Category: Євросоюз

Vatican City — Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable in Bethlehem, Pope Francis in a Christmas Eve homily said that “the clash of arms even today” prevents Jesus “from finding room in the world.” The pontiff presided Sunday over the evening Mass attended by about 6,500 faithful who took their place amid the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica behind rows of white-clad prelates. “Our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war,” the pope said, referring to the war sparked by Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 rampage and hostage-taking in Israel. …

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Belgrade, Serbia — Police in Serbia fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building Sunday in protest of what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election last weekend. The country’s populist authorities have denied rigging the vote and described the election to fill parliament and local offices as fair. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Sunday that those claims were blatant “lies” promoted by the political opposition. Vucic also suggested the unrest was instigated from abroad. Addressing the nation during the protest outside Belgrade city hall, he called the demonstrators …

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Paris — With bleak December weather gripping the French capital and world attention dominated by the bloody conflict in Gaza, the slow reemergence of Paris’ fire-battered Notre Dame cathedral is a welcome Christmas present. A golden rooster — a potent symbol of light in Christianity and of France — once again sits atop the cathedral’s reconstructed spire, replacing one that fell into the 2019 blaze which nearly demolished the edifice. By December 8, 2024, authorities pledge, Notre Dame will reopen to the public. “It’s extraordinary when you see it up over Notre Dame,” the cathedral’s former chief architect, Benjamin Mouton, said …

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MANCHESTER, England — More than a year after it was put up for sale, Manchester United said Sunday that British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe had agreed to buy a minority stake in the storied Premier League club.  Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant INEOS and is one of Britain’s richest people, has secured a stake of “up to 25%” in the 20-time league champions and will invest $300 million in its Old Trafford stadium.  As part of the deal, United said Ratcliffe would take responsibility for the club’s soccer operations.  Ratcliffe will provide $200 million upon completion of the deal and a further …

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Vatry, France — Four French judges on Sunday began questioning more than 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking.    The Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 has been held at Vatry airport, 150 kilometers (95 miles) east of Paris, since arriving from Dubai on Thursday for refueling after an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.    The judges have the authority to extend the detention order being used by border police by eight days initially and for a another eight if required.     They have two days to complete speaking to the passengers.    “The …

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ABUJA, Nigeria — France on Friday completed the withdrawal of its troops after they were asked to leave Niger by the country’s new junta, ending years of on-the-ground military support and raising concerns from analysts about a gap in the fight against jihadi violence across the Sahel region of Africa. The last French military aircraft and troops departed Niger by the December 22 deadline set by the junta which severed ties with Paris after the coup in July, the French Army General Staff told The Associated Press by email. France already announced this week that it would close its diplomatic mission …

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Geneva — The United Nations warned Saturday that an Iranian-Swedish citizen is facing imminent execution in Iran after a Swedish court upheld the conviction of a former Iranian prison official. “Disturbing news that Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali could be shortly executed on charges of ‘enmity against God,’” the U.N. human rights office said on X. Djalali was sentenced to death in 2017 on espionage charges that have been denounced as baseless by Stockholm and his supporters. Before his arrest in Iran in April 2016, Djalali was a visiting professor in disaster medicine at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Belgian research university. The U.N. …

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London — Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova was disqualified on Saturday as a candidate for Russia’s next presidential election, preventing her from running against Vladimir Putin on a platform of opposition to the war in Ukraine.  Members of the central electoral commission voted unanimously to reject her candidacy, citing “numerous violations” in the papers she had submitted in support of her bid.  Putin’s critics said the decision showed that no one with genuine opposition views would be allowed to stand against him next March in the first presidential election since the start of the 22-month war.  The Kremlin says Putin will …

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PRAGUE — The Czech Republic came to a standstill at noon Saturday as people across the country observed a minute of silence as part of a national day of mourning to honor the victims of the worst mass killing in Czech history. National flags on public buildings were at half-staff, and bells tolled at noon. A Mass at St. Vitus cathedral in Prague, the biggest in the country, was celebrated for the victims. President Petr Pavel and speakers of both houses of Parliament attended the service, which was open to everyone. “We’re all still in a shock in our own ways,” …

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Prague, Czech Republic — Czechs mourned the victims of the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting as police tightened security around schools and other public buildings across the country on Friday after authorities said a student gunman killed 14 people at a Prague university building on Thursday. At the Charles University headquarters, crowds that included Prime Minister Petr Fiala and U.S. Ambassador Bijan Sabet paid tribute to the victims. Some knelt to light candles and lay flowers while others stood crying and hugging each other. “We are here to show our support as fellow students,” said Czech student Daniel Broz. “I was …

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During his November visit to Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, the next Kremlin threat will extend to the Baltics. VOA’s Eastern Europe chief visited the Estonian military base where U.S. and Estonian troops have developed their capabilities to confront potential aggressors. VOA footage by Daniil Batushchak. …

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WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday giving the Treasury Department the authority to target financial institutions that facilitate Russia’s efforts to bolster its defense industry. The new sanctions authority is meant to gum up the Kremlin’s push to restock the Russian military’s depleted arsenal after 22 months of fighting in Ukraine. Russia has already lost over 13,000 pieces of equipment, including tanks, drones and missile systems, according to a U.S. assessment. The order also seeks to tighten existing restrictions on diamonds and seafood imported from Russia after a review by U.S. agencies. “We expect financial institutions …

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Niamey, Niger — The last French troops are to withdraw from Niger on Friday, marking an end to more than a decade of French anti-jihadist operations in West Africa’s Sahel region. The French exit from Niger leaves hundreds of U.S. military personnel, and a number of Italian and German troops, remaining in the country. France said it would pull out its roughly 1,500 soldiers and pilots from Niger after the former French colony’s new ruling generals demanded they depart following the coup on July 26. It was the third time in less than 18 months that French troops were sent packing …

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Diyarbakir, Turkey/Washington — Turkey’s parliament erupted in controversy this week when the nation’s only Assyrian lawmaker delivered a Christmas message in his native Syriac language, offending other legislators who believe that only Turkish should be spoken in the national assembly. “Starting with our Greek, Armenian and Assyrian citizens living in Turkey, I congratulate all Christians on Christmas,” said George Aslan, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), during a budget debate Monday. “I hope the new year brings love and peace to our country and the whole world. “I would like to deliver the same message …

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