Europe

ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Tuesday moved to defend Pope Francis from allegations he hasn’t come down hard enough on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying the pontiff clearly views the war launched by Moscow as “senseless, repugnant and sacrilegious.”

Last week, Ukraine summoned the top papal diplomat to complain about recent comments by Francis. At an audience a day earlier at the Vatican, Francis had referred to a national Russian TV commentator who was killed by a car bomb in Moscow as a “poor girl.”

PRAHOVO, Serbia (AP) — The worst drought in Europe in decades hasn’t only scorched farmland and hampered river traffic, it also has exposed a part of almost forgotten World War II history: The hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships have emerged from the Danube River as its water levels have dropped.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine claimed to have destroyed bridges and ammunition depots and pounded command posts in a surge of fighting in the Russian-occupied south, fueling speculation Tuesday that its long-awaited counteroffensive to try to turn the tide of war was underway. Russia said it repelled the attack and inflicted heavy casualties.

The clashes took place in the country’s Kherson region, where Moscow’s forces rolled up major gains early in the war. But Ukrainian authorities kept the world guessing about their intentions.

London, Aug 29 (PTI) The UK's biggest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, has broken down off the south coast of England after setting sail from Portsmouth Naval Base for the US on what the Royal Navy has described as a landmark aviation trial mission.

The warship was said to be experiencing an "emerging mechanical issue" and the problem is being investigated. The GBP 3 billion carrier, which became fully operational last year, is reportedly anchored southeast of the Isle of Wight while the investigation is carried out.

MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/: The West is seeking to disregard objective historic processes, which may slow down the forming of a multipolar world but will never stop it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Zvezda television channel, which was posted on the foreign ministry’s website on Sunday.

"Regrettably, our Western partners, who have ceded the reins of power to the United States, <…> are seeking to disregard objective historic processes, which may slow down the formation of a multipolar world but will never be able to stop it," he said.

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/: The Vostok 2022 strategic command and staff drills that will run on September 1-7 under the command of the chief of the Russian General Staff will practice military security of Russia and its allies within the responsibility area of the Eastern Military District, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/: The IAEA mission will arrive in the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant within days, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

According to Zapkarova, the mission has already left Vienna. "[The mission] is expected to arrive in the site within days," she said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 39,658 over the past day to 19,445,581, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Monday.

A day earlier, 46,857 daily cases were recorded.

As many as 1,988 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 15% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 30 regions, while in 49 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in six regions. A day earlier, 2,340 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed satisfaction with development of bilateral ties between Russia and countries of the Asia-Pacific Region and cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Agreement, BRICS, APEC and ASEAN.

BERLIN, August 29. /TASS/: Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz has declared the intention to pool efforts with European neighbors to create a new common air defense system in the EU. He was speaking at the Charles University in Prague on Monday. His statement was streamed on the German government’s website.

"A system created by joint efforts would be a security benefit for the whole of Europe," Scholz said, adding that it would be less costly and more efficient than any solutions at the national level.