Europe

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/: Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos plans to place telescopes on its future lunar base in the southern pole of the Earth’s natural satellite to monitor dangerous asteroids and comets, Roscosmos Executive Director for Science and Long-Term Programs Alexander Bloshenko told TASS on Monday.

"There are plans to install equipment on this [lunar] base to study deep space and special telescopes to track asteroids and comets that pose a danger of their collision with Earth," he said.

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/: The Kremlin has not recorded any rise in protest activity in Russia this year, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

A recent study carried out by Center for Social and Labor Rights and published by Kommersant revealed that in the third quarter of 2019 more than 580 protests were reported across Russia and their number reached 1,443 since the beginning of this year. This is the highest number seen over the past several years, the study said.

25 November 2019; AFP: Rescuers were struggling Sunday to save 14,600 sheep loaded on a cargo ship that capsized in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania, they said.

The Queen Hind bound for Saudi Arabia overturned for yet unknown reasons shortly after leaving Romania's Midia port.

The crew of 20 Syrians and one Lebanese were rescued, together with 32 sheep, two of which were pulled from the water, said Ana-Maria Stoica, a spokeswoman for the rescue services.

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that a UK-U.S. trade deal would be very difficult to agree, saying protectionist sentiment worldwide was making trade agreements harder to negotiate.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath on a United States-UK trade deal, I think it is going to be very difficult,” Blair told a Reuters Newsmaker event.

“In today’s world they (trade deals) are even more difficult because there is a lot of protectionist sentiment.”

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that Britain was in a mess, warning that neither his own Labour Party nor the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, deserved to win a Dec. 12 election.

“We’re a mess,” Blair said at a Reuters Newsmaker event. “The buoyancy of the world economy has kept us going up to now, but should that falter, we will be in deep trouble.”

LONDON (Reuters) - A Northern Irish man, who is charged with the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese nationals found dead in a truck near London last month, pleaded guilty on Monday to assisting unlawful immigration and to acquiring criminal property.

Appearing by video link from Belmarsh Prison in east London, Maurice Robinson, 25, was not asked to enter a plea to 41 other charges, including 39 counts of manslaughter.

No trial date was set and Robinson is next due in court on Dec. 13.

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/: Russia conducts negotiations with Norway to deliver SSJ-100 planes, Russia’s Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told TASS on Saturday.

"Indeed, talks [about deliveries of SSJ-100 planes] are underway. Of course, there have been no decisions yet," he said.

In October, the RBC daily reported that the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company inked a memorandum of understanding with the low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle on deliveries of 40 SSJ-100 planes for a Trans-Siberian route, which the airline had been seeking to fly in recent years.

BELGRADE, November 23. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin is a true friend of Serbia, the country’s President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters on Saturday when asked about his upcoming visit to Sochi.

"As far as President Putin and my visit are concerned, we are getting ready. We will have a big and high-ranking delegation, as it is an exclusively important meeting for us. I believe that President Putin is a sincere friend of Serbia. As president of Serbia, I must protect the interests of Serbia and will continue doing this," he said.

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/: Moscow will do the best it can to pass on the experience of prominent Soviet diplomat Oleg Troyanovsky to younger generations and carry on the traditions started by him, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a commentary on Sunday in connection with Troyanovsky’s 100th birth anniversary.

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/: A Mi-8 helicopter made an emergency landing in northwestern Siberia’s Yamal, local emergencies services told TASS on Sunday.

"The Mi-8 helicopter made an emergency landing on Novoportovsky oil field, there are no casualties," the source said.

The helicopter, operated by Yamal airline, was en route from the oil field to Novy Urengoy. Three crew members and 22 employees of a construction company were onboard. The helicopter’s chassis and tail were damaged.