Europe

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A senior U.S. official on Saturday met with top Kosovo leaders in an attempt to persuade the government to revoke or suspend a tariff on Serb goods so that dialogue with Belgrade can resume.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale is the latest U.S. envoy to take part in shuttle diplomacy between Kosovo and Serbia. He met with Kosovo’s president, speaker and prime minister at the residence of the U.S. ambassador. A day earlier, he was in Belgrade.

10 Mar 2019; DW: Several thousand protesters surrounded Serbia's state broadcaster RTS headquarters on Saturday, as part of continued anti-government protests. The move was a call from demonstrators for greater media freedom in country.

The protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic entered their fourth month with another large rally in the capital, Belgrade.

BUCHAREST, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Moldovan Constitutional Court late Saturday validated the final results of the parliamentary elections and the mandates of deputies.

According to news reaching here from Chisinau, capital of Moldova, the Constitutional Court recognized the results of the parliamentary elections held on Feb. 24 both in national and single-mandate constituencies, and approved the mandates of the 101 elected deputies.

Madrid; 9 Marc 2019; GANASHAKTI: For the second year running, Spanish women went on strike Friday for International Women’s Day, with several protests kicking off over what has become a hot topic in the country’s election campaign.

“If we stop, the world stops.” Armed with this slogan, Spain’s largest unions CCOO and UGT organised a two-hour work stoppage — the first starting at midday — while smaller unions have called for a 24-hour strike.

08 Mar 2019; DW: Germany will not declare Lebanon's Hezbollah movement a terrorist organization, a top official said Friday.

Niels Annen, deputy minister in the Foreign Ministry, told newsmagazine Der Spiegel that the Iran-backed Shiite Islamist movement is a relevant factor in Lebanese society and part of the complex political landscape in the country.

09 Mar 2019; DW: In Saudi Arabia, more than 2,600 of the country's citizens are in jail for political reasons. In Egypt, that number is more than 60,000 — mainly activists and opposition figures.

08 Mar 2019; DW: The European Union should make concessions in Brexit talks to convince British lawmakers to back a controversial exit deal next week, British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday. The call came as Brussels and London struggle to reach an agreement to avoid a potentially damaging "no-deal" Brexit at the end of March.

LONDON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a message to the European Union on Friday saying its action will have a big impact on a crucial vote in the House of Commons next week.

May used a visit to a factory in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, to stress the importance of the part Brussels should play in seeking a deal on a future relationship after Britain leaves the EU later this month.

May will urge the more than 640 MPs on Tuesday to support her Brexit deal in a meaningful vote.

London, Mar 9 (PTI) Fugitive billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi, accused in the USD 2 billion PNB fraud case, is living openly in a swanky 8-million pound apartment in London's West End and is now involved in a new diamond business, a British daily reported on Saturday.

Modi, 48, is currently living in a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block, where rent is estimated to cost 17,000 pounds a month, The Telegraph reported.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest and which is fuelled by petrodollars, will divest its oil and gas holdings to reduce its exposure to the oil sector, the Norwegian government announced on Friday.

08 Mar 2019; AFP: While the decision is based solely on financial considerations and not on the environment or climate change, a divestment by an investor worth more than $1 trillion will undoubtedly be seen as a major blow to polluting fossil fuels.