Europe

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German economy grew by a record 8.2% in the third quarter as higher consumer spending and exports helped Europe’s largest economy to recover partly from its worst-ever recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed on Friday.

The jump in output from July to September was the biggest since the Federal Statistic Office began collecting quarterly growth data in 1970 and was stronger than the 7.3% increase predicted by economists in a Reuters poll.

30 Oct 2020; MEMO: The head of French Muslim NGO BarakaCity has publicly requested asylum in Turkey for himself and his organisation, following the French government’s crackdown against its Muslim population and its dissolution of the NGO.

Idriss Sihamedi, BarakaCity’s founder and head, whose house was raided by anti-terror police two weeks ago over allegations of harassment and extremism, announced his request for asylum in Turkey on Twitter yesterday.

30 Oct 2020; MEMO: The British government summoned the Iranian ambassador on Thursday following news that imprisoned British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is to be recalled to court in Iran, the Foreign Office said, Reuters reports.

The British authorities conveyed their grave concern to the diplomat, Hamid Baeidinejad, and called for Iran to end what they described as Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s arbitrary detention.

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government’s “Eat out to help out” discount scheme to boost spending at restaurants, cafes and pubs over the summer helped spread the coronavirus and contributed to a second wave of infections, according to a new study.

For the month of August, the government offered diners up a 50% discount of up to 10 pounds ($13.03) per head on meals between Mondays and Wednesdays to kick-start the economy and encourage people to spend money again after the pandemic lockdown.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- To avoid a full lockdown amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) is pinning its hope on introducing new testing and tracing strategies, results from an informal EU summit showed on Thursday.

The pan-Europe bloc has found itself deep in the second wave, recording rapid increase in COVID-19 infections.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the European Union (EU) issued a joint statement Thursday condemning "terrorist attacks" in France, after the latest one in Nice left at least three dead and several injured.

"We, European Leaders, are shocked and saddened by the terrorist attacks in France. We condemn in the strongest possible terms these attacks which represent attacks on our shared values," read the statement.

NICE, France (AP) — A young Tunisian man armed with a knife and carrying a copy of the Quran attacked worshippers in a French church and killed three Thursday, prompting the government to raise its security alert to the maximum level hours before a nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/: Moscow is not losing hope that after the presidential elections the United States will realize that the anti-Russian policy harms itself, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova told a briefing Thursday.

MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/: Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry have discussed fight against terrorism, fight against coronavirus and other aspects of bilateral cooperation at a meeting in Moscow Thursday, the Security Council reported.

"Various aspects of the Russian-Egyptian security cooperation were discussed. Separate emphasis was placed on anti-terrorist cooperation and in the sphere of countering spread of the coronavirus infection," the statement says.

MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/: The statements by US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien on Washington’s readiness to deploy hypersonic missiles in Europe for deterring Russia cause bewilderment, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Considering the statements US politicians allow themselves, I would like to advise the American political elite to deter itself rather than Russia," the diplomat said.