Europe

STOCKHOLM, May 20. /TASS/: Swedish prosecutors have submitted an application to court for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s arrest, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement.

"Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson has today submitted an application for a detention order to Uppsala District Court, in which she requests the court to detain Julian Assange in his absence," the report says.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: Terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) tried to attack Russia’s Hmeymim Airbase in Syria with a multiple launch rocket system. The air defense alert force repelled the attack and destroyed the target, the Russian Defense Ministry told journalists on Monday.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS: Moscow expects that the talks with Kiev on the exchange of detained persons will continue under the new Ukrainian leader, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"This issue was actively discussed within the framework of available channels and within the framework of the Contact Group and that is why we hope these discussions will continue. Russia has numerously expressed its interest in that," the Russian presidential spokesman said.

KIEV, May 20. /TASS/: Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has called on all Ukrainians living abroad to return to their motherland.

"Today I address all Ukrainians in the world: there are 65 million of us. Yes, do not be surprised, there are 65 million of those living in Europe, Asia, Australia and America for whom Ukrainian soil is their motherland. I address all of you: we need you very much. I will be glad to give Ukrainian citizenship to all," he said in his speech after the inauguration ceremony on Monday.

20 May 2019; DW: Italy's far-right interior minister has condemned the seizure of the ship, saying migrants on board should not have set foot in Italy. However, the condition of the refugees had swayed the authorities' opinion.

Italian prosecutors on Sunday impounded rescue vessel Sea-Watch 3 for breaching immigration rules despite government attempts to block the ship from reaching an Italian port.

20 May 2019; DW: The ongoing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies and tit-for-tat tariffs have adversely affected the fortunes of many European companies in China, a new survey reveals. The outlook remains gloomy.

The increasingly bitter trade dispute between the US and China is hurting one-third of EU companies operating in China, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said on Monday.

20 May 2019; DW: Volodymyr Zelenskiy has moved to disband parliament after being sworn in as the new president of Ukraine. The political novice is under pressure to deliver much-needed reforms after unseating incumbent Petro Poroshenko.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old comic with no political experience, announced the dissolution of parliament in his inaugural speech as the president of Ukraine on Monday.

19 May 2019; DW: The resignation of Austria's vice chancellor led German politicians to warn against alliances with populists. Chancellor Merkel spoke out against right-wing populism as many are now demanding new Austrian elections.

Even before Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called for new elections on Saturday, German politicians lined up to say their neighbors to the south should go back to the polls following the resignation of Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache.

Vienna, May 19 (AFP) After hours of chanting and whistling, thousands of demonstrators on Saturday cheered the collapse of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's government over a corruption scandal -- and the prospect of fresh elections.

"Kurz must go" cried the crowd that had built up in Vienna's historic first district from late morning.

As the news of fresh elections came through on demonstrators' smartphones later, loud cheers erupted.

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/: An 6.8-magnitude earthquake was registered off New Caledonia’s shore on Sunday, the United States Geological Survey reported.

The epicenter was located 178 km east of the town of Tadine, where 7,500 people live, at a depth of 14 km.

No information about injuries and destructions was reported; no tsunami warning was issued.

New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean.