Displaying items by tag: Europe

US officials have accused Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine, violating international laws. They claim that the choking agent chloropicrin was used to make ‘battlefield gains’. The Kremlin has yet to respond but has denied similar allegations previously. Although in 2017 Russia said it had destroyed all of its Cold War-era stockpile in 2017, it faces accusations of incomplete declarations and subsequent chemical attacks, including the Salisbury attack and Navalny poisoning. Reports suggest Russian forces deployed tear gas grenades, resulting in Ukrainian casualties. Joe Biden has warned of severe consequences if the accusations are proved, and the USA has sanctioned Russian state bodies and firms allegedly linked to biological and chemical weapons programmes. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has called for a war crimes investigation, alleging Russian forces executed over a dozen surrendering Ukrainian troops a few months ago.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has denied Nicaragua's request for emergency measures to halt Germany's arms sales to Israel, claiming that this violated the UN genocide convention. Germany is a key ally of Israel and its second-largest arms supplier after the USA, supplying 30% in 2023. Nicaragua also accused Germany of breaching the UN genocide convention by halting funding for UNRWA, the UN's aid agency, over allegations of staff involvement in attacks on Israel. While Germany welcomed the ICJ's decision, it said that it is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, and that it was working ‘urgently’ to ensure that aid reaches the people of Gaza. The ICJ's decision on emergency measures came swiftly, but a final ruling could take years: it will now decide if it has jurisdiction over the case. Nicaragua, a longtime supporter for the Palestinian cause, has itself often been criticised for its human rights issues, including crackdowns on dissent and protests.

A deputy defence minister, Timur Ivanov, has been detained in Moscow, accused of accepting large-scale bribes. Ivanov, who denies the charges, has been overseeing military infrastructure projects since his appointment in 2016. There have been few such high-profile cases since the invasion of Ukraine. Ivanov, an ally of defence minister Sergei Shoigu, faces serious charges. Reports link him to profiting from construction schemes in occupied Ukrainian territories, particularly in Mariupol. A court has remanded him and a friend, Sergei Borodin, for two months. His detention signifies a significant move against Russia's elite, who are often accused of using their positions to amass vast fortunes. It may also impact Shoigu's standing, as Ivanov (described by the USA and UK as ‘tenth in the overall hierarchy of the Russian military leadership’) is seen as his close associate.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has sanctioned a priest who conducted a memorial service for Alexei Navalny, the late opposition leader. Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has banned Dimitry Safronov, the priest of a Moscow church, from his duties for three years, demoted him and stripped him of his robes and cross. He gave no official reason for these harsh sanctions, but Safronov was at Navalny’s funeral, and in March conducted a memorial service at his grave. He had also co-signed a letter asking the government to give Navalny’s body (which local authorities initially refused to release) to his family and let them bury him in the Christian tradition. Before his death Navalny had publicly spoken about his faith on several occasions.

A dense orange haze has enveloped Athens as clouds of Sahara desert dust swept across Greece, marking one of the worst episodes since 2018. Similar clouds hit Greece, Switzerland, and southern France in late March and early April. As the air quality has deteriorated, Greeks with respiratory issues have been advised to stay indoors, wear masks, and avoid strenuous activities. The Sahara annually releases 60 to 200 million tonnes of mineral dust, some of which travels long distances. A meteorologist has compared the view from one weather station to Mars. The fire service has reported 25 wildfires in 24 hours, including one in Crete, where temperatures soared above 30C. The situation underscores the environmental challenges posed by such natural phenomena, requiring vigilant monitoring and response efforts.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has tried to strike a delicate balance on a trip to China. He wanted to promote business ties but also to raise concerns over China's export surge to Europe and its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Meeting with top leaders including Xi Jinping, he adopted a conciliatory tone in his discussions, emphasising partnership while acknowledging China as a competitor and systemic rival. This marked his first visit since Germany categorised China as such and called for reduced dependency on Chinese goods. Germany faces economic challenges, exacerbated by rising energy prices due to the Ukraine war. Scholz also urged Jinping to press Russia to end its ‘senseless’ war with Ukraine: see

Two alleged spies, dual German-Russian nationals, have been arrested in Bavaria for suspected espionage related to sabotaging German military aid for Ukraine. The main suspect, Dieter S, is accused of various offences, including maintaining contact with Russian intelligence, and fighting for a Russian proxy force in eastern Ukraine. Allegedly, he was planning sabotage operations such as explosive and arson attacks on military and industrial infrastructure, including US military facilities. Germany is the second-largest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the USA. The arrests mark another blow against Russian espionage efforts in Germany. Meanwhile, in what is being called Austria’s biggest espionage scandal in decades, Egisto Ott has been arrested on suspicion of spying. He is believed to have been recruited, along with other officials, by Jan Marsalek, who fled to Moscow in 2020. See

The southern Orenburg region in Russia is facing its worst flooding in decades, with 55 cities and towns affected and thousands evacuated. Entire neighbourhoods have been submerged, with volunteers and emergency workers rescuing trapped individuals and animals. The crisis, which caught authorities off-guard, is likely to worsen, as the Ural River is expected to rise even higher. A state of emergency has been declared; the damage to houses is severe, with estimates exceeding 21 billion rubles (£178 million). The flooding, triggered by snowmelt and rainfall, breached protective dams, leading to thousands of evacuations. There are claims that the authorities knew the likelihood of flooding in advance, but took no preventative action. Some promises of compensation and dam reconstruction have been made, but locals remain disillusioned, demanding accountability for the crisis.

With the Olympic Games due to begin in Paris in just over a hundred days, France faces the challenge of balancing security preparations with public reassurance. While concerns about potential threats from groups like IS persist, some argue against giving too much attention to them, as it plays into the terrorists' hands. Interior minister Gérald Darmanin said his forces had foiled two attacks since the start of the year and arrested five individuals in three different cases in the past fortnight. France, which has experienced several Islamist attacks in recent years, has deployed Operation Sentinelle, involving 20,000 soldiers and 40,000 police, to ensure security. One army commander had this message for visitors: ‘We are well prepared for this mission, and ready to protect the population during the Olympics.’

Toivo Saabas, a young Estonian conscript, has been undergoing rigorous military training in the country's icy forests. Conscription, mandatory for men over 18 and voluntary for women, remains vital in Estonia, conscious of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Five other countries in the region are reintroducing or expanding conscription in response to heightened security concerns. Despite the gruelling training, soldiers like Toivo recognise the importance of service to their country. His commanding officer is confident about the readiness of Estonian forces and the strategic backing of NATO in the face of any potential aggression from Russia - a possibility which the Kremlin dismisses. The war in Ukraine has also changed policies in Finland, which joined NATO a year ago: see