Europe

BRUSSELS (AP) — It’s the premier martial arts group in Europe for right-wing extremists. German authorities have twice banned their signature tournament. But Kampf der Nibelungen, or Battle of the Nibelungs, still thrives on Facebook, where organizers maintain multiple pages, as well as on Instagram and YouTube, which they use to spread their ideology, draw in recruits and make money through ticket sales and branded merchandise.

SEVASTOPOL, September 24. /TASS/: The crews of the Black Sea Fleet’s warships fired anti-aircraft missile and artillery guns against enemy aerial and naval targets during drills for protecting maritime facilities, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/: The Russian Federation cannot interfere in the US Justice Department’s tax case against Novatek corporate executive Mark Gyetvay, but it is ready to provide diplomatic assistance to him as a Russian citizen, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/: Pipeline gas supplies from Russia to Europe in 2021 reached historic highs, Gazprom increased gas production year-on-year by 18.4%. The accusations that Gazprom is not supplying gas to Europe are absurd, Head of Contract Structuring and Price Formation Directorate for Gazprom Export Sergey Komlev said in his article for Gazprom corporate magazine.

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/: The adoption of new US sanctions against Russia would be the worst possible scenario for relations between the two countries. Moreover, it would wipe out "the spirit of Geneva," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, commenting on the House of Representatives' move to pass a defense policy bill that includes new restrictions against Moscow.

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/: The United Russia political party gained 324 seats in the new State Duma, Central Election Commission head Ella Pamfilova announced Friday, adding that a total of five parties and five self-nominees passed to the lower chamber.

24 Sep 2021; MEMO: Civil society organisations yesterday filed a lawsuit at the Administrative Court of Paris against the French government's arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A joint statement by Amnesty International, the European Centre for Constitution and Human Rights (ECCHR), and the Disclose Foundation said that the suit was filed to reveal documents related to the French arms sales.

24 Sep 2021; MEMO: The number of first-time asylum seekers to the European Union has more than doubled over the spring months, Reuters said a report released today by the bloc's statistics office revealed.

Nearly 103,900 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in EU countries between April and June of this year, according to Eurostat, up 115 per cent compared to the same period of 2020.

London, Sep 24 (PTI) Members of Parliament from the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir have tabled a motion on Human rights in Kashmir for a debate in the House of Commons, drawing a strong reaction from India which said any assertion made in any forum on a subject related to an integral part of the country needs to be duly substantiated with authentic verifiable facts.

BRUSSELS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Young people around the world began taking to the streets on Friday to demand urgent action to avert disastrous climate change, in their largest protest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The strike takes place five weeks before the U.N. COP26 summit, which aims to secure more ambitious climate action from world leaders to drastically cut the greenhouse gas emissions heating the planet.