Europe

LONDON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- China is leading the world in transitioning to a clean energy future and its manufacturing of green technology is why, said an article published Monday by the BBC.

China generates more solar power than any other country, which is "a sign of where the country is heading," and its wind power installations were more than triple those of any other country in 2020, according to the article.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s 16 state governors are set to meet Tuesday to decide on how to handle measures against the coronavirus pandemic amidst a discussion about whether people who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 should have greater freedoms than those who aren’t vaccinated.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The trial of an Iranian citizen accused of committing grave war crimes and murder during the final phase of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s started Tuesday in Stockholm.

The trial of Hamid Noury comes just days after hard-line Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office as the highest-ranking civilian leader in the Islamic Republic.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s train drivers plan to go on a nationwide strike starting Tuesday night, the head of the train driver’s union said after announcing that 95% of the union members had voted in favor of the action.

The head of the GDL union, Claus Weselsky, told reporters the strike would start with all cargo trains at 7 p.m. (1700GMT) Tuesday and expand to include passengers trains from 2 a.m. (0000GMT) Wednesday until 2 a.m. Friday,

The union is demanding a 3.2% salary increase and a one-time “coronavirus bonus” of 600 euros ($703).

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A massive wildfire burning for days on the northern tip of Greece’s second largest island continued to devour forests Tuesday, its thick smoke hanging in the streets of a nearby town as hundreds of firefighters battled to save what they could.

Burning since Aug. 3, the blaze has destroyed most of the north of Evia, an island of rugged, forested mountains popular with campers and summer vacationers from Greece and abroad.

CHISINAU, August 9. /TASS/: The Moldovan government has recalled its Ambassador to Russia Vladimir Golovatiuc.

"The proposal to recall Vladimir Golovatiuc from the post of ambassador to Russia is approved," Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said at a government meeting on Monday.

Earlier, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry told TASS that the move was prompted exclusively by Golovatiuc’s work and not the relations between the two countries.

BRUSSELS, August 9. / TASS /: The European Parliament’s largest faction, the conservative European People's Party (EPP), on Monday urged the EU to prepare a revolution in Belarus, noting that "the Belarusian regime will fall."

The EPP proposed to show readiness to "punish the regime" by imposing sanctions as well as to "support the ongoing struggle of the people of Belarus."

MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/: Western nations are seeking to use international structures, in particular, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to hinder parliamentary elections in Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

MINSK, August 9. /TASS/: Minsk is not opposed to integration with Russia within the Union State but this move must not imply any loss of the republic’s statehood and sovereignty, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday.

"When we speak about integration, we must clearly understand that this means integration without any loss of statehood and sovereignty," the Belarusian leader said at a meeting with reporters and public figures.

BERLIN, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Germany's defence minister rejected on Monday calls for its soldiers to return to Afghanistan after Taliban insurgents took Kunduz city where German troops were deployed for a decade.

Germany had the second largest military contingent in Afghanistan after the United States, losing more troops in combat in Kunduz than anywhere else since World War Two.

The Taliban overran three provincial capitals including Kunduz at the weekend as it pressed an offensive since foreign troops began a withdrawal.