Europe

21 Mar 2019; DW: A United Nations court in The Hague on Wednesday dismissed an appeal by former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic against his convictions for crimes committed during the Bosnian war on Wednesday. The appeals chamber also increased his sentence from a 40-year prison term to life in prison.

Presiding judge Vagn Joensen said that the previous verdict was too light given the "sheer scale and systematic cruelty" of Karadzic's crimes.

21 Mar 2019; DW: The "Under" restaurant is five meters (16 feet) under water at Spangereid on Norway's southern tip.

"Under" also means "wonder" in Norwegian. It opened on Wednesday for friends and family of the owners, with the first paying guests expected in April. 

It is Europe's first and the world's largest underwater restaurant, with seating for 100 guests.

21 Mar 2019; DW: The European People's Party voted on Wednesday to suspend membership for Hungary's ruling Fidesz party.

Delegates of the main center-right alliance in the European Parliament are opposed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's authoritarian style and anti-European Union, anti-migration policies.

Campaign posters for the upcoming European elections taking aim at Jean-Claude Juncker and George Soros were a particular point of contention. 

21 Mar 2019; DW: Brexit — soft or hard — is expected to cost Europeans billions of euros every year in the form of reduced incomes, a new study by Germany's Bertelsmann Foundation shows.

The impact would be particularly huge if Britain were to leave the European Union without a deal.

The losses are expected to be mainly driven by higher prices of goods and services as a result of tariffs that would kick in after Brexit. Currently, there are no tariffs in the EU single market.

21 Mar 2019; DW: A school bus driver on Wednesday allegedly held 51 children and their chaperones hostage on a bus in the northern Italian city San Donato Milanese before setting it on fire.

All of the children were rescued when the bus crashed following a police chase, allowing officers to force open the back door and help students off the bus, as the driver threatened suicide.

MOSCOW, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The first flight of the new Russian military transport aircraft Il-112V will take place at the end of March or the beginning of April, local media reported Thursday.

"Everything is ready, all issues with engines have been resolved," TASS news agency quoted a source in the defense industry as saying.

Il-112V will be accompanied by an An-26 aircraft on its maiden flight. "The An-26 will fly in parallel, at the same altitude and speed, to monitor the operation parameters of different systems," the source added.

PARIS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Military forces would be poured across French cities to help maintain public order during "Yellow Vest" protests planned this weekend, Benjamin Griveaux, the government's spokesman said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson told reporters that President Emmanuel Macron announced this morning a reinforced mobilization of the "sentinel operation" to secure fixed points, such as government buildings.

"The aim is to allow police to focus on the movement, maintaining and restoring (public) order," he added.

LONDON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Theresa May announced Wednesday she will not delay Britain's departure from the European Union beyond June, ruling out a further extension if MPs reject her Brexit deal.

Her message from 10 Downing Street to the British people came after another tense day in the House of Commons when she announced she has asked EU Council President Donald Tusk to delay Britain's exit from the bloc.

LONDON (AP) — Fugitive diamond tycoon Nirav Modi has been arrested in London at the request of Indian authorities.

The Metropolitan Police force says 48-year-old Modi was detained Tuesday in central London and held overnight in custody.

He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

A jeweler to Bollywood stars, Modi is wanted in India over allegations of banking fraud. Last year the international police organization Interpol issued a “red notice” for his arrest.

19 Mar 2019; AFP: A 3,000-year-old carved stone tablet from Babylonia, which promises a curse on those who would destroy it, is to be flown home from Britain after being looted during the Iraq War.

British Museum boss Hartwig Fischer handed over the priceless work to Iraqi Ambassador Salih Husain Ali during a ceremony on Tuesday after museum experts had verified its provenance.