Europe

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that good relations between Russia and Ukraine are not beneficial to certain states; however, he refused to name these countries.

"It is clear that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin meant a number of states that steadily work towards maintaining the relations between Russia and Ukraine in their current sad state," the Kremlin spokesman told reporters on Friday. "I would rather not name any specific states."

Berlin, Feb 20 (AFP/PTI) Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday condemned the "poison" of hatred and racism running through German society, after a suspected right-wing extremist shot dead nine people at a shisha bar and a cafe in the city of Hanau.

"Racism is a poison, hatred is a poison and this poison exists in our society and it is already to blame for far too many crimes," Merkel told reporters.

GENEVA, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libya’s warring sides resumed talks in Geneva aimed at brokering a lasting ceasefire in the war-torn country.

“The talks are under way again,” said Jean El Alam, spokesman for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, days after the country’s UN-recognised government announced it was halting its participation.

PARIS, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France and Germany signed a €150 million (US$161.84 million) deal on Thursday to develop a prototype of the next generation fighter jet, a project seen as vital for Europe to defend itself without relying on allies in an increasingly uncertain world.

Dassault Aviation and Airbus will build the aircraft, which is expected to be operational from 2040 with a view to replacing Dassault’s Rafale and Germany’s Eurofighter warplanes over time.

BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU’s 27 leaders on Friday condemned Syrian government attacks on the city of Idlib, the country’s last rebel enclave, warning of humanitarian disaster.

“The renewed military offensive in Idlib by the Syrian government and its backers, causing enormous human suffering, is unacceptable,” said the EU council, which represents the EU’s 27 member states.

LONDON, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing inside a central London mosque.

The victim, who is in his 70s, was found injured after emergency services were called to the London Central Mosque in Park Road, near Regent’s Park, at 15:10 GMT.

He was taken to hospital by paramedics where his condition has been assessed as non-life threatening.

The Met Police said the attack is not being treated as terror related.

LONDON (Reuters) - Almost a decade after his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking secret U.S. documents, a London court will begin hearings on Monday to decide whether Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States.

A hero to admirers who say he has exposed abuses of power, Assange is cast by critics as a dangerous enemy of the state who has undermined Western security. He says the extradition is politically motivated by those embarrassed by his revelations.

LONDON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Up to 50,000 staff members in 74 universities across Britain started a 14-day strike on Thursday over disputes on pension, pay and working conditions.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU), including lecturers, technicians, librarians and other academic and support staff, are joining the industrial action between Feb. 20 and March 13, potentially affecting 1.2 million students.

DUBLIN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The newly formed lower house of the Irish parliament failed to elect a new prime minister for the country during its first sitting held here on Thursday, reported Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE.

None of the candidates nominated by the country's four largest political parties won the minimum required quota of the votes from all the 160 members of the lower house, who participated in Thursday's voting, said the report.

DUBLIN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sean O Fearghail has been re-elected as speaker of the lower house of the parliament of Ireland, lower house clerk Peter Finnegan announced here on Thursday.

O Fearghail received 130 votes, while his sole competitor, Denis Naughten, an independent member of the lower house, received 28 votes, said Finnegan, adding that the minimum vote required was 80.

According to Finnegan, all 160 newly elected members of the lower house participated in the secret ballot held on Thursday afternoon. A total of 158 votes were declared valid.