Paris reopens the Seine for public swimming after more than 100 years
Parisians took the plunge into the Seine on Saturday, enjoying public swimming in the river for the first time in over 100 years....
Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated on Saturday that he refused a request from French intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner to block Romanian conservative voices on the messaging platform ahead of the country’s presidential runoff election.
Writing on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Durov alleged:
“This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hotel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused. We didn’t block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won’t start doing it in Europe.”
Earlier in the day, Durov had made a general claim that a Western European government had requested Telegram to "silence conservative voices in Romania," but had not initially named the country or official involved.
The statement comes on the same day Romania held its runoff presidential election, a repeat vote following a Constitutional Court decision that annulled the original result of November 24, 2024. The court had halted the process citing concerns over alleged illegal campaign financing by nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu, cybersecurity threats, and unproven claims of Russian interference.
Durov’s public comments are likely to intensify scrutiny around foreign involvement and digital influence in electoral processes across Europe. Telegram has previously faced pressure from multiple governments to moderate content or block opposition voices, particularly in politically sensitive contexts. However, Durov has consistently positioned the platform as a pro-free speech alternative, emphasizing non-cooperation with political censorship.
Neither the French government nor the Romanian authorities have issued an official response to Durov’s allegations as of the time of reporting.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
A malfunction in the radar transmission system at the Area Control Center in Milan suspended more than 300 flights at the weekend, across northwest Italy since Saturday evening according to Italy's air traffic controller Enav (National Agency for Flight Assistance).
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says the country needs a new constitution that reflects its current realities and has a clear purpose.
The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was successfully held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, highlighting the region’s revival and the deepening economic cooperation among member states.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, met with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov in Baku to discuss expanding trade and developing the Lapis Lazuli transport corridor.
Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan have explored new avenues for energy cooperation during a high-level meeting in Baku.
Türkiye’s President and Iranian President met on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, highlighting the event’s regional significance.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment