Europe

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/: A decision by countries participating in the OPEC+ agreement on lower oil output is not "a victory of Russia" but "a victory of common sense," Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a live broadcast of the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on the Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

"I am not inclined to say that this is a sort of our victory. No. This is a victory of common sense," the Kremlin spokesman said, replying to a question from journalist Pavel Zarubin.

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/: Russia is ready to participate in solving global food problems and to help the poorest countries in particular, President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday in the video address on the occasion of the Agriculture and Processing Industry Workers’ Day.

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/: Confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Russia grew by 18,819 in the past day compared to 20,571 a day before, the federal anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Sunday.

Russia registered less than 20,000 new daily COVID-19 cases for the first time since August 9. Overall, Russia recorded 21,203,332 novel coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic in the country, the latest figures suggest.

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/: Passenger and freight train traffic across the Crimean Bridge proceeds on schedule, Russia’s Transport Ministry reported on Sunday.

"Currently, the railway traffic of long-distance passenger and freight trains across the Crimean Bridge proceeds under the statutory schedule," the statement says.

Suburban train traffic across the Crimean Bridge will be restored at 7 p.m. on Sunday, the ministry said.

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"Tomorrow the President is scheduled to hold a meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council," he said.

Peskov did not specify whether the situation with the Crimean bridge would be discussed at the meeting. "We'll let you know following the results [of the meeting]," he said.

GENEVA, Oct 9 (NNN-TELESUR) — Twenty-seven countries reported cholera outbreaks throughout 2022, the World Health Organisation reported “not only seeing more outbreaks but more deadly outbreaks.”

At a press conference in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed to poverty, conflict, and climate change as the factors fueling the current cholera outbreak in the world.

According to the Director General, “the average number of fatalities so far this year is almost three times that of the last five years.” 

BERLIN, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Germany will ensure the European Union freezes the assets of those responsible for a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran and bans their entry to the bloc, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told a German Sunday newspaper.

Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic have submitted 16 proposals for new EU sanctions against Iran for its clampdown on protests ignited by the death in policy custody of a young woman, a German foreign ministry source said last week.

VIENNA, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen secured a second six-year term in office on Sunday by winning a clear majority of votes in an election to avoid a runoff, according to projections based on almost all votes cast except postal ballots.

The 78-year-old former leader of the Greens has garnered broad popularity by projecting calm during times of national crisis, including the collapse of the government in 2019 and the resignation of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz a year ago over corruption allegations that Kurz denies.

KYIV, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The external power supply to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was restored on Sunday, Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said.

The plant, which is in cold shutdown, lost its last remaining power line early on Saturday due to shelling, and had to use back-up diesel generators for its own needs, such as cooling the reactor blocks.

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is confident a second referendum on Scottish independence could take place in October next year, she said on Sunday.

Britain's top court on Tuesday begins hearing arguments for allowing a secession vote without approval from British Prime Minister Liz Truss and her government.

In a 2014 plebiscite, which the British government approved, Scots rejected independence by 55%-45%. However, the Scottish National Party argues the vote for Britain to leave the European Union two years later was a game changer.