Author: Fworld

Pope Stresses Hope, Peace, Reconciliation in Divided Mozambique

Hope, peace, and reconciliation were the three main pillars of Pope Francis’s message to lawmakers and youth Thursday during his first papal visit to Mozambique.Thousands of young Catholics packed a Maputo stadium to hear that message in a nation that, for decades, has struggled with conflict.The pontiff was greeted Wednesday night by President Filipe Nyusi, …

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Observers Cry Foul Over Kyiv’s Release of Key Witness in Flight MH17 Probe

This story originated in Last week, a Ukrainian court released Vyshinsky on his own recognizance as he awaits trial on charges of high treason that were brought against him in 2018.Tsemakh’s release also comes a day after a group of 40 members of the European Parliament wrote a letter urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy not …

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Activists See European Shortfalls in Battling Domestic Violence

The stories are haunting: A young woman beaten by her partner before being set on fire in front of her 7-year-old daughter. A photo of a smiling scientist whose body is stuffed into a suitcase that is dumped into a river.    These are just two examples in France of so-called femicides — women killed by …

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Italy Swears In New Cabinet Eyeing Fresh Start for EU Ties

President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday swore in Italy’s new pro-European government, heralding a fresh start for the eurozone’s third largest economy as the far-right falls from power.Brussels warmly welcomed the coalition between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and center-left Democratic Party (PD), which is expected to markedly improve rocky relations between Europe and Rome.”We’re …

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Putin: Russia to Produce Previously Banned Missiles, Deploy Them if US Does

President Vladimir Putin says Russia will produce missiles banned until last month when a treaty forbidding them ended but would deploy them only if the United States did.”We said outright that we will not deploy anything after the Americans tested such a missile,” Putin said during an economic conference in the eastern city of Vladivostok …

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First Day of School for 4-Year-Old UK Princess Charlotte

Britain’s Princess Charlotte had plenty of support on her first day of school she was accompanied by older brother Prince George and her parents, Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.William said Friday their 4-year-old daughter was “very excited” on her first day at Thomas’s Battersea in London.Charlotte seemed a bit hesitant …

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British PM Johnson Suffers Historic Brexit Defeats as Election Looms

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a series of damaging defeats Wednesday over the government’s policy on leaving the European Union.A coalition of opposition and Conservative lawmakers are attempting to pass legislation to prevent Britain from crashing out of the European Union with no deal on Oct. 31. The prime minister insists such a law …

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British PM Johnson Suffers Historic Brexit Defeats as Election Looms

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a series of damaging defeats over the government’s Brexit policy Wednesday, as lawmakers attempted to pass legislation to prevent Britain from crashing out of the European Union with no deal on Oct. 31. In response, Johnson tried to force a general election, but that was also rejected by MPs. …

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Report Warns No-Deal Brexit Means Political Uncertainty 

The British government announced Wednesday that it would spend an additional $2.4 billion on preparing to leave the European Union, bringing the total spent so far on Brexit readiness to more than $10 billion.  The extra investment comes as a coalition of opposition lawmakers attempts this week to pass legislation blocking a so-called no-deal Brexit, warning …

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Dutch Woman Who Saved Jews from Nazis Dies at 99

A Dutch woman hailed by the king as one of the country’s national heroes for saving hundreds of Jews from the Nazis has died.Diet Eman was 99 and lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Eman was born in The Netherlands and joined the Dutch underground after the Nazi invasion in 1940.She provided safe housing and forged identity …

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Turkey’s Erdogan Defies Pressure Not to Have Nuclear Warheads

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday lashed out at pressure on some countries — including his own — not to acquire missiles with nuclear warheads.”Some (countries) have missiles with nuclear warheads in their hands but I shouldn’t have it. I do not accept this,” he said in a speech in the eastern city of …

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Poland Pressured to Say If It Bought Israeli Phone Spyware

The Polish government came under pressure Wednesday to clarify whether it has purchased sophisticated and potentially illegal phone surveillance technology that has been used to stifle dissent in other countries.Opposition lawmakers asked Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki whether the special services bought Pegasus, the spyware produced by NSO Group, an Israeli company. The Israeli firm’s software …

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Peaceful Iceland Amazed at Weapons in Pence Security Detail

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s arrival in Iceland with military jets and armed personnel set eyes popping Wednesday in a nation consistently ranked as the world’s most peaceful.    The size and standards of the vice president’s security detail also required adjustments. The guards protecting Pence got backup from a police force that only allows …

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Swedish Lawyer Won’t Appeal A$AP Rocky’s Assault Verdict

The lawyer for American rapper A$AP Rocky says his client won’t appeal his assault conviction for a June 30 street brawl in Stockholm.Slobodan Jovicic told Sweden’s TT news agency Wednesday that the rapper doesn’t have the energy to appeal.   A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, had pleaded self-defense and said he had …

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Minister: Russia Open to Private Companies Developing Energy-Rich Arctic Shelf

Russia’s natural resources and environment minister said on Wednesday he supported allowing private oil and gas companies to work on the Arctic shelf.Speaking to reporters at an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, the minister, Dmitry Kobylkin, said he supported “any decision linked to an increase in investment in projects related …

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French Government Announces Measures to Tackle Domestic Violence

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has unveiled measures to tackle domestic violence, following a spate of murders of women that have sparked public outrage. More than 100 women have been killed so far this year in France by their spouses, partners or ex-partners.  VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports domestic violence and murder of women is a …

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Vienna Holds Off Melbourne to Top EIU Ranking of Most Liveable Cities

Vienna has held off Melbourne to retain the top spot on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2019, further strengthening its reputation as the world’s most pleasant city, while the ‘gilets jaunes’ protests hurt Paris’ score.The Austrian capital, which attracts tourists for its classical music scene and imperial history but also has abundant …

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Polish Opposition Names Surprise Candidate for Prime Minster

A pro-European opposition coalition in Poland announced unexpectedly on Tuesday that its candidate for prime minister as the country heads toward an October election will be a deputy parliamentary speaker, rather than the main opposition leader.The candidacy of Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska was announced by Grzegorz Schetyna, the leader of Civic Platform, which is the dominant party …

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New US Balkan Envoy Says Restarting Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue a Priority

The new U.S. Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer, said on Tuesday a priority in his new role is restarting a dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo.”The first (step) is getting the parties back to the table,” Palmer, who was appointed last week, told a regional political conference in Slovenia.He said he expected the …

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With Trump’s Blessing, Pompeo Sought ‘Reset’ with New EU Leaders

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought on Tuesday to reestablish friendlier ties with the incoming leaders of the European Union and mark an end to troubled relations since President Donald Trump took office, a senior U.S. diplomat said.Framed as a “reset” in the relationship, Washington’s envoy to Brussels told reporters that Pompeo’s meetings with …

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Russian Investigators Drop Charges Against 5 Protesters

Russian investigators said Tuesday they have dropped charges against five protesters who were arrested and charged with rioting connected to recent anti-government rallies. Separately, two protesters who accepted a plea bargain were given jail sentences in an expedited trial.FILE – Vyacheslav Abanichev and Alisa Abanicheva, parents of Sergei Abanichev, hold a poster saying “Free My …

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Russian Blogger Sentenced to Five Years Over ‘Extremist’ Tweet

A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced a blogger to five years in a penal colony for a tweet calling for attacks on the children of police, a ruling his lawyer said was unprecedented.Vladislav Sinitsa, 30, posted the tweet in the wake of a police crackdown against protesters who have called for free elections.”It’s an act …

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Prince Harry Announces Massive Travel Sustainability Project

The eco-minded Prince Harry announced a massive travel sustainability initiative Tuesday in partnership with key service providers that’s aimed at bettering the practices of the global industry amid an ever-increasing number of travelers.    The Duke of Sussex unveiled Travalyst at a news conference in Amsterdam, a city hit hard by over-tourism. He was joined …

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French Petition Adds Fuel to Amazon Spat

An environmental spat between France and Brazil, rolling in questions about integrity, colonialism and Bic pens, shows signs of deepening with calls by dozens of French lawmakers and environmental groups to slap trade sanctions on Brazilian beef and soybeans. In a petition published Sunday in France’s weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, the group also called on …

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Spain Rescues Almost 200 Migrants in the Mediterranean

Almost 200 people were rescued attempting to make the dangerous crossing from North Africa to Spain on Monday, the coastguard said.The rescues come amid a debate in Spain over the role that charity boats should play in assisting government efforts after a Spanish non-governmental organization ship was at the center of a standoff with European …

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Georgia’s Prime Minister Resigns

VOA’s Georgian News Service contributed to this report.Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has resigned after a little more than a year on the job. Bakhtadze announced his decision Monday, saying he had fulfilled the mandate he was given. “The purpose and main mandate of my nomination for the post of prime minister of Georgia in 2018 was …

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