AP National News

The Latest: Italians deface statue tied to colonial past

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— Italians deface statue of journalist who had 12-year-old Eritrean bride.

— French police protest in Paris, saying accusations of racism unfair.

— UK police arrest over 100 after violent right-wing protest in London.

— Atlanta police officer fired after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

— Bust of slave owner torn down, thrown in river in New Orleans.

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MILAN — Protesters have scrawled ‘’rapist’’ and ‘’racist’’ on the statue of a late Italian journalist who had acknowledged having had a 12-year-old Eritrean bride while stationed in the Italian colony in the 1930s.

The Latest: French police protest, insist they’re not racist

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— French police protest in Paris, saying accusations of racism unfair

— UK police arrest over 100 after violent right-wing protest in London.

— Atlanta police officer fired after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

— Clemson football team members lead demonstration on campus.

— Bust of slave owner torn down, thrown in river in New Orleans.

PARIS — French police officers held a small overnight protest at the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris amid police anger over what they call unfair accusations of racism and brutality.

A few dozen officers lay their handcuffs on the

The Latest: UK arrests 100 after violent right-wing protest

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— UK police arrest over 100 after violent right-wing protest in London.

— Atlanta police officer fired after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

— Clemson football team members lead demonstration on campus.

— Bust of slave owner torn down, thrown in river in New Orleans.

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LONDON — British police say they have arrested more than 100 people after protesters, including far-right activists, clashed with officers in London.

Hundreds of right-wing activists turned out for demonstrations Saturday in London, with many saying they wanted to “protect” monuments and statues

The Latest: 2 Florida theme parks reopen as lockdown eases

by Associated Press

MIAMI — Two more Florida theme parks were opening Thursday after being closed since mid-March to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are opening their gates with new restrictions.

Reservations are now required to enter the parks in order to limit capacity to comply with social distancing requirements. But SeaWorld Orlando will be closed on future Tuesdays and Thursdays and Busch Gardens will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the foreseeable future.

Visitors age 2 and up will be required to wear face masks and everyone will have a

The Latest: China: We do not spread virus disinformation

by Associated Press

BEIJING — China’s Foreign Ministry has criticized a European Union report alleging that Beijing was spreading disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters Thursday that “the EU evades many obvious facts but specifically mentions China. This undermines the credibility and authority of this report.” Hua called the accusations against China “false.”

According to the European commission, Russia and China have mounted “targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns in the EU, its neighbourhood and globally.” That marked the first time China

The Latest: English city hauls toppled statue out of harbor

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— English city hauls toppled slave trader statue out of the harbor

— Jefferson Davis statue torn down in Richmond

— Officer charged in George Floyd’s death posts bail.

— George Floyd’s brother gives emotional testimony on Capitol Hill.

— Museums interested in preserving artifacts from protests in nation’s capital.

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LONDON — A statue of a 17th-century slave trader that was toppled by anti-racism protesters in Bristol, England, has been fished out of the harbor by city authorities.

Bristol City Council says the bronze statue of Edward Colston was recovered early

The Latest: Austria opens borders June 16 to most of Europe

by Associated Press

VIENNA — Austria has announced it will open its borders to most European neighbors beginning June 16 with the exceptions of Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Britain.

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg also said Wednesday that the border with Italy to the south would be open without conditions, but that a travel warning for Austrian citizens is in place for Lombardy. The northern Italian region has been the epicenter of Italy’s epidemic, showing triple-digit growth in daily infections while much of the rest of the country counts a handful or fewer.

While Italy opened its borders on June 3,

The Latest: Racism complaints in Germany rise 10% last year

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— George Floyd, whose death energized a movement, to be buried in Houston.

— Germany received 10% more complaints about racism last year.

— French minorities collecting video evidence in fight against police brutality.

— Protesters heartened by swift reform, but vow broader change.

— Violence gives way to street fair vibe outside White House.

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BERLIN — Germany’s official anti-discrimination watchdog says it received significantly more complaints about racism in 2019 than the year before.

The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency said Tuesday that it received 1,176

The Latest: French take a knee for abolition of slavery

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— French protesters take a knee for abolishing slavery

— Driver, 18, charged in Tennessee for driving into protesters

— Germany wants protesters to follow social distancing rules

— UK leader says anti-racism protests have been “subverted by thuggery”

— France scrambles to address concerns about police brutality, racism

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NANTES, France — Several hundred people took a knee Monday in front of a memorial to the abolition of slavery in the western French city of Nantes.

Images shown on French television and social networks showed a peaceful crowd marching through the

The Latest: UK leader: Thugs subverting anti-racism protests

by Associated Press

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— UK leader says anti-racism protests have been “subverted by thuggery”

— France scrambles to address concerns about police brutality, racism

— Denmark says freedom to protest more important than coronavirus rules

— Man drives at Floyd protesters in Seattle, shoots one person

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LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says anti-racism demonstrations have been “subverted by thuggery” after protesters tore down a statue of a slave trader in the city of Bristol and scrawled graffiti on a statue of Winston Churchill in London.

London’s Metropolitan police say a dozen