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Russia Says it Is Expelling Eight Greek Diplomats

A Ukrainian deminer examines a crater caused by missile strikes which struck the yard of a school in a residential area of Kharkiv on June 27,2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A Ukrainian deminer examines a crater caused by missile strikes which struck the yard of a school in a residential area of Kharkiv on June 27,2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Russia Says it Is Expelling Eight Greek Diplomats

A Ukrainian deminer examines a crater caused by missile strikes which struck the yard of a school in a residential area of Kharkiv on June 27,2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A Ukrainian deminer examines a crater caused by missile strikes which struck the yard of a school in a residential area of Kharkiv on June 27,2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Russia declared eight Greek diplomats unwelcome and gave them eight days to leave the country, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.

Greece in April asked 12 Russian diplomats to leave the country as a reaction to the war in Ukraine and send defense supplies to Kyiv.

The Russian foreign ministry said it had summoned the Greek ambassador to protest over what it called "the confrontational course of the Greek authorities towards Russia, including the supply of weapons and military equipment to the Kyiv regime."

The ministry said it had also protested against a Greek decision to declare a group of Russian diplomats "personae non gratae."

The Greek Foreign Ministry said on Monday it regrets Moscow's decision. "There is no basis for the decision of the Russian authorities to expel members of the staff of the Greek diplomatic and consular authority in Russia," it said in a news release.

Greece is a member of NATO and the European Union and has joined EU sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

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Taiwan Reports Chinese Balloon, First Time in Six Months

A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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Taiwan Reports Chinese Balloon, First Time in Six Months

A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman holds flags amid celebrations of the 130th foundation anniversary of Taiwan's largest opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), in Taoyuan, Taiwan November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Taiwan's defense ministry on Monday reported that a Chinese balloon had been detected over the sea to Taiwan's north, the first time since April it has reported such an incident in what Taipei views as part of a pattern of harassment by Beijing.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, complained that in the weeks leading up to its presidential election in January Chinese balloon activity took place at an "unprecedented scale".

It described the incidents as part of a Chinese pressure campaign - so-called grey-zone warfare designed to exhaust a foe using irregular tactics without open combat.

Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.

The ministry, in its regular morning update on Chinese military activities over the previous 24 hours, said the single balloon was detected at 6:21 p.m. (1021 GMT) on Sunday 60 nautical miles (111 km) to the north of Taiwan's Keelung port.

It then vanished some two hours later, having flown at an altitude of 33,000 ft (10,000 meters), but without crossing Taiwan itself, the ministry said.

China's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

China has previously dismissed Taiwan's complaints about the balloons, saying they were for meteorological purposes and should not be hyped up for political reasons.

The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue last year when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China said the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.