Europe

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces attacked Russia’s hold on the southern city of Kherson on Thursday while fighting intensified in the country’s east. The battles came amid reports that Moscow-appointed authorities in the city have abandoned it, joining tens of thousands of residents who fled to other Russia-held areas.

Ukrainian forces were surrounding Kherson from the west and attacking Russia’s foothold on the west bank of the Dnieper River, which divides the region and the country.

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/: Russia resolutely protests against Italy’s decision to revoke Russia’s invitation to attend a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) meeting opening in Rome later today, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We are outraged over the fact that Italy has revoked an invitation it sent to Russia earlier to attend an Expert Group meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative opening in Rome on October 26. We vehemently protest," the statement reads.

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a brief meeting with permanent members of the country’s Security Council later on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The president is planning to convene a brief meeting with permanent members of the country’s Security Council this afternoon," Peskov said

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/: Russia will take vigorous steps to draw the attention of the world community to the risk Ukraine may use a "dirty bomb," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

The media asked the Kremlin official what further steps Moscow would take after Russia presented evidence at a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council testifying to Ukraine’s work on a "dirty bomb."

"Russia will take vigorous steps," Peskov assured.

He noted that Moscow had evidence Ukraine was plotting a terrorist attack involving such a device.

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/: The level of political trust between Beijing and Moscow is higher than ever, China’s Charge d'Affaires to Russia Sun Weidong said at a conference on Russian-Chinese relations hosted by the Economist House on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/: The world is becoming multipolar, but some countries are trying to "hold on to their faltering hegemony," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

He made the statement at the 51st meeting of the CIS council of officials in charge of security and special services.

HELSINKI, Oct 26 (NNN-AAP) – A one-million-euro-technology prize, has been awarded to an Australian professor, for an invention that has transformed the production of solar energy.

Technology Academy Finland (TAF), announced yesterday that, the 2022 Millennium Technology Prize has been awarded to Professor Martin Green, from the University of New South Wales. The prize was awarded to Green by Finnish President, Sauli Niinisto.

BUCHAREST, Oct 26 (NNN-XINHUA) – Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, reiterated yesterday, his country’s intention to increase defence spending by 0.5 percentage point, to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023.

The aim is “to increase the Army’s ability to carry out its entrusted missions, and thus give Romania even more credibility in playing its part as a regional security pillar,” Iohannis said, at a ceremony marking Romanian Armed Forces Day.

LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - If countries fulfill their current climate commitments, global greenhouse gas emissions will rise by 10.6% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels, according to a United Nations report released on Wednesday.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030 is needed to limit warming to 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.

With world leaders expected to gather in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for the COP27 climate summit from Nov. 6, experts said more action was urgently needed.

LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday delayed the announcement of a keenly awaited plan for repairing the country's public finances until Nov. 17, two-and-a-half weeks later than originally planned.

The postponement, Sunak's first policy decision since taking over from Liz Truss on Tuesday, pushed up British borrowing costs in financial markets but by far less than seen in the panic bond selling caused by Truss's September tax-cutting plan.