Month: October 2024

washington — Investigations into the death in Russian custody of Viktoria Roshchyna are being hampered by Moscow’s refusal to return the body of the 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist. Ukraine earlier this month announced that Roshchyna had died in Russian custody on September 19. She had been due to be returned as part of a prisoner release. Petro …

Read more “Russia’s refusal to return body of Ukrainian journalist slows death investigation”

Madrid — Torrential rains caused by a cold front moving across southeastern Spain flooded roads and towns on Tuesday, prompting authorities in the worst-hit areas to advise citizens to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel.  Spain’s state weather agency AEMET declared a red alert in the eastern Valencia region and the second-highest level of …

Read more “Heavy rains cause flash floods in Spain’s south, east”

BERLIN — Thousands of German workers launched nationwide strikes to press for higher wages on Tuesday, compounding problems for companies worried about staying globally competitive as high costs, weak exports and foreign rivals chip away at their strengths.  The strikes by unionized workers in the nearly 4-million strong electrical engineering and metal industries hit companies such …

Read more “Workers launch strikes as Germany frets over industrial future”

brussels — The European Union has decided to increase tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles to as much as 45.3% at the end of its highest profile investigation that has divided Europe and prompted retaliation from Beijing. Just over a year after launching its anti-subsidy probe, the European Commission will set out extra tariffs ranging from 7.8% …

Read more “EU slaps tariffs on Chinese EVs, risking Beijing backlash”

TBILISI, GEORGIA — Georgians flooded the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, late Monday, protesting what they see as a fraudulent election that secured another term for the ruling Georgian Dream party. Tens of thousands gathered outside the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, with Georgian, U.S. and European flags waving and voices calling for new elections. The …

Read more “Georgian opposition takes to streets to challenge election results”

Vatican City — The Catholic Church must do a better job of handling compensation for the victims of clergy sexual abuse, the Vatican’s child protection commission said in its first annual report on Tuesday. For decades, the Church has been shaken by scandals across the world involving pedophile priests and the cover-up of their crimes, damaging …

Read more “Vatican panel: Church must do better compensating sexual abuse victims”

Berlin — Germany has recalled its ambassador to Iran over the reported execution of German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd and summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires to voice Berlin’s protest against the killing, the German foreign office said on Tuesday. “We have sent our strongest protest against the actions of the Iranian regime & reserve the right to …

Read more “Germany recalls ambassador to Iran over execution of German-Iranian national”

London — Adidas has reached an out-of-court settlement with rapper Ye to end all legal proceedings between them, the sportswear brand said on Tuesday, adding that no money changed hands in the agreement. Adidas and Ye had been embroiled in multiple lawsuits for the past two years, since the German company ended a partnership with the …

Read more “Adidas reaches out-of-court settlement with rapper Ye “

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”