Latest news with #Moldovans
OC Media
18-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Poland deports 27 Georgians over threats to ‘public safety' and ‘security'
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Poland has deported 27 Georgians from the country, citing concerns over 'public safety' and 'security', the Polish Border Guard said on Tuesday. One of those deported had 12 prior theft convictions, while the others had committed various offences in Poland, including drunk driving and illegally overstaying. 'Among the foreigners were also facilitators and co-organisers of illegal border-crossing activities for other foreigners, as well as individuals who changed their personal information to enter Poland', the Polish Border Guard said, but it did not specify which nationality the organisers were. In addition to the 27 Georgians deported, 13 Moldovans were also expelled. The issue of Georgian criminals in Poland has in recent months become a hot topic politically. In addition, Poland has been one of the more outspoken critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the EU, causing increased friction between the two countries. In June, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, 'we are building the necessary majority to limit or suspend visa-free travel with Georgia'. During the same press conference, Tusk said his government was carrying out daily deportations of criminals from the country. Advertisement 'The latest deportation of criminals from Georgia — four days ago 50 Georgians suspected of criminal activities were deported', he said.
United News of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Russia's foreign intelligence service says NATO wants to involve Moldova to counter Moscow
Moscow, July 14 (UNI) The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has alleged that NATO countries are actively preparing to involve Moldova in a potential armed conflict with Russia, to use it as yet another bastion in the bloc's efforts to counter Moscow's ongoing military advance into Kyiv. "The press office of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service reports that, according to information received by the SVR, NATO is actively preparing to engage Moldova in a probable armed conflict with Russia. A decision has been made in Brussels to speed up the transformation of the country into the 'forward outpost of the alliance on the eastern flank, taking into account the advancement of Russian forces in Ukraine,'" the statement read, reports RIA Novosti. The SVR report further alleged that NATO is working to make Moldovan territory suitable for the rapid deployment of alliance troops to Russian borders. "NATO forces are intensively turning what was once a peaceful agricultural republic into a military testing ground. Moldova's territory is being made suitable for the operational redeployment of NATO troops to Russian borders. 'Projects are underway to switch to European railway standards and increase the capacity of bridges. Logistic hubs, large warehouses, and areas for concentrating military equipment are being built. 'The Marculesti and Balti airfields, located near Ukraine, are being modernised with a focus on enabling the reception of a significant number of combat and military transport aircraft," the statement said. Accusing the Western bloc of wanting to use Moldovans as "cannon fodder" in the event of armed actions against the Russia, the SVR report further alleged that NATO is forcing Chisinau to change its military doctrine, and adhere to the bloc's own concepts of warfare. The Moldovan army is being flooded with military instructors from the bloc's countries, and specialised training centres are being set up. Chisinau instead expects NATO to support the pro-presidential Action and Solidarity party in the upcoming parliamentary elections. In case of victory, Maia Sandu has promised to cancel the country's neutral status. Despite maintaining neutrality, the relationship between Moscow and Chisinau has deteriorated considerably after President Maia Sandu took office in 2020, due to her more pro-European policy, and looking at Russia as potential threat. UNI ANV SSP
Daily Record
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
If Russell Martin pulls off audacious Rangers triumph it means Celtic made nada of greatest advantage
If Russell Martin assembles a team of players brought in from the likes of Luton, Bournemouth, Peterborough, and Wolverhampton and wins the Premiership this season it will amount to three things rolled into one. Audacious. Outrageous. And excruciating for the rest. It will mean Celtic have made nothing of every financial advantage they hold over their greatest rivals. And the clubs outside of the Old Firm will have conclusively proved they've disappeared up their own database. Rangers didn't challenge Celtic last season because they couldn't stop shedding points against supposedly inferior opposition. Now the league has gone analytics mad and discarded club identity for a sizeable punt on global recruitment. Dundee United, for example, have signed players from seven different countries this summer. Moldovans, Australians and Ukrainians, among others, have arrived to join up with the assorted North Macedonians and Croatians already at Tannadice. All very welcome, of course. Absolutely nothing wrong with inclusion and diversity. But can Dundee United Nations make up a team worthy of the name? Martin's lot at least have the benefit of being drawn together from an English league environment vastly superior to the one they are joining, and Rangers' head coach will have had personal knowledge of all of them from his time down south. Russell now knows he lives in a world of non-negotiables after listening to the sound of his team being booed off the park at half-time in last weekend's friendly against Club Brugge. I did say here last Sunday that Glasgow was a city which had to live up to its reputation of being a madhouse. I rest my case. Rangers got a draw in the end but, as we all know, a draw's a disaster and a defeat's a catastrophe when the competitive stuff starts in this part of the world. Martin has been formally put on notice regarding how things work here and his signings now have to do one thing to prevent their manager from joining Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and Philippe Clement on the casualty list. They need to have the collective mentality which provides an adequate response to adversity and understands how to win ugly when the need arises. Such as, let's say, a Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos in front of a full house at Ibrox next week. To put it in graphic terms, Russell's Rangers will need a primitive instinct for survival when they've barely had enough time to get to know each other on a personal basis. Booing during a friendly is one thing. People become apoplectic then incandescent with rage when a game's about prestige, funny money and the avoidance of ridicule from the supporters of the team who come from across the road on the other side of the city. The head coach doesn't get a flea in his ear. He gets the uninhibited meltdown that accompanies profound disappointment. Think Ibrox at full-time on that day when Rangers lost 3-1 to Aberdeen and the players went gingerly towards the home crowd in an attempt to offer an apology that was thrown back in their faces while Beale's redundancy agreement was being typed out upstairs. Audacious and outrageous won't begin to cover it if Martin avoids acrimony on that scale and pulls off an aggregate win over the Greeks. His latest signing, Nasser Djiga, reckons he's so good the Rangers fans will never forget him after he has ended his loan period and gone back to Wolves. But the defender has to concentrate on the demands of the present and leave retrospective judgments until an appropriate time. Such as when he's proved himself. There's work to be done in the meantime.
Daily Record
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Thelo Aasgaard is Rangers 'points player' who's at home among the elite as Norway boss thrilled with Ibrox step up
Stale Solbakken warned Aasgaard he needed to leave Luton for a higher level and is satisfied Rangers is exactly what he needs For some young players it might have been a daunting prospect. Turning up for your first international camp with Norway - and immediately being thrown in with some superstar talent. But when Thelo Aasgaard was handed a debut alongside the likes of Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Alexander Sorloth, he didn't look out of place. Instead, he thrived in that kind of elite company. And that's exactly what Norway boss Stale Solbakken believed he'd do when he picked him. That's how highly he rates the Rangers new boy. Aasgaard - who was signed by gaffer Russell Martin from Luton Town last week for £3.5 million - got his first cap for his adopted country in March away to Moldova. The 23-year-old was in the starting line-up alongside some of Europe's top players, which included Manchester striker Haaland, Arsenal skipper Odegaard and Atletico Madrid front-man Sorloth. But rather than be overawed by his team-mates, Aasgaard shone as he grabbed a goal and an assist in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win. Solbakken was delighted with his display - even though he warned Aasgaard that he'll still have to fight for his next cap. But Rangers fans should be encouraged when the Norwegian gaffer says he looked at home beside Haaland, Odegaard and Co. In fact, he was confident that while his big-name players were getting all the attention from the Moldovans - Asgard could make a real impact. In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Solbakken said: 'I thought we'd dominate the game against Moldova quite heavily - that's why I picked Thelo. 'Obviously, it was his first cap. And so far his last! 'But he did very well, he scored a goal and got an assist. We knew we'd be on top in the game and that we'd need a player who could work in the shadow of our strikers, Haaland and Sorloth. 'We knew they'd get a lot of attention but we thought Aasgaard could pop up with a goal and that's exactly what he did. 'We have a really good Norway squad right now with the likes of Haaland, Odegaard, Sorloth and others. But Thelo looked comfortable in that company. 'He looked very natural training alongside those players in camp and that's why I selected him. He was able to cope with the quality.' Solbakken upset Luton Town fans recently when he spoke openly about why Aasgaard had to be playing at a higher level. They were angry with his comments and blamed him for the player's summer departure to Rangers. The Norway boss felt - after the Hatters' relegation from the Championship - that plying his trade in League One would do his international prospects considerable harm. That's why Solbakken is as pleased as anyone that he's made the move to Ibrox. He's convinced that joining Martin's squad is a big step up from Kenilworth Road - and will aid Aasgaard's progress as a player. There's also the added bonus of European football. The former Liverpool kid's first competitive game for Gers will be against Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier on July 22. Solbakken said: 'I think going to Rangers is a good move for him. 'He will play in a team that will probably dominate 90 percent of the games in Scotland. And he'll also get some European football as well which is nice for him. 'It's a good step from where he's been and what he has done at club level so far. 'It will be good for Thelo's improvement and development as a player. 'I said I felt he had to play at a higher level than League One in England and I think Rangers is a good step for him. 'He might even get the chance to play in the Champions League which would be fantastic for him. 'But even just to play in Europe generally will be good for him.' Rangers supporters are excited about the acquisition of the English-born playmaker. Aasgaard was one of Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell's top targets during this summer recruitment drive at Ibrox. And Solbakken is convinced he can be a game changer for Gers in the Scottish Premiership. He hailed Aasgaard's ability to make a difference in key attacking areas for Martin's new-look side - something Gers have lacked in recent years against packed Scottish defences. He also praised his awareness and technique - and told Rangers fans that he's capable of influencing games with goals and assists. Solbakken said: 'Thelo's main qualities are that he's a points player. What I mean by that is, he can get you points. 'Because he's always capable of scoring a goal or being in the right position in the final third of the pitch. 'He has a real eye for a goal and the final pass. 'Thelo is so safe with the ball - he doesn't do stupid things with it when he's in possession. 'He's calm on the ball and one of his big assets is his ability to assist. 'He's a point-scoring midfielder who is really good at finding the right areas on the pitch where he can hurt opponents.'
The Star
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
President says Moldovans hold EU future in their hands ahead of key election
European Council President Antonio Costa, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stack their hands during a press conference at the first Moldova-EU summit in Chisinau, Moldova July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza CHISINAU (Reuters) -President Maia Sandu said on Friday that Moldovans hold in their own hands the fate of the country's bid to join the European Union ahead of a September election in which she hopes her pro-European party will maintain its control over parliament. Sandu, who wants her country, one of the poorest in Europe, to join the EU by 2030, was speaking at the end of the 27-nation bloc's first summit with Moldova. Her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) is fighting to retain its parliamentary majority in the election against a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party and its allies. Sandu won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. And a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority. "Prosperity and peace do not occur for nothing, you have to build them. With collective effort and unity. When citizens are united and choose the correct path and proceed along it," Sandu told a news conference at the end of the meeting. "The European Union is already happening here. The only risk is if we stop. If we decide this autumn that nothing will stop us, then everything is possible." Sandu and her party have denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accuse Moscow of destabilising their country. Russia says many Moldovans want to retain links with Moscow and accuse her of fomenting Russophobia. Opinion polls show that it will be difficult for any one party to secure a majority in the assembly. Should no majority emerge, talks would have to follow talks with other pro-European parties. At the summit, attended by the head of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, the EU announced the disbursement of the first 270 million euro ($318 million) tranche of an Economic Growth Plan. Also announced was an accord to enable Moldovans to communicate by telephone in EU countries without roaming charges, a measure meant to stimulate business contacts. (Reporting by Alexander Tanas, Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
