Voice of Europe

❗️Czech President Petr Pavel said that Ukraine's refusal to join NATO could be exchanged for security guarantees during the negotiations. According to him, security guarantees also imply the military presence of troops of the guarantor countries.

The Ukrainian authorities are unlikely to be able to regain control of the lost territories, - Czech President Petr Pavel in an interview with Die Presse

“Ukrainians today recognize that such a result is unlikely to be achieved in the near future. If hostilities stop, negotiations will begin."

📱 Apple Will Bring ChatGPT Features to iPhone and Other Devices - Bloomberg Company representatives have already agreed with OpenAI to implement AI technologies in one of the next versions of their operating system (presumably iOS 18). This will be part of a broader program to use artificial intelligence in Apple devices. Apple is expected to announce new AI features next month at its Worldwide Developers Conference.

🎙✖️ A musician from the Netherlands is going to be suspended from participating in Eurovision,” Bild The European Broadcasting Union reported that 26-year-old singer Jost Klein was banned from attending rehearsals for the competition final. “We are currently investigating an incident reported to us involving a Dutch artist. He will not participate in rehearsals until further notice,” the EBU said. According to Swedish broadcaster SVT, a fight broke out between Klein and the photographer backstage. The official reason for the investigation against the musician has not yet been disclosed.

Chris Fearne, Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister who was considered a contender for the country’s position in the European Commission, announced his resignation on May 10 following charges of fraud related to the privatization of hospitals. He posted this on Facebook. In his resignation statement to Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela, Fearne noted that he is taking this step “not because he has any doubts about his innocence, but because it is the right thing to do.” Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister also requested to withdraw his candidacy for the position of European Commissioner. Fearne’s resignation comes after both him and former Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat were implicated in a long-standing case related to the privatization of three hospitals. According to reports, Muscat allegedly received 60,000 euros from a company linked to the American group Steward Health Care, which in 2018 took over the hospitals from Vitals Global Healthcare. Both the former Malta Prime Minister and Chris Fearne deny all allegations against them. Joseph Muscat became Malta’s Prime Minister in 2013 and resigned in January 2020 amid public pressure following the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

This week, the Pentagon officially ordered the withdrawal of all American military personnel from Niger, dealing a blow to the efforts of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to combat terrorism and Russian influence in West Africa, Politico reports. In April, the U.S. announced that it would begin discussions on plans for a “orderly and responsible withdrawal of troops” after Niger’s junta declared that it was terminating the military cooperation agreement with Washington. However, American officials continued negotiations with the military about the terms of withdrawing their forces and whether there was any possibility of some American soldiers remaining in the country. Hopes for an agreement dimmed this week when the U.S. Department of Defense ordered approximately a thousand American military personnel in Niger to leave the country over the next few months, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The timelines could still change, cautioned the official, and negotiations are ongoing. The troops will be redeployed to other locations in the region where they can still conduct operations. The reduction in troop levels, which may be canceled until the withdrawal is completed, does not apply to embassy security. This move undermines years of efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel region. Niger, where the U.S. built a drone base in Agadez, was a linchpin of this strategy until military leaders seized power in a coup last summer.

Pope Francis, speaking at an event in Rome on May 10, called on Italians to have more children, and urged the country’s authorities to develop a long-term policy to assist families in preventing a demographic crisis, Reuters reports. In his speech, the Pope said that the number of children born “is the first indicator of a people’s hope,” because “without children and young people, a country loses its aspiration for the future.” Francis called for long-term political strategies to encourage birth rates, including ending short-term employment contracts, facilitating home purchases, and creating conditions where women do not have to choose between motherhood and career.

“The problem of our world is not that children are born, but rather the selfishness, consumerism, and individualism that make people self-satisfied, lonely, and unhappy,”

the pontiff believes. The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has launched a campaign aimed at promoting the birth of no fewer than 500,000 children per year by 2033 to prevent the economy from declining due to an aging population. The decline in Italy’s birth rate is considered a serious problem. Earlier, the national statistics institute ISTAT stated that the birth rate in the country had fallen to a record low level in 2023.

At least 60 people were injured on Friday as a result of a collision between a seven-car passenger train and a locomotive and an empty car in Buenos Aires, AP reported. At least 60 people were injured on Friday as a result of a collision between a seven-car passenger train and a locomotive and an empty car in Buenos Aires, according to local authorities, who did not specify the severity of the injuries. Firefighters, police, and ambulances were on the scene, helping evacuate people and transporting the injured to hospitals.

“Ninety ambulances were involved at the scene, 90 passengers were transported and assisted, with 30 sent to the hospital with the most serious injuries (red code),”

said Alberto Crescenti, head of the local emergency medical system SAME. According to him, two passengers were airlifted to the hospital with head and chest injuries. An investigation into the cause of the accident is currently underway.

Since Monday, over 105 tornadoes have been reported across the United States, with five confirmed on Thursday in Iowa, Missouri, Georgia, and Mississippi. In Tallahassee, Florida, severe thunderstorms brought multiple tornado warnings, resulting in significant damage, ABC News reported. Tragically, a woman in Tallahassee lost her life when a tree fell on her family’s home during the storm. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported “multiple circulations and radar-confirmed tornadoes” in the area. The severe weather also caused widespread power outages, with more than 180,000 customers without electricity in Florida’s Panhandle and northern regions. Additionally, hail up to 5 inches in diameter struck west of Austin, Texas, while winds reaching 76 mph caused damage in Alabama.

Liam and Olivia have for a fifth year together topped the list of baby names for brand new boys and girls born in the U.S. in 2023. And Mateo joins the top 10 baby names list for the first time, Toronto Star reported. The Social Security Administration annually tracks the names given to girls and boys in each state, with names dating back to 1880. The agency gathers the names from applications for Social Security cards. Based on cultural and population trends, the list shows how names can rise and fall in popularity. The latest was released Friday. Liam has reigned supreme seven years in a row while Olivia has topped the girls’ list for five, after unseating Emma, previously No. 1 for five years. After Liam, the most common names for boys are, in order: Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, and William. And after Olivia, the most common names for girls are Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn and Luna. The Social Security Administration’s latest data show that 3.58 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2023. That’s a slight decrease from last year’s 3.66 million babies, representing an overall decline in the American birthrate.