Author: Kimon Stathoglou

The Russian Embassy in Helsinki recently announced it has temporarily stopped accepting applications from Russian citizens seeking to renounce their citizenship. While currently legal, several politicians have raised questions regarding dual Finnish-Russian citizenship specifically, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports. Echoing a similar situation in January in which its Tallinn embassy likewise temporarily stopped accepting such applications, the Russian Embassy in Finland announced on its homepage Saturday that it has temporarily stopped accepting applications for the renunciation of Russian citizenship, Yle wrote Sunday. These measures are related to legislative changes to Russian citizenship rules, according to which a non-Russian parent’s consent is…

With Europeans generating packaging waste on an unprecedented scale, the roll-out of plastic deposit-refund schemes is gathering pace across Europe. The latest country to adopt this kind of measure is Romania, which will refund EUR 0.10 for each bottle returned. The day-to-day system that drives the ecological transition and is perfectly in tune with the codes of the circular economy. It involves a deposit-refund scheme for recyclable plastic. In this case, people will receive the equivalent of €0.10 for each plastic bottle returned. The scheme is due to officially launch on November 30. The launch of the RetuRO program is…

Bulgaria and Greece have signed a programme for joint actions in the field of tourism for 2024-2026, Bulgaria’s Tourism Ministry said in a media statement. The agreement was signed before the official opening of the international tourism exhibition Philoxenia Expo 2023, at which Bulgaria is the guest of honour and has a stand of 100 square metres at the venue, in Greece’s city of Thessaloniki. “The signing of the programme will further strengthen bilateral relations,” Bulgarian Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova said. “This will give the start to new joint projects and initiatives, will create common tourist business networks, will develop…

Valencia, Turin, Madrid (28/11 – 25) Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia retained his MotoGP world title with many records; there are nevertheless signs that the Ducati rider will face sterner competition next season. The Italian rider won the 2023 season-ending MotoGP Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday to clinch his second world title in a row. The protege of Valentino Rossi becomes the third rider to take back-to-back MotoGP titles since the introduction of the class in 2002. Only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez previously managed to do that. Bagnaia is the first rider to successfully race and defend #1 in the…

After the outbreak of war in the Middle East, Greece is practically the only reliable partner of the US in a region that is in constant turmoil. The State Department began to tentatively consider Greece in this capacity around seven to eight years ago. However, this thinking began to take shape with the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), the war in Ukraine, and the crisis in the Middle East. Although Greece is still far from being classified as a “frontier state” (i.e. an allied, border state that is a hub for advancing US interests in the Eurasian region), it is…

We have enjoyed an almost unprecedented calm in the Aegean Sea these past nine months or so. This is not due solely to political resolve. It also has an economic dimension and is attributed to specific operational weaknesses. In any case, it represents a positive development that can and should be exploited. Both sides take a positive view of the course that began informally after the devastating earthquake in Turkey last February and gained momentum in a more specific direction following the meetings between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the…

The National Farmers’ Federation has congratulated Trade Minister Don Farrell for turning down an EU trade offer that would have disadvantaged Aussie farmers.  Speaking following the briefing of industry representatives in Osaka, NFF President David Jochinke said the Minister had made the right call for Australia. “Today’s decision was a hard one, but ultimately it was the right one. We thank Minister Farrell and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt for standing by Australian farmers and walking away from an unacceptable offer,” Mr Jochinke said. “It’s disappointing the Europeans weren’t willing to put something commercially meaningful on the table. This was always…

The European Union (EU) this week sought to entice African countries with “better choices” in infrastructure and energy transition projects, issuing an indirect dig at China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has similar ambitions. The EU gathered leaders from more than 40 countries from across the world, seeking to rally them for useful, linked projects that could also see what the EU calls a just transition from fossil fuels to cleaner greener energy. The target, though, seemed far from those countries. Ursula Von der Leyen, European Commission President, said the EU wants “win-win” results, warning that the future of both…

As the crisp autumn breeze sweeps through Europe’s streets, the entire continent transforms into a hauntingly mesmerising destination for those in pursuit of Halloween thrills. For those looking for a spine-tingling experience, SchengenVisaInfo.com has brought together a list of the top European travel destinations to mark on your calendar for October 31. Below, you can find seven handpicked European destinations to immerse yourself in the Halloween spirit. Transylvania, Romania Starting the list with Transylvania, Romania, because no Halloween compilation would be complete without a visit to the birthplace of Count Dracula. This place is an absolute must-visit for anyone who loves spooky…

German alt-meat company Esencia Foods hosted Europe’s first tasting of mycelium-derived seafood at the Anuga gastronomic fair in Cologne. The startup makes whole-cut whitefish like seabass and cod comprised of just two ingredients using solid-state fermentation. The startup, which was founded in August 2022 by Hendrik Kate and Bruno Scocozza, began by creating mycelium alternatives to scallops and salmon and how now finalized prototypes for whitefish species like seabass and cod. Esencia leverages a proprietary solid-state fermentation process that involves growing microbes atop an inoculated solid surface. The core ingredient for this process is a strain of edible fungi often used in…