Europe

BRUSSELS (AP) — With both sides digging in their heels as another Brexit deadline passed Thursday, the European Union and Britain demanded concessions from one another in talks on a basic trade deal that would soften the economic blow of the coronavirus pandemic for all.

The EU leaders meeting in a summit on the day British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had set as a potential cutoff point for the acrimonious negotiations said in a joint statement it was now up to “the UK to make the necessary moves to make an agreement possible.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool, the English port city that gave the world the Beatles, weathered decades of industrial decline before becoming a celebrated symbol of urban renewal. Now, the coronavirus is putting the city’s hard-won revival in jeopardy, and raising tensions between the north of England and the wealthier south.

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/: Speaker of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Valentina Matviyenko does not see anyone among the US presidential candidate a person who can break the impasse in the Russian-US ties, she said in an interview with TASS.

"We would very much like to see such a person among the candidates for US president but there are no grounds to say that, to be honest," Matviyenko noted when asked if the US candidates can break the current deadlock and reload the relations.

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus cases grew by 13,754 in the past day and the total case tally climbed to 1,354,163, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday.

A day earlier some 14,231 COVID-19 cases were recorded, setting a record high during the entire pandemic.

The average daily growth rate dropped to 1%.

The lowest growth rates in the past day were recorded in the Chechen Republic (0.2%), the Chuvash Republic (0.4%), the Tyva and Tatarstan Republics (0.5%).

BRUSSELS, October 15. /TASS/: Director of Russia’s Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko and four other high-ranking Russian officials were put on the EU’s blacklist against Russia over the incident with blogger Alexei Navalny, the Council of the European Union said its regulation published in the EU Official Journal.

PARIS, Oct 15 (NNN-BERNAMA) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced that nightly curfew will be imposed in Paris and other cities, as a state of emergency has been declared in the country to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In an interview broadcast on national television, Macron said the curfew, effective from Saturday, will be imposed from 9pm to 6am in Ile-de-France region, where the capital Paris is located, and eight other cities, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday he expected an intensification of talks to break the current impasse on reaching a Brexit deal with Britain before the end of this year.

“I think we still can get this resolved within the timeframe available to us,” he told reporters ahead of a European Union summit in Brussels. “I think where there is a will there’s a way.”

Paris, Oct 14 (AP/PTI) President Emmanuel President Macron's office says France will restore a state of health emergency that expired three months ago.

Macron is addressing the nation on television Wednesday night and could announce more measures. The move is expected to start Saturday and will allow the government to enforce stricter measures in the future, either locally or nationally.

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth on Thursday was carrying out her first major engagement since a coronavirus lockdown in March, visiting the Porton Down military research facility which was involved in dealing with a 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack.

The 94-year-old monarch, who spent Britain’s national lockdown at Windsor Castle, has carried out her official duties remotely by video or telephone, or at her palace, since social restrictions were introduced. For her first public outing, she was joined by her grandson Prince William.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday said it was pointless to continue consultations with Australia and the Netherlands over the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, accusing both countries of not seeking to establish what happened.

Russia said investigations conducted had been biased and politicised.