Europe

SIMFEROPOL, April 4. /TASS/. The Kiev District Court of Simferopol has arrested Mayor of Yevpatoria Andrei Filonov until March 31 on the suspicion of abuse of power, TASS reports from the court hall.

"Arrest for one month and 28 days, until March 31, will be chosen as a measure of restraint," the judge stated.

Earlier, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal case against Filonov under suspicion of abuse of power. Filonov has served as head of the city’s administration since November 2014.

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s statement comparing Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and IS (outlawed in Russia) shows his lack of education, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated during Thursday’s briefing.

"This statement is more stupid than inappropriate," she stated. "Many Western politicians are notorious for their absurd and stupid statements that have no relation to facts. They are simply ignorant."

KOROLYOV /Moscow Region/, April 4. /TASS/. The Progress MS-11 resupply ship has docked to the International Space Station (ISS) after using an ultra-short flight scheme. The flight lasted slightly over 3 hours and 20 minutes, Russia’s Mission Control reported on Thursday.

"The Progress MS-11 space freighter docked with the orbital station in an automated mode at 5:22 p.m. Moscow time," the Flight Control Center said, specifying that the resupply ship had arrived at the Pirs docking module.

DUBLIN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said here on Thursday that her country will stand together with the other European Union (EU) member states and do everything they can to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

Merkel made this remark at a press conference after meeting with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Thursday afternoon.

LUXEMBOURG, April 4 (Xinhua) -- A new railway line for freight trains between Luxembourg and the city of Chengdu in China was launched here on Thursday, with the first train loaded with 41 containers on its way to China.

The 40-foot containers were filled with mechanical and electrical products, food and medical equipment as well as other imports from around Europe. The train is expected to reach the international railway station of Qingbaijiang in Chengdu in 15 days after passing through Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

ROME, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government has approved a so-called "growth decree" designed to kickstart the country's shrinking economy, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio announced late on Thursday.

"This decree will have a positive impact on our growth, making it sustainable," Di Maio, who leads the populist Five Star Movement and who also serves as minister of labor and economic development, told reporters in televised comments.

PARIS (AP) — Foreign and interior ministers from the Group of Seven are gathering in France this week to try to find ambitious solutions to world security challenges. Putting a dampener on that are two glaring American absences: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

3 Apr 2019; DW: The "Debt Report 2019," presented by Jubilee Germany in Berlin on Wednesday, paints a dark picture of global debt. The organization, which is comprised of civic and church groups, is engaged in efforts to end the problem.

The report claims that low interest rates and cheap credit are motivating poorer countries to borrow beyond their means, catching them in a debt trap they will never be able to escape from.

3 Apr 2019; DW: Muslim head coverings have always been a controversial topic, as they embody so many issues, whether women's rights worldwide or Western prejudice and discrimination against Muslims.  

Now that the first exhibition dedicated to fashion consciousness of women in Islam is opening at Frankfurt's Museum Angwandte Kunst, the debate surrounding headscarves has been rekindled in Germany.

3 Apr 2019; DW: German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Peter Altmaier (above right), said on Wednesday that he saw great potential for future cooperation with Russia despite "political differences."

"The Russian automotive market continues to be a key market for German car manufacturers. The opening of the first plant of Mercedes-Benz Cars in Russia is a landmark for the commitment of Mercedes-Benz in Russia, but also that of German ventures in Russia overall," Altmaier said.