Europe

PLESETSK COSMODROME /Arkhangelsk Region/, October 8. /TASS/: Two launches of Angara-A5 heavy rocket and two launches of its light class are planned to be carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome next year, the Aerospace Force’s commander, Colonel-General Sergey Surovikin reported to Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.

MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/: Russia cannot rely on the European Union in economic issues because Brussels can impose sanctions against Moscow anytime, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with members of the Association of European Businesses in Russia.

"We realized that relying [on the EU] in strategic areas of the economy, in the military industry, [expecting] supplies of technologies and components from countries that can overnight impose sanctions against us is simply impermissible for such a power as Russia," he said.

MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/: Russia sent an official diplomatic note to the US embassy in Moscow asking to withdraw diplomatic immunity from three embassy employees in order to press criminal charges on them, Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS Friday.

"A note was sent to the US embassy with a request to yank the diplomatic immunity from three employees of the American diplomatic mission over their designation as theft suspects of personal belongings from a Russian citizen," the Ministry said.

LONDON, Oct 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of countries on the UK Covid travel red list will be cut from 54 to seven, the government says.

South Africa, Brazil and Mexico come off the red list, which requires travellers to quarantine in an approved hotel at their cost for 10 full days.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes begin on Monday and “mark the next step” in opening travel.

This latest move will be seen as a boost to the airline industry and families separated during the pandemic.

THE HAGUE, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court on Friday said it cannot rule on a prosecutor's request to resume a war crimes investigation of Afghanistan until it can decide who represents the country in international bodies.

The judges asked U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the ICC's governing body for help identifying which group officially rules Afghanistan from an international law standpoint. It asked for a response by Nov. 8.

Prosecutor Karim Khan had asked the ICC to proceed and said there was no need to decide who runs Afghanistan. 

BERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - German police said on Friday they are investigating several cases of so-called Havana syndrome at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, a mysterious ailment believed to have affected 200 U.S. diplomats, officials and family members worldwide.

The syndrome - with symptoms including migraines, nausea, memory lapses and dizziness - came to public attention in 2016 after dozens of diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, complained of the sickness.

MOSCOW, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Russia on Friday designated the Bellingcat investigative news outlet a "foreign agent" along with nine people who work for Russian language news outlets or non-governmental organisations.

The designations, which targeted one employee of the BBC's Russian service, are the latest twist in a crackdown on media outlets that the authorities in Moscow see as hostile and foreign-backed.

The outlets and Western governments say the campaign is designed to hamper their work and muffle dissent, something the Kremlin denies.

07 Oct 2021; MEMO: Premier League Club Newcastle United have been taken over by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, the league announced in a statement on Thursday.

"Following the completion of the Premier League's Owners' and Directors' Test, the club has been sold to the consortium with immediate effect," the Premier League said.

08 Oct 2021; MEMO: A 3.5-metre tall puppet depicting the journey of a Syrian refugee has arrived in Brussels.

'Little Amal' arrived in Brussels as part of 'The Walk', an initiative hoping to raise awareness of the refugee journey from Syria to the UK.

She delivered a mountain of letters to the European Parliament yesterday. The sacks of letters were presented to the parliament to draw attention to the difficulties experienced by Syrian children.

Kyiv, Oct 7 (AP-PTI) Ukrainian lawmakers voted Thursday to dismiss the parliamentary speaker, a move that comes as part of infighting in the ruling party.

Dmytro Razumkov was stripped of his duties by the Verkhovna Rada after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Servant of the People party initiated his dismissal.