Europe

Trump congratulates new Greek PM, pledges cooperation

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Tuesday congratulated Greece’s new conservative prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, pledging in a telephone call to keep pursuing the countries’ warming relations, the White House said. “The two leaders expressed their mutual interest in working together and continuing strong cooperation between the United States and Greece,” the White House said. A State Department spokeswoman separately called Greece “one of our closest allies.” The United States hopes […]

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Kremlin condemns ‘absurdity’ as Britain bars RT, Sputnik from conference

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The Kremlin on Tuesday said it regretted that Russia’s RT and Sputnik news organisations were barred from taking part in a global conference on media freedom in London, calling the decision absurd. Britain on Monday said it refused to accredit the Russian state media outlets “because of their active role in spreading disinformation.” Some 60 ministers and 1,000 journalists and members of civil society are expected to attend the meeting […]

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PM-elect Mitsotakis vows to make Greece ‘proud’ after vote triumph

by John HADOULIS ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Greece’s conservative prime minister-elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed that the country would “proudly” enter a post-bailout period of “jobs, security and growth” after winning a landslide victory in Sunday’s general election. Official results showed Mitsotakis on track to crush leftist premier Alexis Tsipras, who oversaw austerity meausures after Greece’s dramatic rescue by international creditors in the European debt crisis. “A painful cycle has closed,” Mitsotakis said in a televised […]

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Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie christened in private service

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prince Harry and Meghan’s baby son Archie was on Saturday christened in the chapel at Windsor Castle in a private ceremony following his birth in early May. The couple’s first child — who is seventh in line to the British throne — wore a handmade replica of the royal christening robe, which was made in 1841 for the christening of Queen Victoria. The replica has been worn by royal infants […]

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Russia buries navy officers killed in sub fire

  by Marina KORENEVA Agence France Presse SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) — Russia buried 14 navy officers amid tight security in Saint Petersburg on Saturday who were killed in a fire on a nuclear-powered submersible in circumstances that have not been fully revealed by the Kremlin. The officers died in the Barents Sea on Monday, but the accident was only made public a day later. Moscow has said the crew was studying the sea floor […]

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Iran condemns detention of oil supertanker in Gibraltar

by Jorge GUERRERO GIBRALTAR, United Kingdom (AFP) — Iran on Thursday condemned the “illegal interception” of one of its oil tankers in Gibraltar where authorities said they suspected it was carrying crude to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. The detention of the 330 metre (1,000 feet) Grace 1 vessel comes at a sensitive time in Iran-EU ties as the bloc mulls how to respond to Tehran announcing it will breach the maximum uranium enrichment […]

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Stromboli clears up ash after deadly volcano eruption

by Giovanni Isolino STROMBOLI, Italy (AFP) — The village of Ginostra on Stromboli began sweeping away layers of ash on Thursday, the day after a dramatic volcanic eruption on the tiny Italian island killed a hiker. Emergency workers brushed and scooped volcanic cinders from streets and the tiny harbour in the village at the foot of the still smoking volcano. A veil of ash lay atop restaurant terrace tables, boats and parts of the coastline. […]

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One tourist killed in Stromboli volcano eruption

by Charles ONIANS ROME, Italy (AFP) — A volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupted dramatically on Wednesday, killing a hiker and sending tourists fleeing into the sea. The volcano is known to be active but on Wednesday there were two particularly powerful explosions. “Unfortunately one man is dead, there are a few injured, but none seriously,” emergency worker Calogero Foti told RAI television. The dead man was a 35-year-old from Messina in Sicily […]

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European Parliament chooses new president, completing top EU jobs

  by Cédric SIMON Agence France Presse STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — The European Parliament on Wednesday elected an Italian social democrat as its new president, filling the final top EU job a day after Brussels named two women to key posts for the first time. Italy’s David Sassoli, a 63-year-old former journalist, won the absolute majority of ballots he needed at the second round of voting, seeing off German Green Ska Keller, far-left Spaniard Sira […]

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14 crew killed in fire on Russian sub

by Marina LAPENKOVA Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Fourteen Russian seamen have died in a fire on a deep-water research submersible, Russia’s defence ministry said Tuesday, amid local media reports that the vessel was a secretive nuclear-powered mini-submarine. Russian officials have offered little information about the vessel or the circumstances of the accident, but the presence of many senior ranking officers on board could suggest it was not on an ordinary assignment. The […]

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Spain wildfire triggers more evacuations

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spanish authorities ordered the evacuation Sunday of around 40 people and closed four roads as a raging wildfire advanced in the center of the country amid scorching temperatures. Police ordered residents to flee their homes outside the town of Villa del Prado some 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Madrid as a precaution because of the approach of the flames, emergency services said. The locals were put up in a sports […]

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Mercury tops 45C in France as deadly heatwave roasts Europe

by Julie Pacorel with Clare Byrne and Stuart Williams in Paris Agence France Presse CARPENTRAS, France (AFP) — Temperatures in France surpassed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) Friday for the first time on record as Europe sweltered in an early summer heatwave that has caused several deaths. With France, Spain, Italy and parts of central Europe hard hit by the record-breaking temperatures, officials pleaded with people to take precautions. France’s new record temperature of […]

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