Europe

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the US Israeli-Palestinian conflict settlement plan, which Washington dubbed "the deal of the century," during a phone call, initiated by Berlin, the Kremlin press service said.

"Among other topics, they hashed over the developments in Ukraine and Syria, as well as the Middle East peace process issue. In this context, the leaders exchanged opinions regarding the US plan for the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the press service commented.

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/: Moscow is in full compliance with its obligations concerning the Idlib de-escalation zone in Syria but the situation is far from perfect, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We don’t agree with this view," Peskov said, commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that Moscow had allegedly failed to abide by Syria agreements. "Russia is in full compliance with the Sochi agreements on the Idlib zone. At the same time, we regret to say that the situation is far from perfect," he added.

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visits to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are a sovereign affair of the USA, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"In this case, this is a completely natural phenomenon, it is a sovereign right of every state to pursue international relations on a global or regional scale," Peskov told reporters.

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/: Russia’s Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer will feature the latest Viking surface-to-air missile system at the DefExpo-2020 arms show in India for the first time along with the export version of Kalibr cruise missiles, the company’s press office said on Friday.

The Viking is the export version of Russia’s Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system, the press office specified.

31 Jan 2019; MEMO: Some 133 British Members of Parliament and peers have co-signed a letter urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to oppose the newly-published US “peace plan” for Israel and the Palestinians.

London, Jan 30 (PTI) Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was produced for a regular remand hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday and further remanded in custody until February 27.

The 48-year-old, who has been lodged at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London, appeared via videolink from prison before District Judge David Robinson.

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain are further apart in rhetoric than substance as they begin future trade talks, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said ahead of Britain’s departure from the bloc on Friday.

The United Kingdom leaves the European Union on Friday for an uncertain Brexit future, the most significant change to its place in the world since the loss of empire and a blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity.

LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Friday she did not rule out testing the legality of calling a consultative referendum on independence if Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government continued to oppose another vote.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The leaders of the European Union’s three institutions warned Britain on Friday that it cannot expect “the highest quality access to the single market” unless it adopts the bloc’s standards on environment, labor, taxation and state aid.

“Without being a member, you cannot retain the benefits of membership,” they said in an op-ed published by several European media on Friday, ahead of Britain’s exit from the EU at midnight in Brussels (2300 GMT).

LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom leaves the European Union on Friday for an uncertain Brexit future, the most significant change to its place in the world since the loss of empire and a blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity from the ruins of war.

The country will slip away an hour before midnight from the club it joined in 1973, moving into the no man’s land of a transition period that preserves membership in all but name until the end of this year.