Gunmen Attack Moscow Concert Hall, Set It Ablaze; Toll Unknown

MOSCOW — Several gunmen burst into a big concert hall in Moscow on Friday and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people and starting a massive blaze in an apparent terror attack days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide.  Russian news reports said that the assailants threw explosives, triggering a massive fire at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow. Video posted on social media showed huge plumes of black smoke rising over the building.  The attack took place as crowds gathered for a concert by Picnic, a famed Russian rock band, at the hall that can accommodate more than 6,000 people. Russian news reports said that concertgoers were being evacuated, but some said that an unspecified number of people could have been trapped by the fire.  Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency reported that at least three people in combat fatigues fired weapons. The state Tass news agency also reported the shooting.  Extended rounds of gunfire could be heard on multiple videos posted by Russian media and Telegram channels. One showed two men with rifles moving through the mall. Another one showed a man inside the auditorium, saying the assailants set it on fire, as gunshots rang out incessantly in the background.  More videos showed up to four attackers, armed with assault rifles and wearing caps, who were shooting screaming people at point-blank range.  Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said he was heading to the area and would set up a task force to deal with the damage. He didn’t immediately offer any further details.  Russian media reports said that riot police units were being sent to the area as people were being evacuated.  The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that urged Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital in view of an imminent attack, a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies.  Putin, who extended his grip on Russia for another six years in the March 15-17 presidential vote after a sweeping crackdown on dissent, earlier this week denounced the Western warnings as an attempt to intimidate Russians. It is not yet clear who might be behind the attack. …

Ukrainian Team Debuts at US Air Force and Marine Corps Trials 

In early March, the annual U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps Trials for injured veterans took place near Las Vegas. This year, for the first time, the United States welcomed a Ukrainian team. Omelyan Oshchudlyak  spoke with one of the Ukrainian participants. VOA footage by Yuriy Dankevych. …

Russia Hits Ukraine With Deadly Barrage; Zelensky Appeals for Aid

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive wave of deadly overnight attacks on Ukraine using more than 90 missiles and 60 Iranian-made drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, in one of the largest offensives recently. “There were more than 60 ‘Shaheds’ and almost 90 missiles of various types overnight,” he said. “The world sees the targets of Russian terrorists as clearly as possible: power plants and energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, ordinary residential buildings, even a trolleybus.” Ukraine’s internal affairs ministry said the strikes killed at least two people and injured 14, while three were missing. “All of our services are now involved in eliminating the consequences of the attack. We use robotic equipment in dangerous areas to minimize injuries to rescuers,” it said. Zelenskyy once again appealed for more Western arms. “Russian missiles do not have delays, as do aid packages to our country. The ‘Shahed’ have no indecision, like some politicians. It is important to understand the cost of delays and postponed decisions,” he said. “We need air defense to protect people, infrastructure, homes and dams. Our partners know exactly what is needed. They can definitely support us… Life must be protected from these non-humans from Moscow.” One of the strikes Friday severed one of two power lines supplying Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine. “The enemy is now carrying out the largest attack on the Ukrainian energy industry in recent times,” Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook, adding that shelling had knocked out “one of the power transmission lines feeding” the Zaporizhzhia power plant. The facility, Europe’s largest nuclear energy site, was seized by Russian troops in the first days of the war but is powered by Ukrainian lines. ‘Extremely dangerous situation’ “This situation is extremely dangerous and risks sparking an emergency situation,” said Ukraine’s atomic energy operator, Energoatom. In the event that the final power line is cut, it said the plant will be “on the verge of another blackout, which is a serious violation of the conditions of safe operation of the plant.” Since the beginning of the war, the Zaporizhzhia power plant has suffered multiple blackouts, falling back on emergency diesel generators and safety systems. “In case of their failure, a threat of a nuclear and radiation accident will emerge,” said Energoatom. According to Zaporizhzhia’s governor, 12 Russian missiles hit the region early Friday, destroying several houses and injuring an unknown … “Russia Hits Ukraine With Deadly Barrage; Zelensky Appeals for Aid”

Moldovan Parliament Backs Bid to Join EU, But Divisions Remain

CHISINAU, MOLDOVA — Moldova’s Parliament on Thursday endorsed an appeal to press on with a drive to join the European Union, but the opposition walked out of the vote and separatists in the Transnistria region urged authorities to drop their claim to the enclave. President Maia Sandu, who says Russia is the biggest threat to Moldova’s security, has made EU membership the cornerstone of her administration in the ex-Soviet state, which lies between Ukraine and Romania. A vocal opponent of Russia’s war in Ukraine, she has called for a referendum on EU membership to be held this year. After a debate coinciding with an EU summit in Brussels, Parliament adopted by a vote of 54-0 a declaration saying, “Only joining Europe can ensure the future of the country as a sovereign, neutral and full-fledged democratic state.” It identified EU integration as “Moldova’s top priority national project.” Moldova is one of Europe’s poorest countries. The opposition Bloc of Communists and Socialists, sympathetic to Moscow, walked out of the chamber. In Transnistria, a sliver of land that broke away from Moldova as the Soviet Union was collapsing, self-styled President Vadim Krasnoselsky called on Moldovan authorities to recognize his territory and renounce all claims to it. “There is no other way out,” he said on the enclave’s television. “There can be no more talk of autonomy. You must walk away from these territories.” His region, he said, was “not separatist,” but “a normal neighbor” seeking peace and stability. Transnistria, heavily dependent on Russia for financial support, has no international recognition, not even from Moscow. It has remained on Moldova’s eastern border for 30 years with little turmoil, but tension has risen since Moldovan authorities imposed customs duties in January on all goods entering and leaving the region. Elected officials last month appealed to Moscow for diplomatic measures to protect the region. An EU summit last year gave the green light for membership talks with both Ukraine and Moldova, but no date for the start of talks has been made public, and there was no announcement on the matter at Thursday’s meeting in Brussels. Moldova has been engaged in an escalating feud with Russia, with the Ukraine war and Transnistria as the focal points. Moldova faces disputes with a second region in the south, Gagauzia, whose leader met Russian President Vladimir Putin this month and is linked to a fugitive pro-Russian businessman sentenced to 15 … “Moldovan Parliament Backs Bid to Join EU, But Divisions Remain”

Experts See Central Asia Emboldened by Russia’s Struggles in Ukraine

washington — Two years ago, as Russia invaded Ukraine’s heartland, Central Asian countries feared they would be next to feel the impact of President Vladimir Putin’s revanchist obsession.   But as Russia has struggled on the battlefield and suffered massive losses against a determined Ukrainian foe, experts and current and former policymakers in Washington see a more confident and assertive Central Asia that is striving for unity and enjoying greater bargaining power, including with Russia, China and the United States. Some longtime observers warn that the region may yet fall prey to the Kremlin’s ambitions. They argue that the West must understand its challenges and help expand its opportunities. In their view, the best outcome for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan would be to emerge from the Ukraine-Russia conflict as a more independent and consolidated region.   Russian threat in decline Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington, advocates for greater political and economic integration in the region. He observes that the region’s governments have been using “China to balance Russia … and America, to balance them.” In an interview with VOA, Starr noted that Russian chauvinists have even called for the annexation of Central Asia. “It’s as if they’re announcing to the world that whatever happens in Ukraine, we aren’t done.” He urges the region to recognize that Putin’s savage attack on Ukraine “has demonstrated, above all, Russia’s weakness.” “This stripped bare the mask that all those fancy parades in Red Square created, and now we realize that Russia’s military is a farce,” he said. “All it has is numbers and brutal leaders who are willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of Russian lives for an objective that is unattainable.” Starr argued that countries in Central Asia should demonstrate to Russia that they live in a big world, “have friends east, west, north and south. Russia can no longer be treated as a single player on a chessboard.” This sentiment is echoed by many in the region, who note that the things that make Central Asia dependent on Russia, such as energy, trade and labor migration, make Russia dependent on it as well. Starr also believes younger Central Asians have a broader worldview and don’t care about Russia as much as the older elite, for whom Russia is “a kind of hangover from Soviet times.” Better Western ties The Atlantic Council’s John Herbst, a former U.S. … “Experts See Central Asia Emboldened by Russia’s Struggles in Ukraine”

Nations Pledge to Boost Nuclear Power to Fight Climate Change

Paris — Representatives of 30 nations meeting in Brussels vowed to beef up nuclear energy Thursday as one solution to meet climate-fighting targets and guarantee reliable energy supplies. But the issue of nuclear power is divisive, and critics say it shouldn’t be part of the world’s approach to energy challenges. The summit was the first of its kind, drawing leaders and delegates from the United States, Brazil, China and France, among others. The International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, co-hosted the meeting and is promoting nuclear energy as a key way to reduce skyrocketing climate emissions. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said, “The heads of government, presidents, they believe that in the current context energywise, securitywise, nuclear has a very important contribution to make.” Over 400 nuclear plants operate in about 30 countries, with another 500 planned or under construction. But overall, nuclear represents 10% of global electricity generation. In a statement, countries attending the meeting committed to increasing nuclear power’s potential, including by building new plants. White House climate advisor John Podesta said, “I think what this summit will do, will put a marker down … that expansion of nuclear power is critical for tackling the climate crisis that is really beginning to disturb everyone across the globe.” European Union countries such as France, which gets about 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, believe it can help meet ambitious European climate goals. But the EU itself is divided. Some member states, including Germany, Austria and Spain, have safety and environmental concerns about nuclear energy, including the waste it generates. So do groups such as Greenpeace, whose activists protested the Brussels summit. Lorelei Limousin, the climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace EU in Brussels, said, “Nuclear power is too slow to tackle the climate emergency. Nuclear energy is also very expensive, and much more expensive than renewables today. Finally nuclear power remains dangerous today — with risks to health, environment, safety.” Supporters say those risks can be managed — and they say that for now, increasing nuclear’s share of the power mix is essential if the world is to turn around a dangerous climate trajectory. …

Belgium Bishop Defrocked 14 Years After Admitting to Abusing Nephew

ROME — Pope Francis on Thursday defrocked a notorious Belgian bishop who admitted 14 years ago that he sexually abused his nephew but faced no Vatican punishment.  The case of Roger Vangheluwe, the emeritus bishop of Bruges, long ago became a symbol of the Catholic Church’s hypocrisy and dysfunction in dealing with cases of abuse. Not only was he allowed to quietly retire after the scandal broke in 2010, but his superior, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, was caught on tape asking one of his victims to keep his abuse secret until the bishop left office.  The Vatican announcement that Francis had laicized Vangheluwe came a few months before the pope is due to visit Belgium, where the case would have been an unwelcome and problematic distraction.  Vangheluwe, 87, shot to international infamy in 2010 amid disclosures he had sexually abused his young nephew for over a dozen years when he was a priest and later a bishop. He later admitted he also abused a second nephew. All along, he made light of his crimes, describing his abuse as “a little game” that didn’t involve “rough sex.”  He was allowed to retire two years shy of the normal retirement age but faced no further punishment. It was evidence of the Holy See’s general refusal at the time to sanction Catholic bishops even for admitted sex crimes.  The Vatican embassy in Belgium said in a statement Thursday that in recent months “grave new elements” had been reported to the Holy See’s sex abuse office that justified reopening the case.  It didn’t say what new information had been received. But in recent months Belgium’s own bishops have grown increasingly public in their stated outrage at the Vatican’s refusal to act against Vangheluwe.  In September, Antwerp Bishop Johan Bonny told Belgian broadcaster VRT that the Belgian bishops had asked the Vatican for years, in writing and in person, to defrock Vangheluwe but got no response.  In its statement, the Vatican embassy said that after Vangheluwe’s defense was heard, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith presented the case to Francis on March 8. Three days later, it said, Francis decided to accept the recommendation that Vangheluwe be laicized. It is the harshest punishment that the Vatican can hand down, but it just means that Vangheluwe is now a layman and cannot present himself as a priest.  He asked to be allowed to live in a … “Belgium Bishop Defrocked 14 Years After Admitting to Abusing Nephew”

UN: Belarus Runs Campaign of Violence, Repression to Crush Dissent

GENEVA — A report by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights accuses the government of Belarus of running a campaign of violence and repression to crush political dissent and maintain its grip on power. “Considering the range of human rights violations committed against the population of real or perceived political opponents in discriminatory fashion, the office’s report describes reasonable grounds to believe that the crime against humanity of persecution may have been committed,” said Christian Salazar Volkmann, director of the field operations and technical cooperation division at the OHCHR. The report Volkmann presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council Wednesday examines all alleged human rights violations committed in Belarus related to the run-up to the 2020 presidential elections and its aftermath. The report is based on information and evidence from first-hand interviews with 657 people supported by more than 5,400 items, as well as 229 written submissions from victims, witnesses and nongovernmental organizations. Volkmann said information gathered last year “substantiates the scale and patterns of the violations” identified in previous reports and finds that since May 1, 2020, Belarus has “effectively deprived people in Belarus of their ability to exercise” their civic rights. The 2020 election of incumbent Alexander Lukashenko to a sixth term in office was decried by international monitors as “neither free nor fair.” Lukashenko denied this. In his presentation to the council, Volkmann said that opposition parties had been barred from participating in last month’s parliamentary elections, putting into question their ability to participate in next year’s presidential elections. He said laws adopted or amended by Belarus since 2021 have been used “to oppress and punish real or perceived opponents.” “In the course of 2023, several prominent human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists were sentenced to long prison terms,” he said, noting that thousands of people continue to be arbitrarily arrested and detained for “having exercised their freedom of expression and/or assembly.” “Since 2020, thousands of Belarusians have been subjected to cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment in detention facilities across Belarus,” he said. The report documents cases in which torture has resulted in severe injuries and instances of sexual and gender-based violence, adding that “death and rape threats were widespread.” It describes the horrific, punitive treatment and conditions under which political prisoners are subjected in state-run penal colonies. Authors of the report say, “Information gathered regarding the lack of adequate … “UN: Belarus Runs Campaign of Violence, Repression to Crush Dissent”

Australia Signs Security Accord with Britain  

Sydney — Australia and the United Kingdom signed a new defense and security cooperation agreement Thursday that deepens the strategic relationship between the two nations, makes it easier for their defense forces to operate together in each other’s countries, and boosts a fledgling nuclear-powered submarine program with the United States. Australia has said the new security and defense treaty updates its longstanding relationship with Britain “to meet contemporary challenges.” Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement that as “the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernize our most important relationships.” The new accord signed Thursday builds on the 2021 AUKUS alliance, which is designed to allow Australia to build a new multibillion-dollar fleet of nuclear-powered submarines with help from the United States and Britain. Marles later told reporters in Canberra that a far-reaching pact with Britain was fundamental to Australia’s national security. “It does reflect a relationship that has become much more strategic, a relationship which has a much bigger national security dimension,” he said. “To that end, the U.K. has a much greater presence in the Indo-Pacific than we have seen in a very long time. We also spoke today about AUKUS, which is, perhaps, at the heart of the contemporary strategic relationship between our two countries.” Britain’s defense minister, Grant Shapps, is in Australia for the annual Australia-U.K. Ministerial (AUKMIN) meetings, which were first held in 2006. Officials said bilateral talks would also include support for Ukraine, peace in the Middle East, gender-based violence in the Pacific, climate change and trade. The defense treaty signed Thursday includes provisions to make it easier for Australian and British forces to work together in each other’s countries, much like the joint training of Ukrainian troops in Britain. There will also be closer collaboration on undersea warfare, intelligence and military exercises. Shapps told a news conference in Canberra that the treaty would enhance global efforts to maintain peace. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder in all of these many, many different ways, and the thing which has struck me most in my first few hours with you here today is the extent to which distance is absolutely no object to us at all because we stand united in our view of the world and what needs to be done and we are proactive nations that are prepared to stand up and make sure that we do maintain the world order,” he said. … “Australia Signs Security Accord with Britain  “

Ukrainians See Putin’s Reelection as Another Sign War Won’t End Soon

Like many people around the world, Ukrainians were not surprised by what was reported as President Vladimir Putin’s landslide victory in the Russian elections. Many see the outcome as another sign the war in Ukraine will not end anytime soon. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv. Videography: Vladyslav Smilianets. …

Irish Prime Minister Says He’s Quitting

LONDON — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who made history as his country’s first gay and first biracial leader, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down for reasons that he said were both personal and political. Varadkar announced Wednesday he is quitting immediately as head of the center-right Fine Gael party, part of Ireland’s coalition government. He’ll be replaced as prime minister in April after a party leadership contest. “My reasons for stepping down now are personal and political, but mainly political,” Varadkar said, without elaborating. He said he plans to remain in parliament as a backbench lawmaker and has “definite” future plans. Varadkar, 45, has had two spells as taoiseach, or prime minister — between 2017 and 2020, and again since December 2022 as part of a job-share with Micheál Martin, head of coalition partner Fianna Fáil. He was the country’s youngest-ever leader when first elected, as well as Ireland’s first openly gay prime minister. Varadkar, whose mother is Irish and father is Indian, was also Ireland’s first biracial taoiseach. He played a leading role in campaigns to legalize same-sex marriage, approved in a 2015 referendum, and to repeal a ban on abortion, which passed in a vote in 2018. “I’m proud that we have made the country a more equal and more modern place,” Varadkar said in a resignation statement in Dublin. Varadkar was first elected to parliament in 2007 and once said he’d quit politics by the age of 50. He led Ireland during the years after Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union. Brexit had huge implications for Ireland, an EU member that shares a border with the U.K.’s Northern Ireland. U.K.-Ireland relations were strained while hardcore Brexit-backer Boris Johnson was U.K. leader but have steadied since the arrival of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Varadkar recently returned from Washington, where he met President Joe Biden and other political leaders as part of the Irish prime minister’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day visit to the United States. Varadkar also has expressed frustration at how polarized politics has become in Ireland, as in other countries. There have been reports of discontent within Fine Gael, and 10 of the party’s lawmakers, almost a third of the total, have announced they will not run for reelection. Earlier this month, voters rejected the government’s position in referendums on two constitutional amendments. Changes backed by Varadkar that would have broadened the definition of … “Irish Prime Minister Says He’s Quitting”

Russia Donates Fertilizer, Grain to Zimbabwe

Harare, Zimbabwe — Russia donated 25,000 tons of grain and 23,000 tons of fertilizer to Zimbabwe to help combat the effects of El Nino-induced drought, which has dwindled crop yields in most parts of Southern Africa.  President Emmerson Mnangagwa accepted the donation Wednesday, saying it would help alleviate the drought Zimbabwe is coping with and the targeted sanctions which the government has long blamed for the country’s economic doldrums.  “Zimbabwe and the Russian Federation continue to be subjected to the heinous and illegal sanctions imposed by the hegemonic powers of the West,” he said. “Throughout the 23 years of sanctions against Zimbabwe, the Russian Federation has been a true, trusted and dependable ally of the people of this country.”  The president added that it should be no surprise that two countries who are the subject of sanctions talk to each other and try to work together.  Western countries slapped travel and financial sanctions on Zimbabwe’s leadership and affiliated companies in the early 2000s for alleged election rigging and human rights abuses.   The U.S. recently removed sanctions on most Zimbabweans, but a few prominent figures — including Mnangagwa — remain on the list.  Meanwhile, Russia and its president Vladimir Putin were hit with sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago.  On Wednesday, the Russian ambassador to Harare, Nikolai Krasilnikov, said the donated fertilizers would aid Zimbabwe’s agricultural production.  “It is a commitment made by Russia to continue to support states and regions in need to do its utmost to prevent a global food crisis through participation in establishing a more equitable system for the distribution of resources,” Krasilnikov said. “And let us not forget that food security cannot [be achieved] without fertilizers, as they ensure growth, resilience and productivity of agricultural crops.”   However, the fertilizers may not work in Zimbabwe’s current growing season, as most crops have been dried out by a lack of rain.  In an interview, Alexander Rusero, an international relations professor at Africa University, said he was not surprised by Russia’s donations to Zimbabwe.  “Zimbabwe does not have an ambivalent foreign policy with regards to Russia,” Rusero said. “Its position in terms of its interaction with Russia [is] very clear. Zimbabwe is on the side of Russia at whatever cost so it is not surprising. I wouldn’t know why it looks like a surprise that Zimbabwe has received some gift from Russia. And remember, these are fulfillments … “Russia Donates Fertilizer, Grain to Zimbabwe”

Berlin Summons Iran Ambassador Over 2022 Synagogue Plot

BERLIN — Germany on Wednesday said it had summoned the Iranian ambassador over an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in 2022 that Berlin believes was planned with the help of Tehran.  A German Iranian national was sentenced in December to two years and nine months in prison in the plot to attack a synagogue in the western German city of Bochum.  The 36-year-old, identified only as Babak J., had planned to target the synagogue but ended up throwing an incendiary device at an adjacent school building. No one was injured.  In handing down the verdict, the Duesseldorf court said the attack had been planned with the help of “Iranian state agencies.”  The foreign ministry on Wednesday said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that it had summoned the Iranian envoy after receiving a written justification of the judgment.  “We will now immediately share the judgment with our European partners and the EU institutions and examine further steps,” the ministry said.  Germany also summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in December over the plot.  A summoning is a way for a nation to show high-level disapproval with another country.  Germany has grown increasingly alarmed in recent years about rising anti-Jewish sentiment nearly eight decades after the end of the Holocaust.  Anti-Semitic acts have increased sharply in the country amid the latest turmoil in the Middle East, according to the Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Anti-Semitism.  …

IOC Says ‘Aggressive’ Russia Criticism a ‘New Low’

Lausanne, Switzerland — Moscow’s criticism of Olympic restrictions on Russian athletes was beyond unacceptable and had reached a “new low,” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Wednesday.  “It goes beyond anything that is acceptable. To link the [IOC] president [Germany’s Thomas Bach], his nationality and the Holocaust in the context of this issue reaches a new low,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.  The IOC on Tuesday both barred Russian athletes from taking part in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 26 and criticized the Kremlin for planning to hold its own “Friendship Games” to rival those held in the French capital.  Those decisions invoked the ire of the Kremlin, with Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying that they “demonstrate how far the IOC has moved away from its stated principles and slipped into racism and neo-Nazism.”  When Bach was asked about the comments, the German gave a curt reply before asking spokesman Adams to take over.  There are “more quotes coming from Russia that are extremely aggressive and since some of them are very personal also, if you allow, I would like to ask Mark Adams to respond to this question,” Bach said.  Adams added: “We’ve seen some very aggressive statements coming out of Russia today, but there’s one comment even which is going beyond that, we’ve even seen one that links the president, his nationality and the Holocaust, and this is completely unacceptable and reaches a new low.”  When asked if security had been boosted around Bach, Adams said: “As regards security, I think it’s as well that I remind you that we cannot speak of the details about security and understand that with the current geopolitical situation, and with the impact it’s having on the IOC and its president, all appropriate measures have been taken.”  The IOC suspended Russia from the 2024 Games last year but gave the green light for its athletes to compete as neutrals as long as they did not actively support the Kremlin’s assault on Ukraine.  Zakharova argued that this neutral status forces Russian athletes to “renounce any association with their homeland, with their citizenship, with their history, culture and people.”  “The IOC’s decisions are wrongful, unjust and unacceptable,” she said.  “We are outraged by the unprecedented discriminatory conditions imposed by the International Olympic Committee on Russian athletes.”  Russia’s fury comes a day after the IOC issued a strongly worded … “IOC Says ‘Aggressive’ Russia Criticism a ‘New Low’”

Turkey Cracks Down on Organized Crime to Clean Up Image

Istanbul police are now using some of the world’s most expensive sports cars as part of Turkey’s new bid to crack down on organized crime. Ankara hopes to escape international scrutiny over money laundering as it works to attract foreign investors. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

US Sanctions Russian Firms Over ‘Fake Websites’

Washington — The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions Wednesday against two people and their Russia-based companies it accused of supporting a Kremlin-directed disinformation campaign involving the impersonation of legitimate news websites. The sanctions targeted Moscow-based company Social Design Agency and its founder, Ilya Andreevich Gambashidze, as well as the Russian-based Company Group Structura and its owner, Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tupikin, according to a statement from the Treasury Department. On behalf of the Russian government, they handled a network of more than 60 websites that mimicked media organizations and used fake social media accounts to amplify their content, the statement said. “The fake websites appeared to have been built to carefully mimic the appearance of legitimate news websites,” the Treasury Department said. “The fake websites included embedded images and working links to legitimate sites.” The sanctions come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. The United States has repeatedly accused Moscow of orchestrating what it calls global “malign influence campaigns” aimed at sowing instability in democratic countries. Last October, a U.S. intelligence report said Russia was using its spy network, state-run media and social media to undermine public trust in elections around the world. The United States shared the report with some 100 countries. “We are committed to exposing Russia’s extensive campaigns of government-directed deception, which are intended to mislead voters and undermine trust in democratic institutions in the United States and around the world,” Brian E. Nelson, under-secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s statement. U.S.-based disinformation researchers say hundreds of sites mimicking news outlets — powered by artificial intelligence — have cropped up in recent months, fueling an explosion of false narratives, about subjects ranging from war to politicians. That includes several Russian-linked websites mimicking news outlets and pushing Kremlin propaganda ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, according to researchers at Clemson University and the watchdog organization NewsGuard. …

Spanish Court Grants Bail to Soccer Star Dani Alves While Appealing Rape Conviction 

BARCELONA, Spain — A Spanish court decided Wednesday that Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves could leave prison if he pays a bail of one million euros ($1.1 million) and hands over his passports while awaiting the appeal of his conviction for raping a woman in Barcelona. Alves was found guilty of having raped the woman in a nightclub in 2022 and sentenced to four years and six months in prison. He denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial. He has been behind bars since being arrested in January 2023. His prior requests to be released on bail were denied because the court deemed him a flight risk. Brazil does not extradite its own citizens when they are sentenced in other countries. To now go free, in addition to the bail money, the 40-year-old Alves is also required to hand over his Brazilian and Spanish passports and is prohibited from leaving the country. He also cannot come within 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) of the victim or try to communicate with her and must make weekly check-ins at the courthouse. He still has a residence near the city. The decision came a day after a hearing where Alves told the court via video conference from prison that he had no intention of fleeing the country, according to his lawyer, Inés Guardiola. Guardiola and the state prosecutor have appealed the conviction. His defense is seeking his acquittal while the prosecutor wants his prison sentence increased to nine years. The victim’s lawyer wants him put away for 12 years. There is no date yet for the new trial at a higher court in Barcelona. After that, it can then go to the Supreme Court in Madrid. The panel of judges at the Provincial Court in Barcelona was split on the decision, two to one. The judges in favor of granting Alves bail said that they believed the flight risk had lowered, adding that they considered the fact that Alves responded to police summons when he was arrested while visiting Spain. The other judge disagreed, saying he was still able to flee despite the restrictions placed on him. Another factor cited by the two judges was that according to Spanish law a person cannot be kept in preventative detention for more than half the period of his or her prison sentence while awaiting an appeal. In Alves’ case that leaves him just over a year before he … “Spanish Court Grants Bail to Soccer Star Dani Alves While Appealing Rape Conviction “

West Eyes New Measures After Passage of Hong Kong Security Law

Taipei, Taiwan — Hong Kong’s adoption of a second national security law Tuesday is being criticized by foreign governments, while some business figures say the law will hasten foreign businesses’ departure from the city. The United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union expressed concern about the ambiguous language in the law and its speedy adoption, which was completed in less than two weeks. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that the vague provisions in the bill, also known as Article 23, could lead to the criminalization of freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to receive and impart information, which are all rights protected under international human rights law. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department said passage of Article 23 could accelerate the closing of a once-open society, adding that the U.S. is analyzing the potential impact of the law. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the law has failed to “provide certainty for international organizations, including diplomatic missions” operating in Hong Kong, and it will foster “the culture of self-censorship” that is now dominating the social and political landscape in the city. Apart from reiterating concerns about the law’s potential impact on Hong Kong people’s basic rights and freedom, the EU said the bill’s increased penalties, extraterritorial reach and partial retroactive applicability are “also deeply worrying.” Despite the international criticism, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee hailed the passage of Article 23 as “a historic moment for Hong Kong,” while the Chinese government expressed “full support” of the development. Rights activists call for sanctions While they welcome the concerns expressed by foreign governments, some human rights activists urged democratic countries to respond with more forceful measures. “With the enactment of the Article 23 legislation, now is the time to impose sanctions on officials like Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee,” said Benedict Rogers, the CEO of U.K.-based nongovernmental organization Hong Kong Watch. Since Hong Kong implemented the controversial national security law and detained dozens of pro-democracy activists and politicians in 2020, the U.S. is the only country that has imposed sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, 24 of them in all. Rogers said since the U.K. doesn’t want to damage trade relations with China, the British government remains reluctant to impose sanctions on Chinese officials over the deteriorating conditions in Hong Kong. “[While] they imposed sanctions on some Chinese … “West Eyes New Measures After Passage of Hong Kong Security Law”

China, Not Russia, Still Tops List of Threats to US

WASHINGTON — Russia’s war in Ukraine — portrayed by top U.S. officials as posing a danger to the United States itself — still trails China when it comes to long-term threats to America’s security, according to a top Pentagon official. The warning from Ely Ratner, the Defense Department’s assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, comes in testimony prepared for a hearing Wednesday by the House Armed Services Committee on security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. “The PRC [People’s Republic of China] continues to present the most comprehensive and serious challenge to our national security,” Ratner is set to tell lawmakers, according to a copy his opening statement obtained by VOA. “The PRC remains the only country with the will and increasingly the capability to dominate the Indo-Pacific region and displace the United States,” Ratner warns, adding, “the PRC is pursuing its revisionist goals with increasingly coercive activities in the Taiwan Strait, the South and East China seas, along the Line of Actual Control with India, and beyond.” This is not the first time Ratner has addressed the growing threat from Beijing. In October he called out China’s military for what he described as a “sharp increase” in risky behavior in the East and South China seas. Ratner also cautioned, separately, that China’s leaders were “increasingly turning to the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] as an instrument of coercion.” Additionally, the Pentagon’s annual China Military Power report said that China’s nuclear arsenal has been growing faster than expected, while Beijing is building out the infrastructure needed for a further expansion of its nuclear forces. China has responded to such allegations by accusing the U.S. of “hyping up” the threat. On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a warning of his own, emphasizing the threat from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The United States stands by Ukraine because it’s the right thing to do,” Austin told a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany. “But we also stand by Ukraine because it’s crucial to our own security.” “The United States would face grave new perils in a world where aggression and autocracy are on the march and where tyrants are emboldened and where dictators think that they can wipe out democracy off the map,” he said. U.S. intelligence officials argued recently that the threats from Russia and China are linked, and that Russia’s war has served to embolden China’s leadership. Director … “China, Not Russia, Still Tops List of Threats to US”

Secretary of Defense: ‘United States Will Not Let Ukraine Fail’

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin says the United States remains determined to provide Ukraine with the resources to fight Russian aggression, even as the U.S. Congress has failed to pass supplemental aid for Ukraine. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb traveled to Ramstein Air Base in Germany with the secretary. …