Five international stories of the week

FILE - In this May 14, 2020 file photo, schoolchildren raise their fingers to answer their teacher Sandrine Albiez, wearing a face masks, in a school in Strasbourg, eastern France. France's government is admitting that not all classrooms can safely reopen Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020 as planned. A persistent rise in virus infections is jeopardizing the government’s push to get France’s 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class.  (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)
FILE - In this May 14, 2020 file photo, schoolchildren raise their fingers to answer their teacher Sandrine Albiez, wearing a face masks, in a school in Strasbourg, eastern France. France's government is admitting that not all classrooms can safely reopen Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020 as planned. A persistent rise in virus infections is jeopardizing the government’s push to get France’s 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)

Editor’s Note: This listicle is part of a weekly series by The Ball State Daily News summarizing five stories from around the world. All summaries are based on stories published by The Associated Press.

France accuses Britain of delaying post-Brexit talks, Australia’s deadliest day of the pandemic, obstacles to reopening schools in France, riots in Sweden and a strike leader detained in Belarus make up this week’s five international stories.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, left, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian wearing masks arrive for the opening session of the French ambassadors to European countries in Paris, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

France accuses UK of stalling in post-Brexit trade talks

On the cusp of a crucial month of negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union and the United Kingdom, France has lambasted the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson for what it sees as deliberate stalling and for harboring unreasonable expectations. The 27-nation EU and the U.K. remain deadlocked in their talks on future trade ties after a transitional divorce period ends on Dec. 31.

Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews addresses the media during a press conference in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic as the government urged hot spot Victoria state to announce its plans to lift a lockdown on the country's second-largest city. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)

Australia records its deadliest day of pandemic

Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic Monday as the government urged hot spot Victoria state to announce its plans to lift a lockdown on the country’s second-largest city. Victoria’s health department reported 41 deaths from COVID-19 and 73 new infections in the latest 24-hour period. While the deaths were a state and national high, the tally of new infections was Victoria’s lowest since 67 new cases were recorded on June 30.

FILE - In this Thursday, May 14, 2020 file photo, schoolchildren wait in line to go back in their classroom at the Sainte Aurelie primary school of Strasbourg, eastern France. Like many governments, France wants to reopen schools to reduce learning gaps worsened by lockdowns and to get parents back at work and revive the economy. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)

French virus surge threatens nationwide back-to-school plan

Not all French classrooms can safely reopen Tuesday, the country’s education minister acknowledged Sunday, as a persistent rise in coronavirus infections jeopardizes the government’s push to get France’s 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class this week. Like many governments around the world, France and Britain want to reopen schools starting Tuesday to reduce the learning gaps between rich and poor students that were worsened by the virus lockdown this spring, and to get parents back to work and revive the ailing economy.

Smoke billows from burning tyres and pallets and fireworks as a few hundred protesters riot in the Rosengard neighbourhood of Malmo, Sweden, Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. Far-right activists burned a Quran in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, sparking riots and unrest after more than 300 people gathered to protest, police said Saturday. (TT News Agency via AP)

Riots in Sweden after Quran burning by far-right activists

Far-right activists burned a Quran in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, sparking riots and unrest after more than 300 people gathered to protest, police said Saturday. Rioters set fires and threw objects at police and rescue services Friday night, slightly injuring several police officers and leading to the detention of about 15 people. The violence followed the burning Friday afternoon of a Quran, near a predominantly migrant neighborhood, that was carried out by far-right activists, according to the TT news agency.

Belarusian opposition supporters light phones lights during a rally in Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the capital of Belarus, beginning the fourth week of daily protests demanding that the country's authoritarian president resign. The protests began after an Aug. 9 presidential election that protesters say was rigged and officials say gave President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. (Tut.By via AP)

Strike leader detained in Belarus as crackdown continues

 Belarus’ authorities on Monday detained the organizer of a strike at a top industrial plant, part of a methodical effort to stifle weeks of protests demanding the resignation of the country’s authoritarian leader of 26 years after an election the opposition denounced as being rigged. President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the protesters as Western puppets and rejected the European Union’s offers of mediation. 



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