Travels News
A Russian arms dealer labeled the “Merchant of Death” who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines with speculation around a return to Moscow in a prisoner exchange. If Viktor Bout, 55, is indeed eventually freed in return for WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, as some published …
Read more “Name of Russian Arms Dealer Surfaces in Possible Prisoner Swap”
An arson attack on a suburban Athens building that houses the offices of a Greek radio station and newspaper caused significant damage early Wednesday and drew condemnation from political leaders in Greece and elsewhere in the European Union. Explosions were heard before a fire broke out shortly after 3 a.m. at the building that houses …
Read more “Arson Damages Athens Building Housing Greek Media Outlets”
WNBA player Brittney Griner was back in a Russian court Thursday, a week after she pleaded guilty to drug charges. Despite the session being closed to reporters, lawyers for Griner said the head of the Russian basketball club for which she plays, UMMC Yekaterinburg, vouched for her good character. Club boss Maxim Ryabkov reportedly told …
Read more “Russian Basketball Official, Teammate Vouch for Griner in Russian Court”
Italian Premier Mario Draghi has told his Cabinet he will offer his resignation on Thursday evening to the nation’s president, following the refusal of a populist coalition ally to support a key government bill. “The majority of national unity that has sustained this government from its creation doesn’t exist any more,” Draghi said in a …
Read more “Italian Premier Draghi Says He Will Resign After Losing Ally”
Turkish officials say there is a potential breakthrough in efforts to release Ukrainian grain to world markets as global food prices soar amid Russia’s war with Ukraine. Turkey’s defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said an agreement is likely to be announced soon following four-way talks Wednesday among Russian, Ukrainian, United Nations, and Turkish officials in Istanbul. …
Read more “Turkey Notes Progress in Talks on Stalled Ukrainian Wheat Exports”
PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) — Bulls from Spain´s revered Miura ranch starred in a fast and uncomplicated final running of the bulls at this year´s San Fermín Festival on Thursday. The Navarra regional government said six people were treated for minor injuries following Thursday’s run that lasted just over two minutes. Initially, the Spanish Red Cross …
Read more “Spain’s Running of Bulls Ends With Swift Race, 6 Hurt “
Two candidates were knocked out of the race to replace U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, leaving six lawmakers battling to lead a Conservative Party — and a country — hoping to move on from months of scandal and division. Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi failed to reach the …
Read more “2 Candidates Knocked Out of UK Conservative Leadership Race”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia of forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians from areas it controls in the east and south of the country to Russia. Blinken said an estimated 900,000 to 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, have been interrogated, detained, and deported from their homes to Russia, …
Read more “US Accuses Russia of Forcibly Deporting Ukrainians”
Thousands of firefighters battled more than 20 blazes that raged across Portugal and western Spain on Wednesday, menacing villages and disrupting tourists’ holidays amid a heat wave that pushed temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius in some parts of Europe. In France, hundreds of firefighters, supported by six water-bomber aircraft, battled two wildfires in the southwest, …
With thousands of sanctions already imposed on Russia to flatten its economy, the U.S. and its allies are working on new measures to starve the Russian war machine while also stopping the price of oil and gasoline from soaring to levels that could crush the global economy. The Kremlin’s main pillar of financial revenue — …
Read more “US, Allies Aim to Cap Russian Oil Prices to Hinder Invasion”
British Conservative Party lawmakers cast ballots Wednesday in the first round of the election to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Eight candidates have secured the necessary support of 20 of their colleagues to make the first ballot. If necessary, further rounds of voting will take place on Thursday and next week. Once only two candidates …
Read more “UK Conservatives Vote in First Round of Leadership Race”
Like most of his predecessors as Conservative Party leader, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is wealthy, white and male. There’s a good chance his successor will be different. The eight candidates running in a party election to succeed Johnson are four men and four women, with roots in Iraq, India, Pakistan and Nigeria as well as …
Read more “UK Conservative Hopefuls Strikingly Diverse, Firmly on Right”
Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations are due to meet Wednesday in Istanbul in an effort to resume grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has hindered Ukrainian exports, helping push up global prices on grain, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer. Turkey and the United Nations have been …
Read more “Four-way Talks Aim to Aid Ukrainian Grain Exports”
France’s new foreign minister said on Tuesday there were only a few weeks before the window of opportunity to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers would close. Speaking to lawmakers, Catherine Colonna said the situation was no longer tenable and accused Iran of using delaying tactics and going back on previously agreed positions …
Read more “France: Only a Few Weeks Left to Save Iran Nuclear Deal”
More than 1.8 billion people worldwide are at risk of severe floods, new research shows. Most reside in low- and middle-income countries in Asia, and four out of 10 live in poverty. The figures are substantially larger than previous estimates. They show that the risk is concentrated among those least able to withstand and recover …
Read more “Nearly One-Fourth of World’s Population at Risk of Floods: Study”
Russian journalist Yury Dud was fined 120,000 rubles ($2,024) by a Moscow court Tuesday under a law that bans “propaganda” in support of gay relationships. Lefortovo district court said the 35-year-old was fined for disseminating “propaganda for non-traditional sexual relationships among minors.” Former sports reporter Dud is one of Russia’s top media stars, having risen …
Read more “Russian Anti-War Journalist Fined Under ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law”
Eight British Conservative Party lawmakers have made the cut to replace outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned earlier this month amid scandals. Each of the eight needed support from at least 20 fellow Conservative Party lawmakers before the Tuesday deadline. Runoff voting among fellow Conservative lawmakers, to narrow the field to two, is …
Read more “8 British Lawmakers Make Cut to Replace Outgoing PM Johnson”
As parts of Europe endure sweltering heat, fears are growing of a cold winter ahead after Russia’s Gazprom energy company cut off a key pipeline to Germany this week — ostensibly for routine maintenance. The move has sparked alarm and is intensifying European Union efforts to slash energy consumption and find alternatives. Officially, Gazprom’s maintenance …
Read more “Gazprom’s Maintenance Cuts Raise EU Energy Fears”
A U.N. aid operation from Turkey into opposition-held areas of northwest Syria may now resume for six months — with the possibility of six additional months — after its authorization expired Sunday due to disagreements within the U.N. Security Council. “What is most important today is that the council, with this resolution, keeps the cross-border …
Read more “UN Aid Operation to NW Syria Gets 6-Month Extension”
Ukrainian and Russian officials gave differing accounts Tuesday of a Ukrainian attack in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian side, a long-range rocket struck a Russian ammunition depot in Nova Kakhovka, killing 52 Russian troops. Russia said the Ukrainian strike instead hit civilian infrastructure. Also Tuesday, Britain’s defense ministry said Russian …
Read more “Ukrainian Rockets Strike Russian-Held Area in Southern Ukraine”
Britain’s new prime minister will be announced on September 5, with the first votes to begin eliminating candidates in a crowded and increasingly unpredictable and divisive contest to replace Boris Johnson coming this week. So far, 11 candidates have thrown their hat in the ring to succeed Johnson as leader of the ruling Conservative …
Read more “New UK Prime Minister to Be Announced September 5”
Spain and Portugal were sweltering in their second heat wave in a month Monday, with scorching temperatures also expected in France and Britain in the coming days. People in Spain baked with the temperature in the central town of Candeleda hitting a stifling 43.3 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit) shortly after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), …
Read more “Heat Wave Grips Spain as UK Readies for Soaring Temperatures”
Olympic champion Mo Farah revealed in an article published Monday that he was brought to Britain illegally under the name of another child to work as a domestic servant. Farah told the BBC that he was given the name Mohamed Farah by a woman who flew him to the UK from the East African country …
Read more “British Olympic Champion Farah Reveals He Was Trafficked to UK as a Child”
The United Nations said Monday that thousands of children in war zones suffered grave abuses including rape, maiming and death last year, and that concerns are growing for children in new regions of conflict, including Ukraine. “The fact remains that hundreds, if not thousands, of children are victims of violence in armed conflict every day …
Read more “UN: Thousands of Children Suffer Grave Abuses in War Zones”