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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 23 augusT 2022

In sign of support, US bombers fly over Dubrovnik, Balkans

DUBROVNIK, Croatia (AP) — strategic military demon-
A pair of U.S. Air Force B52 stration.”
strategic bombers on Mon- “Our strategic partners are
day flew low over the Croa- hand to hand with us, it’s a
tian resort of Dubrovnik and message of unity,” he said
three other NATO-member at the square where peo-
states in the region as a sign ple gathered.
of support amid the Russian The two B-52 Stratofortress
aggression in Ukraine. aircraft are assigned to the
In addition to the walled 23rd Bomb Squadron cur-
Croatian tourist resort of rently operating out of RAF
Dubrovnik, the aircraft flew Fairford, United Kingdom.
over the government head- Since 2018, the U.S. has
quarters in Skopje, North conducted more than 200
Macedonia, the down- Bomber Task Force sorties
town Skanderbeg Square with allies and partners.
in the Albanian capital, Ti- Most recently, this involved
rana, and up the Adriatic B-1B Lancer flights over the
coast of Montenegro. Nordic, Baltic, and Black
The Balkans and the Adri- Sea regions in May, as well
atic Sea have lately seen U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft flies over North Macedonia’s capital Skopje, on Monday, as an air policing over-
increased military, intel- Aug. 22, 2022. flight of North Macedonia
ligence and propaganda Associated Press in June. In June, Stratofor-
activity by Moscow, which provide citizens an oppor- last nation to join NATO in flights of USAF B52 two stra- tresses conducted flights
considers the region of its tunity to take photos, vid- 2020 and Montenegro did it tegic bombers over Sko- over the Arctic Ocean,
strategic interest because eos, and enjoy the aircraft in 2017, both despite strong pje, which demonstrate and later took part in BAL-
of its access to the Mediter- flying overhead.” opposition from Russia. our NATO membership and TOPS, the largest annual
ranean. Crowds gathered on the North Macedonia’s Army the safety and security of exercise in the Baltic Sea. In
“The purpose of each fly- squares in Skopje and Ti- Chief of Stuff, Lt. Colonel our and skies of entire al- the Baltic Sea, the amphibi-
over is to demonstrate U.S. rana, and tourists watched Jovan Azmanovski, told TV liance. Our skies are safe ous warship USS Kearsarge
commitment and assur- in Dubrovnik and Monte- broadcaster Kanal 5 that and our (NATO) member- the largest warship ever
ance to NATO allies and negro as the giant bomb- the bombers’ flights were ship is more than visible,” to visit Lithuania was offi-
partners located in south- ers thundered overhead. symbolic proof that “our Azmanovski said. cially welcomed Monday.
eastern Europe,” the U.S. Some onlookers waved skies are safe.” In Tirana, Albanian Army The country borders fellow
Air Force said in a state- American flags. “People in North Mace- Chief of Staff Arben Kingji NATO member Poland and
ment. “Additionally, this will North Macedonia was the donia were able to see a said “we are witnessing a Belarus, a Moscow ally.q

Italy’s Meloni shocks opponents with alleged rape video

By COLLEEN BARRY sode of sexual violence in Party leader Enrico Letta, video “is not an official Letta’s criticism, Meloni
Associated Press broad daylight in Piacenza countered in a radio in- criminal complaint, but in- emphasized that no one
MILAN (AP) — The far-right by an asylum-seeker,’’ Mel- terview that reposting the strumentalization’’ of vio- is identifiable in the video
candidate who aspires to oni wrote. “A hug for this video went beyond “the lence. and that the center-left
be Italy’s first female leader woman. I will do everything bounds of dignity and de- “(Seeing) a woman, can- leader had failed to con-
came under fire Monday possible to restore security cency.” didate to run the country, demn the attack itself.
from opponents for post- to our cities.” A former education min- using this media, is chilling,” “Why don’t you speak of
ing a pixelized video that Her main opponent in the ister, Lucia Azzolina, said Azzolina said. this? Because otherwise
purports to show a woman Sept. 25 vote, Democratic posting the alleged rape And Carlo Calenda, lead- you need to come to terms
being raped by an asylum- er of a small, new centrist with the fact that security in
seeker. party called Action, said our cities is out of control,
Giorgia Meloni, the lead- “Meloni has done some- thanks also to the surreal
er of the Brothers of Italy thing not worthy of a civi- immigration policies that
party that has neo-fascist lized country, and against you have pursued,’’ Meloni
roots, on Sunday evening women.” said.
reposted a video on Twit- Meloni’s allusion to security Polls show the Brothers of
ter from an Italian news site in Italian cities is a right-wing Italia having a potential
that was taken by a witness theme in this election cam- lead with voters over the
from a window overlook- paign, which also hits at im- Democratic Party ahead of
ing the street. The woman, migration. She was backed the parliamentary election,
identified as Ukrainian, can by coalition partner Matteo but neither have enough
be heard yelling in distress. Salvini, the leader of the support to govern alone.
A 27-year-old asylum-seek- right-wing League party Meloni can expect a signifi-
er from Guinea has been and former firebrand inte- cant boost from her coali-
arrested in the sexual as- rior minister, who pledged tion partners the League
sault, according to Italian that “defending our bor- and Silvio Berlusconi’s cen-
media reports. Fratelli d’ Italia (Brothers of Italy) party leader Giorgia Meloni ders and Italians will be a ter-right Forza Italia party
speaks during a center-right opposition rally in Rome’s central
“One cannot remain silent Piazza del Popolo, Saturday, July 4, 2020. duty for me, not a right.” while Letta is aligned with
front of this atrocious epi- Associated Press In a video response to much smaller parties.q