Category: World

A French court will announce a decision in the Marine Le Pen case on misuse of EU funds on March 31, 2025. The prosecutor's office demands to ban her from holding public office for 5 years.

On March 31, 2025, a French court will announce a decision in the case of the leader of the right-wing party Marine Le Pen and her associates, who are accused of misuse of European Union funds. This decision could have far-reaching political consequences. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.

Details

It is noted that the prosecutor's office demands to ban Le Pen from holding public office for a period of five years, which may prevent her from participating in the 2027 presidential election. Her lawyer called it an"attack on democracy.

Marine Le Pen, her party then known as the National Front, and former MPs and parliamentary assistants are accused of using funds intended to work in the European Parliament to pay workers who actually performed tasks for the party.

Le Pen and her co-defendants deny the charges, arguing that the use of these funds was legitimate and consistent with a broader understanding of the duties of a parliamentary assistant.

Le Pen's lawyer, Rudolf Bosselu, on the last day of the trial called the prosecutor's demand for an immediate ban on holding office "weapons of mass destruction against democracy." He stressed that this issue concerns not only Marine Le Pen, but also the 13 million voters who supported her in the previous elections.,

– emphasizes the publication.

Le Pen, who lost to Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, is currently considered the main contender for the 2027 elections.

In the event of a guilty verdict, the court may decide not to impose a ban on holding public office immediately, which will leave her a chance to participate in the elections.

Le Pen later told reporters that after the trial is completed, she hopes that the judges will be convinced of the defense's arguments. She also stressed that the trial does not affect her position on the government of prime minister Michel Barnier, whom her party threatens to express no confidence in because of the budget for 2025.

Recall

The conviction of Marine Le Pen may deprive of her right to run in the 2027 presidential election and affect support for the "National Association".

Russia may launch an attack on NATO territory in the coming years, Bruno Kahl, chief of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has said.

Source: Zeit Online, citing Kahl at the German Council of Foreign Relations in Berlin, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kahl asserted that Russia is "preparing for war with the West" and military conflict is becoming a "possible option" for the Kremlin.

Kahl believes the Russian military will be capable of "attacking the West" in terms of personnel and resources by the end of the decade.

However, the German intelligence chief believes it will be a limited operation rather than a large-scale attack on European NATO countries, such as an invasion of the Norwegian Arctic island of Spitsbergen with the goal of "clearing territory", or of the Baltic countries under the guise of protecting Russian minorities.

The aim of such efforts would be to render collective security commitments under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty ineffective and undermine NATO, Kahl explained.

According to German intelligence assessments, the Russian leadership doubts "whether the obligation to provide assistance under Article 5 would remain in effect in emergency situations".

"If such views prevail in the Russian leadership, the risk of a military conflict in the coming years will also increase," Kahl said.

However, he also believes Russia will attempt to divide NATO even before a war breaks out – by winning individual member states over to its side, for example. Vladimir Putin "will test the West’s red lines and escalate further," Kahl added.

Background:

• NATO and its member nations have repeatedly warned of the potential of a military conflict with Russia.
• General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, believes that regardless of how the war in Ukraine ends, the Russian army will be stronger after it than it is now.

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Harvey Weinstein's lawyers filed a lawsuit against New York City over unsanitary conditions of detention and inadequate medical care. The jailed film producer is seeking компенсацію 5 million in compensation.

Lawyers for film producer Harvey Weinstein, who is in a prison complex on Rikers Island, filed a lawsuit against the city of New York for keeping him in unsanitary conditions and inadequate medical care. This is reported by NBC News, writes UNN.

Details

The statement of claim states that the city and The Prison, due to negligence, did not provide Weinstein with "timely and adequate" medical treatment and satisfaction of "the most necessary human needs", including clean clothing and "hygienic living conditions".

According to the document, Weinstein has chronic myeloid leukemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity and high blood pressure. He was hospitalized in April and July, and underwent emergency heart surgery in September.

In a statement, Weinstein's lawyer compared Rikers prison to a gulag, where "prisoners are treated like animals.

The last time I visited him, I saw blood splattering on his prison clothes, probably from IVs, clothes that had not been worn for weeks… – this can hardly be called sanitary conditions for a person with serious illnesses,

– the lawyer's statement says.

A New York City Mayor's Office spokesperson responded that the public hospital system is working with the Department of Corrections to "provide people in custody with access to high-quality medical care on Rikers Island, including those with complex medical and psychiatric needs.

Lawyers for the former film producer are seeking відшкодування 5 million in damages.

Recall

The Royal prosecutor's office of Great Britain dismissed the case against Harvey Weinstein due to lack of evidence. The charge of indecent assault was dropped after reviewing the case file.

Ukrainian swimmer Kateryna Sadurska has achieved a world record in the freediving category of constant weight without fins.

Soure: Sadurska on Instagram, as reported by Champion, a sports news platform within Ukrainska Pravda’s holding company

Details: The Ukrainian plunged 82 metres deep, beating her previous record by two metres. She had set that record at the World Freediving Championships, where she won gold.

This is Sadurska’s sixth world record. She has extended her achievement by 7 metres in 2024.

Quote: "I did it again. I can’t believe that it’s already my 6th World Record within a bit more than a year. It’s hard to process it right now, just want to tell it looks easy and it felt easy, as it should be, but the journey was really far from that. I’m sending all my gratitude to everyone involved," Sadurska wrote.

Переглянути цей допис в Instagram

Допис, поширений Kate Sadurska OLY🇺🇦Freediver (@sadurskaterina)

Background: Recently, Kateryna won a bronze medal at the 2024 World Freediving Championships in Kalamata, Greece.

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The Ukrainian flag appeared on the LED screen near the Astana Opera Theater on the day of Putin's visit to Kazakhstan.

On Wednesday evening, a video appeared on the network with the flag of Ukraine painted in the traditional yellow-blue color near the capital's Astana Opera Theater. This is reported by the Telegram channel ORDA, writes UNN.

Details

"Hackers broke into the screen at the Astana Opera. Akimat disables it, " the authors of the Instagram account that published the recording signed the video.

After the video was published on the Kaztag website, the editor-in-chief was contacted by representatives of Kerouin. Media".

They explained the painting of the flag of the Russian Federation in the color of the flag of Ukraine by "closing the cable".

At 16: 30 on the LED screen, Kerouin media in the image of the flag of the Russian Federation on the upper segment closed the cable and turned off the white color, and therefore the key of the color changed under the load of electricity, it became brighter. So when producing a video on a mobile phone, the red color appears yellow when playing a video for eye contact

– said Mukhtar Bekbosinov, Deputy Director of Kerouin media for technical affairs.

Recall

Putin made a state visit to Kazakhstan to negotiate with Tokayev.

Flightradar did not record the Kremlin dictator's flight, while other aircraft were forced to circle, waiting for Putin to land in Astana.

The Ukrainian government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed that he will sign the law on the state budget on Thursday 28 November.

Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address on 27 November

Quote: "Today I held a meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Finance of Ukraine [Serhii] Marchenko, and representatives of the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament – ed.). We discussed the key parameters of the next year's state budget, our financial readiness for this December and for the coming year. And we agreed that tomorrow I will sign the law on next year’s state budget – as soon as the law is delivered from the Verkhovna Rada."

Details: The President stressed that the most important part of the budget is that "Ukraine's all financial needs for the near future and for the coming year are guaranteed."

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Hollywood actress Sharon Stone criticized Trump's voters at the Turin Film Festival. She said that "ignorant" men and their naivety influenced the results of the US presidential election.

Hollywood actress Sharon Stone said that "ignorant" men could influence the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election. She stressed the importance of electing a government, saying citizens should "stop and think about who they choose." The actress shared her opinion on the election during a press conference at the Turin Film Festival, reports UNN with reference to The Daily Mail.

criticism of the political situation in the United States

The actress also expressed the opinion that the United States is in a period of "youth", comparing this stage with presence and clarity.

She added that many Americans who do not travel and do not have passports are in their "extreme naivety.

Sharon Stone said that it is necessary to clearly understand that "bad men" are dangerous and they should be kept away from daughters, wives and girls. She was referring to Trump and his supporters. The actress also added that you can no longer turn a blind eye to men who are known for their bad deeds.

Note that the figures show that the majority of women, namely 53%, voted for Kamala Harris. 45% of voters voted for Trump. Men were more supportive of the Republican nominee — 55% for Trump and 42% for Harris, respectively.

reaction to the actress ' performance

Her speech caused a storm of discussions on the internet. Many people have accused her of being detached from reality and becoming an elite celebrity who doesn't understand ordinary people. For example, one user wrote that Hollywood no longer matters, and her words are funny.

Another user said that it was precisely because of people like Sharon Stone that Americans voted for Trump, because he came to the defense of ordinary people who are not paid attention to by politicians and celebrities.

why might Trump's election be a bad choice?

Sexism and inequality

Trump has long been known for his sexist statements and actions. He repeatedly humiliated women, made obscene remarks, and was even accused of sexual harassment. These are not just random statements, but part of his political culture and attitude towards women, which contradicts the principles of equality and respect for Human Rights.

This attitude towards women calls into question its ability to support real efforts to ensure equal rights for all.

Trump's economic policy

Trump promised economic recovery, but his policies mostly work in favor of the rich. He lowered taxes for the rich, while most Americans did not see significant changes in their lives.

Trump often puts his economic achievements at the forefront, even though most of the economic positive changes he represents are the result of previous administrations. For example, rising stock markets and falling unemployment are the consequences of long – term investments, especially in the technologies on which the US economy began to be based even before the first Trump presidency.

Threat to democracy

Trump's appointment as president means the risk of further weakening of democratic institutions. His repeated attempts to question the election results, his open attacks on the judiciary and independent media show that he is not ready to defend the basic principles of democracy. For example, after the 2020 presidential election, Trump and his supporters spread false accusations of vote fraud. This undermined confidence in the electoral system, and also caused violence, such as the Storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Recall that Trump is accused of trying to influence the election, financial fraud and improper handling of confidential documents.

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he has chosen retired General Keith Kellogg as his "special envoy for Ukraine and Russia".

Source: Trump on Truth Social, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The US president-elect said that Kellogg, who will become special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, "has led a distinguished Military and Business career", including serving in national security.

"Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" Trump added.

Keith Kellogg, 2020 Photo: АР

A retired lieutenant general and veteran of the Vietnam War, Kellogg joined Trump's team as a national security adviser in Vice President Mike Pence's office in 2017-2021.

He defended Trump's 2019 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, privately urged Vice President Pence to reject the 2020 presidential election results, and, when Pence publicly distanced himself from Trump, condemned his actions.

Kellogg currently works at the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, where he has put forward several proposals outlining what national security policy might look like under a future Trump administration.

Kellogg also contributed to the drafting of yet another "peace plan" for Ukraine.

According to this plan, Trump could cut off military aid to Ukraine if it refuses to hold peace talks, and Moscow would be warned that any refusal to negotiate would lead to increased support for Kyiv. The peace talks themselves should lead to a de facto freeze of the contact line.

Kellogg also proposed punishing NATO member states that spend less than 2% of their GDP on defence by withdrawing their collective defence guarantees under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

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The Cypriot authorities have revoked the citizenship of 77 foreigners, including seven russian billionaires from the Forbes list. Along with them, their family members lost their citizenship.

The Cypriot edition of Politico published a list of 77 surnames deprived of passports of the island state. UNN writes about this with reference to the BBC.

Details

The list of foreigners deprived of citizenship includes Oleg Deripaska, Alexey Kuzmichev, Mikhail Gutseriev, Igor Kesaev, Alexander Ponomarenko, Vadim Moshkovich, Sergey Lomakin. Their full namesakes are the figures on the russian Forbes billionaires list for 2024.

Alexander Zheleznyak is also mentioned in the list, probably the former owner of probusinessbank, as well as Mikhail Yurevich, probably the ex-governor of the Chelyabinsk region.

The grounds on which this decision was made are not indicated. The reason for the withdrawal may be the provision of false information, non-compliance with the conditions of naturalization or a criminal case against an investor who has obtained citizenship.

Along with them, their family members who received Cypriot passports at the same time are deprived of Cypriot citizenship.

Recall

The largest bank in Cyprus, Bank of Cyprus, has closed the bank accounts of seven thousand russians since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine after the outbreak of the russian war against Ukraine, a total of 20 thousand accounts were closed.

Cyprus deprives Kolomoisky and 7 others of citizenshipSep 15 2024, 12:39 AM • 36119 views

The Lithuanian government has allocated €5 million to install solar power plants in Ukraine after Vilnius approved a programme to support the country's energy sector.

Source: Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Rasa Kairienė, head of the Development Cooperation Department at the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, stated on Wednesday that equipment for solar power plants must be reliable and safeguarded against cyber attacks and, therefore, should be of European production.

"When selecting solar power plants, we have to ensure the reliability of the equipment to be installed and the cyber security aspects so as not to create additional dependencies for Ukraine.

So, during the procurement process, we will try to include this requirement that the equipment needs to be originally from the EU or the European economy," she told Lithuanian ministers on Wednesday.

Lithuania's Foreign Ministry reported that Ukraine's energy capacity has been cut by more than half since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Lithuania's total support for Ukraine will have reached €1.45 billion by the end of this year, the Foreign Ministry said.

Background:

• Reports indicated that Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action was allocating another €65 million to repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
• During her visit to Kyiv on 4 November, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced the allocation of €200 million in additional winter aid for Ukraine.

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