Moldova

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Transnistria's Request of Russia Makes Headlines

It seeks protection from Moldova and its alleged economic pressure

(Newser) - If you aren't familiar with Transnistria, that would be understandable. It's a slender strip of land that's hugged on either side by Ukraine and Moldova, the latter of which it broke away from in 1992. On Wednesday, the internationally unrecognized state became a headline location after it...

Ukraine Just Moved a Step Closer to Joining the EU

Hungary's Viktor Orban slammed 'bad decision' but did not block it

(Newser) - The European Union decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. European Council President Charles Michel called it "a clear signal of hope for their people and our continent." The decision was announced at a summit gathering of leaders of the 27 EU countries. Ukrainian President...

Moldova Expels Russian Diplomats Amid Spy Scandal

Country blames 'unfriendly actions' from Russia

(Newser) - Moldova's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it has informed Russia that 45 of its embassy positions in Chisinau will be cut due to "unfriendly actions" against Moldova, as relations between the two countries deteriorate further amid Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine, the AP reports. The Ministry...

Moldova: We Foiled Russia's Protest Plot

New government claims plan was to cause mass unrest

(Newser) - Moldovan police said on Sunday they have foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed actors who were specially trained to cause mass unrest during a protest the same day in the capital against the country's new pro-Western government. The head of Moldova's police, Viorel Cernauteanu, said in a...

Romania Scrambles Jets After Mystery Objects Spotted

Moldova also reported sightings

(Newser) - Romania briefly scrambled military jets and neighboring Moldova temporarily closed its air space Tuesday after authorities in both countries reported mysterious weather balloon-like objects traversing their skies. The incidents occurred at around midday local time and briefly raised concerns in the two Eastern European countries, both of which border Ukraine...

Russia Accused of False-Flag Attacks in Moldova
Outside Ukraine,
Russia Accused of
False-Flag Attacks
THE RUNDOWN

Outside Ukraine, Russia Accused of False-Flag Attacks

Tension is brewing in Transnistria, bordering southwestern Ukraine

(Newser) - Two antennas that carried Russian radio broadcasts were destroyed in Transnistria, a sliver breakaway region of Moldova bordering southwestern Ukraine and controlled by pro-Russian separatists, on Tuesday. A day earlier, the region's state security ministry in Tiraspol was attacked with grenades, per the Guardian . While this might appear to...

Commander Says Russia Will Seize Southern Ukraine

He says Moscow also wants to 'protect' Russian speakers in Moldova region

(Newser) - A Russian commander made it clear Friday that Moscow isn't planning to stop the war in Ukraine anytime soon. State media quoted Rustam Minnekayev, acting commander of Russia's central military district, as saying Russia plans to take full control of southern Ukraine as well as the Donbas region...

In Just 13 Days, Number of Refugees Hits 2M
Zelensky Speaks From His
Office: 'I'm Not Hiding'
the rundown

Zelensky Speaks From His Office: 'I'm Not Hiding'

Number of refugees reaches 2M in just 13 days

(Newser) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine isn't even two weeks old, but already it's turned 2 million people into refugees. The UN's refugee agency announced the new figure on Tuesday, reports the AP , adding that Poland has accepted the largest number of people: 1.2 million.
  • Not leaving:
...

An Even Smaller Nation Fears Russia, and US Pledges Help

Secretary of State Blinken visits Moldova, a former Soviet republic

(Newser) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday pledged America’s support to the small, Western-leaning former Soviet republic of Moldova that is coping with an influx of refugees from Ukraine and warily watching Russia’s intensifying war with its neighbor. Blinken met with senior Moldovan officials who are appealing...

Court: Man Put Clothes on Stand-In Corpse for Scam

Minnesota man accused of $2M fraud

(Newser) - A Minnesota man accused of faking his own death seven years ago to collect a $2 million life insurance policy arranged for a stand-in corpse to be dressed in his clothes in Moldova, according to a judge's detention order. Igor Vorotinov, 54, also planted his identification on the body...

Fastest-Shrinking Nations Are All in One Part of World

Eastern Europe, with Bulgaria in the No. 1 spot

(Newser) - The number of people living in Bulgaria is expected to drop by nearly a quarter by the year 2050—and its neighbors aren't going to fare much better demographically, per UN population projections cited by Quartz . Over the next 30-plus years, Bulgaria will see its population fall from around...

Around the World, Pro-Russia Candidates Are Winning
Around the World, Pro-Russia
Candidates Are Winning
the rundown

Around the World, Pro-Russia Candidates Are Winning

Add Moldova and Bulgaria to the list

(Newser) - Some think Vladimir Putin actively sought to get Donald Trump elected. If so, the Kremlin remains on a roll. Pro-Russia candidates won presidential elections in Eastern Europe over the weekend in Moldova (Igor Dodon) and Bulgaria (Rumen Radev), reports the AP. The resulting coverage sees some clear trends emerging:
  • "
...

Nuclear Smugglers Seek ISIS Buyers

Nightmare for the West coming true in Moldova

(Newser) - A nightmare scenario for the West is coming true in a former Soviet republic, where smugglers linked to Russia have radioactive material for sale and are actively seeking Islamic extremists to buy it, according to an AP investigation. In a case in Moldova earlier this year, a smuggler called Valentin...

Russians Overrun One of Ukraine's Last Crimea Bases

NATO warns of troop buildup at border

(Newser) - Ukraine has ordered all of its troops to evacuate from Crimea starting at 3pm today, after Russia seized one of its last remaining military installations in the peninsula. Russian forces seized the marine base after attacking from two directions early this morning using armored personnel carriers and stun grenades, a...

Putin Signs Crimea Decree ... Romania Shudders?

Romania's president: Other Eastern-European countries are next

(Newser) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree today recognizing Crimea as a "sovereign and independent country," hours after the strategic Black Sea peninsula declared it had broken from Ukraine and would merge with Russia following a weekend referendum. The moves triggered the toughest Western sanctions against Russia since...

Moldova to Castrate Pedophiles

Law makes chemical procedure mandatory for convicted abusers

(Newser) - Men convicted of sexually abusing children in Moldova will now face chemical castration. The eastern European country's parliament voted to make the treatment—which suppresses libido with injections every three months—mandatory for all Moldovans and foreigners found guilty of pedophilia, reports the BBC .

Botched Baptism Drowns Baby
 Botched Baptism Drowns Baby 

Botched Baptism Drowns Baby

Priest may face charges over 6-month-old's death

(Newser) - A priest who accidentally drowned a baby boy as he baptized him in Moldova may face manslaughter charges. Witnesses said the priest failed to cover the 6-week-old's mouth and nose as he immersed him in water, the Daily Mail reports. The baby suffered breathing difficulties afterward and died 20 minutes...

Moldovan 'Twitter Revolution' Organizer Goes Into Hiding

Journalist fears arrest for role in anti-Communist protest

(Newser) - The journalist who used Twitter to organize last week's mass protests in Moldova has gone into hiding for fear of arrest. Journalist Natalia Morar, 25, told the Guardian she is avoiding telephones and the Internet in case the same tools she used to rally supporters are used against her by...

Russia Sees Red Over Moldova's Twitter Revolution

EU accused of plotting pro-Romania coup

(Newser) - The escalating crisis in Moldova is threatening to sour Russia's relations with the West once again, reports the Independent. Russia is siding with the Moldovan government in its accusations that the anti-Communist protests—organized by pro-EU youth mobilizing with the help of Twitter updates—are part of a coup attempt...

Twitter Fuels Moldovan Anti-Communist Riots

Moldovan youth use social networking to mobilize against election result

(Newser) - Thousands of young Moldovans have been using Twitter and other social networking sites to mobilize against the Communist Party's election victory, the New York Times reports. A crowd of some10,000 young activists, accusing the government of vote-rigging in Sunday's race, clashed with riot police outside the country's parliament yesterday,...

20 Stories