On Wednesday, Russia declared 10 employees of the Norwegian embassy and its military attaché's office in Moscow "persona non grata".
The Russian Foreign Ministry said, in a statement, that it had summoned Norway's ambassador to Moscow, Robert Kafileh, to lodge a strong protest against the Oslo decision to expel 15 diplomats from the Russian embassy in Norway and the staff of its military attaché's office earlier this month.
"This hostile step has exacerbated the situation in bilateral relations, which are already at a very low level," she stressed.
The ambassador, his sponsor, was also told that the Russian ministry would take other measures, including restrictions on the hiring of local staff by Norwegian diplomatic missions.
On April 13, Norway expelled 15 Russian officials, accusing them of "espionage under diplomatic cover."
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anneken Huitfeldt said, in a press statement, that "Norway will not allow Moscow to use its embassy to carry out secret intelligence activities."
Ursula von der Leyen: Europe and Israel are destined to be friends and allies
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sent a message of friendship to Israel on the occasion of its founding anniversary.
And she said in a video recording on Twitter: "Today we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Israel's independence and friendship with Europe."
Addressing Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the Israelis, she added: "Seventy-five years ago, a dream came true, coinciding with Israel's Independence Day. After the greatest tragedy in human history, the Jewish people were finally able to build a home in the Promised Land."
And she continued, "Today we celebrate 75 years of vibrant democracy in the heart of the Middle East.. Seventy-five years of dynamism, creativity and pioneering innovation.. You have literally made the desert bloom, as I saw during my visit to the Negev last year."
And she added, "Today we also celebrate 75 years of friendship between Israel and Europe. We have more in common than geography suggests, our common culture, values and hundreds of thousands of dual citizens. Europeans and Israelis have created a deep bond between us."
And she concluded by saying: "Europe and Israel are supposed to be friends and allies. Your freedom is our freedom."
British MPs are calling for Wagner to be declared a terrorist organization
British deputies called for declaring the Russian "Wagner" forces "a terrorist organization, given the destructive role they play in Sudan, the Darfur region and other African countries."
A report with recommendations addressed to the UK government was presented by the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group on Sudan and South Sudan, led by former Deputy Foreign Secretary (2021-2022) Vicki Ford.
The document stated that "the United Kingdom must evaluate the results of the activities of the "Wagner" group and Russian influence in Darfur, Sudan and the African coast, and it is necessary to declare the "Wagner" group a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on it.
The deputies called for opening an investigation into the export of gold from Sudan to find out who the proceeds of its sale belong to, and to consider measures to prevent its illegal use.
Complaint against Sarkozy on the background of the Qatar World Cup
The Anti-Corruption Association "Anticor" announced that it had filed a complaint on April 7 against former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and 3 others, on suspicion of corruption dealings in connection with the granting of Qatar the organization of the 2022 World Cup.
The complaint, revealed by the French newspaper "Le Monde" , targets former Secretary-General of the French Presidency Claude Guéant, businessman Francois de la Brousse, and former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani.
The association accuses Bin Jassim of abusing influence, bribing a foreign public servant, illegal financing of an electoral campaign, and covering up this crime.
To support its complaint, Anticor relied on an article published by Mediapart in September, which talks about the free contribution of François de la Brosse through his company, ZNZ Group, to the presidential campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, and then his work as a communications consultant at the Elysee Palace.
According to "Mediapart", which was based on an investigation document, "ZNZ Group" and the Qatari company "Q Media" then concluded a memorandum of understanding in the summer of 2011 to establish a web TV called "Enjoy Qatar" (Enjoy Qatar).
And Q Media, owned by Hamad bin Jassim's son-in-law, paid 600,000 euros to ZNZ Group.
In its complaint, Anticor also mentioned other bills and Q Media's investment in the French company.
The association asked, "Are we facing a corruption transaction whose sole purpose is to reward François de la Brosse for his services, or are we facing a partial implementation of a broader corruption transaction previously concluded between Nicolas Sarkozy and Qatar?"
For his part, Claude Guein's lawyer, Philippe Bouchet El-Ghazzi, said that his client "was not subjected to any interrogation on this old subject, for which there is nothing wrong with him."
Anticor requested that these elements be attached to the judicial investigation about the conditions under which the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) granted Qatar on December 2, 2010 the organization of the World Cup that was held in the fall of 2022, and the association is a civil party in this case.
In the file for granting the organization of the World Cup, which was opened in 2019, investigators are trying to determine whether the selection of the Gulf state came as a result of a “deal” concluded during a luncheon at the Elysee Palace on November 23, 2010 that brought together Sarkozy and former French soccer player Michel Platini, who was president The European Football Association at the time, Hamad bin Jassim and the then Crown Prince of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who became Emir in 2013.
For the association's lawyer, Jean-Baptiste Suffran, "it is important that Anticor handle this file because of its potential links to awarding Qatar the organization of the World Cup, as well as because of the possibility of influence peddling and corruption that may be directly linked to a presidential campaign."
Agence France-Presse said it had contacted Nicolas Sarkozy's lawyer, but he did not respond immediately.
Hungarian defense calls for caution in the issue of "NATO" expansion
The Hungarian Minister of Defense, Krzysztof Salai Borovnitsky, in a meeting with his counterparts in the "Bucharest Group" countries, called for caution in the issue of NATO expansion.
The Hungarian defense calls for caution in the matter of expansionThe Kremlin: NATO has witnessed 9 waves of its expansion, and it is not a dove of peace
“Hungary supports the policy of open doors (on the issue of NATO enlargement), but nevertheless calls on its partners to exercise caution. All decisions in this direction can only be taken if the applicant countries fully comply with the conditions, as well as the full unanimity of the allied countries in "NATO".
He pointed to the importance of combating illegal immigration from the south and called for the support of the Western Balkan countries in this.
He emphasized that "Hungary plays an important role in strengthening NATO's eastern flank" and allocated 2 percent of GDP to defense a year ahead of schedule.
It is noteworthy that the "Bucharest Group" includes nine countries in the "NATO" on the eastern wing of the alliance are Bulgaria, Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
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