Europe

9 Aug 2019; MEMO: A European association of mental health researchers may reverse a decision to cancel a planned conference in Israel, reported Haaretz, following an organised campaign by boycott opponents.

9 Aug 2019; MEMO: UN human rights experts in Geneva stated yesterday that the international community should be taking serious practical steps to prevent Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s main opposition leader is seeking a guarantee that Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t let the U.K. tumble out of the European Union during an election campaign.

Johnson says Britain will leave the EU as scheduled on Oct. 31, with or without a divorce deal. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday accused him of planning “anti-democratic” maneuvers to get his way.

MILAN (AP) — Italy faced a government crisis Thursday after Interior Minister Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League party called for a new election, saying his party’s coalition with the populist 5-Star Movement had collapsed over policy differences.

Premier Giuseppe Conte said he would convene Parliament, as requested by Salvini to seek a confidence vote, but showed his anger over what he called Salvini’s move to “abruptly interrupt the actions of the government.” He urged Salvini to explain himself to voters.

8 Aug 2019; MEMO: Israel must halt settlement expansion in contravention of international law, British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said yesterday.

The British Foreign minister attacked Israel’s decision to build 2,304 new settlement-housing units on occupied West Bank lands.

MINSK, August 8. /TASS/: The Belarusian part of the Druzhba oil pipeline has been fully cleared of contaminated oil, Chief Executive of Polotsktransneft Druzhba, Vasiliy Drobotov told reporters on Thursday.

"The system of Polotsktransneft Druzhba has been fully cleared of oil containing organic chlorides," he said. "In fact, the roadmap has been fulfilled regarding the clearing of the Belarusian part of the main oil pipelines from Russia’s oil contaminated with chlorides throughout its [Belarusian] territory," Drobotov added.

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/: Russian investigators are going to press charges against the first person suspected of organizing mass riots in Moscow, the Investigative Committee told reporters on Thursday.

Sergei Fomin, who earlier turned himself in to the police, became the first person detained in connection with masterminding mass riots. "Fomin was detained under Article 91 of the Russian Criminal Procedure Code. He will be charged with committing a crime under Article 212 of the Russian Criminal Code (organizing mass riots), the Investigative Committee said.

08 August 2019; DW: Citizens of Rome took to social media to accuse the city of having the wrong priorities. "The Eternal City" has been dealing with the damage, litter, and congestion caused by overtourism for years.

The Italian capital has been grappling with the increasingly devastating effects of overtourism for years, but locals say a new push to enforce a ban on sitting on the famous Spanish Steps is "foolishness" and a waste of resources.

ATHENS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The first energy ministerial summit was held in Athens on Wednesday between Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States to boost cooperation in the field of energy, security and environmental protection in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The "3+1" energy summit was attended by Greece's Environment and Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, Cyprus' Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Georgios Lakkotrypis, Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon.

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. food industry is asking the government to set aside competition rules so companies can coordinate supply decisions to combat shortages in the event Britain leaves the European Union without an agreement on future trade relations.

The Food and Drink Federation said Wednesday it has asked the government to direct the Competition and Markets Authority to relax rules that prevent such coordination. It hasn’t yet received a response.