Europe

BRUSSELS, June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Following the forced landing of a plane travelling between two EU capitals and the arrest of blogger Roman Protasevich in Belarus, the European Parliament has called for further sanctions on the hardline regime in Minsk.

Punitive measures should be taken against the crude oil-processing industry, the production of petroleum products, and the potash, steel and wood-processing industries, it said in a resolution adopted on Thursday.

CHIOS (Greece), June 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four young Afghan asylum-seekers went on trial in Greece on Friday accused of starting the devastating fires that burnt down Europe’s largest migrant camp last year.

The Moria camp on the Aegean island of Lesbos was home to more than 10,000 people before it was destroyed by two fires in September 2020.

The four Afghans, who are on trial on the neighbouring island of Chios, are charged with intentional arson leading to a risk to human life and membership of a criminal group.

(Reuters) --- French President Emmanuel Macron offered on Saturday to reset relations with Britain as long as Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands by the Brexit divorce deal he signed with the European Union.

Since Britain completed its exit from the EU late last year, relations with the bloc and particularly France have soured, with Macron becoming the most vocal critic of London's refusal to honour the terms of part of its Brexit deal.

(Reuters) --- Britain will do "whatever it takes" to protect its territorial integrity in a trade dispute with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday, threatening emergency measures if no solution was found.

Since Britain completed its exit from the EU late last year, relations between the two have soured, with both accusing the other of acting in bad faith over part of their Brexit divorce deal that covers border issues with Northern Ireland.

ROME, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Italy on Friday suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 60 years old, health officials announced at a weekly press conference on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move came after an 18-year-old woman died of a blood clot Thursday after receiving an initial dose of AstraZeneca on May 25.

According to local media reports, the young woman suffered from autoimmune thrombocytopenia (meaning that she had a low blood platelet count) and was on double hormone therapy.

FALMOUTH, Britain, June 11 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged fellow leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) to tackle inequality and build back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

Johnson's statement came as the first in-person G7 summit kicked off in Britain's southwestern resort of Carbis Bay, Cornwall, in almost two years.

11 June 2021; MEMO: French President Emmanuel Macron said today that despite disagreements with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the two leaders have decided to meet and talk, Andadolu Agency reports.

12 June 2021; MEMO: Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that his country had recently sent a consular mission to northeastern Syria to prepare for the return of Belgian children still detained there with their jihadist mothers.

In his statements on Thursday, De Croo stressed the need to move quickly due to the deterioration of living and security conditions in the two camps.

CARBIS BAY, England (AP) — The United States plans to push democratic allies on Saturday to publicly call out China for forced labor practices as the Group of Seven leaders gather at a summit where they will also unveil an infrastructure plan meant to compete with Beijing’s efforts in the developing world.

MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/: The defense ministries of Russia and Vietnam will continue developing military and military-technical cooperation, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Colonel General Phan Van Giang held via a video conference at Vietnam’s initiative on Friday.