Month: June 2023

UN Says 37 Migrants Missing After Shipwreck Between Tunisia, Italy

Thirty-seven migrants are missing after their boat capsized between Tunisia and the Italian island of Lampedusa, the International Organization for Migration said on Friday, citing an account by four survivors of the shipwreck. The United Nations agency said the survivors, all from sub-Saharan Africa, arrived on Lampedusa late on Thursday, having been rescued by another vessel. The survivors told the IOM they left the Tunisian port of Sfax heading for Italy with 46 people aboard, but their boat capsized in strong winds. They recounted that five of their fellow travelers were picked up by another boat, while 37 are missing …

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Ukrainian Graduates Can Take Final State Exam Abroad

Poland hosts about half a million school-aged Ukrainian refugee children. Many high school graduates outside their homeland choose to take Ukraine’s final state exam, which is mandatory for applying to Ukrainian universities and sometimes accepted by European ones. After the war started, the test was held in Ukraine and locations abroad. Lesia Bakalets has the story from Warsaw, Poland. Video: Daniil Batushchak  …

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Amnesty Accuses Spain, Morocco of Covering Up Racist Border Practices

Saturday marks the anniversary of an attempt by approximately 2,000 sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees to cross over from Morocco to Spain. At least 37 people died in the attempt, and 76 are still unaccounted for. Amnesty International Friday accused Morocco and Spain of conducting a cover-up of their racist practices at the border. The group said Spain failed to open an independent investigation after Spanish prosecutors dropped their investigation because they said they had not found any criminal misconduct by Spanish security forces. Morocco never opened a probe, the group said. “At the Moroccan side of the border, and …

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Маляр: наступ військ РФ зупинений на Куп’янському і Лиманському напрямках

«Останні півтора тижні в нас були дуже запеклі бої саме на Куп’янському і Лиманському напрямках. Але наші Збройні сили там ворога зупинили, і станом на вчора і на сьогодні там фактично – декілька боєзіткнень, і ворог зараз зупинив свої наступальні дії» …

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Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Warns About Russian Attack on Ukraine’s Nuclear Facility

Latest developments: Ukraine’s military said early Friday that air raid alerts had been sounded throughout the country. A joint statement issued by U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Marendra Modi said Thursday that both leaders “have expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine and mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences.” The statement also said Biden and Modi, who is in Washington on a state visit, have, in connection with Ukraine, called for “respect for international law, principles of the UN charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there was fierce fighting …

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Georgian President Pardons Country’s Only Jailed Journalist

Greeted by cheering crowds and surrounded by journalists, including from his own station, one of Georgia’s most prominent journalists walked out of prison Thursday hours after being granted a presidential pardon. President Salome Zurabishvili announced Thursday evening that she had pardoned journalist Nika Gvaramia, founder of pro-opposition broadcaster Mtavari Arkhi. Gvaramia, who also is a former member of parliament, has been in prison since May 2022.   Zurabishvili announced the pardon in a televised press conference. Later on Twitter, she said:   In May 2022, a court convicted Gvaramia of abuse of power related to his work in 2019 as …

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SCO Members Lack Unity on Taliban Terrorism Concerns

Frustration with the rising threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan emerged at a meeting this week of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a defense and economic alliance platform consisting of China, Russia, India, Iran and five other Asian states. Russia and Tajikistan say Afghanistan, which holds an uncertain observer status in the SCO following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, has become a breeding ground for regional terrorist groups. “According to our information, terrorist groups such as al-Qaida, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, TTP, Jamaat Ansarullah are currently present in Afghanistan and …

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Debt-plagued Zambia Reaches Deal to Rework $6.3B in Loans, France Says

Zambia and its government creditors, including China, have reached a deal to restructure $6.3 billion in loans, the French government announced Thursday on the sidelines of a global finance summit in Paris. The agreement covers loans from countries including France, the U.K., South Africa, Israel and India as well as China — Zambia’s biggest creditor at $4.1 billion of the total. The deal, announced by officials who spoke anonymously in accordance with the French government’s customary practices, may provide a roadmap for how China will handle restructuring deals with other nations in debt distress. The International Monetary Fund approved the …

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