Tag: Europe
Breaking News: The Russian / Ukraine Natural Gas Crisis
port1080.
Posted to Politics on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 09:15:16 AM EST (promoted by wetkarma). RSS.
Russia and the Ukraine have been having an ongoing dispute about Russian natural gas sales to the Ukraine since the Ukrainian "Orange Revolution" of 2005. Russian had been providing gas at steep subsidies to the Ukraine, which it considered within its sphere of influence, but after the repudiation of its favored presidential candidate, Russia began to turn the screws and jack up natural gas prices to the Ukraine. Normally, such a dispute would be of local interest, but little more. The Russian / Ukraine dispute has one big catch, however - most of Russia's pipelines to the European Union (to whom Russia sells most of its gas) run through the Ukraine - and when Russia and the Ukraine have a dispute gas supplies to the rest of Europe are severely disrupted.
(14 comments, 471 words in story) Full Story
Europe's Schengen Zone Expands
novy.
Posted to Legal on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 01:15:05 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
When you cross from one Canadian province to another, or from one American state to another, you run into signs that say, e.g., "Welcome to Alberta" or "Welcome to Oregon" and you just continue driving. But if you cross national borders, you run into customs checkpoints where armed guards can insist on checking your papers or going through your possessions for contraband. Unless you travel in continental Europe between countries that participate in Schengen Agreement, which permits passage between member countries without border controls.
(22 comments, 420 words in story) Full Story
