Europe

DUBLIN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said that it is "extremely unlikely" that one of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) could veto any proposal to grant Britain a longer extension to strike a Brexit deal, according to a Saturday report by a local TV channel RTE.

DINARD, France (AP) — Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies were wrapping up a two-day meeting in the French seaside resort of Dinard on Saturday where they hope to seal joint commitments on a range of global challenges and lay the groundwork for August’s G-7 summit in Biarritz.

5 Apr 2019; DW: Authorities in the southwestern German city of Heilbronn on Friday announced that a chemical spill at a local shipping company likely killed every living creature in a 16 kilometer (10 mile) stretch of the Schozach River, a tributary of the Neckar.

5 Apr 2019; DW: The German Foreign Ministry said Friday it had brought several children of convicted "Islamic State" (IS) militants back to Germany from Iraq.

The returns were carried out with the consent of the parents, a ministry source said, adding that the number of repatriations so far had "reached a high single-digit figure." The children are staying with their relatives in Germany.

5 Apr 2019; DW: A Serbian court on Friday sentenced four people to up to 30 years in prison for their involvement in the assassination of journalist and news publisher Slavko Curuvija in 1999.

Former secret police chief Radomir Markovic was handed a 30-year sentence along with Milan Radonjic, who headed Belgrade's intelligence branch at the time. Two other intelligence officers received 20-year sentences, one of them in absentia.

5 Apr 2019; DW: Euroskeptic parties are joining forces ahead of the elections for the European Parliament in May. A few days ago, about 500 young members of such parties met in Rome. The summit was organized by the youth wing of Italy's anti-immigrant League party, which hopes to win a large share of the vote. Surveys indicate that Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's party could emerge victorious in Italy.

5 Apr 2019; DW: Euroskeptic parties are joining forces ahead of the elections for the European Parliament in May. A few days ago, about 500 young members of such parties met in Rome. The summit was organized by the youth wing of Italy's anti-immigrant League party, which hopes to win a large share of the vote. Surveys indicate that Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's party could emerge victorious in Italy.

5 Apr 2019; DW: German car manufacturing giants Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW illegally colluded to hinder competition on emission cleaning technology, the European Commission said on Friday.

The initial findings from an investigation by the EU's antitrust regulators came nearly two years after authorities carried out raids on their headquarters.

What the Commission found:

BUDAPEST, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian government will spend some 980 billion forints (3.43 billion U.S. dollars) by 2024 on the development of its road network, according to official sources here on Friday.

"By 2024, the State will spend some 980 billion forints in five installments on the development of the Hungarian road network," the official Hungarian Journal announced here on Friday.

GENEVA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland said Friday that it had signed an agreement to represent the interests of the United States in Venezuela, under a "good offices" accord between the two countries.

The Federal Council, Switzerland's cabinet, said in a statement that the agreement was signed in Bern on Friday by foreign minister Ignazio Cassis and the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland Edward McMullen.

The arrangement needs Venezuela's approval before coming into effect, said the Federal Council statement.