Europe

LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England fined Citigroup (C.N) 43.9 million pounds ($56.3 million) on Tuesday, saying the U.S. banking group’s British operations failed to provide accurate regulatory returns to the BoE between 2014 and 2018.

“While Citi remained in surplus to its liquidity and capital requirements at all times, the failings persisted over a significant length of time and were serious and widespread in nature,” the BoE said.

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 2 million under-35s have applied to vote in Britain’s Dec. 12 election since the poll was called just four weeks ago, government data showed ahead of Tuesday’s registration deadline.

The outcome of next month’s election, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain leaves the European Union, remains uncertain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are ahead in opinion polls but two published this week have shown their lead narrowing.

Paris, Nov 26, AFP/GANASHAKTI: Thirteen soldiers from France's anti-terrorist Barkhane force in Mali were killed after two helicopters collided during an operation in the country's north, the French presidency said Tuesday.

The accident occurred on Monday evening while the forces were engaging jihadist fighters who have staged a series of deadly strikes in northern Mali in recent weeks, the Elysee Palace said.

LONDON, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- A man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals that were found in a refrigerated lorry container in October in Essex in southeast England.

British police said the 36-year-old man, from Purfleet in Essex, remains in custody, media reports said.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A strong earthquake shook Albania early Tuesday, killing at least two people, injuring 150 and collapsing buildings.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.4 quake was centered 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the capital, Tirana. It was at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles)

The Defense Ministry said a person in Kurbin, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Tirana, died after jumping from his home to escape shaking from the quake.

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/: Proposals for mining the isotope Helium-3 (He-3) on the Moon to provide humanity with a clean and efficient form of energy make no sense for the time being and should be seen as far-fetched speculations, the executive director for research programs and science at Russia’s corporation Roscosmos, Alexander Bloshenko, has told TASS in an interview.

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/: The next trilateral technical meeting on the issue of gas transit via Ukraine is scheduled for November 29, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky told TASS on Monday, adding that the format of the meeting would be defined on Wednesday, November 27.

"[The meeting] is potentially planned for Friday, though it may be held differently — as a videoconference or face-to-face, which will be decided on Wednesday," he explained.

AUGUSTA (Italy), Nov 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian authorities have evacuated 11 migrants from the Open Arms ship but not granted port access to the vessel, leaving it stranded in rough seas with 62 African migrants still on board, a spokeswoman for the Spanish rescue mission said.

Among those evacuated are two young children and their families, several people suffering from burns and one man with a gunshot wound to his foot. They will be taken to the Italian port of Augusta.

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/: MTS has announced the signing of a binding agreement to sell its Ukrainian subsidiary, VF Ukraine, to the largest Azerbaijani mobile operator Bakcell for $734 mln, Russia’s largest telecommunications operator said in a statement on Monday.

In accordance with the agreement, MTS’s wholly owned subsidiary Allegretto s.a.r.l. will sell its 100% stake in its Dutch subsidiary Preludium B.V. (the Netherlands), the sole shareholder of VF Ukraine, for $734 mln (including approximately $84 mln earn-out). The transfer of shares is expected shortly, MTS noted.

BUCHAREST, Nov 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — Exit polls showed Romania’s incumbent President Klaus Iohannis has led significantly in the presidential runoff on Sunday, with 64.8-66.5 percent of the vote.

Iohannis’ rival, Viorica Dancila of the Social Democratic Party, got 33.5-35.2 percent of the vote, according to two local exit polls CURS-Avangarde and IRES.

Because of the relatively large gap between the votes for the two candidates, the current president is almost ensured a victory in the presidential runoff.