Russia warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine, causing blast -Tass

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Written by alib

Category: Europe

Published: 21 April 2023

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MOSCOW - A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.

Local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. The regional governor said two women had been injured.

"As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition," Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.

It did not say what kind of weapon was involved.

The Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber jet.

The ministry said some buildings had been damaged and announced a probe was already under way, according to Tass.

Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, announcing a state of emergency, said on Telegram there was a crater measuring 20 metres (65 feet) across on one of the main streets. Four cars and four apartment buildings were damaged, he added.

Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with broken windows. One shot showed what appeared to be car upside down on the roof of a store.

The Belgorod region is one of several parts of southern Russia where targets such as fuel and ammunition stores have been rocked by explosions since the start of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

King Charles wins hearts in Germany as soft power pays off

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Written by northsouth

Category: Europe

Published: 01 April 2023

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By FRANK JORDANS and EMILY SCHULTHEIS

BERLIN — King Charles III won plenty of hearts during his three-day visit to Germany, his first foreign trip since ascending to the throne following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, last year.

Charles’ tour saw a number of firsts that show the importance both countries placed on it — at a time when London and Berlin are trying to rebuild relations frayed by Britain’s departure from the European Union.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier took the unprecedented step of welcoming Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, at the Brandenburg Gate with military honors Wednesday. A day later, Charles became the first monarch to address the Bundestag, the German parliament, stressing the long-standing close ties between both countries and the importance of future cooperation.

Observers in both Germany and the U.K. said the trip sent a strong signal about the enduring strength of British-German relations.

Jens Zimmermann, a lawmaker from Germany’s center-left Social Democrats, said Charles sent a “clear message” by speaking to parliament partially in German.

“The speech in the Bundestag was very well-received,” Zimmermann told The Associated Press. “It was much more political than you might have expected. It was very connecting — I think that was very good.”

In the speech, Charles emphasized that London and Berlin have provided considerable aid to Ukraine in its efforts to fend off Russia’s invasion — praise that will have been gratifying to a German government more used to claims it’s not doing enough to help Kyiv. Zimmermann said Charles thanking Germans for taking in so many Ukrainians seeking shelter from the war might also be seen as a roundabout criticism of the British government’s recent anti-refugee policies.

Although King Charles cannot pass legislation or directly impact British policy, the “soft power” of his visit should not be underestimated, Zimmermann said.

Others said that after the pandemic’s long-distance diplomacy, in-person visits like Charles’ can help deepen and renew relationships between leaders.

“I think as coronavirus has faded, we’ve been reminded of the value of face-to-face meetings,” said Bronwen Maddox, chief executive of the Chatham House think tank.

“And it just does add something to relationships, particularly between heads of state, who are very insulated,” she said. “I think it has been received very well.”

Charles originally planned to visit France first, but anti-government protests there led both governments to postpone that part of his trip. The new itinerary put the focus on Germany, where Charles has family roots and the royals have long been the subject of keen interest.

That fascination was on display among the German public at Charles’ appearances. Despite the wet and cold spring weather, well-wishers waited patiently to greet Charles and Camilla at their stops in Berlin and Hamburg, a city that sees itself as having a particularly close connection to Britain due to its long seafaring and trading ties.

Charles and Camilla also laid a wreath at the remains of St. Nikolai church to commemorate the more than 30,000 people, mostly German civilians, who were killed in Operation Gomorrah, the Allied bombing of Hamburg in July 1943. A boat trip and a farewell reception involving musical performances, including by a Beatles cover band and a sea shanty group, rounded off the king’s visit on Friday.

Michael Kruse, a lawmaker with the pro-business Free Democrats who like Zimmermann is a member of the German-British parliamentary group, said the two countries continue to have many common economic interests despite Britain’s divorce from the EU.

“The channel has widened due to Brexit,” he said. “That’s why the visit by Britain’s head of state was all the more important.”

Kruse voiced a hope shared by many in Germany, that London will find its way back into the 27-nation bloc.

“My hope is still that the British will someday recognize Brexit was a mistake and return to the EU,” he said. “The door should always be open for this. Until then, we say: see you again, King Charles III.”

King Charles III addresses German parliament, meets Scholz

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Written by northsouth

Category: Europe

Published: 30 March 2023

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BERLIN - King Charles III became the first monarch to address Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers.

Charles, 74, is on his inaugural foreign trip since becoming U.K. king. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Crowds of well-wishers and Germany’s head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, greeted the couple at the capital’s iconic Brandenburg Gate. They later attended a banquet in their honor at the presidential palace.

Pomp and royal glamour aside, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The U.K. government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the painful Brexit process.

The fallout has been considerable: Britain’s departure from the European Union’s common market has resulted in trade barriers and labor shortages, and locked the country out of key European science programs. By devoting special attention to the EU’s two biggest powers — France and Germany — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalize relations with the 27-nation bloc.

Charles originally planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there delayed that part of his trip. That put the focus on Germany, where the U.K. royal family and particularly the late Queen Elizabeth II have long enjoyed curiosity and admiration.

Not all were enamored by the visit, however. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it wasn’t in keeping with Germany’s democratic tradition to have Charles address the country’s highest political body, the Bundestag.

“A king isn’t elected,” Korte told public broadcaster ZDF. “He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think that particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people, it’s not really appropriate to have a monarch speak.”

Charles has spoken to the Bundestag before, at a commemorative event held by the German War Graves Commission in 2020, though he was still the Prince of Wales at the time.

Before his speech Charles met briefly with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and visited a farmers market in Berlin.

After his speech, Charles and Camilla are scheduled to meet with refugees and British and German military personnel stationed near Berlin before visiting an organic farm. They plan to be in Hamburg on Friday.