Europe

LUGANSK, August 6. /TASS/: LPR Foreign Minister Vladislav Deinego believes that remarks made by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who urged Donbass residents who consider themselves ethnic Russians to relocate to Russia, are a display of the neo-Nazi nature of Kiev’s policy. The Foreign Minister’s statement was published in the LPR Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel Friday.

"Zelensky crossed all boundaries in his cynicism by stating that Donbass residents, Russian by spirit, are making a ‘grave mistake’ by staying on the land of their ancestors," Deinego said.

MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/: The Russian Government should approve the integrated plan for achievement of 2030 national development goals by October 1 and incorporate strategic initiatives in the socioeconomic development sphere of the country into the plan. Russian President Vladimir Putin gave such assignment after the meeting of the Council on Strategic Development and National Projects in July, the Kremlin’s website says on Friday.

WARSAW, Aug 6 (Reuters) - A government minister accused the head of Poland's Supreme Court on Friday of bowing to the demands of "colonial" European Union officials in a row over the independence of the judiciary that could see Warsaw face financial penalties.

Poland's justice minister, the architect of the judicial reforms opposed by the EU, also criticised Brussels separately. He said Warsaw should not bow to "blackmail" and that, while he backed EU membership, it should not come "at any cost".

BRUSSELS, Aug 6 (Reuters) - European Union home affairs ministers will discuss a surge of illegal border crossings from Belarus to EU member state Lithuania at an extraordinary meeting on Aug. 18, the Slovenian EU presidency said on Friday.

Representatives of the EU border agency Frontex and Europol will also take part in the video conference, according to a letter by Slovenia to EU diplomats seen by Reuters.

LONDON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - There are early signs that people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 may be able to transmit the Delta variant of the virus as easily as those who have not, scientists at Public Health England (PHE) said on Friday.

The findings chime with those from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which last week raised concerns that vaccinated people infected with Delta could, unlike with other variants, readily transmit it. 

06 Aug 2021; MEMO: Amnesty International yesterday called on Egypt to investigate a propaganda video released by the Egyptian army showing people being shot dead during a security operation in North Sinai.

"The Egyptian Public Prosecutor must urgently investigate what appear to be extrajudicial executions by members of the military in North Sinai," Amnesty said in a statement.

MADRID (AP) — Keeping Lionel Messi would be risky for Barcelona and not even the greatest player in the world was worth jeopardizing the club’s future, president Joan Laporta said Friday.

Laporta blamed Barcelona’s previous administration for the club’s dire financial situation, which kept it from fitting Messi’s new contract within the Spanish league’s fair play regulations.

He said he hoped the league would have been more flexible with its rules but understood that it couldn’t make an exception even if that meant losing Messi.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Thousands of people fled wildfires burning out of control in Greece and Turkey on Friday, as a protracted heat wave turned forests into tinderboxes and flames threatened populated areas, electricity installations and historic sites.

Athens, Aug 6 (AP-PTI) Thousands of residents fled to safety from a wildfire that burned for a fourth day north of Athens early Friday, during an overnight battle to stop the flames reaching populated areas, electricity installations and historic sites.

In heat wave conditions, the blaze tore through forest areas 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) north of the capital, destroying more homes. Ground crews of several hundred firefighters dug fire breaks and hosed the flames.

MOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/: Crimea’s status as part of Russia is not subject to discussion, Russian Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Alexander Bikantov said at a briefing on Thursday.

"The matter of Crimea is closed once and for all. How can one view other countries’ statements on a matter that is closed and is no more? It cannot be taken seriously," he said, when asked to comment on a statement by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.