Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights chief persona non grata
The rare diplomatic designation has no immediate practical effect but reflected the broader anger of President Nicolás Maduro at the U.N. agency that monitors and defends human rights. It comes just days after Türk said his office has documented increasing arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and torture under Maduro's government.
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Winnipeg Free Press
29 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pro-Palestinian activists due to appear court after damaging planes at RAF base
LONDON (AP) — Four people are set to appear in a London courtroom on Thursday over charges connected with an incident in which pro-Palestinian protesters damaged two Royal Air Force planes with red paint and crowbars. The charges come after the group Palestine Action said two of its members entered RAF Brize Norton on June 20 and used electric scooters to approach two Voyager jets used for air-to-air refueling. The protesters used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray paint into the planes' jet engines and caused further damage with crowbars, according to the group, which released video footage of the incident. The four, all between the ages of 22 and 35, are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the U.K., counter-terror police said in a statement. The Crown Prosecution Service will argue that that the offenses have a 'terrorist connection,' police said. Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for a series of incidents targeting Israeli defense contractors in the U.K. and other sites linked to the war in Gaza. Following the incident at RAF Brize Norton, the government introduced legislation to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The measure means it will be a criminal offense to belong to or support the group, with a maximum of 14 years in prison. Palestine Action rejects that assertion, saying its protests are designed to end international support for Israel's war in Gaza. Planes from Brize Norton, 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of London, regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain's main air base for operations in the Middle East.
Winnipeg Free Press
33 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Serbian police detain 79 protesters as dissent persists against populist president
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian police said they detained 79 university students and other protesters as they broke up street blockades in several cities that are part of persistent dissent against President Aleksandar Vucic's populist government. Officers in riot gear intervened late Wednesday and early Thursday in the capital, Belgrade, the northern city of Novi Sad and the southern cities of Nis and Novi Pazar. Authorities denied reports of police brutality and excessive force against demonstrators. University students behind the protests said police charged and injured many peaceful demonstrators. Witnesses told local media that riot police beat up protesters with batons and shields and that four students were hospitalized, including one with a broken clavicle. Four officers were injured and a police vehicle was damaged, the Interior Ministry said in a statement, noting officers 'acted in accordance with the law' while responding to the unrest Wednesday and early Thursday. Tensions in the Balkan country have soared since a rally Saturday demanding early parliamentary elections. The gathering by tens of thousands of people in Belgrade ended with clashes between riot police and groups of protesters. Vucic has refused to schedule a snap vote despite more than eight months of persistent demonstrations. The protests began in November after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people and triggering allegations of corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects. Parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2027. While rejecting the election demand, Vucic has stepped up government pressure to curb the protests that he describes as 'terror' and attempts to bring down the state. Critics say Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power over a decade ago, stifling democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and organized crime to flourish, which he has denied. Serbia is formally seeking entry to the European Union, but Vucic's government has nourished relations with Russia and China.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
‘Don't want Trump to decide my vacation': Maine town still seeing tourists amid U.S.-Canada tensions
This is Part 1 of a series looking at the impact of U.S.-Canada political tensions in Maine. Part 2 will take a closer look at how small businesses are coping. A Maine tourist hotspot is noticing a drop in Canadian tourists amid tensions between the United States and Canada, but the travellers who did cross the border say they have no intentions of changing their habits. Over the weekend ahead of Canada Day and the Fourth of July, the beaches at Maine's Old Orchard Beach were busy. Many Canadians have chosen to return to the town, like Kelly Raymond from Drummondville, Que., who travelled with her mother. She says while political tensions, including U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed rhetoric for Canada to become the 51st state, wasn't enough to stop them. Story continues below advertisement 'For the ocean, it's the closest we have,' she said. '(Political tensions) should have factored into our decision, but it didn't … I don't want to support here that much by like spending money here, but I want to take time off, so it's nice.' View image in full screen Old Orchard Beach in Maine relies heavily on Canadian tourism. Anna Mandin/Global News Fellow tourist Hillary Bolduc, also from Quebec, echoed that sentiment. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I've been in Old Orchard Beach for about five years, and it doesn't really matter for me,' she said. Others put it more bluntly. 'I don't want Trump to decide my vacation,' said Annie Cherland. 'If we don't get tourists, we're going to be in bad shape' The town's Chamber of Commerce says Canadians make up 30 to 40 per cent of revenue for their average seasonal tourism industry. Story continues below advertisement Back in the spring, when Trump's rhetoric renewed patriotism in Canada, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau called out Old Orchard Beach by name in an impassioned speech. '[We're] angry. We're going to choose to not go on vacation in Florida or Old Orchard Beach,' he said at a news conference on March 4 in response to Trump's tariffs. The owner of an inn in Old Orchard Beach told Global News in March that more than 90 per cent of his bookings for the summer season had been postponed or cancelled entirely. Recent numbers released by the U.S. federal border crossing showed 85,000 fewer Canadians entered Maine in May than in the same month a year ago — a drop of about 27 per cent. As well, there have been growing calls within Canada to support local. 1:45 'Don't be a stranger': Maine governor trying to woo back Maritime neighbours New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, for example, spent last week advertising local tourism options as an alternative to travelling to the U.S. Story continues below advertisement Maine Gov. Janet Mills travelled to the Maritime provinces last week to smooth over relations, speaking with the premiers and officials. 'I can understand the heartfelt angst that Canadians must have felt and must continue to feel,' Mills told a crowd during an event hosted by the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce on June 24. 'But I will say it is your neighbours across the border, the small businesses whose families come from New Brunswick, whose families come from Quebec, those small businesses are the ones who are being hurt right now.' Residents in Maine admit they've seen a drop in tourists — and perhaps fewer people on the beach so far. It's a worrying sight for an area that relies heavily on Canadian tourist dollars. 'Maine makes their money in the summer,' said Mary-Lynn Leach, a local from the area. 'And if we don't get tourists, we're going to be in bad shape,'
