Europe

GENEVA (AP) — An international team behind a long-awaited study of the possible origins of COVID-19 with Chinese colleagues on Tuesday called it a “first start,” while the United States and allies expressed concerns about the findings and China trumpeted its cooperation.

Team leader Peter Ben Embarek of the World Health Organization presented the team’s first-phase look into the possible origins of the pandemic that has killed nearly 2.8 million people and pummeled economies since it first turned up in China over a year ago.

ROME, March 30. /TASS/: Russia considers the Group of 20 an important platform for overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences, Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov said at a meeting of the commission on foreign affairs of the Italian lower house of parliament on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/: Russian shipbuilders will upgrade the Pacific Fleet’s Project 1155 large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Vinogradov to a frigate by 2025 to boost its strike capabilities with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, following the example of the same-type warship Marshal Shaposhnikov, a source in the defense industry told TASS on Tuesday.

"The repairs and upgrade of the large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Vinogradov are expected to begin in 2021 and the warship will rejoin the Fleet in 2024-2025," the source said.

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/: Russia's coronavirus infection rates may indicate a third wave of the pandemic, Deputy Health Minister Tatyana Semenova said at a conference dubbed Medical Education Week on Tuesday.

"The second coronavirus wave included early 2021 and unfortunately, the current infection rates and disease progression make it possible to talk about a third wave," she pointed out.

MOSCOW, March 30./TASS/: Arrangements for contact between Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are underway, but the mode of contact will be determined later, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/: The overwhelming majority of Russians do not agree with the worldview of Russian blogger Alexey Navalny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is certain.

He earlier told reporters that his worldview is different and atypical to that of Navalny. When speaking to the press on Tuesday, Peskov was asked to clarify what the difference is, and he responded, "It is totally different from mine."

"And I have the right to completely disagree with it. And, in fact, most residents of our countries disagree with this worldview," Peskov stressed.

PARIS, March 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France slammed “blind and deadly” violence in Myanmar where the ruling junta’s ruthless crackdown left more than 100 people dead on Saturday, during the deadliest weekend since the military coup.

“The security forces in Myanmar have reached a new stage in blind and deadly violence … and have again used arms against the population, killing more than 100, including very young children,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement.

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria is in talks with Russia to buy a million doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, which has yet to be approved by the European Medicines Agency, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s office said on Tuesday.

Conservative leader Kurz is under fire from opposition parties because his government did not buy as many coronavirus vaccines as it could have under the European Union’s collective purchasing scheme.

BERLIN, March 30 (Xinhua) -- All passengers entering Germany via air travel now have to have a negative COVID-19 test, according to new regulations that came into force on Tuesday.

The negative test result has to be presented to the airline before departure and travelers would have to pay for the tests themselves, according to the Ministry of Health. In addition, the tests have to be conducted no more than 48 hours before entering Germany.

ATHENS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou met here on Monday with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe.

Noting that Greece and China are both ancient civilizations, Sakellaropoulou said the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries continues to develop. She thanked China for its strong support in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.