Europe

MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/: High-Precision Weapons Company (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) has developed a new combat module for 57mm guns that has never been demonstrated before, Rostec Industrial Director of the Conventional Armament, Munitions and Special Chemistry Cluster Sergei Abramov told TASS on Tuesday.

SOCHI, October 22. /TASS/: The Kremlin expects that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will tell his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during the talks in Sochi about his further plans on carrying out Operation Peace Spring.

"Russia wants to discuss the situation in northeastern Syria in order to better understand the events and get information about Turkey’s plans and compare it with general plans on promoting political settlement in Syria," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

GENEVA (Reuters) - An Egyptian Islamist father and his son have been detained unlawfully since 2013 part of the political persecution of ex-aides to deposed president Mohamed Mursi, and should be freed immediately and compensated, U.N. human rights experts said.

The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention posted its findings last week after examining the cases of former Mursi adviser Essam al-Haddad and his son Gihad. The panel said that Egyptian authorities had not responded to its inquiries.

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces two pivotal votes in parliament on Tuesday that will decide whether he can deliver on his promise to lead the United Kingdom out of the European Union in nine days’ time.

As the clock ticks down to the latest Oct. 31 deadline for Britain’s departure, Brexit is hanging in the balance as a divided parliament debates when, how and even whether it should happen.

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The European Commission said next year’s draft budgets for France and Italy could be in breach of European Union fiscal rules and it asked for clarification by Wednesday in letters sent to the countries’ finance ministers.

The EU executive has also issued budget warnings to Finland over its spending, and to Spain, Portugal and Belgium who have submitted incomplete budget plans because of recent elections.

VALLETTA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 migrants, including ringleaders of a riot, were arrested at a reception center in Malta on Monday.

The riot occurred at the Hal Far center late on Sunday night. It was sparked by a row over a drunk migrant being banned from entering the center.

"While a small group of immigrants incited a riot that spread to around 300 people, a considerable number of other migrants did not take part in any way," said Malta's Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia.

PARIS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian here on Monday, agreeing to promote bilateral ties and strengthen cooperation on international affairs.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s defense minister proposed Tuesday the establishment of an internationally controlled security zone in Syria, hours before a five-day cease-fire between Turkish troops and Syrian Kurdish fighters was set to expire in the war-torn country.

The proposal comes as Turkish troops and allied Syrian fighters invaded northern Syria earlier this month, after President Donald Trump pulled back American troops who had partnered with Syrian Kurdish forces in the years-long war against the Islamic State group.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — William Taylor has emerged as an unlikely central player in the events that are at the heart of the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

The retired career civil servant was tapped to run the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine after the administration abruptly ousted the ambassador. He was then drawn into a Trump administration effort to leverage U.S. military aid for Ukraine.

And then he apparently grew alarmed.

LONDON (AP) — Britain faced another week of grinding political gridlock after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was denied a chance Monday to hold a vote by lawmakers on his Brexit divorce bill.

With just 10 days before Britain’s scheduled departure date, Johnson’s government had sought a “straight up-and-down vote” on the agreement he struck last week with the 27 other EU nations laying out the terms of Britain’s exit.