Travels News
PRAGUE — The Czech Republic on Wednesday extradited a man facing charges in the United States for plotting the murder of a prominent critic of Iran’s government, the Czech Justice Ministry said. The ministry said Polad Omarov was handed to representatives of U.S. authorities at the Prague Vaclav Havel Airport on Wednesday morning after the suspect …
Read more “Czech Republic Extradites Suspect in Iran-Backed Murder Plot to US”
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Budapest, Hungary — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been in power for almost 14 years, making him the European Union’s longest-serving head of state. Critics at home and abroad say the 52-year-old has systematically tightened his grip on power by eroding democratic institutions and has long been a thorn in the side of European and …
Read more “Isolated in Europe, Hungary’s Prime Minister Hopes for Return of Trump”
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BRUSSELS — European Union countries on Wednesday agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia to target individuals and businesses suspected of assisting Moscow in its war against Ukraine, including Chinese companies. The decision coincides with the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, and comes days after the death …
GENEVA — A recent study by the U.N. refugee agency warns that millions of Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people face an uncertain future as Ukraine enters its third year of war with Russia and its battle for survival risks becoming a protracted crisis. “After two years of full-scale war in Ukraine, amidst massive destruction and …
Read more “Millions of Displaced Ukrainian Refugees Face Uncertain Future”
LONDON — Julian Assange is being prosecuted for publishing sources’ names and not his political opinions, lawyers representing the United States said on Wednesday as the WikiLeaks founder fights to stop his extradition from Britain. U.S. prosecutors are seeking to put Assange, 52, on trial over WikiLeaks’ high-profile release of vast troves of confidential U.S. …
Read more “US Lawyers Say Assange Wanted for ‘Indiscriminately’ Publishing Sources’ Names”
PARIS — While France hosts grandiose ceremonies commemorating D-Day, Missak Manouchian and his Resistance fighters’ heroic role in World War II are often overlooked. French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to change that by inducting Manouchian into the Panthéon national monument on Wednesday. A poet who took refuge in France after surviving the Armenian genocide, Manouchian …
Read more “French WWII Resistance Hero Inducted into Panthéon”
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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 …
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” …
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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 …
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”