Category: Europe

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-Top News Europe USA

‘Russia might be weaker than it seems’

The US President is all set to meet Putin on June 16 in Geneva….reports Asian Lite News

Three days before the US-Russia Summit, President Joe Biden said that “autocrat” Vladimir Putin was right to say that relations were at their lowest point in years, media reported.

He also suggested that Russia might be weaker than it seemed and that Moscow had overreached in the Middle East, it was reported.

During the G7 summit in UK, Biden said that the world’s richest democracies now faced an existential contest with “autocrats” that would define the 21st Century, according to reports.

Biden was quoted as saying: “Autocrats have enormous power and they don’t have to answer to a public and the fact is that it may very well be if I respond in kind, as I will, that it doesn’t dissuade him – he wants to keep going.”

Russian President Vladmir Putin
ALSO READ: Putin hopes Biden less impulsive than Trump

The US President is all set to meet Putin on June 16 in Geneva.

According to reports, the meeting is expected to be a combative encounter after disputes over spying, hacking, election meddling, Ukraine, Belarus and human rights.

On Sunday, Putin said that the two countries need to engage in a constructive dialogue and establish mechanisms for interaction as there are areas in which Moscow and Washington can cooperate.

“[We need] to restore our personal contacts, relations, establish a direct dialogue, create really functioning mechanisms of interaction,” Putin said in an interview broadcast by the Smotrim.ru media outlet.

The president noted that the US side is well aware that there are a number of areas that are of mutual interest, such as strategic stability, regional conflicts, environmental protection measures, and climate.

“There are areas in which we can really work effectively,” Putin added

ALSO READ: Biden looks to rebuild NATO shaken by Trump

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-Top News Europe

Ireland mulls more travel curbs on Britain

Currently travellers from Britain must self-quarantine but can move freely once they obtain a negative COVID-19 test no less than five days after arrival…reports Asian Lite News.

The Irish government is planning to increase quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travellers from Britain, according to Foreign Minister Simon Coveney.

This latest move from the Irish government comes after it rising concerns over the Delta variant of COVID-19, according to reports.

Currently travellers from Britain must self-quarantine but can move freely once they obtain a negative COVID-19 test no less than five days after arrival.

Asked in an interview with RTE radio whether the measures to be considered by the government in the coming days would include a longer quarantine for British travellers, Coveney said: “Potentially, yes, particularly for people who aren’t vaccinated,” it was reported.

ALSO READ-Scotland, Ireland ease Covid curbs

READ MORE-UK, Ireland agree to maintain smooth post-Brexit trade

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-Top News Europe USA

Putin hopes Biden less impulsive than Trump

Putin hopes Biden less impulsive than Trump

Though he described relations with the United States as having “deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years,” Putin said he expects he can work with Biden….reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced hope Friday that US President Joe Biden will be less impulsive than his predecessor Donald Trump, ahead of his first summit with the new US leader.

In an interview with NBC News, Putin described Biden as a “career man” who has spent his life in politics.

Though he described relations with the United States as having “deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years,” Putin said he expects he can work with Biden.

“It is my great hope that, yes, there are some advantages, some disadvantages, but there will not be any impulse-based movements on behalf of the sitting US president,” he said, according to a translation by NBC News.

“I believe that former US president Trump is an extraordinary individual, talented individual… He is a colorful individual. You may like him or not. But he didn’t come from the US establishment,” Putin was quoted as saying.

Biden plans to raise a range of US complaints, including over purported Russian election interference and hacking, in the summit with Putin on Wednesday in Geneva at the end of the new president’s first foreign trip.

Putin has openly admitted that in the 2016 vote he supported Trump, who had voiced admiration for the Russian leader. At their first summit, Trump infamously appeared to accept Putin’s denials of election interference.

Biden has said he is under no illusions about Putin and has described him as “a killer” in light of a series of high-profile deaths including of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.

Asked directly if he is “a killer,” Putin chuckled but did not give a yes or no answer.

“Over my tenure, I’ve gotten used to attacks from all kinds of angles and from all kinds of areas under all kinds of pretext and reasons and of different caliber and fierceness, and none of it surprises me,” he said, adding that the term “killer” was a “macho” term common in Hollywood.

Such discourse “is part of US political culture where it’s considered normal. By the way, not here, it is not considered normal here,” he said.

Putin also dismissed as “fake news” a report in the Washington Post that Russia is planning to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that would allow it to track potential military targets.

“At the very least, I don’t know anything about this kind of thing,” the Russian leader said, speaking from the Kremlin. “It’s just nonsense garbage.”

According to interviewer Keir Simmons, Putin also denied any knowledge of cyberattacks on the United States, and called on Biden to strike a deal with Russia on cyberspace.

ALSO READ: Russia warned in Biden’s first speech in UK

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EU News Europe

French President slapped by man in crowd

French President Emmanuel Macron

The palace called it “an attempted slap”. According to media reports, two people were detained in connection with the incident….reports Asian Lite News

A man slapped French President Emmanuel Macron full in the face on Tuesday as the French leader was greeting people behind a fence during a visit to the Drome region in southeast France to discuss reopening of restaurants as the country eases out of lockdown measures.

The Elysee Palace confirmed the authenticity of a video circulating online in which Macron can be seen approaching a line of people, preparing to shake hands, when one person behind the barrier reaches out and slaps him, the dpa news agency reported.

French President Macron slapped while greeting crowd, 2 detained

The palace called it “an attempted slap”. According to media reports, two people were detained in connection with the incident.

As the president is slapped, the words “Down with Macron-ism” are shouted, the BBC reported.

In the video, Macron is swarmed by security personnel after the assault. It is not clear whether he was injured or what happened to the people behind the fence.

The palace said Macron continued with his visit after the incident.

French President Macron slapped while greeting crowd, 2 detained

Prime Minister Jean Castex told the National Assembly shortly afterwards that while democracy meant debate and legitimate disagreement, “it must never in any case mean violence, verbal aggression and even less physical attack”, the BBC reported.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon tweeted his “solidarity with the President” immediately after the incident.

ALSO READ: France imposes quarantine on UK visitors

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-Top News Europe USA

‘NATO summit to send strong signal of trans-Atlantic unity’

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
Biden is due to attend the June 14 meeting of leaders of NATO member states as part of his first foreign trip as President…reports Asian Lite News.

Next week’s NATO summit will send a strong signal of trans-Atlantic unity, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House.

“This summit will be a strong demonstration of trans-Atlantic unity of Europe and North America, because we are stronger and safer together in the more unpredictable world,” dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying on Monday.

Among the range of different challenges and threats to prepare for, Stoltenberg cited Russia, with its growing aggression toward its neighbours, and China as it invests in new military capabilities.

Biden is due to attend the June 14 meeting of leaders of NATO member states as part of his first foreign trip as President.

Stoltenberg said he was pleased to receive Biden in Brussels.

“A strong NATO is good for Europe, but it’s also good for the US, no other major power has so many friends and allies as the US has in NATO.”

White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said that, during the meeting, Biden “expressed his strong commitment to working closely with Allies to build on NATO’s seven decades of success safeguarding trans-Atlantic security and democratic values”.

“The two leaders agreed on the importance of the NATO 2030 initiative to adapt the Alliance to meet the challenges of strategic competition and transnational threats, including climate change and cyberattacks.”

Under former President Donald Trump, relations between the US and many of its allies became strained.

Former US President Donald Trump

Biden has pledged to address this.

Stoltenberg also met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday.

The issues they discussed included Afghanistan, where the official withdrawal of international troops has been underway for just over a month.

ALSO READ-NATO to continue support for Afghan forces after troop withdrawal

READ MORE-Erdogan warns US ahead of NATO summit

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-Top News COVID-19 Europe

Spain welcomes vaccinated visitors

Spain’s Minister of Health Carolina Darias tweeted on Saturday that “Spain is a safe destination and we are in a position to soon regain our world tourism leadership, something that is endorsed by the excellent vaccination data that places us closer to normality every day.”…reporrts Asian Lite News.

Spain on Monday ended restrictions on travellers from outside of the European Union (EU) and the Schengen travel area who have a certificate to prove they have fully completed their vaccination procedure 14 days before travel.

This follows the country’s earlier decision to lift restrictions on travellers from the UK from May 24 in an attempt to boost Spain’s tourism sector, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Spain’s Minister of Health Carolina Darias tweeted on Saturday that “Spain is a safe destination and we are in a position to soon regain our world tourism leadership, something that is endorsed by the excellent vaccination data that places us closer to normality every day.”

Under the new rules, those who come from countries or areas not included in the list of risk countries will have access to a quick control with the QR code obtained through SpTH (Spain Travel Health). Also, once the EU Covid Digital Certificate comes into force on July 1, holders of this document will also have access to this quick control.

Those who come from areas that are included in the list of countries at risk will have to undergo a random control, which will take into account their place of origin and the level of incidence, according to the government’s decision.

In the validation of the vaccination certificate, Spain will only accept the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as those recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO).

EMA covers Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, and the World Health Organization adds China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac to the list. Unvaccinated minors aged 6 or under who are traveling with adults will also be allowed entry.

As of Monday, non-vaccinated visitors from the EU will be able to enter Spain with a negative antigen test instead of the previously requested negative PCR test, while cruise ships will once again be allowed to dock at Spanish ports.

According to the latest Ministry of Health data published on Friday, 19,038,135 Spaniards (40.1 per cent of the population) have received at least one dose of a vaccine, while 10,257,209 (21.6 per cent of the population) have received both doses or being given the single-shot Janssen vaccine.

ALSO READ-Covid infections surge in Spain

READ MORE-France, Germany, Spain reach new fighter jet deal

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-Top News EU News Europe

Belarus flights ban decision not political: EU Commission

EU President Ursula von der Leyen
On May 23, a Ryanair flight en route from Greece to Lithuania was grounded in Minsk over a bomb threat flagged by the Belarusian authorities, which turned out to be fake…reports Asian Lite News.

The European Commission does not believe that the decision of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to ban flights over Belarus was politically motivated, a commission spokesperson told Sputnik on Monday.

On Friday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) criticized the EASA’s directive as “politicization of aviation safety” and urged it to reverse the ban.

“The only politicization of air traffic happened when Belarusian authorities forced down a European airplane under false pretext only to arrest the critical journalist Roman Protasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega. This attack also put at risk the safety of European citizens and planes and showed the complete disregard of Belarus authorities for international aviation rules and procedures,” the EC spokesperson said.

They also noted that Minsk’s decision to divert the plane was “an attack on democracy, an attack on freedom of expression and an attack on European sovereignty.”

According to the EC source, on June 2 the EASA decided to issue a safety directive calling on the EU member states to mandate their national carriers to avoid Belarus airspace in order to “reduce the potential risk to passengers and crews.”

“Safety of passengers remains the Commission’s highest priority and the key driver of the activities and the mission of EASA in providing safe air travel for EU citizens in Europe and worldwide,” they stressed.

On May 23, a Ryanair flight en route from Greece to Lithuania was grounded in Minsk over a bomb threat flagged by the Belarusian authorities, which turned out to be fake. In Minsk, one of the passengers, journalist Roman Protasevich, who is known to be the founder of Belarusian opposition Telegram channel Nexta, was detained along with Russian national Sofia Sapega. The incident prompted an outcry from the West. (ANI/Sputnik)

ALSO READ-Belarusian airlines banned from flying over EU

READ MORE-Russia, Belarus warned against threatening allies

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-Top News COVID-19 Europe

Germany allows everyone to sign up for jabs

Anyone in Germany aged 12 and above wanting to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 can now ask for an appointment with the end of the prioritisation of jabs, which had until Monday limited the inoculation to those over 60 and up and certain priority groups.

However, there won’t be enough doses for everyone just yet, dpa news agency.

Top German doctors and Health Minister Jens Spahn have urged people to be patient as the prioritisation ends.

At the same time, more than 6,000 company doctors are starting their own vaccination programmes.

The head of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, said that the lifting of vaccination prioritization would lead to disillusionment among many people.

“Disappointment and frustration are pre-programmed into the process, as not enough vaccine is immediately available,” he told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

General practitioners also dampened expectations, with Ulrich Weigeldt, chairperson of the German GP Association, telling Funke Mediengruppe newspapers that “the vaccine is still too scarce, compared to the high demand, and will continue to be delivered too unreliably”.

So far, appointments for Covid-19 vaccinations in Germany had been assigned in prioritisation groups, which were primarily based on citizens’ age, previous illnesses and occupation.

Last week, the BioNTech-Pfizer Covid jab received the first authorisation in the European Union (EU) for adolescents and the German government decided that children over the age of 12 years could sign up for vaccination.

More than 15.6 million people in Germany have been fully vaccinated till date, bringing the country’s vaccination rate to 18.8 per cent, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Almost 36.5 million Germans have already received at least one dose of a vaccine.

ALSO READ-Germany to lift vax prioritisation scheme

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Canada Europe

Pope voices pain over Canada deaths, but doesn’t apologise

Pope Francis

This comes as the mass burial place of 215 children, aged from three years, was found at the site of a school, closed in 1978, near the Canadian town of Kamloops…reports Asian Lite News

Pope Francis on Sunday expressed sorrow over the findings of the remains of more than 200 indigenous children at a former indigenous boarding school in western Canada, which was run by the Church.

“I observe with pain the shocking discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 children, pupils of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, in the province of British Columbia. I join the Canadian Bishops and the whole Catholic Church in Canada in expressing his closeness to the Canadian people, who have been traumatized by the shocking news,” the pontiff at a mass as quoted by the Vatican news.

This comes as the mass burial place of 215 children, aged from three years, was found at the site of a school, closed in 1978, near the Canadian town of Kamloops, Sputnik reported.

Following the discovery of graves, a probe has been opened into the circumstances and the accountability of these fatalities.

The pope requested Canadian authorities “to continue to work together with determination to shed light on this sad event and to commit themselves humbly to a path of reconciliation and healing.”

According to Francis, the incident was a strong call to abandon the “colonial model” and work toward the recognition of rights of the ingenious communities in Canada.

However, he stopped short of a direct apology that some Canadians had demanded.

“We’re all pained and saddened. Who isn’t? This is a worldwide travesty,” Bobby Cameron, chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in Saskatchewan.

“How hard is it for the Pope to say: ‘I’m very sorry for the way our organization treated the First Nations people, the First Nations students during those times. We are sorry. We pray,” Cameron said.

Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto, Thomas Collins also said an apology “may very well be something that will be on the path ahead”.

Under the Canadian schooling system for indigenous children, at least 150,000 students were forcibly separated from their families and incarcerated in residential schools, according to the Russian news agency. It is estimated that up to 6,000 children could have died in such schools. (ANI/IANS)

ALSO READ: Remains of 215 kids found in Canada, UN urges probe

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-Top News Afghanistan Europe

Russia, Belarus warned against threatening allies

Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said NATO was seriously concerned about the closer cooperation between Moscow and Minsk in recent months…reports Asian Lite News

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday warned Russia and Belarus against threatening the alliance’s allies, following the forced landing of a passenger plane within the European Union (EU0 by Belarusian authorities.

“We are of course ready, in an emergency, to protect and defend any ally against any kind of threat coming from Minsk and Moscow,” dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

“We are vigilant and we are following what is happening in Belarus very closely,” he said.

Belarus is becoming “more and more dependent” on Russia, he added.

Stoltenberg said NATO was seriously concerned about the closer cooperation between Moscow and Minsk in recent months.

“We have had to learn in the past that Russia has massively violated the territorial integrity of states such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.”

He did not want to speculate too much, Stoltenberg said, noting, “NATO is a defensive alliance.”

Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, all members of NATO, share borders with Belarus.

On May 23, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko forced a Ryanair commercial flight between two EU capitals, Athens and Vilnius, to make an emergency landing in Minsk.

Dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, passengers on the plane, were arrested and are being held in custody.

While the EU responded with sanctions on Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Lukashenko for talks and said Moscow would support Belarus with $500 million in credit.

Putin also underlined his continuing support for Lukashenko in his confrontation with the West.

ALSO READ: Russia vows response to EU hostility yet ready for dialogue