Month: February 2024

ATHENS — Farmers in Greece have stepped up their protests, storming the country’s capital with tractors and farming equipment, gathering outside the nation’s parliament. In the largest agricultural demonstration in recent memory, thousands of farmers drove colorful tractors through the streets of Athens, paralyzing traffic and then parking outside Parliament. They are complaining of rising production costs, …

Read more “Farmers Paralyze Greek Capital with Massive Protest”

Las Vegas — A former FBI informant charged with making up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company had contacts with officials affiliated with Russian intelligence, prosecutors said in a court paper Tuesday. Prosecutors revealed the alleged contact as they urged a judge to keep Alexander Smirnov …

Read more “Ex-FBI Informant Charged With Lying About Bidens Had Russian Intelligence Contacts, Prosecutors Say”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the European Union’s longest-serving head of state – and his critics say he has tightened his grip on power by eroding democracy. He has long been a thorn in the side of European and NATO unity, threatening to block support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia. But as …

Read more “Isolated in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Hopes for Trump’s Return”

WASHINGTON — The Russian government on Tuesday labeled VOA’s sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as an “undesirable organization” in a move that underscores the Kremlin’s harsh repression of media. The new designation opens RFE/RL staffers, donors and sources to criminal charges, the Prague-based outlet reported. The outlet was added to a registry of “undesirable organizations” …

Read more “Russia Labels RFE/RL ‘Undesirable Organization’”

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WARSAW, Poland — Polish farmers blocked border crossings with Ukraine, spilled Ukrainian grain and burned tires on Tuesday as they intensified a nationwide protest against the import of Ukrainian foods and European Union environmental policies. Farmers from Spain to Italy to Belgium have been protesting recently, worried that EU’s Green Deal plan to place limits on …

Read more “Polish Farmers Block Ukraine’s Border as They Intensify Protests Against Non-EU Imports”

PARIS — Farmers are protesting across the European Union, saying they are facing rising costs and taxes, red tape, excessive environmental rules and competition from cheap food imports. Demonstrations have been taking place for weeks in countries that include France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy and Greece. While many issues are country-specific, others are …

Read more “Here’s Why Farmers Are Protesting in Europe”

Warsaw — The European Union on Tuesday welcomed Poland’s plan to “restore the rule of law” and dismantle policies by the former nationalist government which led to the freezing of billions of euros in EU funds due to concerns over judicial independence. Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party, which ruled for eight years, carried out a …

Read more “EU Welcomes New Polish Government’s Plan to ‘Restore Rule of Law’”

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SEOUL, South Korea — Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a Russian-made car for his personal use in a demonstration of their special relationship, North Korea’s state media reported Tuesday. The report didn’t say what kind of vehicle it was or how it was shipped. But observers said it could …

Read more “Putin Gave Kim Jong Un a Car Because of Their Special Ties, North Korea Says”

LONDON — Lockbit, a notorious cybercrime gang that holds its victims’ data for ransom, has been disrupted in a rare international law enforcement operation by Britain’s National Crime Agency, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Europol and a coalition of international police agencies, according to a post on the gang’s extortion website on Monday. “This site …

Read more “Britain, US, EU, Allies Take Down Lockbit Cybercrime Gang”

Reykjavik, Iceland — Icelandic police said Monday that residents of a fishing village evacuated because of multiple volcanic eruptions were allowed to return, adding that they believed few would stay overnight because of the state of the town. The roughly 4,000 residents of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland had to be evacuated on …

Read more “Residents Free to Return to Iceland Village Evacuated by Volcano Eruptions”

london — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange begins what could be his last chance to stop his extradition from Britain to the United States on Tuesday after more than 13 years battling the authorities in the English courts.  U.S. prosecutors are seeking to put Assange, 52, on trial on 18 counts relating to WikiLeaks’ high-profile release of …

Read more “WikiLeaks’ Assange Set to Begin Last-ditch Effort to Stop Extradition to US”

brussels — The European Union on Monday officially launched its mission to protect maritime traffic in the Red Sea, which has been disrupted by Houthi rebel attacks, the European Commission president said. Several countries have expressed their intention to participate in this mission, called Aspides (“shield” in ancient Greek), including Belgium, Italy, Germany and France. Spain …

Read more “EU Launches Mission to Protect Maritime Traffic in Red Sea”

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Norway says it will transfer tax funds to the Palestinian Authority that have been frozen for months because of a dispute with Israel.  Under interim peace agreements dating back to the early 1990s, Israel collects taxes and customs on behalf of the PA, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and also …

Read more “Norway to Transfer Tax Funds to Palestinian Authority”

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GENEVA — Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, warned Monday that “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine two years ago poses a major threat to multilateralism and the U.N. Charter,” which upholds the rule of law and fundamental freedoms around the world.  Ahead of this grim anniversary, Filipenko told journalists that …

Read more “Ukraine Ambassador: Russian Aggression Against Ukraine Threatens Sovereignty of Other Nations”