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head-post · 6 hours

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Sails of Moulin Rouge windmill in Paris collapse

The sails of the red Moulin Rouge windmill, one of Paris’ most famous attractions, fell to the ground early Thursday morning, The Guardian reports.

Jean-Victor Clerico, the attraction’s general manager, said that shortly before 2 a.m. on Thursday, the windmill’s sails “just unravelled and fell onto the pavement.” Fortunately, there were no passersby on the boulevard at the time. Clerico told reporters:

In 135 years of history the Moulin Rouge has experienced many adventures, but it is true that as far as the sails are concerned, this is the first time it’s happened.

More than 600,000 people a year watch performances twice a day at the Moulin Rouge at the foot of Montmartre Hill. Even more people stand on the pavement outside to take selfies against a backdrop as emblematic of Paris as the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower.

Founded in 1889, the cabaret became a global symbol of Parisian nightlife in the late 19th century, and its famous kan dancers were depicted in paintings by artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec. The 2001 film of the same name, directed by Baz Luhrmann, cemented its appeal today.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #europe #european news #european union #eu politics #eu news #france #france news #french politics #moulin rouge #windmill

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head-post · 10 hours

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Parliament approves EU emergency team to tackle crop-damaging pest infiltration

The European Parliament approved an amendment to the Plant Health Regulation to establish a European Emergency Response Team for preventing and containing crop-damaging pests on Wednesday (April 24), according to Euractiv.

The text was adopted with 551 votes in favour, 24 against and 15 abstentions. MEP (S&D) Clara Aguilera, rapporteur for the text, stated:

We now need to improve the way the regulation works to maintain a high level of plant health protection throughout the EU.

The circulation of plant pests is growing with increased trade and climate change. For instance, the plant bacterium Xylella fastidiosa can infect more than 650 plant species and damage valuable species, such as olive trees and grapevines.

Once localised in the Americas, Xylella fastidiosa was first detected in the EU in 2013 in Apulia, southern Italy. The pathogen affected over 21 million olive trees in Apulia on more than 8,000 square kilometres of land, corresponding to 40% of the region’s territory, Italian media reported.

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has suggested that the full spread of Xylella fastidiosa could cost the EU up to €5.5 billion per year.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #europe #european news #european union #eu politics #eu news #agriculture #plant health care

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head-post · 13 hours

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China blames US for South China Sea escalation, US to turn Pacific oil rigs into mobile military bases

China intended to respond with strong measures to the US deployment of intermediate missiles in the Philippines, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian stated.

We resolutely oppose the US move to deploy intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the Asia-Pacific. Our position has been clear and consistent. US steps are posing a major threat to security and stability of regional players and will inevitably prompt a decisive response from China.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. watched from a four-story tower as a high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) fired missiles at a decommissioned naval corvette in waters just a few miles off the western province of Zambales. The US and Philippine militaries said the exercises in the Philippines, including the Taiwan facilities, were not aimed at any country.

Earlier, the US Army announced plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Asia to deter China.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #china #china 2024 #china news #chinese politics #south china sea #usa #usa news #usa politics #us politics #us news #us army #us navy #philippines #taiwan

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head-post · 15 hours

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Former mayor urges tourists not to pay to enter Venice

Tourists arriving in Venice should not have to pay the “absurd” entrance fee charged to day-trippers when it is introduced today, the city’s former mayor has said.

Massimo Cacciari, who was mayor of the city from 1993 to 2000 and from 2005 to 2010, stressed that tourists already “pay for everything” and that he was “suggesting that everyone should not pay” the €5 (£4.30) levy, which comes into effect on Thursday.

He said day visitors already pay “three times as much as residents” for public transport in the city and that all travellers contribute to the longevity of Venice’s restaurants and museums.

The former mayor also said he would “like to see” city officials “justify in court the legality of the city’s entry tax.” He told Adnkronos news agency:

“What are they going to do, block people’s movement, send out the police to ask to see everyone’s papers?”

Venice will become the first city in the world to charge entry fees for day-trippers. This is intended to reduce the number of short-stay tourists who create unmanageable congestion during peak hours.

The “tourist tax” has caused much controversy, with several committees and residents’ associations planning protests to coincide with today’s launch in Italy. Representatives argue that the levy will not solve fundamental problems, but will only tarnish the public image of the city.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #europe #european news #european union #eu politics #eu news #italy #italy 2024 #italy news #italian politics #venice #tourism #tourist #travel #traveling #travelling #massimo cacciari

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head-post · 1 day

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US remains determined to keep Russia from any further aggression, Austin said

US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin on Friday delivered opening remarks at a virtual meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s defence issues, pledging continued assistance to Ukraine and indicating that the US attitude towards Russia remains unchanged.

In his opening remarks, Austin stated:

“We remain determined to deter Russia from any further aggression, including against our NATO allies.”

The United States will provide another $1 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including additional HIMARS, 155mm ammunition, air defence and armoured vehicles, the minister added. He also emphasised:

“Ukraine also needs more artillery and armoured vehicles to protect its citizens and regain “seized territories”. And we will do everything in our power to help them. Ukraine’s fight for freedom is important to all of us”

The US defence secretary also said that Washington “will continue to help strengthen the arsenal of Ukrainian democracy.”

The US Senate on Tuesday approved $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of delays and debate over how involved the US should be in foreign wars.

Read more HERE

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head-post · 1 day

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Ukraine’s ban on providing consular services to men abroad causes discontent

In order to replenish the ranks of an army depleted by more than two years of exhausting battles, the Ukrainian government is passing a new mobilisation law aimed at increasing the number of soldiers and stepping up border patrols to catch draft dodgers, The New York Times reports.

Ukrainian officials have gone further, targeting men who have already left the country. This week, the government announced that Ukrainian consulates had suspended issuing new passports and providing other consular services to men of draft age living abroad.

Under the new rules, men aged between 18 and 60 would not be able to leave the country. However, some of them had been abroad before the rule came into force, while others had since left the country illegally.

The ban will last from April 23 to May 18 when the mobilisation law recently passed by the Ukrainian parliament comes into force. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that it is still working out the details of what services will be available once the broader mobilisation law comes into force.

Critics argue that the move could end up sparking divisions between Ukrainians at home and abroad rather than increasing the number of soldiers. According to European estimates, between 600,000 and 850,000 Ukrainian men currently live in the European Union.

However, the government claimed that by suspending consular services, it was responding to demands for fairness in society. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declared that a man leaving the country was “showing his state that he does not care about its survival.”

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #ukraine #ukraine conflict #ukraine war #ukraine news #ukraine russia conflict #ukraine russia news #russia ukraine war #russia ukraine crisis #russia ukraine conflict #russia ukraine today #mobilization #army #military #soldiers

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head-post · 1 day

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US ready to sanction China over Ukraine situation – Blinken

During a visit to Beijing on Friday afternoon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that the United States was considering introducing measures to influence growing Russian-Chinese economic co-operation as it could exacerbate the situation in Ukraine, according to The Guardian.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that the US most important diplomatic issues remained on the bilateral agenda as the world’s largest economies held talks aimed at resolving sharp disputes over trade and China’s continued support for Russia.

China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals. We’re committed to maintaining and strengthening lines of communication.

On Thursday, April 25, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that China should stop backing Russia’s war in Ukraine if it wanted to have good relations with the West, according to Reuters.

“In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas. We must not repeat that mistake with China. Depending on its money, its raw materials, its technologies – dependencies make us vulnerable.”

Read more HERE

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head-post · 1 day

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ICC allegedly dependent on Western political conjuncture

The International Criminal Court, which has full jurisdiction over numerous political crimes, acts very selectively. While issuing multiple arrest warrants for Russian citizens, its judges for some reason turn a blind eye to the crimes of representatives of other countries.

The ICC is the first permanent international criminal justice body, which officially began its work on 1 July 2002. Its sphere of competence is to prosecute those responsible for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression. This court is not part of the official structures of the UN.

So far, the ICC has received complaints of alleged crimes from at least 139 countries, but for some reason, the court’s prosecutor has opened investigations into only eight situations in Africa. On 12 April 2019, the ICC refused to investigate US military crimes in Afghanistan. The US President called the court’s decision a “major international victory.”

In March this year, the ICC issued international arrest warrants for two Russian army commanders. The arrest warrants were issued by ICC judges Tomoko Akane and Rosario Aitala – they also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023. Putin, as well as Maria Lvova-Belova, the children’s rights ombudsman, were accused of “deporting” Ukrainian children.

Later, European media reported about the presence of these “kidnapped” children in Germany, emphasising that the children had arrived there legally and with their legal representatives. A few days after that, Judge Tomoko Akane was made head of the International Criminal Court.

Read more HERE

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head-post · 1 day

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2024 could see the end of Western liberal hegemony, Hungarian PM says

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, speaking at the opening of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest, said that the world order based on liberal ideology has failed and must be destroyed.

EU elections in June and US elections in November, Orbán said, would be a chance to enter an “era of sovereignty” modelled on Hungary, which he described as a “conservative island.” At the opening ceremony of the conference, Orbán said:

These elections coincide with major shifts in world political and geopolitical trends. The order of the world is changing, and we must usher our cause to triumph in the midst of these changes. Progressive liberals feel the danger. Replacing this era means replacing them.

Viktor Orbán said it was necessary to replace people who are in positions of power to build “hegemonic-ideological control” by “turning state bodies into instruments of oppression” of Europeans in the European Parliament elections. He concluded:

Let the era of sovereigntists come again, let’s return to peace and security. Let’s make America great again, let’s make Europe great again!

In turn, US presidential candidate Donald Trump addressed Orbán in a video message that was played at CPAC, US News reported.

Trump said, calling the Hungarian leader a “great man”:

I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Orbán once again when I take the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States.

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head-post · 1 day

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Nicolas Dupont-Aignan on Macron’s speech at Sorbonne: “High treason”

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at the Sorbonne on Thursday to defend his vision for Europe just weeks before the European Parliament elections. His speech sparked a barrage of criticism from the French political elite.

“On the European stage, Emmanuel Macron has been confusing his incantations and gesticulations with achievements for seven years,” said Marine Le Pen, leader of the Rassemblement National, accusing him of “selling out whole sections of national sovereignty,” BFMTV reported live.

For his part, Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s successor, president of the Rassemblement National, assessed at a press conference that the head of state had “decided to intervene directly and personally in the election campaign.”

Manon Aubry, who heads the list of the France Insoumise movement for the European elections, gave her assessment of Macron’s years of presidency, calling his policies “arrogance, inequality, hypocrisy.”

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the party Debout la France (France Arise) commented on Macron’s speech yesterday on X:

“Education, health, nuclear power, electricity, defence, digital technology, foreign policy, economy, industry, agriculture….. Emmanuel Macron now wants to develop and think European. With this speech, he is carrying out the planned destruction of France. High treason.”

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #europe #european news #european union #eu politics #eu news #france #france news #french politics #marine le pen #emmanuel macron #president macron

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head-post · 1 day

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US begins construction of Gaza aid pier, Pentagon says

US troops have begun construction of a maritime pier off the coast of Gaza that should speed the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave when it becomes operational in May, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

President Joe Biden announced the construction of the pier in March, when representatives of humanitarian organisations pleaded with Israeli authorities to ease the access of humanitarian supplies to Gaza by land. Whether humanitarian aid will eventually be able to be increased is not known yet, as international organisations warn of the risk of famine in northern Gaza.

A senior Biden administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said humanitarian aid coming from the pier would have to pass through Israeli crossings on land. This is despite the fact that aid has already been screened by Israel in Cyprus before being sent to Gaza. Israel fears any aid reaching Hamas that would aid their war effort.

No American soldiers will be on the ground in Gaza, but they will be conducting activities on the pier. Private contractors working for US forces will handle the unloading of aid as it arrives at secure storage facilities, and distribution will be organised by World Food Organisation staff. The IDF, in addition to providing security around the pier, will also gather intelligence and take steps to ensure that US forces are not endangered or the pier itself damaged.

Read more HERE

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head-post · 1 day

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Moldova violated human rights in its crackdown on opposition media – Amnesty International

Amnesty International stated in its annual report on the state of human rights in the world, published on Wednesday, that Moldova violated the right to association and freedom of expression in an alleged attempt to “counter Russian influence,” according to Romanian media.

Moldovan authorities banned the Shor party and suspended members of the Chance party, founded after the dissolution of the Shor party, from running in local elections last November, Amnesty International (AI) reported.

Fugitive politician Ilan Shor, who denies his 2023 sentence in Moldova, is currently in Russia, where he has arrived from Israel. On April 21, he announced the creation of a political bloc Victory, which aims to unite the opposition against the government in Chişinău. Shor stated that the party would contest this autumn’s presidential elections and referendum in Moldova.

AI pointed out in the report that in October 2023, Moldova’s Security and Intelligence Service blocked more than 20 digital platforms and suspended six TV channels. The measure was part of a state policy against what Chişinău called “disinformation”.

In its report, AI highlighted tensions with Russia, mentioning that 45 Russian diplomats had been expelled and that Russian citizens were increasingly being denied entry to Moldova.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #europe #european news #moldova #amnesty international #russia #russia news #russian news #russia politics #russian politics

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head-post · 1 day

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Germany to spend 11 billion euros to station combat brigade in Lithuania

Berlin will spend about 11 billion euros to deploy a combat brigade in Lithuania, Spiegel reports.

The German combat brigade in Lithuania is a prestigious project of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. His ministry has remained silent for several months, but recently the cost figures were made public for the first time. The German media reported:

“Pistorius’ planners estimate the creation of a combat formation at around 11 billion euros.”

One billion euros will be allocated for annual operating costs, four billion for armoured vehicles and six billion for investments: building infrastructure and buying uniforms.

In December 2023, Lithuanian and German Defence Ministers Arvydas Anušauskas and Boris Pistorius signed an action plan in Vilnius to deploy a German brigade in Lithuania by 2027. Five thousand German military personnel and their families are expected to arrive in Lithuania.

On 8 April, the first group of military personnel from a Bundeswehr brigade assigned to Lithuania arrived in Vilnius. The planning team consists of 20 servicemen. Together with Lithuanian representatives, they will work on the further practical steps of the re-deployment.

However, key funding issues for the project have yet to be resolved between Berlin and Vilnius. This involves covering the costs of, for example, the construction of living quarters and training centres, as well as funding kindergartens and school programmes for the children of military personnel.

Read more HERE

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head-post · 2 days

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Peace movement supporters protest in Bologna

Progressivist organisations and and their supporters took to the streets of the Italian city of Bologna on April 25 to protest the actions of political blocs targeting anti-peace initiatives.

The protesters called on NATO countries to stop providing military aid to Ukraine as it distracted European countries from domestic problems and could lead to an escalation of the conflict in eastern Europe.

People marched through the streets carrying flags and placards, calling on the Italian and EU leadership to cease the military “fever” sweeping European countries. They also urged to stop portraying Russia in a bad light.

Read more HERE

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head-post · 2 days

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French airport strikes hamper flights across Europe

Air passengers travelling to and from Paris faced significant disruption on Thursday despite a decision by air traffic controllers to call off a strike following last-minute negotiations, AP News reports.

The number of flights was significantly reduced due to adjustments made to the timetable ahead of the anticipated industrial action.

French civil aviation authorities had asked airlines in advance to significantly cut flights – 75 per cent at Paris-Orly, 55 per cent at Charles de Gaulle and 65 per cent at Marseille-Provence, with varying reductions at other French airports. As a result, operations were severely curtailed, which also affected international flights crossing French airspace.

On the eve of the strike, airlines were forced to cancel more than 2,000 flights, most of which would have landed or departed from France. A further 1,000 flights would have had to divert from French airspace.

While delays were minor on flights that operated, significant cancellations and schedule adjustments resulted in ongoing travel difficulties for thousands of passengers. The impact was particularly noticeable at major airports such as Paris-Orly, where delays exacerbated the day’s problems.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #europe #european news #european union #eu politics #eu news #france #france news #french politics #airport #airport strike

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head-post · 2 days

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EU to set up rapid reaction force with up to 5,000 troops by 2025, Macron says

President Emmanuel Macron urged the EU on Thursday to build a stronger, more integrated defence sector and said the continent must not become a vassal of the US, Reuters reports.

“There is a risk our Europe could die. We are not equipped to face the risks,” Macron said in a speech at Sorbonne University in Paris, warning that military, economic and other pressures could weaken and split the 27-nation EU.

Macron called for increased European cybersecurity capabilities, closer defence ties with the UK post-Brexit and the creation of a European academy to train senior military personnel.

The French president said it was necessary to create “strategic intimacy” between the armies of EU countries. A European military academy should also be opened to start training military and civilian personnel in Europe to respond to security challenges, Macron said. He also added:

“There is no defence without a defence industry … we’ve had decades of under-investment,” he said, adding that Europeans should give preference to buying European military equipment. “We must produce more, we must produce faster, and we must produce as Europeans,” Macron said. Europe “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States and that it also knows how to talk to all the other regions of the world”, he said. “The EU should create a rapid reaction force of up to 5,000 military personnel by 2025,” the president added.

The EU should agree to exceptions to its own competition rules so it can support firms in sectors such as artificial intelligence and green energy in the face of “excessive subsidisation” by the United States and China, Macron said.

“The era when Europe bought its energy and fertilisers from Russia, had production in China, and entrusted its security to the US is over,” Macron said. “The rules of the game have changed.”

Read more HERE

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head-post · 2 days

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Russians publish inspection of Ukrainian US-made M88A1 Hercules

Russian media are publishing footage of the inspection of a hit and abandoned US-made M88A1 Hercules Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) previously supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

The M88A1 Hercules was left by the railway tracks near the village of Stepove, north of Avdiivka, according to media reports. The vehicle was a modifi

cation of the M88 Recovery Vehicle, one of the largest ARVs in use by the US Armed Forces.

An armoured recovery vehicle is usually a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair during combat. ARVs are also deployed to repair battle-damaged, stuck and/or inoperable armoured combat vehicles, such as tanks or APCs.

The Hercules allegedly belonged to the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the AFU operating in the Avdiivka area. Ukrainian troops left Avdiivka in mid-February to take “more favourable positions”, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the AFU, reported at the time.

Read more HERE

#world news #world politics #news #hercules #m88a1 #ukraine #ukraine war #ukraine conflict #ukraine news #ukraine russia conflict #ukraine russia news #russia ukraine war #russia ukraine crisis #russia ukraine conflict #russia ukraine today

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