Europe

Srinagar, Apr 17 (PTI) National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the "self-anointed chowkidar" has failed on every front.

"Every vital sector of the country is narrating the grim tale of failure. The self-anointed chowkidar has failed on economic front (as) his much touted note ban wasn't able to yield the anticipated results. His undertaking on getting back the black money also turned out to be a damp squib," said the NC vice president.

MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea does not have jurisdiction to consider the incident in the Kerch Strait, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Ukraine earlier appealed to the international tribunal seeking release of Ukrainian sailors detained in Russia over the illegal crossing of the Russian border.

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Moscow believes that the legitimate Syrian government should retain control over the country’s northeastern region as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"There is a need to resolve the issue concerning the country’s northeast and the left bank of the Euphrates River in order to achieve one of the priority tasks and ensure the restoration of the legitimate government’s control over the region," Lavrov emphasized.

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Sanctions against the Russian Federation are tough but they are good impetus to work more efficiently, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday.

He was presenting his annual report on the work of the government to the State Duma, lower house of parliament.

17 Apr 2019; DW: More than half of chicken meat sold at low-cost supermarkets in Germany is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a probe of meat samples.

The environmental and consumer organization Germanwatch described the results of their study on Tuesday as "an alarmingly high resistance rate" that shows the overuse of antibiotics in industrial poultry production is endangering human health.

17 Apr 2019; DW: "Extinction Rebellion" climate activists have said they will block the city's transport system on a third day of demonstrations. Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed solidarity with their cause but urged them not to block trains.

Nearly 300 people were arrested in London amidst ongoing climate change protests, police said late on Tuesday. More demonstrations are planned for Wednesday, including a disruption of the Underground.

DUBLIN, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Another Irish beef plant has been approved for export to China, bringing to seven the total number of such Irish exporters to the Chinese market, announced Irish Agriculture Minister Michael Creed on Tuesday.

Creed made the announcement in a press release one year after he announced the opening of the Chinese beef market to Ireland in April 2018.

China imposed a long-time ban on the beef imports from Ireland and some of the other European countries due to the mad cow disease found there years back.

PARIS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday vowed to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, devastated by fire on Monday evening, within five years, calling on the French to remain united.

In a brief televised speech, Macron told the nation "We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautifully and I want it to be completed in five years".

"It is up to us to change this disaster into an opportunity to come together... It is up to us to find the thread of our national project, the one that has made us, unites us, a human project, deeply French," he said.

MILAN (AP) — New car sales in Europe are continuing to fall for the seventh straight month, dropping by 4 percent in March.

The European carmakers’ association ACEA, based in Brussels, said 1.72 million new cars were sold last month, down from 1.79 million in March 2018. Italy led all five top markets in decline, with a double-digit drop.

The Volkswagen group gained market share, capturing 23.2 percent of sales with a mild 1-percent drop. Shares of its luxury brands were mixed, with Audi up by 1.7 percent and Porsche plummeting 19 percent.

PARIS (AP) — Nearly $1 billion has already poured in from ordinary worshippers and high-powered magnates around the world to restore Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after a massive fire.

Construction teams brought in a huge crane and a delivery of planks of wood to the site Wednesday morning.

French President Emmanuel Macron ratcheted up the pressure by setting a five-year deadline to restore the 12th-century landmark. Macron is holding a special Cabinet meeting Wednesday dedicated to the Notre Dame disaster.