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Russia detains Radio Free Europe journalist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

Authorities in Russia’s Kazan on Wednesday arrested Alsu Kurmasheva, a Prague-based editor and Russian-American citizen with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a media outlet funded by the U.S. Congress.Kurmasheva has been charged with failure to register as a foreign agent, and faces up to five years in prison, her employer said in a statement.“Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children,” RFE/RL’s acting President Jeffrey Gedmin said. “She needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately.”Under President Vladimir Putin, Russian authorities have increasingly cracked down on dissent and restricted press freedoms — a trend that accelerated with Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Kurmasheva, whose reporting focused on ethnic minorities in the southwestern regions of Tatarstan (the capital of which is Kazan) and Bashkortostan, is the second U.S. citizen arrested in Rus...

Rishi Sunak pledges ‘solidarity with the Israel people’ on trip to Tel Aviv

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel Thursday morning for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of a two-day visit to the war-torn Middle East. Speaking ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, Sunak told Israeli reporters “Above all, I’m here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people.“You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.” Sunak is set to visit other regional capitals after his visit to Israel, although Downing Street is not confirming a specific itinerary, citing security reasons. Sunak is expected to call for the route into Gaza to be opened up as soon as possible to allow humanitarian aid into the region and for trapped British nationals to leave.U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is conducting his own diplomatic push to stop the conflict spreading across the region during a three-da...

Germany’s Deutsche Bahn sells European subsidiary Arriva to infrastructure investor I Squared

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s state-owned railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, said Thursday that it has agreed to sell its European public transport subsidiary, Arriva, to U.S.-based infrastructure investor I Squared Capital.Deutsche Bahn didn’t disclose the value of the planned sale. It said the transaction should be completed next year. The company is selling Arriva “to enable additional growth in rail transport in Germany and allow it to focus its resources on its core business.”Arriva has about 35,500 employees and operates in 10 European countries. It has bus and train units in the U.K. and also has operations in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.Deutsche Bahn acquired the British-based company in 2010. Arriva businesses in “non-core markets,” including Sweden and Portugal, already have been sold. Deutsche Bahn Chief Financial Officer Levin Holle said in a statement that “Arriva has good prospects for sus...

In the news today: Israel’s envoy to Canada warns of “fine line” in free speech

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…‘Thin line’ for free speech, hate: Israel envoyIsrael’s envoy to Canada says it’s important for democracies to look at when a line has been crossed between freedom of speech and what he calls “freedom of hate.”Ambassador Iddo Moed spoke generally in an interview with The Canadian Press about what he sees as a “thin line” between the two. He says he couldn’t comment on the nature of any demonstrations seen in Canada since Hamas’s surprise attacks on Israel on October 7th, which triggered retaliation from the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip.Police liaison officer to testify in convoy trialThe officer who served as a go-between for “Freedom Convoy” organizer Chris Barber and police is expected to testify in his criminal trial.Barber and Tamara Lich are facing charges for their role in bring...

Canada promised to stop exporting unwanted plastic waste. But it’s still happening.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

OTTAWA — On the northern fringe of Myanmar’s largest city is a township of nearly 300,000 people with a growing industrial base in textiles, consumer goods and food products. But north of Yangon in Shwepyithar, whose name in English means “golden and pleasant,” nothing is growing faster than garbage. And a lot of it isn’t even theirs.Piled up on every block are great big mounds of tattered bags, discarded plastic bottles and packaging turned grey from weather and dirt.Mountains of plastic waste, sometimes as tall as single-storey houses, are rotting in the streets. People have to wind their way around the piles to get to temples and community centres.The stench seeps into homes, and mothers instruct their children not to play in the trash. The hot weather dries out the garbage, making every road at risk of catching fire.In Myanmar, where citizens have once again been under military rule since a 2021 coup, the locals are terrified to speak out. Frontier Myanma...

Canada-Caribbean summit in Ottawa continues with focus on investment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

OTTAWA — Meetings continue today in Ottawa as leaders from across the Caribbean touch base on how Canada can help create a safer, greener world.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has welcomed a dozen leaders from across the Caribbean for a two-day summit.Wednesday’s meetings touched on climate change, reforming financial institutions and securing Haiti from a gang crisis.Today’s meetings aim to focus on opportunities for Canadian investments in Caribbean countries, as well as boosting trade.The prime minister is likely to hold one-on-one meetings with some of his counterparts in between those talks.Trudeau is also expected to take questions from reporters this afternoon as the summit wraps up.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2023.Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Police officer who liaised with Chris Barber to testify in criminal trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

OTTAWA — The officer who served as a go-between for “Freedom Convoy” organizer Chris Barber and police is expected to testify in his criminal trial.Barber and Tamara Lich are facing charges for their role in bringing thousands of big-rig trucks to Ottawa in protest against COVID-19 public-health measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.Const. Nicole Bach is expected to testify about her interactions with Barber and other convoy participants over the three weeks they were entrenched in the capital’s downtown core. Bach is one of three police liaison offers scheduled to testify in the trial. The Crown’s case depends on proving that Lich and Barber exerted influence over the crowds and truck drivers that blocked off major streets downtown. On Wednesday, Const. Isabelle Cyr told the court that Barber and Lich’s group was just one convoy that made its way to Ottawa as part of the protest. This report by The Canadian Press was first publi...

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

OTTAWA — The RCMP has told owners to turn in fully automatic military surplus firearms after hundreds were misidentified and allowed into Canada for commercial sale.The Mounties say the registrar of firearms immediately froze records relating to the 245 prohibited guns upon discovery of the issue to prevent further sale or transfer of the firearms.The registrar believes three firearm businesses imported and registered the guns as semi-automatic Tavor X95s that are classified as restricted firearms and can be sold in Canada.However, the RCMP says that upon physical inspection it was determined the firearms are actually fully automatic Tavor X95 MSWs, which are prohibited in Canada. Within 30 days of receiving a revocation notice, individuals and businesses must deliver the prohibited firearms to police or a firearms officer, lawfully dispose of them or contest the decision in provincial court.The Mounties say the misidentification is being investigated.An image of an Oct. 5 revocatio...

‘Thin line’ between freedom of speech and ‘freedom of hate,’ says Israeli ambassador

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

OTTAWA — Israel’s envoy to Canada says it is important for democracies to assess when a line has been crossed between freedom of speech and what he calls “freedom of hate.” Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, spoke generally about what he sees as a “thin line” between the two in an interview with The Canadian Press. He said he couldn’t comment on the nature of any demonstrations seen in Canada since Hamas launched surprise attacks on Oct. 7, when rocket attacks and raids by militants killed hundreds of civilians in southern Israel during a major Jewish holiday.Israel retaliated with airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory controlled by Hamas, and cut off access to essential supplies. More than 4,000 people have died in the latest Israel-Hamas war.Almost immediately, the conflict sparked protests worldwide.Political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Liberal ministers, swiftly condemned demonstrat...

Palestinians in Gaza feel nowhere is safe amid unrelenting Israeli airstrikes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:05:25 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes pounded locations across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, including parts of the south that Israel had declared safe zones, heightening fears among more than 2 million Palestinians trapped in the territory that nowhere was safe.In the nearly two weeks since Israel began attacking in response to a devastating Hamas rampage in towns across southern Israel, airstrikes have relentlessly hit the densely populated territory. Even after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate the north and head to what it called “safe zones” in the south, strikes continued across the entire territory.The bombardments came after Israel agreed Wednesday to allow Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to Gaza, the first crack in a punishing 11-day siege. Many among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have cut down to one meal a day and have been left to drink dirty water amid dwindling supplies.The announcement of a plan to bring water, food and other supplies in...