International Relations News Trending

Polish inquiry into “Russian influence” infuriates the EU

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After Polish lawmakers established a new commission that might prevent persons with ties to Russia from holding public office, the EU threatened to take action against Poland.

The committee, which was approved by Poland’s parliament last week, will look into alleged Russian meddling between 2007 and 2022. However, detractors assert that the panel, which will be predominated by members of the administration, is meant to criticise opposition leader and former prime minister Donald Tusk.

Didier Reynders, the EU’s justice commissioner, stated that the panel was of “special concern.”

Anyone found guilty of acting under “Russian influence” will be subject to a 10-year ban from managing public finances, effectively preventing them from holding public office.It will look at gas agreements made with Russia in particular since the government claims they made the nation unduly dependent on Moscow.

According to sources, the 10-member panel might present its initial report as early as September and is predicted to be controlled by lawmakers from the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS).

The EU Commission “will analyse the legislation and will not hesitate to take measures if it is needed,” Mr. Reynders told reporters in Brussels.

Without actual access to justice, including the ability to challenge an administrative decision before an impartial court, he continued, “it is impossible to agree on such a system.”

MPs from the opposition Civic Platform Party are concerned that the probe, which will focus on their party’s final period in office from 2007 to 2015, will try to undermine support for Mr. Tusk, who was prime minister at the time.

Despite not being a member of parliament, Mr. Tusk is now the party’s chairman and leader. He is anticipated to run against Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in elections later this year.

Krzysztof Brejza, the parliamentary leader of Civic Platform, referred to the new committee as a “Soviet-style idea” and charged that the administration had “organised a witch hunt against Donald Tusk and eliminated him” prior to the election.

Mark Brzezinski, the US ambassador to Poland, expressed his concern that the commission would “reduce voters’ ability to vote for those they want to vote for” on Monday. However, Mr. Morawiecki has defended the bill and charged Mr. Tusk with harbouring a secret.

Nothing should be feared, Mr. Morawiecki remarked, adding: “Why is this valued opposition of ours, especially Mr. Tusk, so terrified of a commission to verify Russian influence?

An ongoing dispute between Warsaw and the EU over judicial reforms resulted in the suspension of billions of euros in aid to Poland in January. Additionally, PiS has been charged with curtailing other civil liberties, including as press freedom, and opposition lawmakers claim Poland risks becoming an authoritarian state if the government is re-elected.

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State Visit of King Charles III to France Postponed Amid Mass Strikes and Protests

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On March 24th, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced the postponement of King Charles III’s state visit to France. The decision was made due to the ongoing mass strikes and protests in the country. Macron cited “common sense and friendship” as the reason for the delay and stated that the visit would likely be rescheduled for the beginning of summer.

The planned celebrations of cross-Channel relations were at risk of disruption from the strikes and protests against pension reforms. The main concern was that protesters would use the occasion to further their cause against Macron’s plans to increase the retirement age. The visit was due to start on Sunday, and officials from both sides were closely monitoring the situation, with potential last-minute changes to the three-day program being considered.

The decision to postpone the visit was made with the agreement of both the French and British governments, after Macron asked the British government to postpone the visit. The visit will be rearranged as soon as possible, and Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King and Queen Consort Camilla are looking forward to the opportunity to visit France when new dates can be found. The striking trade unionists threatened to withhold red carpets for the visit, but the body responsible insisted they would still be rolled out as planned

Accidents News Trending

Boat carrying African migrants sinks off Tunisia, leaving at least five dead and 28 missing in attempt to reach Italy

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A boat carrying African migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy sank off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, with another 28 missing. The Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights reported the incident, and the Tunisian authorities were not immediately available for comment. The southern city of Sfax has become a major point of departure for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

This incident coincides with a significant increase in the number of boats departing from the Tunisian coast towards Italy, as well as Tunisian authorities’ campaign to arrest undocumented sub-Saharan African immigrants. Unofficial United Nations data revealed that 12,000 people who reached Italy this year set sail from Tunisia, compared to only 1,300 in the same period of 2022. Prior to this, Libya served as the main launchpad for migrants from the region.

In conclusion, the sinking of the boat carrying African migrants off the coast of Tunisia highlights the risks that desperate people are willing to take in pursuit of a better life. The increase in boats departing from Tunisia, combined with the crackdown on undocumented immigrants, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and compassionate response to the ongoing migration crisis.

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Why Ukraine: Know The Back Story…..

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By invading Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has provoked one of Europe’s worst security crises since World War II, with missiles and artillery barrages accompanying troops as they entered the nation from various directions. In a video by WION YouTube Channel, Palki Sharma Upadhyay pointed out her view point about the matter ‘Why putin wants Ukraine’.

The Ukraine-Russia problem does not begin in 2021 or 2014; rather, it begins in the ninth century. Once these two countries were united. Ukraine used to hand over its nuclear weapons to Russia. But what happened now that they ready for the war.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a military assault against Ukraine. The armies entered Ukraine from multiple routes, sparking fears of a European conflict over Russia’s demands for a stop to NATO’s eastward expansion.

WHAT IS NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, often known as the North Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance made up of 28 European and two North American countries. The organisation was founded in the aftermath of World War II to carry out the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on April 4, 1949.

For months, Putin denied that he was plotting an invasion. In a televised statement, he said he had ordered “a special military action” to safeguard Russian citizens who had been victims of “genocide” in Ukraine.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have existed for many years. Tensions rose in 2021, however, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to join NATO. Ukraine is a democratic country with a population of 44 million people and a history dating back over 1,000 years. It is also, after Russia, the largest country in Europe by area.

It voted for independence from Moscow after the demise of the Soviet Union. Putin sees Ukraine as a man-made country ripped out of Russia by adversaries. He has also referred to Ukraine as a Western puppet. Russia was enraged by Zelensky’s request to join NATO, and it began stationing troops along the Ukraine border. The US observed unexpected Russian army movements near the Ukrainian border on November 10, 2021. On November 28, Ukraine announced that Russia has amassed about 92,000 troops in preparation for an attack in late January or early February.

Moscow, on the other hand, denied it and accused Kyiv of conducting its own military build-up. President Biden warned in December that if Russia invaded Ukraine, he would face heavy consequences. Putin has insisted on assurances from the West and Ukraine that the country will not join NATO.

This isn’t the first time that relations between Russia and Ukraine have risen. In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and occupied the Crimean peninsula. President Putin’s backed rebels captured significant swaths of eastern Ukraine and fought the army. When its pro-Russian president was overthrown, the attack began. Since then, the battle has taken the lives of over 14,000 people.

He claims that contemporary Ukraine was totally built by communist Russia and that it is now a puppet state under Western influence. President Putin has also said that if Ukraine joins NATO, the alliance will attempt to reclaim Crimea.

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News Technology Trending

Ukraine Invasion: Facebook Access Restricted by Russia

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During the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has restricted access to Facebook due to the platform’s stance on the accounts of several Moscow-backed news outlets. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, accused the network of “censorship” and violating “Russian citizens’ rights and freedoms.”

Facebook stated that it would not stop fact-checking and labelling content from state-owned news outlets. The announcement came just one day after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. It’s unclear what the regulator restrictions mean or how much Facebook parent company Meta’s other platforms – WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram – are affected. The regulator had demanded that Facebook remove the restrictions it imposed on state news agency RIA, state TV channel Zvezda, and pro-Kremlin news sites Lenta.Ru and Gazeta.Ru on 24th February.

Many state-owned Russian media outlets have painted a largely positive picture of Russia’s military advances in Ukraine, describing the invasion as a “special military operation” forced on Moscow. On 24th February, Meta announced the establishment of a “special operations centre” to monitor content related to the Ukrainian conflict.

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Joe Biden supports Israel’s right to self defence, in a phone call with Netanyahu

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As per the sorces, in a telephonic call with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden, supported Israel’s “right to defend itself” against indiscriminate rocket attacks and encouraged him to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

Biden welcomed efforts to address inter-communal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem, the White House said in a readout of the call. As per the sources He encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

Joe Biden also expressed his concern that the current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children.

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Italy Appoints First Female Spy Chief: Elisabetta Belloni

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Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi has appointed diplomat Elisabetta Belloni as the head of Italy’s spy agency, who will be the first woman to lead the Department of Information Security (DIS).

Ms. Belloni, 63, has since 2016 been secretary-general of foreign ministry – the top job in the diplomatic services. She gained prominence after helping out the release of Italians kidnapped by militants in Iraq and Afghanistan and leading operations in bringing home Italian tourists hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Ms. Belloni rose up within the ranks to become the first woman in the role of secretary-general of the foreign ministry – Italy’s highest diplomatic post, and a position she has held ever since.

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Disneyland Paris to Open Mass Covid-19 Vaccine Site

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Europe’s biggest tourist attraction, Disneyland Paris, will be hosting a mass Covid-19 vaccination site at its convention center as France is trying to speed up its inoculation drive, as the officials said Wednesday.

The amusement park was being closed since October 30, when non-essential businesses were asked to close amid a surge in infections, putting its 17,000 employees out of work. Later it had plans to re-admit visitors on April 2, but the conditions kept worsening forcing it to postpone. The vaccination site will be conducted outside the amusement park proper at its Newport Bay Club, a convention center near its hotel complex.

As per the reports, it will be run by local authorities and the regional ARS health center service and will be only on weekends. Its goal is to give shots to at least 10,000 people a day, wherein France aims to give at least one jab to 20 million people by mid-May.

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Italy Second European country to cross one lakh Covid deaths

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On Monday Italy logged 318 deaths from COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, putting its count at 100,103 and making it the second country after the UK to pass the grim milestone of 100,000 fatalities from the disease.

New Prime Minister Mario Draghi cautioned of additional distress in the coming days as hospitalisations hopped. One year prior, Italy forced the first Covid lockdown of any European country however now, following quite a while of a level in day by day cases, there has been a consistent move in new infections.

And specialists say the nation ought to be prepared for another pinnacle of diseases in about fourteen days, cautioning that every day cases could reach as high as 40,000 except if more serious limitations of residents’ development and exercises are quickly placed into place.

In reaction to the rising instances of COVID-19, the specialists are putting three additional locales under more tight limitations. Two in the north of the nation – Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto – will be raised to orange zones. While the Campania area, which incorporates Naples, will be renamed as a red zone, the most noteworthy danger level.

Europe recorded 1 million new Covid cases a week ago, an increment of 9% from the earlier week and an inversion that finished a six-week decrease, as indicated by the World Health Organization.

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Entertainment News Trending

Winston Churchill’s Painting Sold by Angelina Jolie for $11.5 Million

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A Moroccan landscape painting done by the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and owned by Angelina Jolie got sold at an auction in London for more than $11.5 million.

The sale price was almost four times the pre-sale estimate and has smashed the records for a previous work by the leader- “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” sold at Christie’s in London for $11, 590, 715.

Churchill who was a keen artist got inspired by the Moroccan city and painted the Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque’s oil work and handed over it to fellow wartime leader US President Franklin Roosevelt. This work eventually went into the hands of actress Angelina Jolie.

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