Russia to End Ban on Dutch, Belgian Veggies

Move could boost Russian, European economies

(NEWSER) - Russia finally got its secret decoder ring for the World Trade Organization today, ending an 18-year quest for admittance. The vote is likely to provide a boost for both Russia's economy and that of its top trading partner, the European Union, the AP predicts, with the latter potentially boosting its exports by some $5.2 billion a year. It will also oblige Russia to abide by the Geneva-based group's trading rules. Russia was the only G20 nation that wasn't part of the 153-nation group. More»

Other veggies off the hook

(NEWSER) - On Sunday Germany’s E. coli outbreak—which has now killed 29 people—was blamed on bean sprouts ; on Monday it wasn’t . Now, apparently, the sprouts are once again being fingered as the culprit. “People who ate sprouts were nine times more likely to have bloody diarrhea than those who did not,” says Germany’s head of disease control. “The links are ever clearer.” On the other hand, “thousands of tests carried out on tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce have proved negative.” More»

But Russia broke international law, militia committed genocide

(NEWSER) - Georgia was responsible for triggering last summer’s war with Russia, a European Union investigation has concluded. But Russia was far from blameless, laying the foundation for the war and breaking international law by invading. The report, which was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, also accuses Russian-backed South Ossetian militias of ethnic cleansing against Georgian civilians, both during the war and afterward. More»

(NEWSER) - Canada has a message for Europe: Keep your mitts off our Arctic. The government has begun a multi-pronged strategy that combines tough diplomatic talk with a flurry of cultural events across the continent that stress the nation's long ties to the region, the Globe and Mail reports. Canada knows it will have to deal with Russia and the US on territory; it's most worried about European nations with no logical claim. “Europeans need to learn the Arctic is not terra incognita,” one former diplomat said. More»

Former Soviet states should unite, he suggests

(NEWSER) - Europe has squandered two decades of potential cooperation since the Berlin Wall fell, Mikhail Gorbachev says. At a Moscow event sponsored by his foundation, the former Soviet leader criticized Western leaders who viewed the 1989 event as their victory over Eastern Europe, rather than an opportunity for common good, Reuters reports. More»