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☆ Spain's PM Sanchez Weakened by Defeat in Galicia Regional Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emerged weakened from Sunday's parliamentary elections in the northwestern region of Galicia after his Socialist party (PSOE) won just nine seats in the 75-seat assembly. The conservative People's Party (PP) maintained its outright majority after winning 40 seats, while PSOE's far-left coalition ally Sumar failed to win a single seat, according to official results. A bad night for the Socialist Party," political consultancy Nitid wrote in a report. The victory bolsters PP's national leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who faced questions over his leadership after failing to unseat Sanchez in last year's national election. After failing to form his own coalition with the hard-right Vox party, Feijoo has consistently attacked Sanchez on plans to offer an amnesty to Catalan separatists in exchange for their support.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Sumar, Sanchez, Nitid, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Feijoo, Inti Landauro, Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, Ros Russell Organizations: Spanish, Socialist, PSOE, People's Party, Nationalist Galician Bloc, Socialists, Socialist Party, Vox Locations: MADRID, Galicia

☆ Crises in Ecuador, Haiti Could Fuel Migration in 2024, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kylie MadryMEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Thousands more people could be forced to leave Ecuador and Haiti in 2024 due to humanitarian crises such as intensifying violence, climate impacts and deepening poverty, the International Rescue Committee said in a report on Wednesday. "Multiple factors...will deteriorate living conditions for millions of people in Ecuador and Haiti, potentially forcing thousands to seek safety elsewhere," the IRC said. "The crises in Haiti and Ecuador are creating a ripple effect across the entire region," said IRC regional head Julio Rank Wright in a statement. "Without a functioning political system, the government will struggle to address violence and meet growing needs," the IRC said in the report. Food insecurity will likely also deepen in Haiti in 2024, the IRC said.

Persons: Kylie Madry, Julio Rank Wright, Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, Eli Moreno, Ros Russell Organizations: Kylie Madry MEXICO CITY, International, El, Global, Transnational, Global Initiative Locations: Kylie Madry MEXICO, Ecuador, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Darien, Caribbean, Kenya, Mexico City, Panama City

☆ Germany Hits 2% NATO Target for First Time Since 1992, Reports Dpa
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The German government is allocating the equivalent of $73.41 billion for defence spending in the current year, dpa reported. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had this week stated that Germany would meet the NATO target, but the government has not divulged precise figures so far. NATO defence ministers are due to meet in Brussels on Thursday. A separate meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, hosted by the United States, takes place on Wednesday. Scholz's government has spotlighted its rising defence spending at an uncertain time for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Donald Trump, Boris Pistorius, Trump, Pistorius, Trump's, Alex Ratz, Matthias Williams, Miranda Murray, Ros Russell Organizations: BERLIN, NATO, dpa, Ukraine Defence Contact, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Former, WELT, German, America Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Brussels, United States

☆ Inconclusive Gaza Truce Talks Dent Hopes of Palestinians in Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

By Nidal al-MughrabiCAIRO (Reuters) - Palestinians jammed into their last refuge in Gaza voiced growing fear on Wednesday that Israel will soon launch a planned assault on the southern city of Rafah after truce talks in Cairo ended inconclusively. Said Jaber, a Gaza businessman who is sheltering in Rafah with his family, told Reuters via a chat app. We've had enough of this war, and we will need decades to rebuild Gaza and regain our lives. Rafah residents said on Tuesday that dozens of displaced people had begun to leave Rafah after Israeli shelling and air strikes in recent days. At least 28,576 Palestinians have been killed and 68,291 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct.7, the health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday.

Persons: Nidal, Israel, Said Jaber, We've, Annalena Baerbock, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Younis, Nasser, Dr Haitham Ahmed, William Burns, Nidal al, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Timothy Heritage, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Israeli, Nasser Hospital Locations: CAIRO, Gaza, Rafah, Cairo, inconclusively, United States, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, hideouts, Berlin, Rafa, Hamas, Khan, Jeruslame

☆ Explainer-What Are the Security Deals Ukraine Is Discussing With Allies?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

We need NATO membership," said Ihor Zhovkva, the Ukrainian president's foreign affairs adviser. In these supplements, we define the concrete scope, concrete things, concrete spheres. France and Germany look on course to agree security commitments with Ukraine soon. President Emmanuel Macron was expected to finalise a bilateral security commitment deal in Ukraine this month, but he postponed the trip for security reasons. Zhovkva said there was no need for Ukraine to rush to agree deals.

Persons: Tom Balmforth, Ihor Zhovkva, Zhovkva, Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine's Zhovkva, Olena Harmash, John Irish, Ros Russell Organizations: Tom Balmforth KYIV, NATO, Seven, Kyiv, WHO, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Ukrainian, London, Britain, Russian, Russia, Netherlands, Romania, Poland, Denmark, France, Germany, Paris, Budapest, United States, Kyiv

☆ Returning Syrian Refugees Face Abduction, Sexual Abuse: UN
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA (Reuters) - Syrian refugees who fled the war are facing gross human rights violations such as torture and abduction on their return home while women are subject to sexual harassment and violence, the U.N. human rights office said in a report on Tuesday. "There are reasonable grounds to believe that the overall conditions in Syria do not permit safe, dignified and sustainable returns of Syrian refugees to their home country," she added. A Syrian government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Women are nowadays forced to do all sorts of things in order to go on with their lives. "In some cases, they are even divorced by their husbands and disowned by their own families," the report said.

Persons: Elizabeth Throssell, Emma Farge, Ros Russell Locations: GENEVA, Syria, Geneva, Israel, Gaza, Ghouta

☆ UNESCO Says $9 Billion Needed to Revive Ukraine Tourism
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - Ukraine will need $9 billion over 10 years for its tourism sector to recover, the United Nations' cultural agency said on Tuesday, adding that the two-year war had so far cost the country over $19.6 billion in tourism revenue. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 triggered the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, with no sign of an end to the war in sight. In an assessment ahead of the war's two year anniversary, the UNESCO estimated the cost of damage to cultural property at about $3.5 billion, up 40% from 2023. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesIt said 340 buildings had been damaged, including museums, monuments, libraries and religious sites. Photos You Should See View All 22 Images"International solidarity will be essential to meeting these needs," the report said.

Persons: Krista Pikkat, Elizabeth Pineau, John Irish, Ros Russell Organizations: PARIS, United Nations, UNESCO Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv

☆ Serbia's Parliament Convenes as Opposition Protests Vote Result
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

On Dec. 17, President Aleksandar Vucic's populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) secured nearly 47% of the votes in the parliamentary election and the opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence (SPN) almost 24%. At the opening session, opposition lawmakers blew whistles and waved banners reading "Election fraud" and "You stole elections", trading insults with their SNS counterparts. Radomir Lazovic, an opposition lawmaker, said plainclothed police and the parliament's security detail had stepped up checks at the parliament building to intimidate the opposition. Since the election, the SPN, other opposition parties and civil society groups have staged protests to demand a rerun of the vote. Serbia's opposition and rights watchdogs accuse Vucic and the SNS of stifling media freedoms, violence against opponents, corruption, and ties with organised crime.

Persons: Aleksandar Vucic's, Radomir Lazovic, Marinika, Vucic, Aleksandar Vasovic, Ros Russell Organizations: BELGRADE, Reuters, Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, European Union Locations: Serbia

☆ Brazil's Candidate to Head Interpol Says Time for Non-Western Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Anthony Boadle and Ricardo BritoBRASILIA (Reuters) - Interpol should elect a new head from a developing nation to diversify the organisation and boost its credibility as crime becomes increasingly globalised, Brazil's candidate to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza, told Reuters. This would help Interpol strengthen global cooperation to combat transnational crime, said Urquiza, currently Brazil's Federal Police Director for International Cooperation. Interpol's executive committee will elect a new secretary general Feb. 13 for a five-year term, succeeding its current head, Juergen Stock of Germany. The selected candidate will be put to Interpol's General Assembly in November. "Interpol cannot be used for geopolitical ends, so it is important that the secretary general comes from a neutral country, and Brazil has that.

Persons: Anthony Boadle, Ricardo Brito, Valdecy Urquiza, Urquiza, Britain's Stephen Kavanagh, Faisal Shahkar, Moscow, Brazil's, Ros Russell Organizations: Ricardo Brito BRASILIA, Reuters, Interpol, Federal Police, International Cooperation, Juergen, Germany, Police Services, Assembly Locations: Europe, United States, Nawa, Zambia, Pakistan, Lyon, France, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil

☆ Polish PM Says There Is No 'Plan B' on EU Aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday there was no "Plan B" on European Union aid for Ukraine and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who is stalling it must decide if Hungary is "part of our community". "We need to play hard and play fair, but there is no room for compromise. Orban is the only one of the 27 to have voiced disapproval of an EU aid package and to request a yearly vote on the long-term aid. Thursday summit's is seen as a last opportunity to reach agreement on a four-year plan for 50 billion euros ($53.93 billion) of economic aid for Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion since 2022. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images($1 = 0.9272 euros)(Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; Writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Ros Russell)

Persons: Donald Tusk, Viktor Orban, Tusk, Orban, Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Polish, Union, EU Locations: Ukraine, Hungarian, Hungary, Russian, Moscow

☆ Farmers in Europe Step up Protests Against Rising Costs, Green Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Farmers say they are not being paid enough, are choked by taxes and green rules and face unfair competition from abroad. French farmers have already won several concessions, including the government dropping plans to gradually reduce subsidies on agricultural diesel. On Wednesday, European Commissioners proposed limiting agricultural imports from Ukraine and greater flexibility on rules on fallow land in a bid to quell protests. In Italy, farmers have blocked traffic with hundreds of tractors near motorway access points near Milan, in Tuscany and elsewhere in recent days. While a deal looks possible on fallow land, the question of talks on a major trade deal with the Mercosur group is more contentious.

Persons: Marco Trujillo, Philip Blenkinsop PARIS, Adelin Desmecht, Gerald Darmanin, Bruno, Coldiretti, Le Maire, Abdul Saboor, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Gus Trompiz, Dominique Vidalon, Benoit van Overstraeten, Geert de Clercq, Charlotte van, Phil Blenikinsop, Alvise Arminelli, Ingrid Melander, Ros Russell Organizations: EU, South, Farmers, Mercosur, French Finance, European Commission, South American, Charlotte van Campenhout Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Brussels, Belgian, France, Paris, Belgium, Zeebrugge, Ukraine, Mercosur, Italy, Milan, Tuscany, Bordeaux, Amsterdam

☆ Far-Rightist Threatens to Quit Israel Gov't Over Any 'Reckless' Gaza Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A far-right partner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition threatened on Tuesday to quit the government over any attempt to enter a "reckless" deal with Hamas to retrieve hostages held by the Palestinian militants. "Reckless deal = dismantling of the government," Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Jewish Power party posted on X, amid media reports that Israel was considering a long-term halt, brokered by Qatar an Egypt, to its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Jewish Power accounts for six of the 64 seats that Netanyahu's religious-rightist coalition held in the 120-seat parliament before the Gaza war. They have called for no let-up in the offensive and for Israel to resettle Gaza, from which it withdrew in 2005. Netanyahu has ruled out rebuilding of Jewish settlements there but says post-war Gaza will be under Israeli security control.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Itamar Ben, Israel, Ben, Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Ros Russell Organizations: Jewish Power, Hamas, Jewish, National Locations: JERUSALEM, Qatar, Egypt, Gaza, Israel

☆ Tel Aviv Adjusts to Wartime With Hostage Photos and Guns on Streets
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Stores have reopened. But things are far from normal in Tel Aviv. The rocket barrages that crippled Tel Aviv, on Israel's Mediterranean coast north of Gaza, at the outset of the war have largely petered out as Israel's military made gains in its fight against Palestinian militant groups. Civilians, worried about Palestinian street attacks, are carrying guns in much greater numbers than before the war. After weeks of relative quiet, a huge barrage of rockets was fired on Monday at major cities in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, sending residents running for shelter.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Palestinian, Military Locations: TEL AVIV, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Israel

☆ Qatar Hopes US Retaliation Won't Undercut Hostage Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Qatar's prime minister on Monday said he hoped U.S. retaliation for an attack that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan would not undercut progress toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal in weekend talks. According to Israel, some 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted in the attack, which sparked Israel's war to eliminate Hamas. In a major escalation, three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrianborder, U.S. officials said on Sunday. Speaking at Washington's Atlantic Council think tank, the Qatari prime minister said U.S. retaliation "will definitely have an impact ... One way or another it will definitely have an impact on regional security and we hope things get contained." (Reporting by Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed and Andrew Mills; Editing by Ros Russell)

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin, al, William Burns, Sheikh Mohammed, Joe Biden, Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Andrew Mills, Ros Russell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Qatari, CIA, Israel, Yemen's, Washington's Atlantic Council Locations: Jordan, Israel, al Thani, Washington, Iran, Qatar, United States, Gaza, East, Yemen's Iran, Red, U.S, Syrian

☆ France's Farmer Lobby Turns up Heat on Government Before Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Farmers cite a government tax on tractor fuel, cheap imports, water storage issues, price pressures from retailers and red tape among their grievances. France's largest farm union FNSEA has said it is considering nationwide protests in the coming weeks. Farming policy has always been a sensitive issue in France, the European Union's biggest agricultural producer, with thousands of independent producers of wine, meat and dairy. President Emmanuel Macron is wary of farmers' growing support for the far-right ahead of the European Parliament elections in June. Fearing a spillover from farmer protests in Germany, Poland and Romania, the government has withdrawn a draft farming law planned for debate this week and invited farming representatives for talks, starting on Monday afternoon.

Persons: Nicolas Delame PARIS, Arnaud Gaillot, I'd, FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, Emmanuel Macron, Gaillot, Rousseau, Gabriel Attal, Marc Fesneau, Fesneau, Nicolas Delam, Diana Mandia, Tassilo Hummel, Ros Russell Organizations: Young Farmers, France, Farmers, France Inter, Farming, Midi Libre Locations: Europe, France, Germany, Poland, Romania

☆ EU Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Slovakia's Criminal Law Reforms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - European Union lawmakers said on Wednesday they had "deep concern" over Slovakia's planned criminal code changes and shutting a special prosecutor's office, piling on criticism of the government's plan to fast-track the changes. The European Parliament, in a resolution approved by 496 of the 630 lawmakers who voted, said the changes needed more scrutiny and called on the European Commission to take action "to safeguard the rule of law and judicial independence". Slovak President Zuzana Caputova has threatened to veto the legislation, although Fico's government will be able to override her move. According to Slovak media, 40 people have been sentenced while another 130 are being investigated or tried. The EU's justice commissioner Didier Reynders said in mid-December the Commission could take action against Slovakia if it enacts criminal law changes that violate EU laws.

Persons: Robert Fico's, Zuzana Caputova, Didier Reynders, Jan Kuciak, Fico, Daniel Lipsic, Jason Hovet, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Union, European Commission, European Union, The, USP Locations: Western, Poland, Hungary, United States, EU, Slovak, Slovakia, Prague

☆ La Reunion Lifts Red Alert After Cyclone Belal Moves Away
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - The French island of La Reunion lifted a cyclone alert at noon (0800 GMT) on Tuesday, as cyclone Belal that struck the Indian Ocean island a day earlier had moved away and no longer posed a threat, local authorities said. "(The cyclone) no longer represents a danger to our territory," the authorities said, still advising a degree of caution even though weather conditions were improving. The lifting of the red alert means local businesses can restart activities but residents were advised to stay at home if possible. Nurseries would open from Wednesday but schools would remain closed until Monday, the Prefecture of La Reunion said. Almost 130 firefighters, 10 gendarmes and 15 power network specialists were scheduled to arrive to La Reunion from neighbouring Mayotte and from continental France.

Persons: Piotr Lipinski, Ros Russell Organizations: PARIS, La Reunion Locations: La, Prefecture, Mayotte, France

☆ Poland's President and Government at Odds Over Dismissal of State Prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's justice minister acted illegally in dismissing state prosecutor Dariusz Barski, a top presidential aide said on Monday, opening a new front in the conflict between the head of state and the new government. Justice Minister Adam Bodnar has been tasked with unpicking policies of the previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government which critics say increased political influence over the judicial system. "The actions of the justice minister are illegal," Marcin Mastalerek, the head of Duda's office, told private broadcaster Radio Zet. "The president says directly that Mr Barski is the state prosecutor and today - it seems that this meeting has started - that is what he will tell the prosecutor," Mastalerek said. Bodnar said he had given Jacek Bilewicz the responsibilities of state prosecutor on an interim basis while a selection process for a permanent replacement takes place.

Persons: Dariusz Barski, Adam Bodnar, Andrzej Duda, Marcin Mastalerek, Barski, Zbigniew Ziobro, Mastalerek, Duda, Donald Tusk, Bodnar, PiS, Jacek Bilewicz, Alan Charlish, Anna Koper, Ros Russell Organizations: Law and Justice, Union, Radio Zet Locations: WARSAW, Poland

☆ Tractors Converge on Berlin for Farmers' Protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - Farmers and their tractors rumbled towards Berlin from every corner of Germany on Sunday ahead of a giant protest demanding a rethink of plans to tax farmers more. But farmers, with the vocal backing of the opposition conservatives and the far-right, say this does not go far enough. "Farmers will die out," said farmer Karl-Wilhelm Kempner on Sunday as he boarded a bus in Cologne heading for the demonstration. Finance Minister Christian Lindner will address the protest and coalition party leaders have invited leaders of the demonstrations for talks. Disruption caused by protests and train strikes last week hurt coalition parties in the polls and propelled the far-right Alternative for Germany party to new heights.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Karl, Wilhelm Kempner, Christian Lindner, Scholz, We've, Thomas Escritt, Ros Russell Organizations: BERLIN, Farmers, Finance Locations: Berlin, Germany, Berlin's, Cologne

But the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster, though it appeared to achieve a crucial maneuver to separate with its core Starship stage, exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after detaching, a SpaceX webcast showed. Meanwhile, the core Starship booster carried further toward space, but a few minutes later a company broadcaster said that SpaceX mission control suddenly lost contact with the vehicle. "We have lost the data from the second stage... we think we may have lost the second stage," SpaceX's livestream host John Insprucker said. About eight minutes into the test mission, a camera view tracking the Starship booster appeared to show an explosion that would suggest the vehicle failed at that time. SpaceX in a post on social media platform X said the core Starship stage's engines "fired for several minutes on its way to space."

Persons: SpaceX's, Joe Skipper, rocketship, John Insprucker, Artemis, Musk, Joey Roulette, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham, Ros Russell Organizations: Boca Chica, REUTERS, Elon Musk, SpaceX, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, Super, NASA, Boca, Thomson Locations: Brownsville , Texas, U.S, CHICA , Texas, Boca Chica, Texas, of Mexico, Hawaii's, Gulf, Mexico, Boca Chica , Texas, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ Russian drone attack hits Ukraine infrastructure, causes power outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The energy ministry said there was enough electricity in the system to meet the country's needs but that the drone strikes deprived 1,550 consumers of power because of damage to the grid. "We do not have a right to relax," Volodymyr Kudrytskiy, head of the power grid operator Ukrenergo, told Ukrainian TV. "Certainly, all of us, energy workers and defence forces, are preparing to repel possible Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure this winter." The energy ministry said an oil refinery was hit in the Odesa region. The energy ministry said six settlements were without power in the Chernihiv region.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Volodymyr Kudrytskiy, Maria Starkova, Elaine Monaghan, Ros Russell, Alex Richardson Organizations: Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Belarus, Lviv, Washington

☆ Dozens of migrants wait at Finland-Russia border after Helsinki blocks crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Dozens of migrants stood behind barriers at two crossings on Finland's border with Russia on Saturday, the Finnish Border Guard said, after Helsinki erected barricades to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow. Despite the closure, dozens of migrants arrived on Saturday afternoon at the Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa crossings, and lit a campfire in sub-zero temperatures behind razor-wire barriers mounted by border guards, Finnish Border Guard told reporters. Four regular border crossings remain open for the time being, but asylum can now only be sought at two of those, in Salla and Vartius, further north, the Border Guard said. On Saturday, 67 people arrived to seek asylum at the Vartius post, the local border guard unit said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Kremlin on Friday said Finland was making a "big mistake" by closing down border crossings and that Helsinki's move was destroying bilateral relations.

Persons: Mika Rytkonen, Jouko Kinnunen, Moscow's, Riikka Purra, Anne Kauranen, Attila Cser, Kevin Liffey, Terje Solsvik, Ros Russell Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, Kremlin, YLE, Finland, Border Guard, Twitter, MTV, Union, Frontex, Friday, Reuters, Finance, Finns Party, Thomson Locations: HELSINKI, Russia, Helsinki, Moscow, United States, Finland, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Salla, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, East, Africa, Nuijamaa, London

☆ Moldova holds local elections amid Russian meddling allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People walk past election campaign posters ahead of snap parliamentary election, scheduled on July 11, in Chisinau, Moldova July 7, 2021. Pro-European President Maia Sandu has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of plotting to oust her in a coup. "Thanks to your vote, Moldova has a chance to become a member of the European family. The national security service has accused Shor of helping funnel 1 billion Moldovan lei ($55.60 million) into Moldova to stage anti-government protests during the war in Ukraine and to "buy" voters. Shor said he was sending the money to Moldova to help pensioners, finance social infrastructure projects and some politicians.

Persons: Vladislav Culiomza, Maia Sandu, Ilan Shor, Shor, Ion Ceban, Lilian Carp, Sandu, Yuliia Dysa, Tom Balmforth, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, funneling, of Action, Solidarity, PAS, Russian, Moldovan, Constitutional, Chance Party, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Rights CHISINAU, Moscow, Soviet, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Protesters Outside Israeli PM Netanyahu's House as Anger Grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Police held back protesters demonstrating outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, amid widespread anger at the failures that led to last month's deadly attack by Hamas gunmen on communities around the Gaza Strip. Waving blue and white Israeli flags and chanting "Jail now! ", a crowd in the hundreds pushed through police barriers around Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. The protest, which coincided with a poll showing more than three quarters of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign, underlined the growing public fury at their political and security leaders. When asked who is most at fault for the attack, 44% of Israeli blamed Netanyahu, while 33% blamed the military chief of staff and senior IDF officials and 5% blamed the Defense Minister, according to the poll.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Emily Rose, Ros Russell Organizations: Police, Israel's Channel, Television, Defense Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Tel Aviv

☆ Israeli Jets Hit Lebanon as Hezbollah Fires More Powerful Missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hezbollah said it carried out simultaneous attacks on Israeli positions at the Lebanese border on Saturday, as residents of south Lebanon reported some of the fiercest Israeli strikes yet during weeks of cross-border clashes. Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier since its Palestinian ally Hamas went to war with Israel on Oct. 7. Security sources and witnesses in Lebanon reported some of the heaviest Israeli strikes yet. The Israeli army said among the targets struck were "terrorist infrastructure, rocket caches, and compounds used by" Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month warned Hezbollah against opening a second war front, saying that doing so would bring Israeli counter-strikes of "unimaginable" magnitude that would wreak "devastation" upon Lebanon.

Persons: Hamas, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Fouad Khreis, Benjamin Netanyahu, Laila Bassam, Dan Williams, Tom Perry, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Khiyam, Hezbollah Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanese, Lebanon, Ayta, Rmeich, Israel, Gaza, Khiyam‮, Khiyam, Israeli, Beirut, Jerusalem

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