Category: World

In his Nobel speech, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov described journalism as the “antidote to tyranny.”  The editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta and his staff face frequent threats because of the independent paper’s investigative, hard-hitting coverage. Several of its journalists and contributors have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, who reported on human rights abuses in Chechnya. A …

Read more “In Russia, State Is Waging Hybrid War Against Media, Nobel Laureate Says”

In a court filing Tuesday, lawyers for Prince Andrew say a lawsuit by an American who claims he sexually abused her when she was 17 might have to be thrown out because she no longer lives in the United States.  Attorneys Andrew Brettler and Melissa Lerner said they recently discovered that Virginia Giuffre has lived …

Read more “Andrew’s Lawyers Say Accuser Can’t Sue Because She Doesn’t Live in US”

The United States and Russia will hold talks in January about nuclear arms control and tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border.  A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told reporters the two sides would meet January 10, followed by Russia-NATO talks on January 12. In addition, Russia, the United States and other members of …

Read more “US, Russia to Discuss Ukraine During January Talks”

The U.S. State Department called Tuesday for Russia to release Paul Whelan, who was detained by Russian authorities three years ago.  Whelan, 51, was in Russia as a tourist and was arrested at a Moscow hotel. He was convicted of espionage charges and is currently serving a 16-year sentence of hard labor at a prison …

Read more “State Department Calls for Release of Two Americans Held in Russia”

Mali’s military government has denied hiring Russian mercenaries from the controversial Wagner Group, which has been sanctioned by the European Union for rights abuses. France and 15 other Western nations last week condemned what they said was Russia’s deployment of Wagner fighters to Mali. Mali’s transitional government says it is only engaged with official Russian …

Read more “Mali’s Military Government: Russia Sends Trainers, Not Mercenaries”

Prominent historians and human rights activists were shocked by a Russian Supreme Court ruling Tuesday to close Memorial International, which chronicled historical abuses of the former Soviet Union and identified victims of former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s purges.    The human rights group, which has long drawn the ire of Russian officials, was found guilty …

Read more “Historians Lament Dissolution of Russia’s Memorial Historical Rights Group “

An investigative journalist for the BBC’s Russian-language service in Moscow said in a video released on Monday that he had felt compelled to leave Russia for self-imposed exile in Britain due to what he called unprecedented surveillance. Russian authorities designated Andrei Zakharov a “foreign agent” in October, a decision the British broadcaster said at the …

Read more “BBC Journalist Says he has Left Russia for British Exile”

With the arrival of winter in Europe and energy prices soaring, tensions are running high over the provision of gas from Russia — especially through the Yamal-Europe pipeline that runs through Poland and Belarus.  But the Yamal pipeline is just one part of a complex gas infrastructure network shaped not only by energy needs but also …

Read more “Russian Gas Supplies to Europe Under Scrutiny “

Russia’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Memorial, the country’s most prominent human rights organizations, must shut down.  Prosecutors had accused Memorial of failing to properly mark its publications under its designation as a foreign agent.They also said the group denigrated the former Soviet Union and rehabilitated “Nazi criminals.”  Memorial rejected the accusations as being politically …

Read more “Russian Court Orders Prominent Rights Group to Shut Down “

As Europe rang in the New Year 20 years ago, 12 of its nations said goodbye to their deutschmarks, French francs, liras and pesetas as they welcomed the euro single currency.  On January 1, 2002, euro notes and coins became a reality for some 300 million people from Athens to Dublin, three years after the …

Read more “The Euro: How It Started 20 Years Ago”

The United States and Russia will hold talks in January about nuclear arms control and tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border.  A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told reporters the two sides would meet January 10, followed by Russia-NATO talks on January 12 and a meeting on January 13 with Russia, the United …

Read more “US, Russia to Hold Security Talks in January “

The English Premier League (EPL) is postponing several football (soccer) games as a record number of players have tested positive for COVID-19.  According to the league, more than 100 players and staff tested positive over the past week, leading to the postponement of 15 games.  “The League can today confirm that between Monday 20 December …

Read more “COVID Outbreaks Lead to Soccer Match Postponements in England “

Holiday travelers continued to experience widespread flight cancellations as the omicron variant causes airline staff to call in sick. According to FlightAware, which tracks delays and cancellations, there have been 2,395 total flight cancellations around the world Monday with 869 of those impacting flights “within, into, or out of the United States.”  Some 6,342 flights …

Read more “Omicron Variant Causing Flight Cancellations Worldwide “

The announcement by Russia’s Defense Ministry Saturday that 10,000 troops deployed along the border with Ukraine are to return to their permanent bases isn’t easing the alarm of Western officials, who see the risks mounting of Russian military action.   Russian President Vladimir Putin last week indicated his country’s willingness to sit down for talks …

Read more “Russia Lays Down More Conditions for Peace Talks “

Poland’s president on Monday said he has decided to veto a media bill that would have forced U.S. company Discovery to give up its controlling share in TVN, a Polish TV network.  President Andrzej Duda noted that the bill was unpopular with many Poles and would have dealt a blow to Poland’s reputation as a …

Read more “Polish President Vetoes Media Bill that Targeted US Company “

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has sought a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council next month and contacted Moscow to secure its attendance, an alliance spokesman said Sunday. Stoltenberg has on several occasions in recent months offered to resume dialogue with Moscow through this body, set up in 2002 but currently inactive because of the conflict in …

Read more “NATO Chief Seeks NATO-Russia Council Meeting in January”

France has recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic and COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past month, as the fast-spreading omicron variant complicates the French government’s efforts to stave off a new lockdown.  More than 1 in 100 people in the Paris region have …

Read more “France Sees Over 100,000 Daily Virus Infections for 1st Time “

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would ponder various options if the West fails to meet Moscow’s demands for security guarantees, amid heightened tensions involving a massive deployment of Russian troops near Ukraine.  Moscow earlier this month submitted draft security documents demanding an end to NATO’s eastward expansion and military cooperation with countries such …

Read more “Putin to Mull Options if West Doesn’t Meet Security Demands “

As 2021 nears its end, hopes that the coronavirus pandemic might be ending are rapidly fading – as the new omicron variant sweeps across the world. Henry Ridgwell looks back on a tumultuous year in Europe as populations and policymakers struggled to return to normality. Producer: Barry Unger …

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth spoke of the loss of her husband, Prince Philip, on Saturday, remembering the “mischievous twinkle” in his eyes in an unusually personal Christmas message to the nation. The 95-year-old monarch said that while Christmas was a time of happiness for many, it could be hard for those who had lost loved ones, …

Read more “Queen Elizabeth Speaks of Family and Loss at Christmas”

Scientists declared the eruption on Spain’s La Palma officially over on Saturday, allowing islanders to breathe a sigh of relief nearly 100 days after the Cumbre Vieja volcano began to spew out lava, rock and ash and upended the lives of thousands. After bursting into action on Sept. 19, the volcano suddenly went quiet on …

Read more “La Palma volcano eruption declared over after three months of destruction”

Senior German and Russian government officials have agreed to a rare in-person meeting next month in an effort to ease political tensions over Ukraine, a German government source said Saturday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s foreign policy adviser Jens Ploetner and Russia’s Ukraine negotiator Dmitry Kozak agreed to meet after a lengthy phone conversation Thursday, the …

Read more “Berlin and Kremlin Envoys to Meet About Ukraine, Says Source”

Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture has confirmed its first infection with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, its governor Seitaro Hattori said Saturday. The case was a result of possible community transmission as the infection route was unclear, Hattori told a news conference. France recorded a record high of 104,611 COVID-19 infections Saturday, breaking the 100,000 threshold …

Read more “Omicron Reported in Japan’s Fukuoka; France’s COVID-19 Infections Top 100,000”

On Christmas Day, in his message to the city and the world, Pope Francis stressed the importance of being open to dialogue to resolve the large number of conflicts, crises and disagreements that exist in today’s world. He mentioned Syria, Iraq and Yemen as examples of countries where longstanding conflicts have caused endless suffering. As …

Read more “Pope: World Must Be Open to Dialogue to Resolve Conflicts”