Category: Євросоюз

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was considering scaling back an effort that could have cut billions of dollars in foreign aid and would decide on the proposal – which faces strong opposition in Congress – within days. Trump administration officials have said they are reviewing State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development spending with an eye to using a budget process known as “rescission” to slash up to $4.3 billion in spending that had already been approved by the Senate and House of Representatives. “We’re looking at it and we’re looking at it in different ways, …

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The United States is warning entities in the Mediterranean against working with an Iranian-flagged oil tanker now moving through the region after being freed from detention by Gibraltar. The U.S. State Department repeated allegations that the Adrian Darya 1 was “transporting illicit oil to fuel the Iranian regime’s and Syrian regime’s campaigns of terror and oppression,” and it said those who assist it could be considered providing support to U.S.-designated terror organizations. “We have conveyed our strong position to the Greek government on the matter, as well as ports in the Mediterranean that should be forewarned about facilitating this vessel,” …

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An investment fund designed for animal rights advocates and environmentalists, the first of its kind according to financial experts, is set to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) next month. VEGN, as it will show on the NYSE’s floor, enters the fray of hundreds of funds that consider environmental, social or governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions but will be unique in going animal cruelty-free, experts said. U.S. assets under management that follow ESG principles have been surging, representing one in four dollars last year, up from one in five in 2016, according to The Forum …

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Russia’s Norilsk smelter complex and a town in South Africa’s eastern coal mining province have the highest sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in the world, according to satellite data from U.S. space agency NASA. The NASA-compiled data published on Monday was commissioned by environmental group Greenpeace India and used the space authority’s satellites to track anthropogenic sulphur dioxide emission hot spots around the world. Scientists say that excessive exposure to SO2 particles causes long-term respiratory difficulties and stunted growth in infants among other problems. Norilsk, 300km (186 miles) inside the Arctic Circle, has the largest individual SO2 emissions, followed by the …

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The first American spacecraft expected to land on the moon in nearly 50 years will be a robotic moon lander built by closely held Astrobotic Technology and launched in two years by United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, the companies told Reuters on Monday. Astrobotic was one of nine companies chosen in November to compete for $2.6 billion to develop small space vehicles and other technology for 20 missions to explore the lunar surface over the next decade. Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic picked Vulcan, being developed by a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to launch its Peregrine lander from Florida’s Cape …

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Walt Disney Co. said on Monday it will launch its Disney+ video streaming service in Canada and the Netherlands on Nov. 12, the same date as its previously announced United States launch. Disney+ will also launch in Australia and New Zealand a week later, the company said in a statement, adding that the service will be priced between $6 to $8 per month in these countries. Disney’s new service will exclusively stream its latest movies including “Avengers: Endgame,” “Aladdin” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the company said. The service will also draw upon Disney’s library of its existing …

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Authorities on Spain’s Canary Islands have confirmed the evacuation of more than 8,000 people Sunday and Monday as a massive wildfire swept across Gran Canaria. No fatalities have been reported, so far, but the fire is not yet under control. Canary Islands President Angel Victor Torres said 1,100 firefighters are battling to contain the flames, adding that 14 water-dropping aircraft are joining the battle against blaze. In this photo issued by Cabildo de Gran Canaria, flames from a forest fire burn close to houses in El Rincon, Tejeda on the Spanish Gran Canaria island on Sunday Aug. 18, 2019. Extreme …

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A number of U.S. business economists appear sufficiently concerned about the risks of some of President Donald Trump’s economic policies that they expect a recession in the U.S. by the end of 2021. Thirty-four percent of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics, in a report being released Monday, said they believe a slowing economy will tip into recession in 2021. That’s up from 25% in a survey taken in February. Only 2% of those polled expect a recession to begin this year, while 38% predict that it will occur in 2020.   President Donald Trump speaks with …

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A general accused of war crimes by the UN was Monday appointed Sri Lanka army chief by the nation’s president despite international concerns about his human rights record. Major General Shavendra Silva, 55, was elevated to the army’s second-highest position of chief of staff in January before his latest promotion by President Maithripala Sirisena to commander of the Sri Lankan army. “The president … has appointed Major General Shavendra Silva as the 23rd commander of the army …after promoting him to the rank of Lieutenant General,” the army said in a statement. The 55-year-old, who commanded an army division in …

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Former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir appeared in a Khartoum courtoom Monday for the start of his trial on corruption charges. Bashir, who was ousted by military leaders in April after 30 years in power, is facing charges of illegally possessing foreign currency and receiving gifts in an illegal manner. Bashir told investigators he had received millions of dollars in cash from Saudi Arabia, according to a detective who addressed the court. Sudanese Celebrate Signing of Political Agreement After Months of Protests The 75-year-old Bashir, dressed in traditional white robes, watched the proceedings from a cage inside the court. Rights group …

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Taiwan intends to raise its military budget more than usual next year following an increase in perceived threats from its old rival China, which has the world’s third largest armed forces, and a nod from the United States to sell a major new round of F-16 fighter jets. The military budget will reach $13.1 billion next year, a historic high and 2.3% of the GDP — a slight increase over this year — according to the central government budget passed on Thursday. The budget, subject to parliamentary approval, includes a 5.2% hike for national defense, Taiwan’s government-backed Central News Agency says. FILE …

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that she would meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday evening to discuss Britain’s planned departure from the European Union, adding that Berlin was also prepared for a disorderly Brexit. Johnson is seeking to persuade European Union leaders to reopen Brexit talks or face the prospect of its second-largest member leaving abruptly on Oct. 31 with no deal in place to mitigate the economic shock — a move that businesses expect would cause major disruption. “We are glad of every visit, and you have to talk, and you have to find good solutions,” …

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Protesters rallied in Hong Kong again on Sunday, as anti-government demonstrations, now in their 11th week, continue.  Mike O’Sullivan reports that the protests were first sparked by an extradition bill, but are now broadly aimed at maintaining Hong’s Kong’s special status within China.     …

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Last update: 1:45 p. m. Iran said its seized oil tanker was expected to leave Gibraltar on Sunday after authorities there rejected a U.S. bid to detain it, but it was unclear where the ship might be headed next. “The vessel is expected to leave tonight,” envoy Hamid Baeidinejad said on Twitter, adding that two engineering teams had been flown to Gibraltar to assist in its departure. Tehran said it was ready to dispatch its naval fleet to escort the ship, loaded with 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil worth $130 million, but Iran gave no indication where it …

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Restrictions continued in much of Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, despite India’s government saying it was gradually restoring phone lines and easing a security lockdown that’s been in place for nearly two weeks. Soldiers manned nearly deserted streets and limited the movement of the few pedestrians who came out of their homes in Srinagar, the region’s main city. The security crackdown and a news blackout were installed following an Aug. 5 decision by India’s Hindu nationalist government to downgrade the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy. Authorities started easing restrictions on Saturday. But the Press Trust of India news agency said authorities re-imposed restrictions …

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 Jaffar Mjasiri contributed to this article. A Tanzanian regional governor is calling for a nationwide public database listing married men as a means of protecting prospective brides from humiliation and heartbreak, he says. Paul Makonda, the top official in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, announced his plan earlier this week. He proposed the database after saying women had complained to him of lovers who had pretended they were single and promised marriage but then deserted them, along with children they’d fathered. The women were left without financial or other support. “We can see from our women, they are …

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s treasury minister, Nicolas Dujovne, resigned Saturday and will be replaced by the economy minister of the country’s most populous state, a senior official in the presidential office said.    The resignation came three days after President Mauricio Macri announced his conservative administration was temporarily increasing the minimum wage, reducing payroll taxes and implementing other steps to help Argentine workers as the country struggles to overcome sizzling inflation, high unemployment and other economic problems.    Macri acted after a leftist presidential slate that includes his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez, turned in a powerful showing last Sunday in primary voting for …

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LONDON – Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel that his nation’s Parliament cannot stop Brexit and a new deal must be agreed if Britain is to avoid leaving the EU without one.  In his first trip abroad as leader, Johnson is due to meet his European counterparts ahead of a G-7 summit on Aug. 24-26 in Biarritz, France.  He will say that Britain is leaving the European Union on Oct. 31, with or without a deal, and that Parliament cannot block that, according to a Downing Street source.  The United Kingdom is heading toward a constitutional crisis at home and …

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TEJEDA, SPAIN – A wildfire in the Canary Islands led to the evacuation of a small town in Gran Canaria island on Saturday, and officials said the blaze had a “great potential” to spread.  The wildfire started in the town of Valleseco, and an emergency area was also declared for the municipalities of Moya and Tejeda. In the latter, most parts of the town of 1,900 inhabitants were evacuated for precautionary reasons and roads were closed, the regional government said.  Seven helicopters, as well as firefighters on the ground, were battling the blaze.  Tejeda had been evacuated last week when another wildfire affected the area.  …

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Updated at 5:52 p.m. Aug. 17. ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Authorities in Afghanistan said a massive bomb blast late Saturday inside a packed wedding hall in Kabul “killed and injured dozens of civilians.”  There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the bombing in a western part of the Afghan capital. The victims were mostly members of the minority Shiite Hazara community.  Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi confirmed the blast and blamed “enemies of Afghanistan” for plotting the carnage. He did not explain further.  Rahimi said police and ambulances quickly reached the site, and victims were transported to city hospitals. He said the …

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