EU regulators accused Apple on Friday of distorting competition in the music streaming market, siding with Spotify in a case that could lead to a hefty fine and changes in the iPhone maker’s lucrative business practices. The preliminary findings are the first time Brussels has leveled anti-competitive charges against Apple, although the two sides …
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Ukraine next week as Washington coordinates closely with Kyiv over Russia’s recent military buildup along Ukraine border. Blinken will travel to Ukraine on May 5-6, “where he will meet with President Zelensky, Foreign Minister Kuleba, other officials, and representatives of Ukrainian civil society to …
Read more “Blinken Heads to Ukraine After Russia Sends 150K Troops to Border”
The Turkish government’s decision to ban alcohol sales as part of a nearly three-week lockdown to contain COVID-19 is causing a political storm, with opponents accusing the Islamic-rooted government of using the pandemic to pursue a religious agenda. The alcohol ban is part of a national lockdown that took effect Thursday and will end on …
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Russia’s defense ministry released video Friday of its warships firing rockets during military drills in the Black Sea, the Reuters news agency reported Friday. The drills were conducted earlier this week amid rising tensions between Russia and the west over Russia’s military buildup near the border it shares with Ukraine. Russia said …
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Ukraine next week as Washington coordinates closely with Kyiv over Russia’s recent military buildup along Ukraine border. Blinken will travel to Ukraine on May 5-6, “where he will meet with President Zelensky, Foreign Minister Kuleba, other officials, and representatives of Ukrainian civil society to …
Read more “Blinken Heads to Ukraine Amid Russia’s Recent Military Buildup Along Border”
German officials say they have reached an agreement with Nigeria to return some of the famed Benin Bronzes that were looted from Nigeria in the 19th century.About 500 of the plundered artifacts are on display in several German museums.The handoff is expected to take place next year under an agreement reached between Germany and Nigeria …
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The trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin made headline news in France. But much of the reporting about the trial, and its underlying themes of police violence and racism, largely zoomed in on the United States.“I think it’s viewed as an American problem with some resonance in France,” said Steven Ekovich, a U.S. …
Read more “In France, Chauvin Conviction Has Not Brought Comfort”
Reports of police violence and racial injustice resonate especially strongly in France, with its large population of ethnic Africans and Arabs. Yet cautious optimism by some in the United States and elsewhere that the guilty verdict in American former police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial might trigger societal change is less shared in France. From …
Read more “In France, Derek Chauvin Verdict Brings No Comfort “
German health officials had good news for the country Thursday in terms of falling COVID-19 infection rates and record numbers of vaccinations delivered but said there is still a long way to go. At a Berlin news conference, Germany Health Minister Jens Spahn, along with Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI) President Lothar …
Read more “German Health Minister Says COVID-19 Infection Numbers Have Fallen”
U.N. efforts to restart talks on reunifying the divided island of Cyprus have hit an impasse as Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders remain apart on the key issues. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened three days of informal meetings seeking a pathway to revive the dormant Cyprus reunification talks. The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders as well …
Read more “Greek and Turkish Cypriots Remain Far Apart on Reunification “
Turkey on Thursday starts a strict new three-week lockdown as COVID-19 infections surge. Initially, Turkish authorities claimed success in curbing the pandemic, but the country could be paying the price for a premature easing of restrictions. It is the country’s most severe lockdown since the onset of the COVID pandemic, with schools closing, alcohol …
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The World Health Organization’s Europe Regional Director Hans Kluge reported Thursday the number of new COVID-19 infections in the region dropped significantly in the last week for the first time in two months. Speaking from WHO regional headquarters in Copenhagen, Kluge said hospitalizations and deaths were also down in the past week. He also said as …
Read more “WHO Europe Reports First Drop in COVID Cases in 2 Months”
In his first court appearance since ending a three-week hunger strike, Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “naked, thieving king.” Navalny appeared Thursday in a video link from prison to a Moscow courtroom where he was appealing a guilty verdict for defaming a World War 2 veteran. According to news reports, Navalny appeared …
Read more “A Gaunt Navalny Appears in Court After Hunger Strike”
For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, crowds are expected to return on Sunday to Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, the spiritual home of this controversial spectacle. Six matadors will do battle with bulls in front of 6,000 cheering aficionados amid tight health restrictions that included limiting ticket sales to 25% of …
Read more “Spain’s Matadors Fight Back After COVID-19 Nearly Kills Their Art”
Germany’s highest court ruled Thursday that the government has to set clear goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions after 2030. A 2019 law committed Germany to cutting emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and includes specific policies for achieving the goal such as incentivizing renewable energy, expanding electric car infrastructure and …
The decision by global media giants to comply with demands by the Turkish government to open offices in Turkey is prompting concerns about media freedoms. Press freedom advocates say because the companies will now be subject to Turkish laws, that could mean Turkey’s people will no longer have a venue to freely express their views. …
The United States and the European Union are urging Albania’s leaders to set aside their differences and move forward toward establishing a stable democracy after elections Sunday that gave the ruling Socialist Party a third consecutive mandate. Prime Minister Edi Rama’s party is the first to achieve the feat since the collapse of communism more than three decades ago. It …
Read more “Third Straight Win Produces a Test for Albania’s Socialist Party”
China may have sabotaged its own prospects for securing a sought-after investment agreement with the European Union when it penalized a long list of politicians, researchers and institutions – including a key member of Germany’s Green Party – in response to recent EU sanctions.The Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, or CAI, was agreed to in principle …
Read more “Is EU-China Investment Deal ‘Dead as a Doornail’? “
During a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a return to discussions on human rights, saying such consultations in the past have improved relations between their two nations. The comments came during wide-ranging governmental consultations between Merkel and Li — held virtually due to the pandemic — on issues like …
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European Union countries introducing their own COVID vaccination certificates would have to grapple with a myriad of disjointed systems if the bloc fails to build a shared one, a senior official said on Wednesday. The EU is pushing to have a shared digital health pass to allow tourists to travel freely this summer. But …
Read more “EU Official Warns of Risks of Disjointed COVID Vaccine Records”
Leading media organizations and watchdog groups have issued a new report concerning threats to press freedom across Europe. It documents a record number of reported violations including physical attacks, harassment, intimidation and online violence against journalists in 2020 — in some cases intensified by COVID-19 pandemic measures.This is the third annual report authored by media …
Read more “New Report Shows Curbs to Media Freedom in Europe”
The European Parliament has ratified a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain. Results announced Wednesday showed EU lawmakers supporting the pact with a vote of 660 votes in favor and five against, with 32 members abstaining. The vote was the final step in a years-long process of defining trade terms between Britain and the remaining 27 members of …
Russia ordered the expulsion Wednesday of seven diplomats from Slovakia and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in response to the expulsion of Russian Embassy personnel. Russia’s Foreign Ministry ordered seven diplomats from the four countries to leave Moscow within one week. Russia said the countries have displayed “pseudo-solidarity” with …
Seven Italian former members of the Red Brigades, a left-wing domestic terrorism group active in the 1970s and 1980s, were arrested on Wednesday morning in France, the French presidency said in a statement. Italian arrest warrants were issued for “acts of terrorism,” the statement said. French police are searching for three more suspects who were …
Read more “Seven Italian Red Brigades Members Arrested in France”