StrangeSights: A Christmas (tree) present for elephants; so cold in Finland even boiling water freezes, and, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un turns 40. Maybe…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Fortress Europe – Where will the migration flashpoints be in 2024?
Brussels, Belgium/London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation As governments across Europe pursue policies aimed at deterring growing migration from Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries, rights campaigners say some measures could shut out or even criminalise refugees. With polls pointing to a swing to the far-right in June’s European parliament elections, and migration dominating debate ahead of Britain’s 2024 general election, […]
Finland will again shut Russian border over asylum seekers
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Finland will again shut its entire border with Russia to stop the inflow of asylum seekers, Minister of Interior Mari Rantanen said on Thursday, just hours after the Nordic nation relaxed a two-week closure of all roads between the two countries. Helsinki has said a recent rise in asylum seekers arriving via Russia […]
Finland shuts more Russia border points, says asylum inflow must stop
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Russia must stop sending asylum seekers across its frontier into Finland in what amounts to a “hybrid attack”, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Friday, after the Nordic nation temporarily shut all border passenger crossings bar one. More than 800 migrants from nations including Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen […]
Finland mulls more border restrictions as asylum seekers “impossible” to return
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Finland said on Monday it had become impossible to return asylum seekers who did not meet the criteria for protection and said that it might further restrict migrant entries from Russia following a jump in the number of applicants. Over 500 asylum seekers, mostly from Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq, arrived in Finland […]
Dozens of migrants wait at Finland-Russia border after Helsinki blocks crossings
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Dozens of migrants stood behind barriers at two crossings on Finland’s border with Russia on Saturday, the Finnish Border Guard said, after Helsinki erected barricades to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow. The Finnish Government has accused Russia of funnelling migrants to the crossings in retaliation for […]
Finland to close four Russia border crossings to stop asylum seekers
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Finland will close four of the nine crossing points on its border with Russia on Saturday to stem a flow of asylum seekers to the Nordic nation, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday. Neighbouring Norway, which shares a border with Russia in the Arctic, is also ready to close its border at […]
Finland says Russia leads asylum seekers to its border
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Finland on Tuesday accused Russia of funnelling asylum-seekers to its border and said it will take the necessary action to prevent a mass inflow of people and protect its national security. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told a press conference that Russia had changed its practice by allowing people access to the border without […]
Essay: Russia’s decision to ditch Cold War arms limitation treaty raises tensions with NATO
In an article first published on The Conversation, KENTON WHITE explains the background to Russia’s recent decision to pull out of the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe…
Updated: Russia says Ukraine tried to kill Putin with drone attack on Kremlin
Updated: 7:50am, 4th May (AEST)Moscow, Russia/Kyiv, UkraineReuters Russia accused Ukraine on Wednesday of a failed attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in Moscow, and threatened to retaliate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv had nothing to do with the reported overnight incident. “We don’t attack Putin, or […]