Europe

Channel migrant crossings hit new 24-hour record: UK govt

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The number of people crossing the Channel to the UK from northern France in small boats has hit a new high, the government in London said on Tuesday. Some 1,295 people were detected on Monday, beating the previous single-day record of 1,185 on November 11, 2021, the Ministry of Defence said. So far this year there have been some 22,670 crossings. At the same point in 2021, nearly 12,500 […]

Russia accuses Ukraine over car bomb assassination

by Thibault MARCHAND Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Russia on Monday accused Ukraine over the assassination of the daughter of a leading hardliner, as Kyiv said nearly 9,000 of its soldiers had been killed since Moscow launched its invasion. The FSB security services pointed the finger at Ukraine for Saturday’s shock car bombing in Moscow’s outskirts that killed Daria Dugina, the 29-year-old daughter of Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin, an outspoken advocate for the invasion […]

Germany’s Scholz looks to Canada as energy supplier

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada to firm up access to new energy supplies as his country moves to quickly end its reliance on Russian oil and gas. At a joint news conference in Montreal on the first full day of his three-day visit, Scholz said Germany is rushing construction of liquid natural gas (LNG) ports infrastructure and pipelines to boost imports and […]

Strikes bring London transport system to near halt

  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Public transport workers in London held fresh strikes Friday over pay and conditions, cutting services on almost all underground and overground rail lines that link up the UK capital. The latest walkout comes during a summer of industrial action across Britain, with workers in various sectors pushing for pay rises in line with decades-high inflation and the soaring cost of living. A spokesperson for Transport for London, responsible for […]

Finland says Russian fighter jets ‘suspected’ of violating airspace

  HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — Two Russian fighter jets are believed to have violated Finnish airspace on Thursday, Finland’s defence ministry said, as the Nordic country seeks NATO membership following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “Two Russian MIG-31 fighters are suspected of having violated Finnish airspace in the Gulf of Finland off Porvoo,” the ministry said in a statement. The Finnish Air Force sent up “an operational flight mission” to identify the aircraft, it said, adding […]

UK inflation hits new 40-year high as food prices rocket

  by Ben PERRY Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British inflation surged to a new 40-year high in July on soaring food prices, official data showed Wednesday, adding to a cost-of-living crisis as the country faces the prospect of recession. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) accelerated to 10.1 percent last month from 9.4 percent in June — itself a four-decade high — the Office for National Statistics said. The Bank of England […]

UN chief to meet Ukraine, Turkey leaders in Lviv

by Thibault MARCHAND Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — UN chief Antonio Guterres will meet with the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey this week, officials announced Tuesday, as Kyiv reported an “unprecedented” cyberattack on its nuclear energy agency’s website. A deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last month has allowed a tentative restart of grain exports from Ukraine after Russia’s invasion blocked essential global supplies. Guterres will hold talks in the western Ukrainian […]

WHO turns to public for monkeypox name change

by Nina LARSON The World Health Organization, which is looking to rename monkeypox, called Tuesday for help from the public in coming up with a less stigmatising designation for the fast-spreading disease. The UN health agency has for weeks voiced concern about the name of the disease that emerged onto the global stage in May. Experts warn the name can be stigmatising to the primates it was named after, but who play little role in […]

Putin lashes out at US over Ukraine, Taiwan

Russian president accuses US of trying to prolong conflict in Ukraine, fueling potential for conflict in Asia   MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused Washington of seeking to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and of fuelling conflicts elsewhere in the world, including with the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. “The situation in Ukraine shows that the US is trying to prolong this conflict. And they act […]

Armenian blast death toll rises to 16

YEREVAN, Armenia (AFP) — The death toll from an explosion at a bustling market in the Armenian capital Yerevan rose to 16, Armenia’s emergency situations ministry said on Tuesday. Sunday’s blast at the Surmalu wholesale market also injured 60 people after it caused a fire and the collapse of a building. “Sixteen bodies were found during search and rescue efforts,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that 18 people were still missing. Officials said […]

Zelensky warns Zaporizhzhia ‘catastrophe’ would threaten whole of Europe

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — A “catastrophe” at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine would threaten the whole of Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday. “Under the cover of the plant, the occupiers are shelling nearby cities and communities,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “Any radiation incident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP can affect the countries of the European Union, Turkey, Georgia and countries from more distant regions. Everything depends solely on […]

Russia defense minister discussed Ukraine nuclear plant with UN chief: Moscow

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and UN chief Antonio Guterres discussed the security situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, which is currently under Moscow’s control and has been the target of fighting, Moscow said on Monday. “Sergei Shoigu conducted telephone negotiations with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the conditions for safe operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement. The plant, Europe’s […]