Category: Світ

In France, Police Stage Counter Protests

In the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody in the U.S. city of Minneapolis, the passionate debate has spread to France, sparking protests against alleged police brutality and racism. French policemen rebuke the criticism as unfair.For the past few weeks, protesters in France have been demanding police reforms and the end an alleged police …

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French Ex-Prime Minister Found Guilty of Fraud

A Paris court has found French former prime minister Francois Fillon guilty of having used public funds to pay his wife and children for work they never performed.   His wife, Penelope Fillon, has also been found guilty as an accomplice.   The court has not detailed the sentence yet.   The work had brought …

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Italy’s Coast Guard Frees Trapped Whale

The Italian Coast Guard has released video of a team of divers who successfully freed a ten-meter long sperm whale that had become trapped in an illegal fishing net in the Mediterranean Sea, off Italy’s southwestern coast. The coast guard says four biologists working in the area alerted them about the whale after they spotted it …

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Polish Presidential Election Heads to Runoff

Poland’s presidential election appears headed for a runoff after no candidate appears to have won a majority of votes needed for an outright victory.Exit polls Sunday gave right-wing President Andrzej Duda 42% of the ballots cast and centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski 30% of the votes. Television personality Szymon Holownia had 13%.  Election observers say …

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France’s Macron Takes Drubbing in Local Elections, Greens Surge

France President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party received a drubbing Sunday in municipal elections, as the Greens celebrated victories in several big cities after a surge in support.Macron had hoped the elections would help anchor his young party in towns and cities across France, including Paris, ahead of an anticipated 2022 reelection bid.But aides had more …

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Trump Says He Wasn’t Briefed on Reported Russian Bounties on US Troops in Afghanistan 

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he had never been told about reports that a Russian military intelligence unit was secretly offering bounties to Taliban militants in Afghanistan to kill U.S. soldiers. Trump scoffed at a New York Times report that U.S. intelligence officials had concluded months ago that the Russian unit, which has been linked …

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White House Denies Trump Was Briefed on Reported Intel that Russia Offered Bounties 

The White House has denied that President Donald Trump was briefed on a reported finding that Russian military intelligence offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.    Neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence was briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a …

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Macron Braces for Setback in France’s Local Polls

France’s ruling party is expected to be handed a stinging rebuke by voters Sunday in the final round of local elections, the first big political test for President Emmanuel Macron since the coronavirus crisis began to ease.The first round controversially went ahead on March 15 just as the epidemic was gaining deadly momentum, but the …

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Poland Begins Voting in Election Delayed by Virus

Concerns over democratic standards and bread-and-butter issues top the agenda as Poles began voting on Sunday in round one of a tight presidential race that had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.Incumbent Andrzej Duda, 48, is campaigning for reelection in a vote that could determine the future of the right-wing government that supports …

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Ireland’s Martin to Lead Historic Government Coalition

Centrist politician Micheál Martin became Ireland’s new prime minister Saturday, fusing two longtime rival parties into a coalition four months after an election that upended the status quo.The deal will see Martin’s Fianna Fail govern with Fine Gael — the party of outgoing leader Leo Varadkar — and with the smaller Green Party. Fianna Fail …

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Biden Slams Trump Over Reported Bounties Placed on US Troops

Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump on Saturday over a report that he said, if true, contains a “truly shocking revelation” about the commander in chief and his failure to protect U.S. troops in Afghanistan and stand up to Russia.The New York Times reported Friday that American intelligence officials concluded months ago that a Russian …

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Women Support French Police Amid Public Discontent

Several dozen women demonstrated Saturday in support of French police in central Paris, to counter public discontent over the perceived way law enforcement treats minorities.The demonstration of support surfaced as local governments across France attempt to change law enforcement practices and punish officers suspected of racism following the death of African American George Floyd while …

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Radioactivity Hike Seen in Northern Europe; Source Unknown

Nordic authorities say they detected slightly increased levels of radioactivity in northern Europe this month that Dutch officials said might be from a source in western Russia and might “indicate damage to a fuel element in a nuclear power plant.”But the Russian news agency Tass, citing a spokesman with the state nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom. …

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Facebook to Label All Rule-breaking Posts – Even Trump’s

Facebook said Friday that it will flag all “newsworthy” posts from politicians that break its rules, including those from President Donald Trump.Separately, Facebook’s stock dropped more than 8%, erasing roughly $50 billion from its market valuation, after the European company behind brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Dove announced it would boycott Facebook ads …

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France’s Macron to Travel to Russia Soon

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said he would soon travel to Russia for more talks with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.”Trust-building talks initiated with President Putin at Fort Bregancon continue,” Macron said in a tweet, mentioning European security, regional conflicts and climate change as key themes. “I will travel soon to Russia.”Macron and Putin held …

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EU Holds Off Decision on Borders; Americans Set to Be Excluded

European Union countries failed to settle on Friday on a final “safe list” of countries whose residents could travel to the bloc from July, with the United States, Brazil and Russia set to be excluded.Ambassadors from the 27 EU members convened from Friday afternoon to establish criteria for granting quarantine-free access from next Wednesday.A redrawn …

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Greek Brothels Suffer from COVID-19 Crisis

Businesses across Greece have been slowly reopening, scrambling to make up for lost work after a shutdown of more than two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The relaunch isn’t easy, especially for those in marginalized professions, such as sex workers, who say they are among the hardest hit.In the small city of Larisa, north …

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Spanish Icons Take Hit in US War on Statues

A campaign to topple statues of slave owners and Confederate heroes across the United States has extended in California to monuments honoring icons of the region’s Spanish colonial history, much to the distress of the Spanish Embassy in Washington.“We deeply regret the destruction of the statue of Saint Junipero Serra in San Francisco today, and …

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NY Times: Russia Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill US Troops

U.S. intelligence has concluded that the Russian military offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan to kill American troops and other coalition forces, The New York Times reported Friday.Citing officials briefed on the matter, the Times said the United States determined months ago that a Russian military intelligence unit linked to assassination attempts in Europe …

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3 People Killed in Glasgow Incident, Including Suspected Attacker: BBC

Three people were killed in a stabbing attack in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Friday, British media reported on Friday, with police saying a suspect had been shot and an officer injured.An eyewitness told Sky News she had seen several people covered in blood being treated by emergency services after an incident at a …

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Russian Court Finds Director Serebrennikov Guilty of Fraud

A Moscow court on Friday convicted acclaimed Russian theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov of fraud, in a long-running case that critics have slammed as fabricated.The judge ruled that Serebrennikov, 50, and two co-defendants were guilty of misappropriating 129 million rubles ($2 million) of state funds that financed a theatrical project.”Serebrennikov, [Yury] Itin and [Konstantin] …

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Tensions Rise At Virus Hot Spot Apartments in Southern Italy

The governor of a southern Italian region insisted on Friday that seasonal Bulgarian crop pickers who live in an apartment complex with dozens of COVID-19 cases must stay inside for 15 days, not even emerging for food.   Wearing a mask to discourage virus spread, Campania Gov. Vincenzo De Luca told reporters that the national …

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UN Turns 75 in Different World

The United Nations marks the 75th anniversary of its founding on Friday, in a much different world than it was born into. VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer looks at how the organization has matured and the challenges it faces going forward. Produced by: Jesusemen Oni …

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After Kosovo President War Crimes Indictment, Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Uncertain 

This weekend the White House had hoped to host high-profile talks between leaders of Kosovo and Serbia, but the indictment of Kosovo’s president on war crimes charges forced officials to suspend the talks indefinitely, putting future negotiations in limbo.  On Wednesday, a Hague-based special prosecutor indicted Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and nine others on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Kosovo’s war …

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France, Germany Express Political, Financial Support for WHO

France and Germany pledged Thursday to contribute more funding to the World Health Organization as it fights the coronavirus pandemic.  The pledges came after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met in Geneva with health ministers from the two countries to discuss the pandemic and global responses.The meeting Thursday coincided with an announcement by WHO Regional …

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Pompeo: US, EU Should Confront China Together

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on the United States and the European Union to cultivate a shared understanding of China in order to create an effective resistance strategy to Beijing’s increasing economic power.  The remarks, made Thursday at an event hosted by the German Marshall Fund, came as Pompeo announced his intent to …

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