Europe

AMSTERDAM, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The Dutch government will summon the Iranian ambassador to the Netherlands for the second time in a month to voice its deep concerns over the execution of demonstrators, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on Saturday.

"Appalled by the horrible executions of demonstrators in Iran. I will summon the Iranian ambassador to underline our serious concerns and I call upon EU Member States to do the same," Hoekstra said in a tweet.

Jan 7 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Saturday praised the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Moscow's forces fighting in Ukraine in an Orthodox Christmas message designed to rally people behind his vision of modern Russia.

The Kremlin issued Putin's message after the Russian leader attended an Orthodox Christmas Eve service on his own inside a Kremlin cathedral rather than joining other worshippers in a public celebration.

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gathered government ministers, medics and health service managers in 10 Downing St. on Saturday for talks aimed at fixing a health care crisis that has seen thousands of patients stranded outside overflowing hospitals.

The government said it was “bringing together the best minds from the health and care sectors to help share knowledge and practical solutions.”

ROME (AP) — Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oils were the highest on record last year even after falling for nine months in a row, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said, as Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors drove up inflation and worsened hunger worldwide.

PARIS (AP) — Thousands of Kurds from around France and Europe marched through Paris on Saturday to show their anger over the unresolved killing of three Kurdish women activists in the French capital 10 years ago.

The marchers are also mourning three people killed outside a Kurdish cultural center in Paris two weeks ago in what prosecutors called a racist attack.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president is praising the United States for including tank-killing armored vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces.

Officials, meanwhile, said it was unclear whether Moscow was abiding by a unilateral 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas that Ukraine has denounced as a ploy.

06 Jan 2023; MEMO: Britain's Prince Harry revealed in an upcoming book of his memoirs that he killed 25 people as an Apache helicopter pilot during his second tour in Afghanistan, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Prince Harry's claim in the book, titled "Spare", which will be available at bookstores in the UK next week, came as the book's Spanish version was accidentally put on sale in Spain.

07 Jan 2023; MEMO: Non-governmental organisations on Friday condemned the "scandalous and illegal" attempts in France to deport migrants to Syria and called on the French government to clarify these practices that violate international law.

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: The Project 885M (Yasen-M) Perm nuclear-powered submarine, the first regular carrier of the submarine version of Tsirkon, Russia’s advanced hypersonic cruise missile, will enter service with the Russian Navy in 2026, a source close to the Russian defense ministry told TASS on Thursday.

"The Perm submarine with Tsirkons is planned to enter service with the Navy in 2026. Prior to that, the submarine will undergo trials in late 2024 or early 2025," the source said.

No official confirmation is available.

KIEV, January 5. /TASS/: Kiev is against any negotiation processes with Russia, Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexey Danilov said on Thursday commenting on Russia’s proposal to declare a temporary ceasefire.

"No talks with them [Moscow]," he told the Ukraina-24 TV channel.