Europe

MINSK, May 12. /TASS/: The Mozyr Refinery in Belarus started refining of marketable oil and is increasing the capacity utilization to the optimal limit, Belneftekhim Company reports.

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/: Significance of the nursing care is recognized all over the world and a skillful nurse means a half of success in the patient’s recovery, department head of the Sechenov Medical University Natalia Kasimovskaya told TASS on Sunday, when the International Nurses Day is celebrated.

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/: Direction signs of smaller dimensions can lead to an increase in the traffic accidents in Russia, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs says in response to an inquiry from TASS.

It was reported earlier, citing the press service of the Russian standardization authority Rosstandart that the national state standard authorizing installation of traffic signs with smaller dimensions became effective in Russia since May 1.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, May 12. /TASS/: Russian Investigative committee has opened a criminal case after a domestic gas explosion in Rostov Region killed two people, the press service told TASS on Sunday.

"Investigators opened a criminal case due to negligence in the Kamensky District after two people were killed in a household gas explosion in a residential building.

Investigators and criminologists are working at the scene of the crime. Documents relevant to the case have been taken from the gas company that provided service to the area.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Thousands of Polish nationalists marched to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw Saturday, protesting that the U.S. is putting pressure on Poland to compensate Jews whose families lost property during the Holocaust.

MINSK, May 11. /TASS/: Minsk has no intention to take advantage of oil pollution incident and link it to the situation surrounding Russia’s tax maneuver, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"It has nothing to do with the tax maneuver," he said, as cited by the BelTA news agency. "An incident occurred. Was it done deliberately and on purpose? Let them [Russians] sort things out for themselves. I am told that our oil refineries are getting clean oil, a portion of the polluted oil was pumped into our storage facilities," Lukashenko added.

BELGRADE, May 11. /TASS/: Serbia is one of Russia’s key partners in Europe and in the world, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council's (upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev stated on Saturday in an interview with Serbia’s RTS channel.

TASS, May 11: The Altai rescue vessel, an Ilyushin Il-38 aircraft and a Kamov Ka-27PS helicopter from Russia’s Northern Fleet will participate in a joint Russia-Norway maritime rescue exercise scheduled to take place in the Barents Sea on May 28-29, the Fleet’s press service said in a statement on Saturday.

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/: Wildfires have scorched over 44,000 hectares in 18 Russian regions, the Federal Aerial Forest Protection Service (Avialesokhrana) said in a statement on Saturday, adding that 155 forest fires had been extinguished in the previous 24 hours.

"As of May 11, 2019, a total of 54 forest fires are active in Russia, which engulf 44,245 hectares, active efforts are underway to extinguish the fires," the statement reads.

BRUSSELS, May 10 (Xinhua): U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has for the second time this week canceled part of his travel plans in Europe, cutting short a trip that was supposed to shore up U.S. commitment and ties with traditional allies. Instead, he left a trail of disagreements that dogged the transatlantic relations.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Pompeo's first stop was about the Arctic, where the Arctic Council for the first time in 23 years did not issue a declaration that would also act as a guideline for the next chairing country.