Europe

 20 Apr 2021; MEMO: Talks between Iran, the US and four world powers aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement will reconvene next week, senior officials said in Vienna on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reported.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union reached a tentative climate deal that should make the 27-nation bloc climate-neutral by 2050, with member states and parliament agreeing on the targets on the eve of a virtual summit that U.S. President Biden will host.

“Our political commitment to becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050 is now also a legal commitment. The Climate Law sets the EU on a green path for a generation,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen early Wednesday.

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/: Russia’s Energia Space Rocket Corporation has been assigned the task of making the first basic module for a new Russian orbital station ready in 2025. Head of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday.

"Work is already underway on the first basic module for the new Russian orbital service station. The Energia Space Rocket Corporation has been set the task of ensuring its readiness for the launch into the designated orbit in 2025," Rogozin wrote in his Telegram channel.

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/: The situation unfolding on the International Space Station could trigger serious consequences, even a disaster in the future, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told Rossiya-1 TV channel.

"We cannot endanger the life of [cosmonauts]. The situation, which is today linked to the ageing structures and iron, could trigger irreversible consequences and even a disaster. This must be prevented," Borisov said speaking about the need to create a Russian orbital station.

SEVASTOPOL, April 20. /TASS/: Over 20 Black Sea Fleet warships held a joint exercise with the crews of Su-25SM3 attack aircraft of the Southern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army in a final inspection of the Fleet’s forces after the winter training period, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/: Two employees of the Bulgarian embassy in Moscow have been declared personae non grata in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Bulgaria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"On April 20, Bulgarian Ambassador Atanas Krastin was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry where he received a ministry’s note declaring first secretary of the embassy’ consular service N. Panayotov and first secretary of the embassy’s trade and economic service Ch. Kristozov personae non grata. These men must leave Russia within 72 hours," it said.

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to hold talks with the Czech government over the aggravation of Russian-Czech relations, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"There are no such plans," the spokesman said, answering a corresponding question.

Moscow views Prague’s move to expel Russian diplomats as harmful to bilateral relations.

MOSCOW, April 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia’s defence ministry said Monday it had killed “up to 200 fighters” in Syria during air strikes on a “terrorist” base northeast of Palmyra, where fighters were planning attacks ahead of presidential polls next month.

“After confirming data through multiple channels on the location of terrorist facilities, Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft carried out air strikes,” the ministry said in a statement.

(Reuters) --- A British parliamentary committee will summon finance minister Rishi Sunak and former Prime Minister David Cameron to appear before it to answer questions about the ex-leader's lobbying for the now failed supply-chain finance firm Greensill Capital.

Greensill's founder, Lex Greensill, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, Nikhil Rathi, will also face questions about the collapse of the company and Cameron's actions.

(Reuters) --- For a possible summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden to take place, a lot depends on the United States' further actions, RIA cited Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday.

Despite the dire state of relations, the Kremlin has not ruled out Biden's proposal for a summit between the two leaders in Europe.