Category: World

Washington — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that he spoke with Paul Whelan, a former Marine detained in Russia, as he vowed sustained efforts to free him as well as jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich. Speaking alongside his Canadian counterpart at an event on hostage diplomacy, Blinken said he spoke by telephone with Whelan …

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WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday delivered a forceful refutation of challenger Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of NATO, seeking to portray support for the former president as a threat to American interests. House Republicans deciding whether to support a congressional measure providing support for Ukraine’s defense must choose to “stand with America or Trump,” …

Read more “Biden Slams Trump for NATO Comments, Urges Republicans to Fund Ukraine”

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Brussels — The EU has proposed imposing export bans on firms in mainland China, India and Turkey accused of supplying Russia with military technology as part of a new round of sanctions over the war in Ukraine, according to a document seen by AFP.   Officials in Brussels are currently hammering out a 13th package of …

Read more “EU Eyes Export Ban on Three Chinese Firms “

TBILISI, Georgia — Armenia said on Tuesday that two of its soldiers had been killed by Azerbaijani fire along the heavily militarized border, the first fatal incident since the two sides last year began negotiating a deal to end more than 30 years of intermittent war. Armenia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on the …

Read more “Two Armenian Soldiers Killed by Azerbaijani Fire”

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Shock waves across European capitals and a rare rebuke from NATO followed the latest comments by former President Donald Trump about the U.S. commitment to the alliance. Trump said that if he returned to the White House, he would invite Russia to attack allies that he termed “delinquent.” VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports …

Read more “Trump Comments on NATO Send Shock Waves Throughout Europe”

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washington — Since the Taliban seized control in August 2021, China, Iran and Russia have been steadily courting Afghanistan’s de facto government for influence. The three countries have kept their embassies open in Kabul and were among the first to hand over Afghan embassies to the Taliban at home. Last month, Moscow, Beijing and Tehran were …

Read more “Analysts See Limits to China, Iran, Russia Collaboration With Taliban”

A new bill allowing authorities to confiscate the property of Russians convicted of deliberately spreading what is deemed as fake news about Russia’s armed forces could soon become law. If signed into law, it would also allow the state to seize the property of Russian emigres who criticize the war in Ukraine. Kateryna Besedina has the story, …

Read more “Russian Bill Targets Assets of People Who Spread ‘Fake News’ About Military”

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Oslo — Europe’s increased dependence on Norway’s oil and gas has made the country’s energy installations more at risk of attack, the head of one of the agencies charged with securing them told Reuters on Monday. Norway in 2022 overtook Russia as Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine upended decades-long energy …

Read more “Norway Has Overtaken Russia as Europe’s Top Gas Supplier”

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VATICAN CITY — Argentina’s President Javier Milei visited his compatriot Pope Francis in the Vatican on Monday, bearing pastries and gifts as he seeks to make up with the pontiff he had long dismissed and derided. Milei, a maverick right-wing libertarian, had heaped insults on Francis during his vote campaign, calling him an “imbecile who defends …

Read more “Pastries, Biscuits as Argentina’s Milei Makes Up With Pope Francis “

NICOSIA — Closer relations between Turkey and the European Union are contingent on Turkish engagement in solving the decades-old partition of Cyprus, the EU country’s president said on Monday. Turkey has been an official candidate to join the EU for decades, but accession talks have stalled in recent years over EU concerns about Ankara’s record on …

Read more “Closer Turkey-EU Relations Must Come Through Us, Says Cyprus “

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Budapest, Hungary — Antifascist activists gathered in Hungary’s capital Saturday to oppose an annual commemoration held by far-right groups, underscoring diplomatic tensions between Budapest and Rome over the detention of an Italian citizen in a Hungarian jail. Hundreds of activists marched through central Budapest alongside a heavy police presence and called for “freedom for every antifascist.” …

Read more “Antifascists in Hungary Oppose Annual Far-Right Event, Italian Activist Still Jailed”

ATHENS, Greece — Greece has announced new measures to protect locals from a deluge of mainly Chinese nationals purchasing homes and property in exchange for residency rights in the West — what is commonly known as a “Golden Visa” scheme. For many of China’s newly well-off citizens, the incentive to emigrate has been rising, feeding what …

Read more “Greece to Increase ‘Golden Visa’ Amount to $862,000”

ATHENS, Greece — More than 1,500 protesters gathered in central Athens on Sunday to oppose legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in Greece. The bill is set for a vote in parliament in the coming days. Greece’s conservative government is sponsoring the bill, but it will require votes from center and left opposition parties to be …

Read more “Protesters Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage Bill Rally in Greek Capital”