Europe

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said on Monday that Russia’s sentencing of former U.S. marine Paul Whelan to 16 years in jail for spying would harm relations between Moscow and Washington, the Interfax news agency reported.

Whelan’s lawyer said after the verdict that his client had been told he would be part of a prisoner swap with a Russian national held in the United States, something the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had proposed on many occasions.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - State prosecutors have charged a prominent Russian scientist with treason after accusing him of passing state secrets to China, his lawyer said on Monday, adding that his client could serve up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Valery Mitko, president of the Arctic Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, has been under house arrest since authorities charged him with high treason in February.

BRUSSELS, June 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — EU foreign ministers will hold video talks with their US counterpart Mike Pompeo on Monday as transatlantic rifts widen over Israel, international organisations and how to deal with China.

The meeting kicks off a crunch week for US-Europe ties, with a virtual meeting of NATO defence ministers starting Wednesday already overshadowed by Washington’s controversial plans to slash its troop presence in Germany.

VATICAN CITY, June 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Head of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis appealed for an end to the civil war taking place in Libya.

Warring factions continue to battle for control of the country since the overthrow and death of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Pope Francis appealed to both warring sides to seek peace and end the fighting that has led to the death of many and displaced thousands.

The Pope was speaking at the St. Peter’s Square, where he took special interest in the Libyan crisis.

SWEDEN, June 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) – China and Pakistan possess more nuclear weapons than India, according to a new yearbook released by a leading conflict and armaments think-tank today.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s Yearbook 2020, pegs the number of nuclear warheads in the Chinese arsenal at 320, while the nuclear forces of Pakistan and India are estimated to have 160 and 150 weapons, respectively.

LONDON, June 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will join a video conference with European Union (EU) leaders on Monday to push for progress in determining post-Brexit relations with the bloc, while officials in Brussels expect little breakthrough, media reported.

Johnson, his chief Brexit negotiator David Frost, and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove are due to hold “high-level talks” with President of the European Council Charles Michael, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli.

MOSCOW, June 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Russia has always supported the black community’s struggle for equal rights but is against violent demonstrations, President Vladimir Putin has said.

Russia now has, and the Soviet Union in the past had, always backed “the fight of African Americans” for their rights, Putin said in an interview with the “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” TV program aired on Sunday.

If the struggle for natural rights, for legal rights, turns violent and brutal, then “I see nothing good for the country here. We have never supported that,” he added.

LONDON, June 15 (Xinhua) -- A cross-government commission is set to be launched to check how discrimination in the education system, in health and in the criminal justice system has affected black and minority ethnic groups in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said here on Sunday.

"We're going to have a big, big effort, which we will be announcing very shortly: a new cross-government commission to look at what is going on for black and minority ethnic groups and to champion their success," Johnson noted.

PARIS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared "a first victory" over the coronavirus epidemic, announcing a return to normalcy from Monday across French regions, except for overseas territories.

BRUSSELS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

LONDON -- Britain has reported 36 new deaths from COVID-19 as of Saturday afternoon -- the lowest number of daily fatalities since lockdown began, the Department of Health and Social Care said Sunday.

As of Saturday afternoon, of those who tested positive for novel coronavirus in Britain, 41,698 have died.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.