Europe

ZAGREB, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Croatian Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday that a Kiowa military helicopter with two crew members on board had crashed into the Adriatic Sea between Zablace and Zlarin in the Sibenik archipelago, killing one pilot.

GENEVA, Jan 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization, which has sometimes been criticised for its handling of past disease outbreaks, admitted an error in its risk assessment of China’s deadly virus.

The Geneva-based UN agency said in a situation report that the risk was “very high in China, high at the regional level and high at the global level”.

In a footnote, the WHO explained that it had stated “incorrectly” in its previous reports on Thursday, Friday and Saturday that the global risk was “moderate”.

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) — Survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp prayed and wept as they marked the 75th anniversary of its liberation, returning Monday to the place where they lost entire families and warning about the ominous growth of anti-Semitism and hatred in the world.

“We have with us the last living survivors, the last among those who saw the Holocaust with their own eyes,” Polish President Andrzej Duda told those at the commemoration, which included the German president as well as Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has put its investigative actions on hold into a criminal case against Ukrainian sailors detained after the November 2018 Kerch Strait incident, Defense Attorney Nikolai Polozov, who represents the interests of the Ukrainian citizens repatriated to their native country, informed TASS.

"Today, the investigator announced the suspension of criminal proceedings in the criminal case of the Ukrainian sailors illegally crossing the state border," he said.

STRASBOURG, January 27. /TASS/: Russia’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will never accept any infringements upon its rights in the assembly, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Monday after Russia’s rights within PACE were challenged.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not received an invitation to attend commemorative events in Poland timed to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by the Red Army.

"No, Vladimir Putin was not invited," the Kremlin spokesman told reporters. He reminded that the Russian ambassador to Poland would represent the country at the events.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/: Washington has not yet given an official answer to the proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin on holding a summit of the leaders of the UN Security Council’s permanent member states, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told journalists on Monday, responding to a question from TASS.

"Not yet. We proceed from the fact that the answer to the head of state’s message will follow. The question of when and how should be addressed to the American side," the senior Russian diplomat said.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/: Security experts have inspected a Moscow-bound aircraft, which had to return to Khabarovsk due to a bomb threat, and found no trace of an explosive device, a transport police spokesperson in the Far Eastern Federal District told TASS.

"The aircraft was checked and the bomb threat turned out to be a false alarm," he said.

According to data from flightradar24.com, an Aeroflot Airbus A330 bound for Moscow declared Mayday an hour after departing from Khabarovsk and began turning back to the airport of departure.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/: The Kremlin has sent messages containing proposals for a meeting of the heads of state representing the permanent members of the UN Security Council last Friday, on January 24, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that a response should be expected starting from Monday.

SARATOV, January 27. /TASS/: Young pilots flew Tupolev Tu-160 strategic missile-carrying bombers during training flights in the Saratov Region in Russia’s south, the Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

The training flights "involved young pilots, graduates of 2018-2019, who performed the assignments of aircraft assistant commanders and navigators," the ministry said.