Europe

VILNIUS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, the Lithuanian sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games.

The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is desperate to avoid the sporting event being torn asunder by the bloody conflict unfolding in Ukraine.

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Belarus on Friday condemned as "catastrophic" a decision by Poland to close a border checkpoint between the two countries, saying it could lead to a collapse on both sides of the border.

Poland said on Thursday, citing security concerns, it would close a key border crossing into Belarus at Bobrowniki, starting at 12 p.m. (1100 GMT) on Friday, driving already hostile relations between the two countries to a new low.

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Russian forces likely lost dozens of armoured vehicles in a single, failed attack near the eastern Ukrainian city of Vuhledar, British intelligence said on Friday, as one pro-Russian blogger warned of a "crisis" in troop command.

Vuhledar, a Ukrainian-held bastion at the strategic intersection between the eastern and southern front lines, has seen some of the bloodiest fighting of the war as Russia continues a relentless assault on the eastern front.

CHISINAU, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Moldova's pro-Western government resigned on Friday after a turbulent 18 months in power marked by economic turmoil and the spillover effects of Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine.

President Maia Sandu accepted Prime Minister's Natalia Gavrilita's resignation and nominated 48-year-old presidential aide and former interior minister Dorin Recean to replace her.

Recean, who is expected to quickly win parliamentary approval, said he would press on with Moldova's bid to join the European Union and revive the economy

LONDON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- British business leaders have said they hope that trade ties between Britain and China will deepen as the two countries work toward economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The remarks were made Wednesday during the "Icebreakers" 2023 Chinese New Year celebration, jointly hosted by the 48 Group Club, China Chamber of Commerce in the UK and China-Britain Business Council.

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA gave 200,000 euros ($214,000) on Friday to help relief work after the earthquake in Turkey, the country that will host the Champions League final in June.

The European soccer body also pledged to organize more fund-raising activities in the days leading up to the final on June 10 in Istanbul. It is also coordinating work among its 55 member associations to contribute to a disaster relief fund.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed strategic bombers, killer drones and rockets in a barrage of attacks across Ukraine early Friday, as a military push by Moscow that Kyiv says has been brewing for days appeared to pick up pace ahead of the one-year anniversary of its invasion.

09 Feb 2023; MEMO: Barcelona City Council yesterday issued a decree for the "temporary suspension" of relations with Israel as well as all of its institutions, including its twinning with the city of Tel Aviv, in protest against Israel's apartheid practices against Palestinians.

09 Feb 2023; MEMO: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced yesterday that it will be proceeding with the investigation of the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories. A deadline of 25 July has been set for written submissions by state bodies and organisations on the question of Israel's occupation.

A second deadline of October is for comments on those submissions. The court confirmed that the rest of the timeline has yet to be determined.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi have started talks in Moscow that will focus on the establishment of a safety zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the Strana Rosatom newspaper reported on Thursday.

"Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and IAEA head Director General Rafael Grossi have started talks in Moscow. They will focus on the establishment of safety zone around the Zaporozhye NPP," the newspaper said on its Telegram channel.