Europe

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Tens of thousands marched Wednesday in Athens and cities across Greece to protest the deaths of 57 people in the country’s worst train disaster, which exposed significant rail safety deficiencies.

Labor unions and student associations organized the demonstrations, while strikes halted ferries to the islands and public transportation services in Athens, where at least 30,000 people took part in the protest.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military company claimed Wednesday that his troops have extended their gains in the key Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut as fierce fighting continues in the war’s longest battle.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said Wagner troops have taken full control of the eastern part of Bakhmut. He claimed that they now control all districts east of the Bakhmutka River that crosses the city in the eastern Donetsk region. The center of Bakhmut is located west of the river.

7 Mar 2023; MEMO: The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Raphael Grossi said any attack on Iran's nuclear sites by Israel or the United States would be "illegal", Reuters reported.

Grossi was responding to a reporter's question on Saturday about threats by Israel and the United States to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if they deem talks to limit Tehran's nuclear ability as having failed.

GENEVA (AP) — The new U.N. human rights chief said Tuesday that his office has opened “channels of communication” to help follow up on concerns about the rights of minorities in China, including Uyghur Muslims and Tibetans. But this fell short of activists’ hopes for a stronger message to Beijing.

7 Mar 2023; MEMO: Decisions on oil output taken by OPEC+ countries reflect consensus in the group, the Saudi Foreign Minister said on Tuesday after reports of differences among members, Reuters reports.

A media report that the United Arab Emirates is considering leaving OPEC is "far from the truth," two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters last week.

WARSAW, March 7. /TASS/: Poland will send ten more Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine this week, Polish National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday.

According to the Polish defense minister, four out of the 14 tanks Poland has promised to send to Kiev are already in Ukraine. "Ten more will reach Ukraine this week," he said.

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: Russia will not recognize any "price cap" on its oil and has taken steps to ensure that its interests are not harmed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

The Kremlin spokesman was asked to comment on Amos Hochstein, Senior Energy Security Adviser at the US State Department, who said the cap on Russian oil prices imposed by the G7 and a number of its allies is "working."

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: Russia can see no prerequisites for peace in Ukraine, so it continues to attain its goals by conducting the special military operation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"The special military operation is ongoing. There are no prerequisites for transition to peace in this situation. Therefore, Russia has been achieving its tasks and goals by continuing the special op," he said, commenting on whether Beijing’s peace proposals could amend the situation.

MINSK, March 7. /TASS/: The sabotage attack that took place at the Machulishchy airfield near Minsk and targeted the A-50 early warning and control aircraft of the Russian Air Force couldn’t have happened without the consent of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: The challenging situation for Russia evolved amid sanctions can be a step towards further sovereignization of the country, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at the meeting with Sberbank CEO Herman Gref.

"Certainly, there would be no fortune but misfortune helped: this is nevertheless a strong step towards further sovereignization, growth of our economic and financial sovereignty; this is very important," the head of state said.