Category: Євросоюз

Danish submarine inventor Peter Madsen was found guilty Wednesday of torturing and murdering Swedish reporter Kim Wall during a private submarine trip. He was sentenced to life in prison. Judge Anette Burkoe at the Copenhagen City Court said she and two jurors unanimously decided Wall’s death was a murder, saying Madsen didn’t given “a trustworthy” explanation.   It was a “cynical murder” of a journalist who was performing her duties, the court said in its ruling, which was not broadcast live due to a court order. In Denmark, life equates to 16 years, which can be extended if necessary. Throughout …

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Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in Armenia’s capital on Wednesday after planned talks between an opposition leader and the country’s acting prime minister were canceled. The meeting was meant to discuss steps for a political transition following Monday’s resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetian, a Sargsyan ally, said the opposition was making new demands. He also proposed holding snap parliamentary elections as a way to resolve the political turmoil. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian of the Armenian National Congress said his side would boycott such an election if a member of the ruling Republican Party remains …

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was “profoundly honored” to host French President Emmanuel Macron for the first official state dinner of his administration. Trump called the bond between the United States and France a “very remarkable friendship” at the opulent event in front of more than 100 guests. “May our friendship grow even deeper. May our kinship grow even stronger and may our sacred liberty never die,” Trump said. Macron said the two leaders share a determination and willingness to serve their countries and the rest of the world. He also toasted to the “unbreakable friendship” between the …

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U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to look for common ground with his French counterpart in dealing with Iran but made no commitment to stick with the nuclear agreement he described as “insane” and “ridiculous.” Alongside visiting French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump repeated his criticism of the agreement to freeze Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, saying it does not address Iran’s missile program or attempts to stir up unrest in the region. Macron, who will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday before returning home, has tried to persuade Trump not to withdraw …

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Cambridge Analytica unleashed its counterattack against claims that it misused data from millions of Facebook accounts, saying Tuesday it is the victim of misunderstandings and inaccurate reporting that portrays the company as the evil villain in a James Bond movie. Clarence Mitchell, a high-profile publicist recently hired to represent the company, held Cambridge Analytica’s first news conference since allegations surfaced that the Facebook data helped Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election. Christopher Wylie, a former employee of Cambridge Analytica’s parent, also claims that the company has links to the successful campaign to take Britain out of the European Union. …

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WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Facebook Inc, is raising its minimum age from 13 to 16 in Europe to help it comply with new data privacy rules coming into force next month. WhatsApp will ask European users to confirm they are at least 16 years old when they are prompted to agree to new terms of service and a privacy policy provided by a new WhatsApp Ireland Ltd entity in the next few weeks. It is not clear how or if the age limit will be checked given the limited data requested and held by the service. Facebook, …

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Bavaria’s conservative government is ordering Christian crosses to be placed at the entrance of all state administrative buildings. The regional government says the crosses shouldn’t be seen as religious symbols, but are meant to reflect the southern German state’s “cultural identity and Christian-western influence.” German news agency dpa reported that Tuesday’s decree won’t affect municipal and federal government buildings in Bavaria. Crosses are already compulsory in public schools and courtrooms in predominantly Catholic Bavaria. The governing Christian Social Union — the Bavaria-only wing of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party — is hoping to avoid losing its state majority to Alternative for …

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Efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war resumed Tuesday as representatives and ministers from 85 countries gathered in Brussels for a two-day conference, co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union. Its stated aim is to mobilize humanitarian aid to Syrians inside the country and boost support for the U.N.-led Geneva peace process. However, with Syrian government forces –  backed by their Russian allies – seemingly determined to try to secure a military victory, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in Brussels are low. Syrian jets continued to pound opposition targets in southern Damascus Monday. The …

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One of the most talked-about and macabre court cases in recent Danish history is set to conclude Wednesday when the verdict is handed down on whether Peter Madsen tortured and murdered a Swedish journalist during a private submarine trip. The 12-day trial has seen a series of gruesome allegations made against the inventor, but the autopsy of the cut-up remains of Kim Wall has not been able to specifically identify a precise cause of death. Wall, 30, who wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications, set out on the submarine on a sunny August evening last …

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Nations attending a U.N. conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty warn the threat of nuclear weapons use is growing and efforts toward the elimination of such arsenals must be re-doubled. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which came into force nearly 50 years ago, has successfully prevented the widespread development of these weapons of mass destruction. But many nations worry global insecurity is eroding international commitments to disarmament. At the opening session of the NPT conference, the United States singled out North Korea and Iran as two of the greatest threats facing the non-proliferation regime. The assistant secretary of state for international security …

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In Turkey, commemorations are being held to mark the mass killings of Armenians during World War I by Ottoman Turks. The killings, recognized as genocide by much of the international community, remains contentious, with Ankara strenuously claiming the deaths were the result of a civil war in which Turks also perished. Turkish-Armenian groups, along with nongovernmental organizations mainly in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, are organizing a series of events to remember the deaths.  On Tuesday, public ceremonies are planned outside some of the homes of 270 Armenian intellectuals, religious and civic leaders arrested in Istanbul on April 24, 1915. The …

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Russia and Pakistan have held their first national security advisers-level bilateral talks in Moscow, focusing on prospects for closer cooperation in defense, space, cyber security, nuclear, intelligence-sharing as well as trade. Pakistani National Security Adviser, Nasser Janjua, and Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev, led their respective delegations in the two-day meeting that ended on Monday. A statement released after their meeting said the Pakistani delegation included senior military, civilian, intelligence and officials from the Strategic Plans Division, which oversees the country’s nuclear weapons and missiles program. The two sides expressed satisfaction at “the positive …

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The European Union asked on Monday to join a dispute brought by China to the World Trade Organization over U.S. import tariffs on steel and aluminum, just over a week before U.S. President Trump decides whether they should apply to Europe. The U.S. administration has set duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum on grounds of national security, but provided a temporary exemption until May 1 for the European Union. China has taken the United States to the WTO over the measures. The first step in the WTO process involves consultations. The WTO said on Monday …

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Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations will create a working group to study Russia’s “malign behavior” given concerns about Moscow’s actions, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Monday. Tensions between Moscow and the West have increased steadily over recent years as Russia has become involved in conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. U.S. intelligence agencies have said Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, and Russia is also blamed for a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain last month. Johnson said the G-7 ministers, wrapping up a two-day meeting in Toronto, …

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French President Emmanuel Macron is heading to the United States for a state visit with President Donald Trump, looking to convince him of the need to keep a U.S. presence in Syria even after the defeat of Islamic State terrorists. Ahead of his arrival in Washington Monday, Macron told Fox News during an interview at the Elysee Palace in Paris, “We will have to build a new Syria after war. That’s why I think the U.S. role is very important.” He described the U.S. as “a player of last resorts for peace and multilateralism.” Trump has said he wants to …

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More than a dozen Turkish opposition lawmakers switched parties Sunday in a show of solidarity as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rivals scramble to challenge him in a surprise snap election that could solidify his rule. A year ago, Erdogan narrowly won a referendum to change Turkey’s form of government to an executive presidency, abolishing the office of the prime minister and giving the president more powers. The change will take effect after the next elections.   The snap elections, called for June, caught Turkey off guard and come as the opposition is in disarray as it struggles to put forward …

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Armenia’s opposition leader was arrested Sunday, hours after the country’s prime minister walked out of a televised meeting between the two. Opposition politician Nikol Pashinyan was arrested Sunday in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, as he participated in one of the demonstrations that began last week when parliament elected Serzh Sargsyan prime minister after a decade serving as president. Critics see the move as an attempt by Sargsyan to hold on to power. Pashinyan has said he would like the demonstrations to be the “start of a peaceful velvet revolution,” a reference to the protests in 1989 that ended communist …

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A televised meeting between Armenia’s prime minister and an opposition leader lasted only a few minutes Sunday. The meeting between Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and opposition activist Nikol Pashinyan was held with the aim of ending continuing anti-government protests. The demonstrations began last week when parliament elected Sargsyan prime minister after a decade serving as president. Opponents of Sargsyan see the move as an attempt by him and his supporters to hold on to power. Pashinyan told the prime minister, “I came here to discuss your resignation.” The prime minister said, “This is blackmail,” and walked out. Pashinyan has said …

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French President Emmanuel Macron is bringing an environmentally friendly gift to the White House when he visits President Donald Trump this week: a tree sapling. The young oak also has historical significance — it sprouted at a World War I battle site that became part of U.S. Marine Corps legend. Macron’s office said Sunday he hopes it will be planted in the White House gardens.   The oak sapling grew up near what’s known by the Marines as the Devil Dog fountain, in Belleau Wood. About 2,000 American troops died in the June 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood fighting the German …

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U.S. President Donald Trump will host French President Emmanuel Macron for a state visit next week as the Iran nuclear agreement hangs in the balance, and the expiration of EU’s exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs nears. Macron’s visit will be the first state visit of the Trump administration. Over the past year, Macron and Trump have forged an unlikely partnership. U.S. media dubbed the relationship a “bromance” and “one of history’s oddest diplomatic couples.” “The Trump-Macron relationship is perhaps one of the most unexpected partnerships of the Trump era,” observed Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for …

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