Month: July 2018

Irish rock star Bono warned Monday that the United Nations and other international institutions including the European Union and NATO are under threat – and nations must work together to ensure their continued existence. The Dublin-born U2 singer and activist gave a sobering speech to several hundred U.N. diplomats and staff at an event launching Ireland’s candidacy for a seat on the powerful Security Council in 2021-22 saying “you can count on Ireland to do its part in that work.” While Bono didn’t name any countries responsible for threatening global institutions during these “troubled times,” his words appeared clearly aimed …

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The immigrant from Mali, dubbed “Spider-Man” after he scaled a Paris apartment building to save a young boy dangling from a balcony, has begun working for the city’s fire department. Mamoudou Gassama, 22, captured international attention when he scaled four stories of a building’s exterior to save a 4-year-old boy who had managed to climb over a balcony and was dangling above a street. At the time, VOA’s Bambara service interviewed Gassama, who described what happened. He said he and his girlfriend had just ordered food when he saw a crowd gathering outside. ​”Before we start eating, I saw the …

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Chancellor Angela Merkel and her rebellious Bavarian allies searched Monday for a way to resolve a standoff over migration after Germany’s interior minister offered to resign, but a compromise looked elusive in the dispute that has rocked her government. The crisis that has raised questions over the future of Merkel’s 3½-month-old government pits Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and his Bavaria-only Christian Social Union against Merkel, head of its longtime sister party, the Christian Democratic Union.   Ahead of a difficult Bavarian state election in October, the CSU is determined to show that it is tough on migration. Seehofer wants to …

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Jordan’s foreign minister said on Monday he will hold talks with his Russian counterpart over the conflict in Syria, where the latest government offensive in the country’s south has displaced 270,000 people, according to a U.N. official. The Jordanian diplomat, Ayman Safadi, said he will head to Moscow on Tuesday and added that he was confident his meeting with Sergey Lavrov would produce more understandings and lead to “more steps forward to contain this crisis and prevent more destruction.” Russia backs a Syrian government offensive in the southern province of Daraa, which has displaced tens of thousands of Syrians, sending …

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The European Union has warned the United States that President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 20 percent tariff on imported European cars would seriously hurt the U.S. economy and invite retaliatory levies on up to $294 billion in U.S. exports. In a 10-page letter sent to the U.S. Commerce Department last Friday, the European Union said that new tariffs on European-made vehicles and auto parts were unjustifiable and would be an economic mistake. Trump has often attacked the EU trade surplus with the United States — $101 billion last year — and criticized the 28-nation bloc for its 10 percent tariff …

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A U.S. congressional delegation is meeting with senior Russian officials in St. Petersburg amid preparations for a summit between the nations’ presidents. U.S.-Russian ties have hit the lowest point in decades due to sanctions over Russian interference in the U.S. 2016 election and disagreement over Syria, Ukraine and other topics.   St. Petersburg governor Georgy Poltavchenko told U.S. congressmen on Monday that he hopes for a warming of ties. “We look into the future with optimism and are ready for cooperation on all fronts,” he said.   Richard Shelby, a Republican senator from Alabama who heads the delegation, also called …

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The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday hailed the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Marking the date, Guterres in a statement said, “The NPT is an essential pillar of international peace and security, and the heart of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Its unique status is based on its near universal membership, legally-binding obligations on disarmament, verifiable non-proliferation safeguards regime, and commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.” What is the NPT? The objective of the international treaty is to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and …

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A notorious French gangster is on the run after three heavily armed accomplices landed a helicopter in the prison where he was being held and flew out with him. Redoine Faid, 46, was serving a 25-year sentence for the murder of a police officer during a failed robbery in 2010. “This was a spectacular escape. It was an extremely well-prepared commando unit that may have used drones to survey the area beforehand,” Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said. Faid was being visited by his brother in Reau prison near Paris when the helicopter landed in the prison courtyard. Two men dressed …

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Turkey’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex activists gathered Sunday for an LGBTI pride march in Istanbul, moving from street to street for an hour as police tried to end an event the local government had banned for the fourth year in a row. Hundreds of people chanted slogans and waved rainbow flags on side streets along Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul’s main pedestrian thoroughfare. The organizers released a statement saying the city’s ban would not deter them from marching peacefully. Despite the ban, police allowed the organizers to read a press statement. “We do not recognize this ban,” the group said …

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