Three Bulgarians suspected of spying for Russia charged in UK
Trio detained in February after counter-terrorism investigation are accused of working for Moscow’s security services, BBC reports
Three Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia while living in the UK have been arrested and charged, police have said.
The defendants were among five people detained in February after a long-running counter-terrorism investigation. Three of those were then charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention, according to the Metropolitan police, which is responsible for espionage cases.
The BBC reported that they are accused of working for Russia’s security services, as part of what appears to be an undercover cell. They reportedly held passports and identity cards from Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and the Czech Republic.
Pakistan’s outgoing PM denies vendetta against Imran Khan
Exclusive: Shehbaz Sharif accuses jailed predecessor of ‘shabby treatment’ of political rivals in final interview as leader
Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has denied pursuing a personal vendetta against Imran Khan, his political rival and immediate predecessor, who was jailed and barred from politics on corruption charges this month.
Speaking to the Guardian in his last interview before handing over to a caretaker leader, Sharif said “victimisation is not in [his] dictionary” and accused Khan of “shabby treatment of opposition leaders and putting them behind bars” when he was in power from 2018 to April last year.
Sharif, who spent seven months in prison after being jailed in 2020, said there was no “question of any crackdown and personal vendetta”.
Afghanistan: 2 years of Taliban rule 'worse than feared'
As global interest in the war-torn country diminishes, many Afghans feel abandoned. In the two years since the Taliban retook control they have imposed draconian restrictions on society, especially women and girls.
"To be honest, I feel like I'm living a nightmare. It's hard to comprehend what we've been through in the last two years," Maryam Marof Arwin, 29, told DW over the phone.
Arwin, who lives in Kabul, founded an NGO called Afghanistan Women and Children Strengthen Welfare Organization, but it was seized by the Taliban two years ago — on August 15, 2021 — as they captured the Afghan capital and ousted the government of then-President Ashraf Ghani.
As US and NATO forces withdrew from the conflict-ravaged country following two decades of war, fighters from the Islamic fundamentalist group made lightning advances, conquering the entire nation in a matter of weeks.
Despite initial promises to respect women's rights under Sharia, or Islamic law, the Taliban have since imposed draconian restrictions on women and girls. Most of them are barred from participating in public life, educational institutions and the labor market.
‘Fed up with airports’: Long-distance trains take on air travel in Europe
New long-distance train connections are providing an alternative to air travel between European countries, and demand for this environmentally friendly mode of transport is soaring. But there is still plenty of room for improvement on the track
The Paris-Vienna night train has sold 70 percent of all available tickets since it launched in December 2021 – practically a full house for each of its three weekly return runs.
The Nightjet service, run by Austrian national provider OBB, pulls out from Paris’ Gare de l’Est at 7:30pm and arrives in the Austrian capital Vienna at 10am the following morning, with the cheapest tickets starting at just €29.90.
It is one of many new lines that have opened across Europe reconnecting major cities with direct train routes – and more are on the horizon.
Italian provider TrenItalia hopes to launch a direct Paris-Madrid line by the end of 2024, following what it describes as the “incredible” success of its lines connecting Paris, Lyon, Turin and Milan that were launched in 2021.
Like Nigel Farage, British Muslims say they are being ‘de-banked’
Often without providing clear reasons, major high-street banks appear to be disproportionately closing the accounts of British Muslims, members of the minority group and experts say.
Two months ago, the Cordoba Foundation, a British think tank, was organising a forum in central London about political tensions in Tunisia.
But when trying to settle invoices, its efforts to pay for the event failed.
“Multiple attempts to pay the venue provider and suppliers kept declining while payments from donors into our NatWest account kept being rejected,” said Anas Altikriti, head of the group.
“All of a sudden, we realised our business accounts had been shut. There was no notice or explanation whatsoever.”
Poland holds biggest military parade in decades, as its clout in Europe grows
Poland is holding its largest military parade in decades on Tuesday, in a flex of defensive muscle that comes as tensions rise on the border between the NATO nation and key Russian ally Belarus.
Poland’s Defense Ministry said the celebration of Polish Army Day on Tuesday would be marked by a showcase that includes 200 units of Polish and foreign military equipment, 92 aircraft and 2,000 service members.
The parade includes some of the latest technology Poland has in its arsenal, including US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks, South Korean K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers, HIMARS rocket launchers, Krab self-propelled howitzers, as well as US-made Patriot missile batteries systems, which are part of the Polish “WISŁA” air defense system.
Poland has emerged as one of Europe’s leading military powers in recent years after pouring billions into new equipment following Russia’s decision to annex the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014. Warsaw’s diplomatic clout has also grown in the wake of the instrumental role it has played in supporting Ukraine since Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
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