Europe

HELSINKI (AP) — Neighboring Russia’s attack on Ukraine helped shape the general election held Saturday in Latvia, where divisions among the Baltic country’s sizable ethnic-Russian minority are likely to influence the makeup of parliament and war-induced energy concerns will preoccupy the next government.

Several polls showed the center-right New Unity party of Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins emerging as the top vote-getter, with up to 20% support.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces blindfolded and detained the head of Europe’s largest nuclear plant, Ukraine’s nuclear power provider said Saturday, reigniting long-simmering fears over the plant’s security.

The alleged kidnapping on Friday apparently took place shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated his war in Ukraine and pushed it into a new, dangerous phase by annexing four Ukrainian regions that Moscow fully or partially controls and heightening threats of nuclear force.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia said Saturday it has withdrawn its troops from the once-occupied city of Lyman, as Ukraine’s eastern counteroffensive recaptures more territory.

Russia’s Tass and RIA news agencies, citing the Russian defense ministry, made the announcement.

Lyman is 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Ukrainian forces had pushed across the Oskil River as part of a counteroffensive that saw Kyiv retake vast swathes of territory beginning in September.

1 October 2022; MEMO: A Danish human rights organisation has called on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to allow referees to raise signs condemning Danish racism during World Cup matches in Qatar 2022.

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/: Russia is fighting for its historical future and for a fair and free path now, so that dictatorship and despotism will be forever left behind in the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a ceremony of accession of four new regions to Russia.

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 37,286 over the past day to 20,985,756, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday.

A day earlier, 38,739 daily cases were recorded.

As many as 2,723 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 13.7% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 24 regions, while in 55 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in six regions. A day earlier, 3,154 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/: The euro exchange rate fell below 51 rubles at some point during foreign currency trading on Moscow Exchange on Friday for the first time since October 2014, according to trading data.

As of 1:02 pm Moscow time the euro exchange rate was down by 8.18% at 51 rubles, while the dollar was down by 6.8% at 53.31 rubles.

By 1:22 pm the euro narrowed losses to 3.7% trading at 53.48 rubles. Meanwhile, the dollar was down by 3.83% at 55.01 rubles.

KIEV, September 30. /TASS/: Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Friday that Kiev is ready for settlement talks with Moscow, but with a Russian president other than Vladimir Putin.

"We are ready for dialogue with Russia, but with another Russian president," he said in a video address posted on his Telegram channel.

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions have signed treaties on uniting these territories with Russia.

The ceremony took place on Friday in the Grand Kremlin Palace's St. George's Hall. Before signing the historic documents, Putin delivered a speech about these territories joining Russia.

BRUSSELS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - European Union countries on Friday edged towards agreeing what would be the bloc's eighth round of sanctions against Russia for waging war against Ukraine, diplomatic sources told Reuters.

The EU executive earlier this week recommended that the bloc imposes more trade curbs and individual blacklistings, and moves towards - rather than adopting straightaway - a price cap for Russian sea-borne oil deliveries to third countries, mostly insured by European companies.