Europe

Paris, Jun 11 (AFP) French police have smashed a neo-Nazi cell accused of plotting attacks on Jewish or Muslim places of worship, legal sources said Tuesday.

Five members of the group, who were "close in ideology to the neo-Nazi movement" were charged between September and May over the alleged plot, a source close to the investigation said.

"The investigation suggested they were developing an ill-defined plot to carry out an attack, likely to target a place of worship," the judicial source said.

11 June 2019; DW: After several years in decline, the number of first-time asylum applications lodged in European Union countries is growing again, according to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).

While first-time applications from Syrians — the largest nationality represented — were down 8% from 2018 to 20,392, Venezuela came in second, with 14,257 citizens seeking asylum in the European Union.

MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/: NASA's Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations William Gerstenmaier will lead the US delegation to the launch of the Soyuz MS-13 manned spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 20, the press service of Russia's Roscosmos space corporation told TASS on Tuesday.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, June 11. /TASS/: An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude has rocked the Commander Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Kamchatka department of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said on Tuesday.

"The epicenter of the earthquake registered overnight to Tuesday, lay in the Pacific Ocean at the depth of 50km to the south-east of the Medny Island (Commander Islands). The epicenter lay at the depth of 17.8 km under the seabed. The magnitude was estimated at 5.1," the service said.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and Iranian Foreign Ministry's senior advisor for political issues Ali Asgar Haji have discussed several international issues, including launching the Syrian constitutional committee, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/: A Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled on Monday to intercept US and Swedish reconnaissance planes near Russia’s border over the Baltic Sea where NATO is holding drills, and escorted the jets to prevent the violation of Russia’s state border, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"On June 10, Russia airspace control means over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea detected two air targets approaching Russia’s state border. A Su-27 fighter jet of the Baltic Fleet’s Air Defense Forces was scrambled to intercept the targets," the statement said.

LONDON (AP) — Leading lawmakers from Britain’s governing party battled over Brexit as the contest to become the next Conservative prime minister officially kicked off Monday with the declaration of 10 candidates for the top job.

The choice of who will replace Prime Minister Theresa May affects all Britons, but will be made only by members of the right-of-center Conservative Party.

10 June 2019; AFP: British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a contender to replace Theresa May as prime minister, said Sunday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had indicated the EU would be willing to renegotiate the Brexit divorce deal.

Hunt, one of nearly a dozen Conservatives vying to succeed May after she resigned as party leader Friday, said he spoke with Merkel at this week's D-Day commemorations and was convinced changing May's agreement was possible.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Moscow is concerned over mounting confrontation globally, and furthermore Washington’s steps endanger international security, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov told the Primakov Readings international forum.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Sanctions against Russia wreak havoc in international affairs, even a number of the European Union member states are opposing them, but "hesitating" to say it in Brussels, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told the Primakov Readings international forum of experts, diplomats and decision-makers.