Europe

UK to charge five Bulgarians with spying for Russia

LONDON, Sept 21, 2023 (AFP) – Five Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia will be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage, UK prosecutors said Thursday. Three men and two women “will be charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state”, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement. The charges relate to alleged offences […]

‘Near-revolution’ in UK social attitudes in recent decades: study

UK attitudes towards fundamental social and moral issues have undergone a “near-revolution” over the past 40 years, according to a major study published Thursday. The British Social Attitudes report, which polled more than 6,000 people, found a huge liberal shift on social issues such as sexuality and the role of women in society. A fifth of those asked last year said that it would be better for a pre-school child if their mother didn’t work, […]

‘Cybersecurity incident’ hits ICC

  THE HAGUE, Sept 19, 2023 (AFP) – The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it had been affected by what it called “anomalous activity” regarding its IT systems and that it was currently responding to this “cybersecurity incident.” The ICC, which among other things is investigating war crimes in Ukraine, declined to provide further details and said its priority was on ensuring it was able to continue its work. “At the end of last week, […]

Developing story: Russian Defence Minister Shoigu arrives in Iran on official visit: Russian news agencies

MOSCOW, Sept 19, 2023 (AFP) – Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran on an official visit on Tuesday to deepen Moscow’s defence ties with Tehran, which provides Russia with attack drones for its Ukraine offensive, Russian news agencies reported. “During the visit, the Russian Defense Ministry delegation will hold a number of talks with the republic’s military leadership,” the ministry said, according to a statement carried by Russian news agencies. This is a […]

Belgium opens memorial on site of serial killer’s ‘horror house’

By Matthieu DEMEESTERE Belgium on Tuesday opens a memorial garden on the site where notorious serial killer Marc Dutroux imprisoned his young victims, more than a quarter of a century after his crimes shocked Europe. Authorities in the city of Charleroi last year tore down the “house of horrors”, in which Dutroux tortured and raped children in a soundproofed dungeon. The parents of two of his victims, Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo, will be there […]

‘Stay strong’: Zelensky visits wounded Ukrainian soldiers in New York

By Nicolas REVISE with Maria DANILOVA at the United Nations As he looked at the missing limbs and grief-stricken faces of wounded Ukrainian soldiers being treated in a US hospital, President Volodymyr Zelensky had one word for Russian leaders heading to a key UN summit: “terrorists.” Zelensky arrived in New York on Monday to address the United Nations General Assembly and plead for more aid as Ukraine painfully pushes ahead with a high-stakes counteroffensive to […]

Russia lashes Ukraine at top UN court in ‘genocide’ case

  THE HAGUE, Sept 18, 2023 (AFP) By Richard CARTER – Russia hit out at Ukraine at the International Court of Justice on Monday, as the two warring countries squared off in a legal case over Moscow’s claim that “genocide” in eastern Ukraine was a pretext for last year’s invasion. Moscow’s representative, Gennady Kuzmin, said Ukraine’s case that Russia “abused” the United Nations Genocide Convention as a reason to launch its war against its neighbour […]

Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit Russia Sept 18-21: foreign ministry

BEIJING, Sept 18, 2023 (AFP) – China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a four-day visit to Russia for security talks on Monday, his foreign ministry said, the latest in a series of high-level visits and phone calls between the two sides. China and Russia are strategic allies, with both countries frequently touting their “no limits” partnership and economic and military cooperation. Their ties became even closer after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, […]

EU chief vows new migrant help for Italy after Lampedusa surge

(AFP) – The European Union presented Sunday an emergency plan for Italy to help it handle migrant arrivals after a record number of people landed on its island of Lampedusa over the past week. The surge in asylum seekers on the Italian island of Lampedusa has rekindled a fierce debate in Europe on how to share responsibility for the tens of thousands reaching the Continent each year. “Irregular migration is a European challenge and it […]

North Korea’s leader wraps up Russia trip with drones gift

MOSCOW, Sept 17, 2023 (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday after a rare six-day visit that appeared to solidify his country’s ties with President Vladimir Putin, fanning Western fears that Pyongyang could provide Moscow with weapons for its assault on Ukraine. Kim’s tour of Russia’s Far East, which began on Tuesday, has focused intensely on military cooperation, including a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and an inspection of […]

Kim inspects key weapons with Russian defence chief

MOSCOW, Sept 16, 2023 (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Saturday with the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system on the latest leg of a rare visit outside his country. Upon arriving in Vladivostok, a Pacific port city near the Chinese and North Korean borders, Kim was greeted by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and an honour guard. Shoigu and Kim were seen smiling […]

US authorities seize artworks allegedly stolen by Nazis

NEW YORK, Sept 15, 2023 (AFP) – US authorities seized three artworks allegedly looted by the Nazis and which are being sought by the heirs of a Jewish art collector who died in the Holocaust, officials said Thursday. They confirmed a report in The New York Times that said New York investigators had taken these works by the 1900s Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele from three US-based museums. In warrants issued Tuesday and seen by AFP, […]