Europe

MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS/: Coordinating the international rules of responsible behavior by countries in the cyberspace is becoming an ever more vital task. Such a set of rules is to establish the equal rights of all countries to participation in governing the Internet, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an article for External Economic Relations magazine.

BERLIN, September 28. /TASS/: German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Russian blogger Alexey Navalny when he was undergoing treatment in Berlin’s Charite hospital, Germany’s Der Spiegel wrote, citing sources.

According to Der Spiegel, Merkel’s "unusual move highlighted the German government’s solidarity with Alexey Navalny." She visited Navalny "in total secrecy."

MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus cases grew by 8,135 in the past day, a record high since June 16, and the total case tally reached 1,159,573, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Monday.

According to its data, the growth in the past two days stood at 0.7%.

Some 2,217 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Moscow, 237 in St. Petersburg, 212 in the Moscow Region, 193 in the Rostov Region, 165 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and 158 in the Voronezh Region.

Yerevan (Armenia), Sep 28 (AP/PTI) Fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces has erupted again over the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the territory's defence ministry said 16 soldiers and two civilians have been killed and more than 100 others wounded.

Azerbaijan's president, meanwhile, says his military has suffered losses, but gave no details.

Armenia also claimed that four Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down and 33 Azerbaijani tanks and fighting vehicles were hit by artillery.

BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Negotiators for the EU and Britain are hoping for a breakthrough in trade talks this week, despite feuding over a controversial UK bill that threatens to scupper a post-Brexit deal.

Scores of officials will assemble in Brussels from Monday in efforts to forge a compromise on negotiating positions that have not budged on key areas since the talks on future relations began six months ago.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union chair Germany has proposed a rule of law conditionality scheme for accessing the bloc’s funds, including the new 750 billion euro coronavirus economic recovery fund, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The proposal is a basis for negotiations between the 27 EU member states - which in July agreed to such a mechanism but left it watered down to avoid a veto from Poland or Hungary - and the European Parliament.

PARIS (Reuters) - French police are studying a video in which the man suspected of attacking people with a meat cleaver on Friday says he will commit an act of “resistance” after the republication of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad in a satirical magazine.

The suspect, who is from Pakistan, wounded two people who had stepped outside for a cigarette in front of the old offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine. His clothes were spattered in blood when he was arrested shortly after the attack.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has sent a first batch of its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to Belarus for clinical trials, the first such delivery of the jab abroad, Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF said on Monday.

Volunteers in Belarus would begin receiving the Russian vaccine from Oct. 1, the Russian Direct Investment Fund which is backing the vaccine developer, said.

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld an 18-month ban from public office for Catalonia’s separatist, regional head of government Quim Torra on charges of disobedience.

The case stems from Torra’s refusal to follow the orders of Spain’s electoral committee to remove symbols supporting jailed and self-exiled independence leaders from his government palace during a national election campaign in 2019. He defended his actions on the grounds of freedom of expression.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany plans to issue 6 billion euros ($7 billion) more debt in the fourth quarter than it originally planned, the German finance agency said on Monday, to fund spending to tackle the coronavirus pandemic that has battered the economy.

Europe’s largest economy will issue a total of 50.5 billion euros in debt in the October-December period excluding inflation-linked debt, the agency said.