Month: February 2023

Norway’s prime minister proposed Monday a $7.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, the latest show of support from Ukraine’s European allies as it fights off a Russian invasion. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told reporters after meeting with opposition leaders that the aid would be delivered over a five-year period, and that his government wants …

Some of the world’s most deadly earthquakes in the past two decades are listed below, after a 7.8 magnitude quake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday and killed hundreds of people. Aug. 14, 2021 – HAITI – A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying or damaging …

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti called on Western powers not to pressure his tiny Balkan country into accepting a contentious association of five Serb-majority municipalities that is ramping up tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. Kurti told The Associated Press that the focus instead should be on making Serbia more democratic and getting rid of what …

At a central square in Serbia’s capital of Belgrade, dozens of Russians gathered recently to denounce President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, holding up photos of political prisoners from their homeland. Across the plaza, a billboard touts the Russian propaganda outlet RT, which has launched an online news portal in the country but is banned …

Cybersecurity agencies in Europe are warning of ransomware attacks exploiting a two-year-old computer bug as Italy experienced widespread internet outages.  The Italian premier’s office said Sunday night the attacks affecting computer systems in the country involved “ransomware already in circulation” in a product made by cloud technology provider VMware.  A Friday technical bulletin from a …

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey, at a depth of nearly 18 kilometers early Monday local time, the U.S. Geological Service said. Another shallow 6.7-magnitude temblor happened near the site of the first quake about 15 minutes later, the USGS said. Turkish authorities have not yet reported any deaths or injuries, but …

Thousands of people gathered in Copenhagen on Sunday to protest a bill put forward by the government to scrap a public holiday to help finance increased defense spending. The demonstration was organized by the country’s biggest labor unions which oppose abolishing the Great Prayer Day, a Christian holiday that falls on the fourth Friday after …

Europe imposed a ban Sunday on Russian diesel fuel and other refined oil products, slashing energy dependency on Moscow and seeking to further crimp the Kremlin’s fossil fuel earnings as punishment for invading Ukraine. The ban comes along with a price cap agreed by the Group of Seven allied democracies. The goal is allowing Russian …

Gale-force winds and snowstorms closed roads and left more than 25,000 households in Serbia without power Sunday, while fallen trees disrupted traffic in neighboring Croatia and Montenegro. In Croatia, a red alert was issued for the regions along the Adriatic coast due to north winds estimated to reach 130 km per hour (81 mph). Authorities …

Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches. The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part …

Britain faces its largest ever strike by health workers on Monday as tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers walk out in an escalating pay dispute with the government, spelling further disruption for an already strained health system. Nurses and ambulance workers have been striking separately on and off since late last year but …

Voters in Cyprus are going to the polls Sunday to elect a new president. While 14 candidates are running for the office, the real race is expected to be among three candidates who are all closely associated with current president Nicos Anastasiades. Right-wing DISY party leader Averof Neophytou, career diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis and former foreign …