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Europe: Testing Times and Small Victories

18
Kosovo celebrates 15 years of independence
Putin could include South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Belarus and even Nagorno-Karabakh in the Russian Federation
Three girls-students expelled for wearing hijabs return to Novocherkassk college
Video of Idris Arsamikov’s detention by Chechen law enforcers posted

19
Estonian leader: Russia must be held accountable after war
Hungary: Viktor Orban pledges to keep relations with Russia

20
2003 February 20: Spanish police close the only Basque language newspaper
2014 February 20: Heavenly Hundred Remembrance Day in Ukraine
US urges Turkey to green-light Sweden and Finland’s NATO applications
Chair of the NATO Military Committee visits Slovenia
Five charged after 18 migrants found dead in truck in Bulgaria
Armenia: EU launches a civilian mission to contribute to stability in border areas
The Way of the Bodhisattva: Telo Tulku Rinpoche’s 30 Years of Noble Service to the Kalmyk People
Russian invasion hinders global biodiversity conservation, study shows
Jailed Activist Pivovarov Finally Located In Notorious Russian Penal Colony

21
February 21: International Mother Language Day
Austria criticised for allowing 18 Russian MPs to attend security meeting
Slovenia pushes for Ukraine war crimes cooperation treaty
South Ossetia to join Russia after all?
Do Chechens really support Putin’s war in Ukraine?

22
Albania Arrests Tanker With Suspected Russian Diesel Cargo
The Return of the Russia Question

23
1944 February 23: Aardakh/Operation Lentil: Soviet expulsion of Vainakh (Chechen and Ingush)
Frisians: Meet the minority languages and culture unique to northern Germany
Ukraine and Lithuania shun OSCE meeting in Austria over Russian presence
The Irish language once provoked ‘strong resistance.’ Now it has a place at the Oscars
Testing Times for Moldova
EU dampens Bulgaria’s hopes of joining eurozone before 2025
Vladimir Putin’s inhumane blueprint to terrorize civilians in Chechnya, Syria—and now Ukraine
Russia’s North Caucasus Region Of Ingushetia Commemorates 1944 Deportation To Central Asia
Nikolai Patrushev strengthens Karelia clan in Russia’s security apparatus

24
1918 February 24: Estonia Independence Day
How racist and incompetent policing cost Romani lives in Hungary
How the war in Ukraine has changed Switzerland
Macron Says Open To Ideas For Future Of Corsica
NATO Secretary General in Tallinn to mark Estonian Independence Day
“Peace” under authoritarian occupation isn’t peaceful: Estonia’s Kaja Kallas
Moldova warns of Russian ‘psy-ops’ as tensions rise
‘We don’t have another motherland’ Crimean Tatars hold out hope for Ukraine’s return
Chechen Leader Awards Himself ‘Hero Of Chechnya’ Medal
At Berlinale, Malika Musaeva’s film tells about Chechen women’s hard fate
А Chain of Wars, a Chain of Crimes, a Chain of Impunity
In north Russian towns, silent manifestations of support for Ukraine

25
Lavish Flemish epic grips Belgians – but is it history or propaganda?

26
Why Moldova fears it could be next for Putin
Moldova may become Russia’s next target
Lubinets: Russia illegally holds 180 political prisoners, most of them Crimean Tatars

27
2014 February 27: Russia’s annexation of Crimea
Wizz Air to suspend Moldova flights over airspace safety
Belarus opposition says it damaged Russian warplane

28
1835 February 28: Kalevala Day, Finnish Culture Day
War in Ukraine: ERRC monitoring report confirms discrimination against Romani refugees
Meet the ‘Atlantic cowboys’ of the Faroe Islands
Channel Islands Pride details announced in Jersey
Greta Thunberg protests wind farm “violating human rights” in Norway
Secretary General in Helsinki: time to welcome Finland and Sweden as NATO members
Denmark scraps public holiday to boost defence budget
Serbia and Kosovo accept EU proposal to normalize ties
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán plays spoilsport on NATO accession for Finland, Sweden
Hungary links Nato vote and EU money in quid pro quo
Cyprus’ new president says country on firm Western footing
The mysterious death of Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s favorite fighter
Grozny’s Support for Ethnic Chechens in Dagestan Destabilizing North Caucasus
Kalmyk Activist Who Fled Russia Unable To Enter Mongolia Due To Expired Passport
Armenia Detains Russian Anti-War Activist at Airport
Finland Has Started Construction of a Pilot Fence at the Imatra Border With Russia

1
589 March 1: Saint David’s, National Day of Wales
1992 March 1: Bosnia and Herzegovina Independence Day
Liechtenstein’s oldest newspaper closing after 145 years
Three journalists face criminal investigation in Bosnia and Herzegovina leak probe
China’s Xi heralds ‘unbreakable’ friendship with Belarus, an ally of Russia

2
Little Mermaid in Denmark vandalised with colours of Russian flag
Passion for Real Sociedad runs as deep as San Sebastian’s love for Basque culture and cuisine

3
1878 March 3: Bulgaria Liberation Day
Sweden and Finland’s Accession to NATO Fundamentally Changes How We Think About the Defense of Norway
A Russian psychological operation pressures Moldova

4
Ministers at Malta summit emphasise repatriations over rescues

5
March 5: St Piran’s Day, Cornwall national day
Tractors block Brussels roads in farmer protest
Bones From Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania Could Be World’s Oldest Horsemen, Researchers Say
Five killed in new Azerbaijan-Armenia clash in Nagorno-Karabakh

6
Romani, Domari, and Abdal earthquake victims face discrimination and hate crimes in Turkey
Romani Gypsy mum ‘homeless’ after being kicked off traveller site
Toblerone is no longer Swiss enough to feature the Matterhorn on its packaging
Hitachi Energy Faroe Islands BESS project doubles wind farm’s utilisation
Estonia’s Kaja Kallas weighs up coalition options after historic election win
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya: Exiled Belarus opposition leader sentenced to 15 years
Woman from Russia’s Dagestan shares her ‘homosexuality treatment’ story
Dagestan keen to coop with Azerbaijan

7
US, Lithuania in Talks Aimed at China
U.S., Lithuania seek to boost Taipei-Vilnius economic partnership
Russian Threat Forges a New Mentality in Lithuania
Small victories as women challenge Vatican patriarchy
NATO team in North Macedonia to help against hybrid attacks
Has the euro changeover really caused extra inflation in Croatia?
Slovakia’s prime minister forms new party before early vote
Seven Songs from the Tundra, the first-ever narrative film in the Nenets language

8
1944 March 8: Mass deportation of the Balkars by Stalin’s Soviet Union
Swiss court hears case of Gazprombank over alleged Putin funds
Bankers in Swiss trial for helping ‘Putin’s wallet’
The Netherlands to block export of advanced chip printers to China
Denmark, the first country to import CO2 and bury it undersea
Basque volunteers will get potted grass to measure air quality
Thousands protest in Tbilisi against controversial Georgian ‘foreign agents’ law
‘Fall of democracy’: Georgia’s foreign agent law widely condemned
Crisis-ridden Russian gas industry looks to Arctic for more LNG

9
Elon Musk apologizes to laid-off Twitter employee who was Iceland’s person of the year in 2022
Russia Imposes Sanctions On 144 Citizens Of Estonia, Latvia, And Lithuania
Canada to fast-track procurement of defense equipment for Latvia deployment
UK commandos set up training Camp Viking in Northern Norway
Weak regulation in Andorra is a threat to the EU financial system, according to a new report
From TV to Telegram to TikTok, Moldova is being flooded with Russian propaganda
Moldova separatists say Ukrainian plot against leader foiled
Transnistria: Ukraine denies attempt on Moldova separatist leader
Romania’s Danube dispute with Ukraine sparks Russian propaganda claims
Is Chechen Leader Kadyrov Preparing to Pass Governorship to Son?
Behind the Lines: Russia’s Occupation Forces Move to Crush Dissent

10
Corsican language ban stirs protest on French island
Latvia donates drunk drivers’ cars to Ukraine’s war effort
Serbia gives definite ‘no’ to Kosovo recognition, NATO accession
Moscow Reacts to the Protest Rallies in Tbilisi

11
1990 March 11: Day of Re-Establishment of Lithuania’s Independence
Corsican leaders decry ban on use of local language in island’s parliament
The Road to Democracy in Russia Runs Through Chechnya

12
Oscar success puts ‘endangered’ Irish language centre stage
Moldova says it thwarted Russia-linked plot ahead of anti-government protests
Dozens arrested at protests against govt in Moldova

13
Biden says he intends to visit Northern Ireland
Slovenia’s PM urges Bosnia to embrace ‘historic’ moment for its EU integration
How a new high-speed line in Basque Country will connect the north of Spain
Languages in Russia Disappearing Faster than Data Suggests, Activists Warn
Dagestani’s defence achieves opening new case on his torture in Kalmyk colony

14
1801 March 14: Mother Tongue Day in Estonia
1855 March 14: Circassian Language Day
Crimean Tatar Restaurateurs Send Message to Moscow
Chechen Leader Kadyrov Appears Nervous Reading Achievements to Putin
Tartu University’s machine translation engine now translates 23 Finno-Ugric languages

15
1848 March 15: Hungarian Revolution of 1848
‘How will I buy?’: housing crisis grips the Netherlands as Dutch go to polls
UK, German fighter jets intercept Russian plane near Estonia
Finland seems poised to join NATO – without Sweden, for now
Cornwall devolution deal survey results delayed
‘Historic moment’ for nature as Europe’s first wild river national park announced in Albania
The Kremlin Has Its Eyes On Gagauzia – Analysis
Russian Court Sentences Crimean Tatar Activist To 10.5 Years In Prison On Charges He Rejects
Top UN official seeks progress in visit to divided Cyprus
Da Vinci’s mother was an enslaved teenager trafficked to Italy, new documents suggest

16
1846 March 16: Book Smugglers Day, Lithuania
Wallonia still significantly worse off in terms of internet connectivity
Rural populist party emerges as big winner in Dutch elections
In low-wage Portugal, Europe’s housing crisis bites deep
‘Russian troops guarantee our safety’: How public opinion in breakaway Transnistria region in Moldova favours the east
EU encourages leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to use historic opportunity to solve conflict
Putin’s ‘poisoned’ Chechen ally surfaces in Moscow vowing to finish Ukraine
Muhammad Mokaev has emerged as an exciting UFC contender after travelling to Britain as a refugee from Dagestan

17
461 March 17: Saint Patrick’s Day, Ireland
Whoopi Goldberg apologises for using Romani slur on TV show
Tour of Flanders: all the essential info for De Ronde
Readout of President Joe Biden’s Meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Ireland
Turkey to start ratifying Finland’s NATO membership after months of opposition
North Macedonia: EU’s Borrell seeks progress on accession
Slovakia joins Poland in sending Soviet-era jets to Ukraine
Slovakia to donate 13 MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine
Russia: Two people hospitalized with anthrax in Chuvashia
Mari El Republic becomes at least sixth Russian region to send summonses to draft-eligible men to ‘update documents’

18
The Netherlands expel Russian diplomats, close trade mission
Ireland win Six Nations and first Grand Slam in Dublin
Secret document reveals Russia’s 10-year plan to destabilize Moldova

19
SNP’s president admits Scotland’s ruling party in ‘tremendous mess’
Montenegro goes to the polls as president seeks re-election
Kosovo and Serbia fail to sign agreement after marathon talks

20
Basque Country Aims To Lure Back Laid Off Tech Workers With Tax Breaks
Czech Republic readies big Taiwan delegation in defiance of China
Human rights defenders claim torture conditions in penal colony for Ingush native Albagachiev
Kalmykia head speaks about potential of cooperation with Belarus

21
1992 March 21: Tatarstan Sovereignty Referendum
After Sturgeon, what remains of Scotland’s independence bid?
While Xi is in Russia, Japan’s leader makes surprise visit to Ukraine
Catalonia: Supreme Court upholds misuse of public funds and disobedience charges against Puigdemont
Employees of “Memorial” detained after searches in case on rehabilitation of Nazism
The Depopulation of Russian Border Towns Accelerates in the Baltic Sea Region
Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin gives Christian name to river in historically indigenous Yamalia

22
Jersey and Guernsey art organisations team up to promote Channel Islands
Sweden approves NATO entry as Turkey, Hungary ratifications drag
After Greece’s worst train crash, young Greeks rally for change ahead of elections
In Moldova’s Pro-Russian Gagauzia Region, Old Loyalties Die Hard
Report: Russian Soldiers in Ukraine Face Increasing Payment Delays
Ingush singer performs show at Morecambe library
Mari El University Student Expelled For Commemorating Writer Killed By Soviet Regime

23
Even free transport can’t shake Luxembourg’s love of the car
Belgium calls on South Africa to help end war in Ukraine
Cold, remote and short of women: A portrait of life on the Faroe Islands
Eager young Albanians risk everything for new future in UK
Ukraine investigating Catalan-based company for ‘supplying material to Russian soldiers’
Prosecution Witness At Trial Of Navalny Associate In Bashkortostan Says She Was Pressured
“China is our strategic partner,” says Governor of Russian Arctic region
Representatives of 14 Arctic and Far East Regions Attend International Traditional Reindeer Herding Championship in Yakutia

24
Too big for Switzerland? Credit Suisse rescue creates bank twice the size of the economy
Passport rift between UK and Spain leaves Gibraltar in limbo
UK and Albania outline £4 billion ambition for closer export ties
Slovakia delivers first four Soviet-era MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

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1821 March 25: Greek Independence Day
1918 March 25: Belarus Freedom Day (Dzen Voli)
1949 March 25: Operation Priboi, Soviet Mass Deportations from the Baltic States
1805 April 2: Children’s Book Day/Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday
1949 April 4: Founding of NATO
1320 April 6: Declaration of Arbroath, Scotland and Tartan Day
April 8: International Romani day
1557/1802 April 9: Day of Finnish Language
1989 April 9: Tbilisi massacre, Georgia: National Unity Day
1916 Irish Easter Rising (Éirí Amach na Cásca)
1932 Easter Sunday: Aberri Eguna (“Fatherland Day”) in Basque Country
1998 April 10: Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland peace process
2010 April 10: Smolensk Catasprophe
1931 April 14: Proclamation of Catalan Republic by Francesc Macià
1978 April 14: Georgian Language Day
303 April 23: Catalonia: Sant Jordi’s Day
1915 April 24: Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
1916 April 24: Proclamation of the Irish Republic
1974 April 25: Carnation Revolution in Portugal
1937 April 26: Bombing of Guernica, Basque Country
1986 April 26: Chernobyl nuclear disaster