Europe

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s statistics watchdog chided the government on Tuesday for publishing data on coronavirus tests that it said were “far from complete and comprehensible”.

“The aim seems to be to show the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding,” David Norgrove, the head of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), wrote in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

“It is also hard to believe the statistics work to support the testing programme itself.”

LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom warned China on Tuesday not to cross the Rubicon over Hong Kong, saying the People’s Republic should step back and adhere to its international obligations over the former British colony.

“The ball is in the court of the government in China, it has a choice to make here,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament.

MOSCOW, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at the initiative of the U.S. side, discussing issues related to the Group of Seven (G7) Summit and oil markets, the Kremlin said Monday.

"Trump informed Putin about his idea of holding a G7 summit with the possible invitation of the leaders of Russia, Australia, India and South Korea," it said in a statement.

The importance of enhancing the bilateral dialogue on strategic stability and confidence-building measures in the military sector was noted.

BRUSSELS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

LONDON -- Another 111 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Sunday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 39,045, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday.

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

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s 650 lawmakers are grappling with a question familiar to millions of their compatriots: When is it safe to go back to work?

Members of Parliament, who have largely been working from home while the coronavirus swept Britain, have been summoned back to the office on Tuesday — and many aren’t happy. They say the government’s decision to scrap a remote-voting system used during the pandemic will turn those who must stay home because of age, illness or family issues into second-class lawmakers.

LONDON, Jun 01 (APP): Calling upon an immediate United Nations (UN) intervention to halt the forced demographic change by the Indian government in occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK), Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid Coordinator Asean Ngo Advocacy Group for Kashmir, and President Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organization urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir to grant the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris.

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/: The combat teams of Russian S-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems repelled an attack by a notional enemy’s sole and multiple air targets during drills in Tajikistan, the press office of Russia’s Central Military District reported on Monday.

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/: Russia’s Strategic Missile Force will hold over 100 various drills during the summer training period that kicked off on June 1, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Monday.

"During the summer training period, the Strategic Missile Force will conduct over 30 tactical drills with missile regiments and more than 70 special tactical exercises with logistics and military security forces," the ministry said in a statement.

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/: The statement made by the former US President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice regarding Russia’s involvement in organization of riots in the US over the death of George Floyd are a dirty informational manipulation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Monday.

The Russian diplomat noted that a while ago Rice’s party members made a fatal mistake when they "decided to blame absolutely everything that was not to their liking on Russia."

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will discuss a nationwide economic recovery plan on June 2, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Monday.

"Today, this document [a national economic recovery plan] has been submitted to the Kremlin, a meeting between the President and Prime Minister Mishustin is scheduled for tomorrow, June 2. At that meeting Mishustin will report to the president about this document," the Kremlin official said.

He assured that most of the meeting will be open to the media.