Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone call on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement. The Kremlin said the call’s main focus was on the crisis in Libya, highlighting the need to make real steps towards …
Read More »Norway police arrest suspected spy
Norwegian police have arrested a man suspected of illegally handing information to a foreign power, the PST security police said on Monday. It did not name the man, who is a Norwegian citizen, and did not say which country he was suspected of having worked on behalf of. The man …
Read More »Spaniards Hold Anti-Mask Protest in Madrid As COVID-19 Cases Rise
Chanting “freedom”, hundreds of people rallied Sunday in Madrid to protest against the mandatory use of facemasks and other restrictions imposed by the Spanish government to contain the coronavirus pandemic. A crowd of clapping and cheering people gathered beneath an enormous yellow and red Spanish flag that stands in the …
Read More »Hundreds gather in Prague, Warsaw to support Belarus protesters
Crowds gathered in Prague and Warsaw on Sunday to show their support for protesters in Belarus who are demanding President Alexander Lukashenko step down after what they say was his fraudulent re-election a week ago. A large white and red Belarusian flag was placed at the centre of a heart …
Read More »EU urges Turkey to end renewed drilling in East Med
High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on Sunday urged Turkey to immediately end renewed drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. “I call on the Turkish authorities to end these activities immediately and to engage fully and in good faith in a …
Read More »Pompeo inks deal for US troop move from Germany to Poland
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday sealed a defense cooperation deal with Polish officials that will pave the way for the redeployment of American troops from Germany to Poland. In Warsaw at the end of a four-nation tour of central and Eastern Europe, Pompeo and Polish Defense Minister …
Read More »Lukashenko under pressure as rival protests planned in Belarus capital
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was under growing pressure on Sunday with rival protests due to converge on the capital a week after a contested presidential election that has thrown his country into turmoil. Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, has faced down a week of street demonstrations and refused demands …
Read More »Number of migrants landing in Italy more than doubles in past year
The number of migrants landing on Italy’s shores has more than doubled in the last year as an economic crisis in Tunisia fuels migration in boats across the Mediterranean, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said on Saturday. More than 21,000 people reached Italy between August 2019 and the end of July, …
Read More »What does Europe expect from results of US 2020 election?
Russian expert believes if Biden wins the US election, there will be some improvements in transatlantic relations but the EU must not expect fundamental changes in US trade, China, and NATO policies. Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 was a real shock for the European allies of the US. Back then, …
Read More »Turkey urges France to refrain from escalating Mediterranean tensions
Turkey has urged France to refrain from escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, following the French government’s announcement of a plan to increase military presence in the area in support of Ankara’s regional rival Greece. “They will not get anywhere by acting like bullies, whether in Libya, the northeast of …
Read More »Belarus: Baltic states call for new ‘transparent’ election amid protests
The leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have called on Belarus to hold “free and fair” elections following its disputed presidential vote. In a joint statement, the three prime ministers called for a new election to be held with the involvement of international observers. Mass protests erupted after President Alexander …
Read More »Denmark to make face masks compulsory on public transport
Wearing face masks on public transport will be compulsory in Denmark from Aug. 22 following a spike in numbers of new coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Saturday. In mid-April, Denmark became one the first European countries to ease its coronavirus lockdown as the epidemic appeared to be …
Read More »Protests swell in Belarus, Lukashenko blames foreigners
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday he wanted to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning street protests were not just a threat to Belarus. Mass unrest followed Lukashenko’s re-election victory last week, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets accusing him of rigging the vote. …
Read More »Belarus authorities free detainees amid protesters’ pressure
Belarusian authorities have released about 1,000 people detained amid demonstrations contesting the results of the presidential election, in an attempt to assuage public anger against a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and avoid Western sanctions. Crowds of demonstrators have swarmed the streets daily to contest the official results of Sunday’s …
Read More »Bulgarian PM calls for constitutional overhaul, offers to resign
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called on Friday for an overhaul of the constitution in an apparent effort to defuse weeks of anti-government protests by mostly younger Bulgarians weary of endemic corruption in the European Union member state. Three-times premier Borissov promised to resign if lawmakers approved his call for …
Read More »Amid tensions with Turkey, Greece in joint manoeuvres with France
The French military conducted training exercises with Greek forces off the southern island of Crete on Thursday, defence sources said, as tension persisted with Turkey over disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean. Thursday’s exercise was the first manifestation of French President Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to temporarily reinforce his country’s presence …
Read More »Three Spanish tourists die in Swiss canyoning accident, fourth missing
Three Spanish tourists have died and a fourth is missing after canyoning in a river gorge in northern Switzerland. The four men, who have not been identified, went missing in the Parlitobel Gorge in the canton of St. Gallen just before 1700 GMT on Wednesday. The accident was reminiscent of …
Read More »Belarus says police detained about 700 protesters overnight
Belarusian police detained about 700 people on the fourth night of protests following President Alexander Lukashenko’s contested election victory, the former Soviet republic’s interior ministry said on Thursday. Security forces have clashed daily with protesters since Lukashenko claimed a landslide re-election victory in a vote on Sunday that his opponents …
Read More »France to bolster Mediterranean military presence over Turkish prospecting: Macron
France will increase its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, calling on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has heightened tensions with Greece. The French leader voiced concern over “unilateral” exploration by Turkey in a call with Greek Prime …
Read More »First batches of Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine to be delivered within a fortnight – Minister of Health
Russia’s Ministry of Health has announced that the initial batches of the world’s first registered Covid-19 vaccine will be released within just two weeks, with doctors and teachers being prioritized. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko explained that the first, due to be produced in Russian factories, would be distributed to the …
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