The Prague Post - Boulevard

Hague court lays fresh charges against ex-Kosovo leader Thaci

Prosecutors with a special international court in The Hague on Friday charged Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci, who is on trial for war crimes, with obstruction and contempt of court.

Biden eyes preemptive pardons as Trump plots revenge: reports

President Joe Biden is considering preemptive pardons for several prominent names facing possible retribution from the incoming Trump administration, US media has reported.

British ex-soldier pleads not guilty to Bloody Sunday killings

A former British soldier on Friday pleaded not guilty to murdering two men during the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, one of the most significant events in Northern Ireland's decades-long conflict.

Director accused of abusing French star Haenel goes on trial

A filmmaker accused of sexually assaulting French actor Adele Haenel when she was a minor goes on trial in Paris Monday, five years after her allegations fired France's #MeToo movement.

Artists abandon Abidjan for Ivory Coast beachside haven

Far from the hustle and bustle of Ivory Coast's biggest city, the tropical climes, sea air and history of Grand-Bassam have made the sleepy UNESCO-listed town a magnet for artists.

Arsonists set Melbourne synagogue ablaze

Mask-wearing arsonists set a synagogue ablaze in a pre-dawn attack Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne, police said, sparking widespread condemnation.

Not a pipe dream: Notre Dame's organ to be 'revived'

Notre Dame's famed 8,000-pipe organ, known as the voice and soul of the beloved cathedral, will be "revived" after a five-year absence in one of the highlights of this weekend's reopening ceremony at the landmark.

'Modern slavery': Indonesians in clutches of scam syndicates

Indonesian fruit seller Budi was seeking better prospects when he signed up for an IT job in Cambodia. But he found himself detained in a heavily guarded compound where he was forced to carry out online scams.

Quake sparks brief tsunami warning in California

A powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of California sparked a brief tsunami warning on Thursday, with residents warned to flee to higher ground before the alert was cancelled.

Tsunami alert after 7.0 quake off California coast

Tsunami waves were expected to start hitting the California coast Thursday after a powerful earthquake struck offshore, US seismologists said.

New York police hunt killer of top insurance exec

New York police scoured the city Thursday for a masked gunman who shot a top health insurance executive at close range in a brazen daylight killing outside a Manhattan hotel.

Amnesty accuses Israel of 'genocide' in Gaza

Amnesty International accused Israel Thursday of "committing genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, saying its new report was a "wake-up call" for the world.

British regulator approves Vodafone UK, Three merger

Vodafone and Three, the UK division of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, are set to create Britain's biggest mobile phone operator after the country's competition regulator backed the deal Thursday.

Puppy love as Czech prison inmates train assistance dogs

Serving their last year in prison, David Hejny and Marek Kolar have their work cut out as they train puppies Zeus and Zirkon to be assistance dogs for the visually impaired.

Kampai! All about Japanese sake

Japanese tipples sake and shochu -- and the knowledge and skills honed over centuries to make them -- have been added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Syrian White Helmets chief 'dreams' of never pulling a body out of rubble again

Nearly 14 years after the start of Syria's civil war, White Helmets rescue group chief Raed Saleh sees no way out of a conflict that has reignited.

Brazil's Minas cheese gets added to UNESCO list

Minas cheese -- a dairy delight from a farming region in Brazil giving it its name -- was added to UNESCO's global list of intangible cultural heritage on Wednesday.

Top US executive shot dead in New York City: media

The chief executive of one of the United States's largest health insurance companies, UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed outside a New York Hilton hotel in an apparently targeted hit Wednesday, US media reported.

French marine park to close over law banning killer whale shows

A French theme park said Wednesday that it would close early next year over a 2021 law banning shows featuring marine mammals, including the two last orcas in captivity in the country.

Thousands march demanding S. Korea president resign over martial law debacle

Thousands of protesters marched on parliament in South Korea's capital Wednesday, joining a push by the country's opposition to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his extraordinary but short-lived imposition of martial law.

UK police question killer nurse Letby over further baby deaths

Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, has been questioned in prison over further baby deaths and collapses at two hospitals where she worked, police said Wednesday.

Death toll rises to 29 in southern Thailand floods

More than 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to severe flooding in southern Thailand, where the death toll climbed to 29, officials said Wednesday.

Huge Vietnam fraud case raises questions over banking system

A multi-billion-dollar fraud scandal involving one of Vietnam's most prominent tycoons exposed systemic weaknesses in the country's banking sector, say analysts who warn other such cases could yet emerge.

South Korean president pressed to resign over martial law bid

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faced demands to resign on Wednesday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law that was voted down by lawmakers and brought thousands of protesters to the streets.

South Korean president abandons martial law attempt

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol abandoned a short-lived attempt at martial law on Wednesday after lawmakers defied security forces to vote against his declaration and thousands of protesters took to the streets.

Retailers point to solid US sales over holiday weekend

US consumers turned out in force in stores and online over the Thanksgiving weekend, a key stretch in the holiday shopping season, a leading retailer group said Tuesday.

Colombian police raid 11 prisons to combat extortion rackets

Over 2,000 Colombian police officers backed by helicopters and sniffer dogs raided prisons nationwide on Tuesday in an operation to combat extortion rackets run out of penitentiaries.

South Korea president declares martial law

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law, accusing the opposition of being "anti-state forces" and saying he was acting to protect the country from "threats" posed by the North.

Two defendants in French mass rape trial seek leniency

A lawyer for one of the men charged in a mass rape trial in France pleaded for leniency on Tuesday, saying his client did not deserve the 14-year prison term demanded by the prosecution.

Trump to attend Notre Dame reopening in Paris

Notre Dame cathedral will reopen in Paris on Saturday with incoming US president Donald Trump to attend the ceremony marking the resurrection of the Gothic masterpiece five years after a devastating fire.

Trump to attend Notre Dame reopeningin Paris