Europe

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: The Russian Navy will receive six submarines, including four nuclear-powered subs in 2020 for the first time over the past 28 years, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Friday.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: Over 130 wildfires are registered on the territory of nearly 44,000 hectares in Russian regions early Friday, the press service of the Aerial Forest Protection Service said.

"As of 12am on 23 August 2019, 136 wildfires are registered on the territory of 43,976 hectares in Russia, with active firefighting efforts underway," the press service said.

A total of 1,400 people and 80 units of equipment are involved in combating wildfires.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: The lawyer of Kirill Vyshinsky, the Chief Editor of the RIA Novosti Ukraine news outlet arrested in Ukraine, is not involved in talks on the possible exchange of his client for Ukrainian nationals jailed in Russia, as the lawyer, Andrei Domansky, told the Izvestia daily.

The lawyer pointed out that on August 20, a court hearing on an appeal against Vyshinsky’s arrest had failed to take place due to a judge’s illness and a date for a new hearing hadn’t been set.

UNITED NATIONS, August 23. /TASS/: The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction) Treaty is now in jeopardy after Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky cautioned on Thursday.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: Russian fighter jets have been scrambled 20 times in the last week on interception missions near Russian borders, the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.

According to the defense ministry, 27 foreign aircraft were conducting reconnaissance near Russian borders in the past week. The ministry said that violations of the Russian airspace were prevented.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: One third of foreign investment in Russia over the last years has been allocated to the Far East, Russian presidential envoy for the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev told Rossiya-24 TV channel on Friday.

23 August 2019; AFP: Russia will launch the world's first floating nuclear reactor and send it on an epic journey across the Arctic on Friday, despite environmentalists warning of serious risks to the region.

Loaded with nuclear fuel, the Akademik Lomonosov will leave the Arctic port of Murmansk to begin its 5,000 kilometre (3,000-mile) voyage to northeastern Siberia.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A former U.S. Marine held in Russia on suspicion of spying said on Friday that prison authorities in Moscow have hurt him, Interfax news agency reported.

Paul Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 and accused of espionage. He had been given a flash drive that his lawyer said Whelan thought contained holiday photos, but that actually held classified information.

ROME, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella said on Thursday that he would decide on possible snap elections next week, after a new round of talks with parties aimed at solving the crisis triggered by the collapse of the populist government.

"The president of the Republic has a duty to not preclude the will expressed by a majority of forces in parliament," Mattarella declared at a short press conference at the Quirinale Palace.

"At the same time... in the country's interest, I have the duty to ask (from parties) quick decisions."

ATHENS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of the West Nile virus has risen to 10 in Greece so far this year, with 96 reported cases, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced in a report on Thursday.

All casualties concerned patients older than 60 years old, according to EODY's data. Four deaths were recorded in the past week.

Greek experts reiterated advice to the public to take precautions against mosquitoes.

The West Nile virus is transmitted mainly via bites by infected mosquitoes.