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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 12 November 2019

Russian court arrests murder-suspect professor

By IRINA TITOVA Hermitage Museum. trial.
Associated Press Sokolov broke into tears in Sokolov has been award-
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) the courtroom. He said he ed with France's highest
— A St. Petersburg court on had a romantic relation- award, the Legion of Hon-
Monday ordered a promi- ship with Eshchenko and or, for his studies of Napole-
nent history professor sus- gave a rambling account onic France.
pected of murdering and of a quarrel they had, but A fluent French speaker,
dismembering a female didn't talk about his action he has been an enthusi-
student to be held in cus- in detail. astic member of military
tody pending trial. Russia's state television reenactment movements
The case of 63-year-old carried comments by Es- since the early 1990s and
Oleg Sokolov, who taught hchenko's brother who represented Napoleon in
at the St. Petersburg State said she had called him numerous representations
University who became fa- just before she was killed, of historic battles and other
mous for his books about Oleg Sokolov, a history professor at St. Petersburg State Univer- crying and saying that she events.
the Napoleonic era, has sity is escorted to the courtroom in St. Petersburg, Russia, Mon- had quarreled with Soko- Sokolov was popular
dominated national news- day, Nov. 11, 2019. lov who beat her. She told among his students for his
casts in Russia. Associated Press her brother that she had flamboyant style and fiery
Sokolov confessed to the rushed out of his apartment way of delivery.
murder, according to his his apartment and then The limbs were identified as but needed to come back In past interviews to Russian
lawyer, Alexander Po- dismembered her body. those of the student; other to pick up her things. television, he spoke about
chuev. He was detained Saturday body parts were found in The judge rejected Soko- his passion for the Napole-
Investigators alleged that after being pulled from St. the river and in Sokolov's lov's appeal to be released onic era. Napoleon was his
Sokolov shot and killed Petersburg's Moika River riverside home in the his- under house arrest and or- idol and fellow history buffs
24-year-old Anastasia Es- with a backpack contain- toric part of St. Petersburg, dered him to be held in jail would address him 'Sire,'
hchenko on Thursday at ing two severed arms. less than one mile from the for two months pending the emperor's title.q

China's Xi on investment drive in EU member Greece

By ELENA BECATOROS combine our advantages leading geostrategic, eco-
DEREK GATOPOULOS and benefit everyone. At nomic, and political role,"
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — the port of Piraeus, we can Mitsotakis said.
Chinese President Xi Jin- see that the result of our The Greek prime minister
ping is meeting political cooperation has made it traveled to Shanghai last
leaders in Greece on Mon- the largest port in the Medi- week to meet Xi at the 2019
day as part of a trip aimed terranean," Xi said. China International Import
at furthering a major global Greek officials said the two Expo.
investment initiative inside countries are planning to In April, Greece joined a
the European Union. sign 16 bilateral coopera- Chinese trade initiative
China's state-owned trans- tion agreements during launched seven years ago
port giant Cosco controls Xi's three-day state visit — that includes mostly cen-
Greece's largest port of that will include a range tral and eastern European
Piraeus, near Athens, and of investment deals and countries.
Beijing is keen to boost Chi- the presence of the state- Thousands of Chinese in-
nese investment in Greece owned Bank of China in vestors have snapped up
as part of its global Belt and Athens. apartments around in Ath-
Road investment initiative. Emerging from a decade- China's President Xi Jinping inspects the guard of honor by Ev- ens and other Greek cities
Xi met with President Proko- long financial crisis, Greece zones, the Greek Presidential guards, with his Greek counterpart under a so-called "golden
Prokopis Pavlopoulos, outside the Presidential palace in Athens,
pis Pavlopoulos and Prime and its new conservative Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. visa" scheme which offers
Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. government are keen to Associated Press a five-year residence per-
He is due to join Mitsotakis attract overseas invest- mit to buyers who spend
later on a visit to the port ment despite concerns pansion of China's global not only as a great power more than 250,000 euros
facility. from some of Athens' west- influence. but as a country that with ($275,750) on the local
"I think our cooperation can ern allies over the rapid ex- "Greece recognizes China difficultly has gained a property market.q