Author: Mirits

budapest, hungary — Thousands of protesters gathered outside the headquarters of Hungary’s public media corporation Saturday to demonstrate against what they say is an entrenched propaganda network operated by the nationalist government at taxpayer expense.  The protest was organized by Hungary’s most prominent opposition figure, Peter Magyar, and his upstart TISZA party, which has emerged in recent months as the most serious political challenge for Prime Minister Viktor Orban since he took power nearly 15 years ago.  Magyar, whose party received nearly 30% of the vote in European Union elections this summer and is polling within a few points of the governing Fidesz party, has been outspoken about what he sees as the damage Orban’s “propaganda factory” has done to Hungary’s democracy.  “What is happening here in Hungary in 2024, and calling itself ‘public service’ media, is a global scandal,” Magyar told the crowd in Budapest on Saturday. “Enough of the nastiness, enough of the lies, enough of the propaganda. Our patience has run out. The time for confrontation has come.”  Observers say press freedom under threat Both Hungarian and international observers have long warned that press freedom in the Central European country was under threat, and that Orban’s party has used media buyouts by government-connected business tycoons to build a pro-government media empire.  Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders estimates that such buyouts have given Orban’s party control of some 80% of Hungary’s media market resources. In 2021, the group put Orban on its list of media “predators,” the first EU leader to earn the distinction.  On Saturday, Balazs Tompe, a protester who traveled several hours to attend the demonstration, called the state media headquarters a “factory of lies.”  “The propaganda goes out at such a level and is so unbalanced that it’s blood boiling, and I think we need to raise our voices,” he said. “It’s nonsense that only government propaganda comes out in the media that is financed by the taxpayers.”  ‘Public only hears from one side’ A retired teacher from southern Hungary, Agnes Gera, said dissenting voices were censored from the public media, limiting Hungarians’ access to information about political alternatives.  “It’s very burdensome and unfortunate that the system works this way where the public only hears from one side and don’t even know about the other side,” she said.  Magyar demanded the resignation of the public media director, and echoed complaints from many opposition politicians that they … “Hungarians protest state media ‘propaganda factory,’ demand unbiased press” →

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paris — Several people, including a child, died while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Saturday.  Attempts to cross the channel in small, overloaded boats are frequent despite strong currents in what is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.  “Smugglers have the blood of these people on their hands and our government will step up the fight against these mafias that organize these deadly crossings,” Retailleau said on social media platform X.  Fourteen people were on the boat. One was flown by helicopter to a hospital after a search and rescue operation was conducted Saturday morning, local maritime authorities said.  The incident was the latest in a series this year, including one last month in which 12 migrants died when their boat capsized in the channel.  …

kyiv, ukraine — Ukrainian forces said they shot down a Russian fighter plane Saturday while Russia claimed it made gains in Ukraine’s east. The Russian bomber was shot down near the city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk province, head of the Kostiantynivka Military Administration Serhiy Horbunov was quoted as saying by Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne. Photos showed charred remains of an aircraft after it landed on a house that caught fire. Also in the partially occupied Donetsk province, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Saturday that it had taken control of the village of Zhelanne Druhe. If confirmed, the capture would come three days after Ukrainian forces said they were withdrawing from the front-line town of Vuhledar, some 33 kilometers (21 miles) from Zhelanne Druhe, following a hard-fought two-year defense. Although unlikely to change the course of the war, the loss of Vuhledar is indicative of Kyiv’s worsening position, in part the result of Washington’s refusal to grant Ukraine permission to strike targets deep inside Russian territory and preventing Kyiv from degrading Moscow’s capabilities. Zelenskyy to present victory plan to allies Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that he will present his “victory plan” at the Oct. 12 meeting of the Ramstein group of nations that supplies arms to Ukraine. “We will present the victory plan — clear, concrete steps towards a just end to the war. The determination of our partners and the strengthening of Ukraine are what can stop Russian aggression,” he wrote on X, adding that the 25th Ramstein meeting would be the first to take place at the leaders’ level. Zelenskyy presented his plan to U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington last week. Its contents have not been made public but it is known that the plan includes Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the provision of long-range missiles to strike inside Russia. Russia shells southern Ukraine Meanwhile, two people died in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched three guided missiles and 13 attack drones at Ukraine overnight into Saturday. It said the missiles were intercepted, three drones were shot down over the Odesa region and 10 others were lost. Nine people were wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a passenger bus in the city of Horlivka in the partially occupied Donetsk region, the city’s Russian-installed Mayor Ivan Prikhodko said. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that air … “Ukraine shoots down Russian bomber in Donetsk” →

beijing — The European Commission’s decision to press ahead with tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles threatens to undermine decades of cooperation between China and the EU, and endangers climate-change goals, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. On Friday, the EU said it would push forward with hefty tariffs on China-made EVs, even after the bloc’s largest economy Germany rejected them. The dispute is its biggest trade row with Beijing in a decade. State-run Xinhua said the move revealed a “deep-seated protectionist impulse.” “Instead of fostering co-operation, these tariffs risk sparking a trade conflict that could harm not only China-EU relations but also Europe’s own ambition for a green transition,” it said. “The path forward is clear: Protectionist tariffs must be abandoned in favor of continued negotiations.” European imports of Chinese-made EVs have soared in recent years, raising concerns among some domestic EV producers that they could suffer significant losses from a wave of cheap Chinese electric vehicles. The proposed duties on EVs built in China of up to 45% would cost carmakers billions of extra dollars to bring cars into the bloc and are set to be imposed from next month for five years. The Commission, which oversees the bloc’s trade policy, has said the tariffs would counter what it sees as unfair Chinese subsidies after a yearlong anti-subsidy investigation. It said on Friday, however, that it would continue talks with Beijing. A possible compromise could be to set minimum sales prices. China’s Commerce Ministry has expressed strong opposition to the planned tariffs, calling them “unfair, non-compliant and unreasonable.” It has launched a challenge to them at the World Trade Organization. In what has been seen as retaliatory moves, Beijing this year launched probes into imports of EU brandy, dairy and pork products. The U.S. imposes a 100% duty on imported Chinese EVs. …

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Mozelos, Portugal — Portugal, the world’s leading cork producer, is finding new uses for the material, from footwear to furniture, as demand for wine bottle stoppers wanes. Producers highlight the environmentally friendly properties of cork, which is lightweight, recyclable, waterproof and fire-resistant, to encourage its use in diverse settings. Cork is obtained by stripping the bark of cork oak trees every nine years in a careful process that allows the tree to regenerate and grow, making the industry naturally sustainable. The material has “a negative carbon footprint because it comes from a tree that captures CO2 day and night”, Antonio Rios de Amorim, the CEO of the world’s largest cork producer Corticeira Amorim, told AFP. The push to diversify comes as global sales of wine decline, reducing demand for cork wine stoppers which have long faced competition from cheaper plastic stoppers and screw tops. “Periods of slowdown must be used to question what we do,” said Amorim, whose ancestors founded Corticeira Amorim 154 years ago in the northern village of Mozelos, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of second city Porto. Booster rockets, metro seats Thanks to cork’s cell-like structure, the material is elastic and highly impermeable, making it suitable to make shoes as well as ties, pants and other clothes. Furniture designers are also increasingly drawn to the material. British designer Tom Dixon has called it a “dream material” and put out a range of dark cork furniture that includes tables, stools and shelves using cork from Portugal. The Lisbon metro in 2020 replaced the fabric lining on all seats of its train fleet with cork, an easier to maintain material. Builders have been drawn to the material because of its unique thermal insulation and sound absorption properties. Cork is also finding its way into space. It is used in thermal protection coating on booster rockets because of its resistance “to strong variations in temperature”, said Amorim. Making wine bottle stoppers, however, remains the main activity for Portugal’s cork industry, which employs around 8,000 people. Corticeira Amorim makes some six billion cork wine bottle stoppers per year, almost all of them for export mainly to Chile, France and the United States. It accounts for 70 percent of the global market share for cork stoppers and posted sales of 985 million euros (one billion dollars) in 2023, slightly lower than in the previous year. Traditional methods Cork is made from the … “Portugal looks to put new twist on cork industry “ →

ISLAMABAD — Russia reported Friday that a “principal decision” had already been made to remove Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban from Moscow’s list of terrorist organizations. Zamir Kabulov, the Russian presidential envoy for the South Asian nation, was quoted by state-run TASS news agency as saying that the foreign ministry and national security agencies “are putting finishing legal touches” on the Taliban’s delisting in line with federal laws. “A principal decision on this has already been made by the Russian leadership,” said Kabulov. “Hopefully, the final decision will be announced soon.” The remarks were reported on the same day that Moscow hosted a conference of regional countries to discuss Afghanistan, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presiding over the proceedings. Lavrov later held bilateral talks with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who led his delegation at Friday’s multilateral event in the Russian capital, organized under the Moscow Format platform. “We firmly believe in the importance of maintaining a pragmatic dialogue with the current Afghan government,” Lavrov said in his inaugural speech to delegates from countries such as China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. “Moscow will continue to develop political, trade, and economic ties with Kabul,” Lavrov pledged. Russia launched the Moscow Format in 2017 and it has since become a regular platform for discussing challenges facing impoverished, war-torn Afghanistan. Muttaqi, in his broadcast address to Friday’s gathering, welcomed Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s recent announcements that they will remove the Taliban from their lists of outlawed groups. “We also appreciate the positive remarks [made] by the high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation in this regard and hope to see more effective steps soon,” said the Taliban chief diplomat. Russia’s involvement in Afghanistan has been tumultuous. The Soviet army entered the country in 1979 to help a pro-Moscow government in Kabul but pulled out a decade later due to heavy losses inflicted by U.S.-backed Afghan insurgents, or mujahideen. Moscow has developed close informal ties with the Taliban since they regained power in Afghanistan three years ago after the United States and NATO forces withdrew ending 20 years of war. President Vladimir Putin stated in July that Russia considered the Taliban an ally in the fight against terrorism. The former Afghan insurgent group has been on the Russian list of terrorist organizations since 2003. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov praised the Taliban for combating narcotics in Afghanistan and fighting a regional Islamic State affiliate known … “Envoy: ‘Russian leadership’ decides to delist Taliban as terrorist group” →

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, ((eds.: pronounced ROO-tuh)) who took up the role this week, visited Ukraine Thursday and pledged to prioritize the alliance’s support for Kyiv. But Rutte faces daunting challenges in his new job, as Henry Ridgwell reports. …

moscow — A court in Minsk sentenced a dozen individuals to prison terms of between two  and 25 years Friday for helping commit what Belarus has called an “act of terrorism” at a military airfield outside the capital last year.  A group of Belarusian anti-government activists said in February 2023 that they had blown up a sophisticated Russian military surveillance aircraft in a drone attack at the base.  Russia and Belarus dismissed the assertion as fake, with Belarusian state television publishing footage showing what it said was the undamaged Beriev A-50 surveillance craft.  About a week later, Minsk said it had detained a “terrorist” and more than 20 accomplices over attempted sabotage at the airfield.  Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, alleged at the time that Ukrainian security services and the U.S. Central Intelligence agency were behind the operation. He said the aircraft had suffered only superficial damage in the attack, which was carried out using a “small drone,” the Belta news agency reported.  On Friday, Belarus’ general prosecutor’s office said the Minsk City Court had sentenced 12 individuals after finding them guilty of terrorism, extremism and other serious crimes.  The main defendant, Ukrainian national Nikolai Shvets, was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison. Shvets, who gave an interview to Belarusian state television last April in which he detailed how he planned the attack, was released in a prisoner exchange with Ukraine in June, according to Belarusian rights group Viasna.  It was not clear how many of the others were sentenced in absentia.  …

london — With an escalating war in the Middle East, uncertainty over Western military aid for Ukraine, and the U.S. presidential election looming next month, new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has no time to settle in. The former Dutch prime minister was appointed to the role at a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, where he told delegates that “there can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong, independent Ukraine,” and affirmed that “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.” On Thursday, Rutte was welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Kyiv. Zelenskyy wasted no time in relaying his demands. “We have discussed the most urgent needs of our troops, the weapons and the recruitment to the brigades,” Zelenskyy said at a news conference alongside Rutte on Thursday. “We will have more time today to discuss more details on how to strengthen Ukraine’s positions on the front so that we can exert more pressure on Russia in order to support just and realistic diplomacy. That is why we need sufficient quantity and quality of weapons, including long-range weapons, the decision on which, in my opinion, our Western partners are delaying,” he told reporters. Ukraine wants to use Western long-range missiles on targets inside Russia. The U.S. and other allies are holding back, fearing escalation with Moscow. NATO’s new secretary-general made his position clear. “Ukraine obviously has the right to defend itself and international law is on the side of Ukraine, meaning that this right does not end at the border. Russia is pursuing this illegal war … targeting Russian fighter jets and missiles before they can be used against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure can help save lives,” Rutte told reporters. Ukraine’s president was asked whether he feared the world was forgetting about his country, amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. “I wish that Ukraine is not forgotten,” Zelenskyy said. “And the best way to show this is by giving particular weapons, by giving particular permissions. And help to shoot down hostile drones — by the way, the same Iranian rockets and drones — to shoot them down the same way as they are shot down in the sky of Israel. Do the same over the skies of Ukraine.” Rutte is a longtime ally of Ukraine, noted analyst Armida van Rij, a senior research fellow at the London-based think tank Chatham House. “While he was prime minister of … “Despite obstacles, new NATO leader aims to increase support for Ukraine” →

washington — While the Belarusian government continues a long-running clampdown on use of the Belarusian language, exiled news outlets are leading the fight to keep their language — and cultural identity — alive. Although Belarusian has been the country’s official language since Belarus declared independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, there has been an ongoing process of Russification since President Alexander Lukashenko came to power in 1994.  That process has only accelerated since 2020 when Lukashenko — seen by some to be a puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin — declared victory in an election that was widely viewed as fraudulent. Since then, the Belarusian government has grown increasingly hostile toward Belarusian as the language has become more and more associated with resistance toward Lukashenko’s rule.  As Minsk continues to grow closer to Moscow, Belarusian media outlets that left the country following the 2020 elections see it as their duty to help keep the Belarusian language alive through their reporting, multiple media leaders told VOA.  “It’s a strategic move to preserve the language, to preserve the culture, which is being actively attacked,” said Natalia Belikova, head of international cooperation at Press Club Belarus in Poland’s capital Warsaw.  Belarusian not illegal, but unwelcome Speaking Belarusian isn’t illegal in Belarus, but the government has long made clear its preference for Russian, which has been the other official language in Belarus since 1995. Belarusian is more similar to Ukrainian than Russian. Instead of outlawing Belarusian entirely, the government has taken steps like targeting Belarusian-language newspapers and bookstores. Classes in school are more often taught in Russian, and there aren’t any universities where Belarusian is the primary language. Government officials tend to speak Russian, and government documents are often in Russian, too.  “The presence of Belarusian language is vividly vanishing,” Belikova said. “‘Upsetting’ is probably a milder word for this. It’s really devastating.” A 2019 census found that around 60% of the population consider Belarusian their native language, but only about 28% use the language at home.  Still, since Belarusian isn’t banned, speaking it is one of the few remaining ways for people to safely signal their political beliefs and opposition to Lukashenko, multiple journalists said.  However, multiple analysts said doing so in public is likely to draw negative attention from authorities because the language is so closely associated with the resistance.  “Formally, it’s safe. It’s OK to speak Belarusian in Belarus. But … “Exiled media fight to keep Belarusian language alive” →

stavanger, norway — Wars, a refugee crisis, famine and artificial intelligence could all be recognized when Nobel Prize announcements begin next week under a shroud of violence. The prize week coincides with the October 7 anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which began a year of bloodshed and war across the Middle East. The literature and science prizes could be immune. But the peace prize, which recognizes efforts to end conflict, will be awarded in an atmosphere of ratcheting international violence — if awarded at all. “I look at the world and see so much conflict, hostility and confrontation, I wonder if this is the year the Nobel Peace Prize should be withheld,” said Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. As well as events roiling the Middle East, Smith cites the war in Sudan and risk of famine there, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and his institute’s research showing that global military spending is increasing at its fastest pace since World War II. “It could go to some groups which are making heroic efforts but are marginalized,” Smith said. “But the trend is in the wrong direction. Perhaps it would be right to draw attention to that by withholding the peace prize this year.” Withholding the Nobel Peace is not new. It has been suspended 19 times in the past, including during the world wars. The last time it was not awarded was in 1972. However, Henrik Urdal, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, says withdrawal would be a mistake in 2024, saying the prize is “arguably more important as a way to promote and recognize important work for peace.” Civil grassroot groups, and international organizations with missions to mitigate violence in the Middle East could be recognized. Nominees are kept secret for 50 years, but nominators often publicize their picks. Academics at the Free University Amsterdam said they have nominated the Middle East-based organizations EcoPeace, Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun for peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians. Urdal believes it’s possible the committee could consider the Sudan Emergency Response Rooms, a group of grassroots initiatives providing aid to stricken Sudanese facing famine and buffeted by the country’s brutal civil war. The announcements begin Monday with the physiology or medicine prize, followed on subsequent days by the physics, chemistry, literature and peace awards. The Peace Prize announcement will be made on Friday … “Nobel Prizes will be announced against backdrop of wars, famine and artificial intelligence” →

kyiv, ukraine — Ukrainian feminist activists staged a topless protest Friday outside the Embassy of Iran, which Kyiv and the West say is arming Russia. Ukraine’s Femen group is a feminist art collective that has for years staged stunts in Ukraine and abroad, with its trademark move being women appearing with their chests bare, protest slogans written across their bodies. Kyiv has branded Iran an “accomplice” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and regularly reports finding fragments of Iranian Shahed drones used by Moscow in attacks targeting civilian infrastructure. AFP saw two activists take their shirts off near the Iranian Embassy building in Kyiv, chanting and displaying anti-Iran and anti-Russia slogans written on their bodies. Western governments have accused Iran of supplying Moscow with both drones and missiles, which Tehran has repeatedly denied. At the U.N. last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Russia involving authoritarian states Iran and North Korea — also widely believed to be arming Russia — in Moscow’s more than two-year invasion of his country. “Russia has no legitimate reason — none at all — for making Iran and North Korea de facto accomplices in its criminal war in Europe, with their weapons killing us, killing Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said. Western countries have imposed sanctions on Iran’s air transport links over its alleged supply of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. Femen, which campaigns for women’s rights and against sexism and conservative Orthodoxy, originated in Ukraine but now also has branches in other countries. It has staged numerous stunts, including two of its activists lunging at Russian President Vladimir Putin on a visit to Germany in 2013 shouting “dictator!” …

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Kiseljak, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Heavy rains that flooded towns and touched off landslides left at least 14 people dead in Bosnia on Friday, authorities said. Jablanica, some 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Sarajevo, appeared to bear the brunt of the 24 hours of downpours, which cut it off from the outside world. Photos on local media from the Jablanica region showed mudslides coming up to roofs of houses and a mosque with only its minaret sticking out. “For now, the bodies of 14 people have been found” in the region of Jablanica, spokesman Darko Jukan told AFP, adding that the toll was likely to rise. Jablanica “cannot be entered or exited at the moment”, a mountain rescue service said of the town of around 4,000 people. A number of people from the area were reported missing, the authorities said while some injured were evacuated with a helicopter from the European Union peacekeeping force (EUFOR). At mid-Friday the situation was the most critical in the village of Donja Jablanica that remained cut off, the spokesman said. Several roads and bridges in the region collapsed, he said. In Kiseljak, some 20 kilometers west of Sarajevo, houses, gardens and cars were under water, an AFP journalist reported. A large part of Bosnia’s population is at risk due to heavy floods and landslides, the federal civil protection administration said in a statement. Firefighters, police and utility companies were working in the affected areas, but more help is needed to mitigate the consequences of storms and rainfall, the federal civil protection administration warned. Prime Minister of Bosnia’s Muslim-Croat half Nermin Niksic wrote on social media platform X that the situation was “very serious as many citizens are still trapped in their houses. In neighboring Croatia, weather authorities issued a warning for the northern Adriatic coast, Istria peninsula and central part of the country due to the heavy rains. In a statement, it said that urban flooding and interruption of traffic, communications, electricity and water supply were expected. Scientist warn that climate change worsens the impact of extreme weather events. Torrential rains and strong winds have led to widespread flooding in central and eastern Europe last month, killing at least 24 people and devastating towns and villages. …

KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian air force said on Friday that Russia attacked critical infrastructure in the country with 19 drones overnight. Air defenses shot down nine drones, with seven more likely impacted by electronic jamming, it said in a statement, without saying what happened to the other three. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said an apartment building was damaged in the capital but reported no casualties. The fire was promptly extinguished there, he added. The attack also damaged a business administrative building in the central region of Kirovohrad, causing light injuries to one of the employees, governor Andriy Raykovych said. Russian forces also hit critical infrastructure, utility facilities and 35 private residences in the past day in the southern Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Various attacks there killed one and injured four more, he said. …

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london — The British government agreed Thursday to hand sovereignty of the long-contested Chagos Islands, an archipelago of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius, in a deal to secure the future of a strategically important U.K.-U.S. military base.  British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the agreement would secure the future of the base at Diego Garcia, the largest in the chain of remote islands off the tip of India that has been under British control for over 50 years. The base, which is home to about 2,500 personnel, mainly Americans, has been involved in military operations including the 2003 war in Iraq and the long-running war in Afghanistan.  Britain’s Labour government said without the deal, the secure operation of the military base would be under threat, with contested sovereignty and legal challenges, including through various international courts and tribunals.  “It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the U.K., as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner,” Lammy said.  The agreement also paves the way for the potential return of the few people still alive who were forcibly displaced from their homes on the islands decades ago.  As part of the deal, the U.K. will retain sovereignty of Diego Garcia for an initial period of 99 years and will pay Mauritius an undisclosed rent. It will also create a “resettlement” fund for displaced Chagossians aimed at letting them move back to the islands other than Diego Garcia.  The Chagos Islands, which conjure up images of paradise with their lush vegetation and long stretches of white sandy beaches, have been at the heart of what Britain has called the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965, when they were siphoned away from Mauritius, a former U.K. colony that gained independence three years later. Mauritius, which lies east of Madagascar in southern Africa, is around 2,100 kilometers (1,250 miles) southwest of the Chagos Islands.  Following a lease agreement with Britain, the U.S. built the naval base at Diego Garcia for defense purposes in the 1970s. The U.S. has described the base as “an all but indispensable platform” for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa.  Around 1,500 inhabitants from the Chagos Islands were displaced to make way for the U.S. base, in what … “UK gives sovereignty of long-contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius “ →

vienna — Thousands of people protested in Austria’s capital, Vienna, on Thursday against a possible return to power for the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), which topped national elections on Sunday. The FPOe won almost 29% of the vote in Sunday’s general election, ahead of the conservative People’s Party (OeVP) with just over 26%. “The Austrian Freedom Party is a danger because it has already said that it wants to govern in the image of Hungary’s Viktor Orban,” said student Rihab Toumi, 26, referring to the nationalist leader of Austria’s neighboring country. Although the FPOe topped the polls, there is no guarantee that its radical leader, Herbert Kickl, will be given a chance to form a government since no other party is willing to work with him. “This result was a shock, and we cannot let a party that drifts so far to the right garner so much support without saying anything,” said social worker Marianne, 53, who declined to share her surname. Organizers said there were 15,000 to 17,000 protesters in central Vienna who marched toward parliament. Demonstrators held up placards that said, “Let’s defend democracy,” “No alliances with Putin’s friends,” and other anti-FPOe slogans. Kickl has criticized European Union sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Demonstrators intend to march every Thursday, having similarly done so after the far-right formed part of short-lived coalition governments in 2000 and 2017. …

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Two Swedish teenagers were jailed Thursday in pretrial detention in connection with two predawn explosions in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen a day earlier. Prosecutors said investigators were establishing “whether the motive could be a terror attack.” No one was injured in the blasts on early Wednesday in a neighborhood with several foreign diplomatic missions, although the nearby Jewish school was closed following the explosions. The pair, who cannot be identified under a court order, were ordered held for 27 days. They faced preliminary charges of possessing illegal weapons and carrying five hand grenades. Two of the grenades blew up when the suspects threw them at a house near the embassy, prosecutor Soren Harbo said. “This was pretty close to the Israeli Embassy,” Harbo said before Thursday’s court hearing. The explosions caused damage to a roof terrace of a nearby house. The diplomatic mission was not harmed. Thursday’s hearing was held behind closed doors after the preliminary charges were read. Reporting from inside the court room, Danish broadcaster DR said the teenagers, ages 16 and 19, are suspected of acting “in association and together with prior agreement with one or more perpetrators.” Both denied the charges, local media reported. The two suspects were arrested Wednesday shortly before noon on a train at Copenhagen’s central station. Danish media ran photos of a man in a white hazmat suit being taken away by police on a train platform at the station. A third suspect, age 19, who had been arrested near the embassy, has been released, police said Thursday. In Denmark, the charges are one step short of formal charges and allow authorities to keep criminal suspects in custody during an investigation. Separately, shots were fired late Tuesday at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm. No one was injured. No arrests have been made. The Danish domestic security service, known by its acronym PET, said that “Swedish authorities have assessed that at least one specific act directed at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, which was carried out by young criminals in Sweden, has links to Iran.” In May the Swedish domestic security agency SAPO accused Iran of using established criminal networks in Sweden as a proxy to target Israeli or Jewish people. The announcement came after the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm was sealed off in late January after what was then described as “a dangerous object” was found … “Denmark jails 2 Swedish teens over blasts near Israeli Embassy” →

Tbilisi, Georgia — The speaker of the Georgian parliament signed into a law Thursday a bill that severely curtails LGBTQ+ rights in the country and mirrors legislation adopted in neighboring Russia. Shalva Papuashvili, the parliament speaker, said on social media that the legislation does “not reflect current, temporary, changing ideas and ideologies, but is based on common sense, historical experience and centuries-old Christian, Georgian and European values.” Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili had refused to sign the bill and returned it to parliament on Wednesday. It was introduced by the governing Georgian Dream party and approved by lawmakers last month. The bill includes bans on same-sex marriages, adoptions by same-sex couples and public endorsement and depictions of LGBTQ+ relations and people in the media. It also bans gender-affirming care and changing gender designations in official documents. “This law protects the rights of all citizens, including freedom of expression, so that the rights of others are not violated, which is the essence and idea of true democracy,” Papuashvili wrote. Parliament gave the legislation its final approval as Georgia, a largely conservative country where the Orthodox Church wields significant influence, prepares to vote in a parliamentary election. The law has been widely seen as an effort by the governing party to shore up support among conservative groups. It was decried by human rights advocates and LGBTQ+ activists, who said it further marginalized an already vulnerable community. By signing the law, Georgian Dream “have taken homophobia to a new level, and that is political and institutional homophobia,” said Ana Tavadze, an activist with Tbilisi Pride, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group. Georgian Dream’s aim is to “fabricate” problems ahead of the election to distract people from “their failure” to solve issues involving unemployment, education and healthcare, Tavadze told The Associated Press. The law has drawn comparisons with Russia, where the Kremlin has been highlighting what it calls traditional family values. Russian authorities in the last decade have banned public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” and introduced laws against gender-affirming care, among other measures. Its Supreme Court effectively outlawed LGBTQ+ activism by labeling what the authorities called the LGBTQ+ “movement” operating in Russia as an extremist organization and banning it. In Georgia, the LGBTQ+ community has struggled even before the legislation was introduced. Demonstrations and violent outbursts against LGBTQ+ people have been common, and last year hundreds of opponents of gay rights stormed an LGBTQ+ festival in the … “Georgian parliament speaker signs anti-LGBTQ+ law after president refuses to” →

MOSCOW — The trial of a 72-year-old American man whom Russia accuses of working as a mercenary for Ukraine will take place behind closed doors, and the verdict will be announced Monday, Russian state media reported. Stephen Hubbard is accused of signing a $1,000-per-month contract with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in the city of Izyum in February 2022. He was captured by Russian forces in April that year, and he faces a sentence of seven to 15 years if convicted. The RIA news agency said the judge on Thursday accepted a prosecutor’s request to hold the proceedings in secret to ensure the safety of the participants. It was not clear why the prosecutor believed an open trial would have placed them at risk. RIA said Hubbard himself supported the move, saying he did not want outsiders to be present. RIA reported earlier that he had pleaded guilty to the charges. Another state agency, TASS, said the verdict would come on October 7. A U.S. embassy spokesperson said: “We are aware of reports of the arrest of an American citizen. Due to privacy restrictions, we are unable to comment any further.” Prosecutors have said Hubbard was provided with training, weapons and ammunition when he allegedly signed up. Hubbard’s sister Patricia Fox and another relative have cast doubt on his reported confession, saying he held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to have taken up arms at his age. “He never had a gun, owned a gun, done any of that. … He’s more of a pacifist,” Fox told Reuters last month. Hubbard is one of at least 10 U.S. nationals behind bars in Russia. …

Vienna — The European Union is set to vote Friday on a massive tariff increase on Chinese electric vehicles that Germany fears could spark a trade war with Beijing. Reuters reported Wednesday that the measure already has enough votes to pass, with support from France, Greece, Italy and Poland, whose populations make up 39% of the EU. At least 65% of the EU’s population must vote against the tariff plan to stop it. Regardless, analysts say, continued negotiations will be needed on China’s subsidies to its EV industry. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin called Chinese subsidies “unbearable.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said talks with China must continue, and he indicated Germany might abstain from the vote. “More trade with more partners from more countries — that’s what sensible risk management looks like in an uncertain world,” Scholz said, as reported by Reuters. “That’s why negotiations with China on electric vehicles must continue and why we must finally tackle the areas where cheap Chinese imports are harming our economy, for example steel,” he said. Bloomberg reported that Germany expected a significant number of EU states to abstain from voting on the tariffs. German automakers are against tariffs, fearing that retaliation from Beijing could impact access to China, their largest market. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said Wednesday “A trade war with China would do us more harm than good for a key European industry and a crucial sector in Germany.” If the vote passes, it could see tariffs on Chinese EVs as high as 45%. Beijing has hinted that it could retaliate with tariffs on German and Italian vehicles and on European agricultural products such as dairy, pork and French brandy. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao visited Europe in late September and met with officials and businesspeople in charge of foreign trade and commerce in the EU, Belgium, Germany, Italy and other auto-manufacturing countries to lobby the EU to abandon the tariffs. During the negotiations, the Chinese side proposed to set a minimum import price, but the European side refused. The vote was pushed from September 25 to Friday to allow time for more consultation between the two sides. Analysts believe the EU may make some compromises due to the complex interests within the EU. Ja Ian Chong, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, told VOA, “Because the EU is made up … “EU to vote on tariff hike for Chinese EVs as Germany fears retaliation” →