French government ministers investigated over virus crisis

PARIS (AP) — A special French court ordered an investigation Friday of three current or former government ministers over their handling of the coronavirus crisis. COVID-19 patients, doctors, prison personnel, police officers and others in France filed an unprecedented 90 complaints in the Court of Justice...

Reopening strategist Castex named new French prime minister

PARIS (AP) — The new French prime minister appointed Friday said he feels ready to face the key challenge of reviving France's economy following the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a two-month nationwide lockdown. The relatively low-profile Jean Castex, who coordinated France’s virus...

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe resigns, government reshuffle expected

House judiciary panel to interview ousted NY prosecutor

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ousted former U.S. attorney for Manhattan will sit down with the House Judiciary Committee next week for a closed-door interview as the panel investigates politicization in the Justice Department. Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who led...

Lebanese major retailers to shut down amid economic crisis

BEIRUT (AP) — Major retailers in Lebanon announced on Thursday they will temporarily shut down in the face of an increasingly volatile currency market and their inability to set prices while the Lebanese pound plunges against the dollar. Later in the day, owners of the businesses rallied in central Beirut...

Ukraine's central banker chief steps down citing pressure

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's president on Thursday accepted the resignation of the country's top banker, who has complained of political pressure. National Bank head Yakiv Smolii cited “systematic political pressure” as the reason for his decision to step down, but didn't provide any...

Former Libya envoy accuses Security Council of 'hypocrisy'

CAIRO (AP) — A former U.N. envoy to Libya has accused the Security Council of “hypocrisy” and of undermining his efforts to bring peace to the war-torn North African country. In a podcast interview aired Tuesday, Ghassan Salame said the majority of the U.N. Security Council supported the...

City crews remove some barriers from Seattle protest zone

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle city crews used heavy equipment Tuesday to remove makeshift barriers around the city’s “occupied” protest zone following two fatal shootings in the area. Demonstrators dragged couches and other items to replace the structures. But those were largely gone later...

St. Louis mayor blasted for revealing identity of protesters

O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson knows the trauma of violence — she and her children were present when her first husband was shot to death 25 years ago during an attempted carjacking. She was elected on a pledge to curb violence in her city. Amid that backdrop, it’s not...

Slovenia minister resigns over procurement equipment probe

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s interior minister on Tuesday stepped down in protest of an investigation against the economy minister in the procurement of medical equipment during the coronavirus outbreak. Ales Hojs said that the probe was politically motivated and directed against the...