Africans, face continued scrutiny in …

Read more “France, Morocco announce major investments as Macron visits Rabat “

Ankara is watching the U.S. elections closely. Analysts say Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands to benefit from either a Donald Trump or Kamala Harris victory, but both scenarios come with risks for the Turkish leader and his aspirations. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

TBILISI — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Georgia on Monday after having congratulated the ruling party on its victory in an election which the opposition says was marred by voting violations.  Georgia’s electoral commission said Georgian Dream won Saturday’s election with nearly 54% of the vote, but opposition parties disputed the results and called …

Read more “Hungary’s Orban arrives in Georgia after disputed election”

VILNIUS — The opposition Social Democrats claimed victory in Lithuania’s parliamentary election on Sunday, which was dominated by frustration with the cost of living and worries over potential threats from neighboring Russia. The left-leaning grouping has pledged to maintain the Baltic state’s hefty defense spending program, while criticizing the center-right coalition government of Prime Minister Ingrida …

Read more “Lithuania leftist opposition win election, eyes coalition “

Ukraine’s military said Monday that Russian forces attacked overnight with 100 aerial drones targeting areas across the country.  The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 66 of the drones, with most of the intercepts taking place over the Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi and Kyiv regions.  Ukrainian air defense also downed drones over Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, …

Read more “Ukraine says Russia used 100 drones in latest aerial attacks  “

STOCKHOLM — Seven European countries have changed their laws to increase employee ownership in startups to rival the U.S. in attracting talent and investment, while other countries are lagging, a report by venture capital firm Index Ventures found. While stock options were integral to Silicon Valley’s success, Europe has been hampered by bureaucracy and by taxing …

Read more “Seven European countries match US in startup-friendly laws, report says”

TBILISI — Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called on Sunday for people to take to the streets to protest the results of Saturday’s disputed parliamentary election, which the electoral commission said the ruling party had won.  The Georgian Dream party clinched nearly 54% of the vote, the commission said, as opposition parties contested the result and vote …

Read more “Georgian president calls for protests after ruling party wins disputed election”

VILNIUS, Lithuania — The opposition Social Democrats took an early lead in the second round of Lithuania’s parliamentary election on Sunday, with voters focusing on concerns over the cost of living and potential threats from neighboring Russia.  Official government data showed the center-left grouping leading with 33 seats after 64% of the vote was counted on …

Read more “Lithuania left-wing opposition leading in early election results”

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russian forces thwarted an attempt at another cross-border incursion by Ukraine into southwestern Russia, a local official reported Sunday, months after Kyiv staged a bold assault on its nuclear-armed enemy that Moscow is still struggling to halt. An “armed group” sought Sunday to breach the border between Ukraine and Russia’s Bryansk region, its …

Read more “Russian forces thwart attempted cross-border assault from Ukraine, official says”

The former Soviet republic of Georgia’s ruling party is claiming victory following Saturday’s parliamentary elections. Opposition groups call the election rigged, as polls show that most Georgians say they want closer ties to the European Union, not Moscow. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story. …

Madrid — Real Madrid, the Spanish league and the local government on Sunday condemned racist insults against Lamine Yamal during Saturday’s “clasico,” and Madrid said it was working to identify those who abused the Barcelona forward. Madrid said it “has opened an investigation in order to locate and identify the perpetrators of these deplorable and despicable …

Read more “Real Madrid, Spanish league and government condemn racist insults against Yamal in league ‘clasico’”

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarians were voting Sunday in the seventh general election in more than three years with little hope that a stable government will be formed to stop the country’s slide into political instability.  Voter fatigue and disillusionment with politicians have created an environment where radical political voices, aided by Moscow’s widespread disinformation, are successfully …

Read more “Bulgarians’ 7th vote in 3 years unlikely to break political deadlock”

Tbilisi, Georgia — The streets of Tbilisi echoed with despair on Sunday as the Central Election Commission said the ruling Georgian Dream party won Saturday’s parliamentary election. The opposition parties are disputing the results. With 99% of the precincts reporting, Georgian Dream had secured 54.8% of the vote, reinforcing its grip on a nation polarized over …

Read more “Georgian Dream declared election winner; opposition disputes results”

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Moscow will use “a range of responses” if the United States and its NATO allies allow Ukraine to use Western long-range weapons to strike inside Russia, according to remarks published on Sunday.   “[The Russian defense ministry] is thinking about how to respond to the possible long-range strikes on Russian …

Read more “Putin threatens ‘range of responses’ if Ukraine strikes deep into Russia “

KYIV, Ukraine — North Korean troops are poised to be deployed by Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine as early as this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Friday.  Western officials have warned that North Korean units joining the fight would stoke the almost three-year war and bring geopolitical consequences as far away as the Indo-Pacific …

Read more “Zelenskyy says North Korean troops poised to join war, cancels UN chief’s visit”

New York — Finance ministers of the G7 nations vowed Saturday to step up efforts to prevent Russia from evading sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.    “We remain committed to taking further initiatives in response to oil price cap violations,” the group said in a statement following a meeting in Washington. Those further steps were …

Read more “G7 agrees new steps to curb Russian sanctions evasion”