Europe

PRAGUE, December 21. /TASS/: The person that opened fire at Prague’s Charles University has been neutralized, the police said on the X platform, adding that there are casualties and dozens of injured.

"The shooter has been neutralized! The [Department of Philosophy] building has been evacuated. There are several casualties and dozens on injured," the statement says.

According to the seznam.cz website, the attacker was killed during the police operation.

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/: Russian and Venezuelan presidents Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Maduro in a phone conversation underscored their shared approaches to the establishment of a fair world order, the Kremlin said in a statement.

"During an exchange of views on the international agenda, an emphasis was placed on the shared approaches to the establishment of a fair multipolar world order, on rejection of illegal sanctions and interference in the internal affairs of countries," the statement said.

PARIS, Dec 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Former Rwandan doctor Sosthene Munyemana was jailed for 24 years by a French court for his involvement in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis.

The 68-year-old former gynaecologist was found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and participation in a conspiracy to prepare these crimes.

His lawyers said they planned to appeal the verdict.

The public prosecutor had sought a sentence of 30 years, arguing that the “sum total” of his choices showed “the traits of a genocidaire”.

WARSAW, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Poland's Culture Minister sacked the heads of three state media outlets on Wednesday, leading to protests from the conservatives.

The dismissals came one week after the new government led by Donald Tusk took power from the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, following the country's parliamentary elections.

In a statement, the Culture Ministry justified the move with a parliamentary resolution adopted on Tuesday, which called on the government to "restore the impartiality and credibility of public media."

BRUSSELS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) finance ministers reached a consensus on Wednesday regarding new budget regulations following compromises between the two factions led by France and Germany within the bloc.

The established targets of a maximum 60 percent debt-to-GDP ratio and a maximum 3 percent deficit remain unchanged. However, modifications have been introduced to permit EU members to gradually reduce deficits and debts from 2025 over four to seven years.

LONDON (AP) — A boy and a girl were found guilty Wednesday of murdering a transgender teenager in northwest England earlier this year, in a frenzied knife attack that was described as “horrific” by police.

Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in broad daylight after being lured to a park in the town of Warrington on Feb. 11.

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit China over the next two days, and is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese State Council Premier Li Qiang, the Russian government said in a press release.

"On December 19-20, 2023, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit China under an agreement with the Chinese side," the statement said.

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/: Russia's ruling party formally endorses President Vladimir Putin's nomination as independent candidate for re-election; Brussels sprouts yet another package of anti-Russian sanctions; and Ukraine seen planning counteroffensive 2.0 for 2024. These stories topped Monday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.

LONDON, December 18. /TASS/: EU member states are considering the possibility of stripping Hungary of its voting rights in order to conclude an agreement on allocating funds to Ukraine, The Financial Times has quoted European diplomats as saying.

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed as "nonsense and pure lies" the West’s "mantra" about wanting to help the Global South and the Global East.