Month: May 2023

 Ex-Audi CEO to Plead Guilty Over ‘Dieselgate’ Scandal 

Former Audi boss Rupert Stadler will plead guilty over the “dieselgate” vehicle emissions-cheating scandal, a German court said Wednesday, which would make him the first auto CEO to be convicted in the resulting lawsuits. Stadler will admit guilt in exchange for a suspended sentence after reaching an agreement with the Munich district court over the scandal that rocked Audi’s parent company Volkswagen. German car giant VW — whose subsidiaries include Porsche, Audi, Skoda and Seat — admitted in September 2015 that it had installed software to rig emission levels in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The so-called defeat devices made …

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Dissident Pulled Off Plane by Belarus Gets 8 Years in Prison 

A Belarusian court convicted a dissident journalist who was arrested after being pulled off a commercial flight that was diverted to the country and sentenced him Wednesday to eight years in prison. Raman Pratasevich’s dramatic arrest in May 2021 elicited outrage in the West, with some leaders saying the plane’s diversion was tantamount to state-sponsored hijacking. Belarusian flight controllers ordered the Ryanair jetliner traveling between Greece and Lithuania to land in Minsk, telling the crew that there was a bomb threat against the flight. No explosives were found on board, and Pratasevich, who lived in exile at the time, was …

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Війська РФ вночі завдали удару керованими авіабомбами по Сумщині – ОК «Північ»

Російські війська вночі завдали удару керованими авіабомбами по Сумській області, повідомляє у телеграмі оперативне командування «Північ». «З 22:05 до 22:10 2 травня зафіксовано 2 пуски, попередньо КАБ (керовані авіабомби), з російського Су-35 по н.п. Свеса. В результаті авіаудару пошкоджене підприємство. Інформація щодо постраждалих та руйнування уточнюється», – йдеться у повідомленні. Крім того, як інформує ОК «Північ», пізніше 2 травня зафіксовано 2 пуски, попередньо КАБ з російського Су-35, удар попередньо біля Хотіївки. Вранці 3 травня було 15 «приходів», ймовірно, з 120-мм міномета біля Нововасилівки та Червоного. Про втрати чи пошкодження інформація не надходила. Раніше речник командування Повітряних сил ЗСУ Юрій Ігнат …

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Dozens Arrested in Germany in European Probe of Italian Organized Crime

German police arrested dozens of people across the country on Wednesday in an investigation of the Italian ‘Ndrangheta organized crime group, German public prosecutors and state police said.  The ‘Ndrangheta is based in the southern region of Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot, and has surpassed Cosa Nostra to become the most powerful mafia group in the country – and one of the largest crime networks in the world.  The crackdown was part of a coordinated probe by investigators in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain as well as Europol and Eurojust, they said.  The suspects are accused of …

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Latest in Ukraine: US to Send $300 Million in Weapons to Ukraine 

New developments: An explosion has derailed a second train in the Bryansky region of Russia adjacent to Ukraine and Belarus. The White House estimates 20,000 Russians have been killed in eastern Ukraine since December. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said almost half of them were part of the Wagner Group mercenary force. The head of the Wagner Group says his fighters aren’t getting the supplies they need due to the lack of support from Moscow. Ukrainian troops are pushing back against Russian troops in the beleaguered city of Bakhmut, launching counterattacks that have forced Russian soldiers to …

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«Ідуть дуже важкі переговори» – Данілов про обмін «всіх на всіх»

«(Успіх проведення цього обміну – ред.) перш за все залежить від бажання Російської Федерації. Маємо розуміння, що тут має бути не тільки бажання нашої сторони, а так само і РФ. Ідуть дуже важкі переговори з цього приводу» …

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Ukraine Sowing Season Faces Wartime Obstacles

The sowing season is in full swing in Ukraine despite a series of significant challenges that farmers face as Russia continues its war on the country. The agricultural industry faces mined fields, instability with the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and a ban on the export of four key products to five European Union countries. Lesia Bakalets has more from Warsaw, Poland. VOA footage by Daniil Batushchak. …

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