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MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his official approval to a significant increase in military spending that will see around 30% of fiscal expenditure directed towards the armed forces in 2024 as he signed draft budget plans into law on Monday. Moscow is diverting ever more resources towards prosecuting its war in Ukraine. …

Putin approves big military spending hikes for Russia’s budget Read More »

LISBON (Reuters) – Environmental groups have filed a legal action in a Lisbon court against Portugal over an alleged failure to put into practice its own regulation to tackle climate change, they said on Monday. Portugal approved in 2021 a set of regulatory policies and legal instruments to combat climate change, but the three environmental …

Environmental groups take Portugal to court over climate inaction Read More »

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s government and the southern Andalusia region on Monday signed an agreement to protect the endangered Donana wildlife reserve, bringing an end to a two-year dispute. The national park, threatened by climate change and illegal irrigation, is in critical condition with lagoons drying out and biodiversity declining. Scientists have called for a …

Spain strikes deal to end dispute over endangered Donana wetland Read More »

By Joan Faus BARCELONA (Reuters) -Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain on Monday that a two-state solution was the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell saying the Palestinian Authority should rule Gaza. Borrell said all EU members attending the meeting of Mediterranean nations …

Arab states, EU agree on need for two-state solution to Israel crisis Read More »

By Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) – The 57 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe agreed on Monday that Malta should take over the organization’s rotating chairmanship after Russia barred Estonia from the job, officials said. OSCE countries’ foreign ministers meet on Thursday and Friday in the North Macedonian capital of …

Neutral Malta to chair OSCE after Moscow blocks NATO member Estonia Read More »

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis, who is suffering from lung inflammation, is in “good and stable” condition, receiving antibiotic therapy intravenously, and will limit his activities for the next few days in order to conserve his strength, the Vatican said on Monday. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that a CT scan at a …

Pope in ‘good, stable’ condition, on antibiotic IV for lung inflammation – Vatican Read More »

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) – Yekaterina Duntsova, who wants to run for president, said the Kremlin should end the conflict in Ukraine, free political prisoners and undertake major reform to halt the slide towards a new era of “barbed wire” division between Russia and the West. Nearly 32 years since the 1991 fall of …

In Russia, war and fear trouble one presidential hopeful Read More »

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The person named by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders as “scout” to investigate workable governing coalitions after elections in which Wilders won the most seats abruptly resigned on Monday. Gom van Strien, who was appointed on Friday, said in a statement his position had become untenable after reports emerged over the weekend …

Wilders ‘scout’ leading first phase of Dutch election talks resigns Read More »