Europe

PARIS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in its interim economic outlook released on Tuesday that the global economy is to grow by 5.7 percent this year, 0.1 percentage point down from its May forecast.

"Global GDP has now risen above its pre-pandemic level, and the recovery remains uneven with countries emerging from the crisis facing different challenges," said the Paris-based organization.

21 Sep 2021; MEMO: French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday asked for "forgiveness" from abandoned Algerians who fought for France during Algeria's War of Independence.

PARIS (AP) — France canceled meetings with British and Australian officials and is trying to rally EU allies behind its push for more European sovereignty after being humiliated by a major Pacific defense pact orchestrated by the U.S.

The U.S., Australia and Britain insisted Monday that the diplomatic crisis wouldn’t affect their longer-term relations with France, which is seething over a surprise, strategic submarine deal involving the three countries that sank a rival French submarine contract.

KALININGRAD, September 20. /TASS/: The Baltic Fleet’s Project 22800 missile corvette Sovetsk returned to its home naval base in Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad Region after successful cruise missile firings in the White Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

The missile corvette Sovetsk successfully launched a Kalibr cruise missile from the White Sea to hit a coastal target at the Chizha proving ground in the northwestern Arkhangelsk Region, the press office specified.

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/: Russian aluminum producer Rusal will define terms for the resumption of bauxite shipments in Guinea after the completion of the probe into the collision of two freight trains and the restoration of the railroad tracks, a spokesperson with the company told TASS.

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu will take it upon themselves to announce what they will do with the lawmaker mandates they won in the State Duma (lower house of parliament) elections, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

"This will be their personal decisions," he said when asked about their next steps.

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/: The Russian and Sudanese militaries are holding talks on establishing Russia’s naval base in Sudan and the latest negotiations were held with the participation of a Russian deputy defense minister, Russia’s Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday.

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/: The shooting in the Perm University is a huge tragedy for the entire country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, expressing his condolences to the close ones of the victims.

BUDAPEST, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Hungary's government will refund $2 billion of income tax to families in early 2022 and also plans a big hike in the minimum wage, right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the opening session of parliament on Monday, setting the stage for next year's election.

Orban, who faces a parliamentary election that is shaping up as a competitive race for the first time in a decade, said the economy's sharp rebound from the coronavirus pandemic provided room in the budget for the measures.

BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Poland will have to pay a 500,000 euro ($585,550) daily penalty to the European Commission for defying an earlier court order to halt operations at its Turow open-pit lignite mine, Europe's top court said on Monday.

The order, which a Polish deputy minister called "aggression," comes amid a dragging dispute between coal-reliant Poland and the Czech Republic.