Europe

GENEVA (AP) — The number of coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 15% in the past week while new infections dropped by 9%, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

In its latest weekly assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.N. health agency said there were 5.3 million new cases and more than 14,000 deaths reported last week. WHO said the number of new infections declined in every world region except the Western Pacific.

GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland’s defense department said Wednesday that any delay to the planned multibillion-dollar acquisition of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets would have “grave consequences” for Swiss security, after opponents succeeded in a campaign to put the purchase to a referendum.

On Tuesday, the Swiss government announced that campaigners had cleared the bar of 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for a referendum on the planned purchase of 36 of the Lockheed Martin-built planes as part of a vast refurbishment of capability of the Swiss air force by 2030.

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — A 17-year-old pilot became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he landed on Wednesday in Bulgaria, where his journey kicked off five months ago.

Mack Rutherford, a Belgian-British dual national, landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, to complete his task and to claim two Guinness World Records. Along with becoming the youngest person to fly around the world by himself, Rutherford is the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine nervously braced for what President Volodymr Zelenskyy warned could be especially brutal Russian attacks Wednesday as the country observed its Independence Day — and marked the war’s six-month point — under conditions considered too dangerous to allow any major public celebrations in the capital.

Residents of Kyiv woke up to air raid sirens, but there were no immediate attacks.

Kyiv authorities banned large gatherings in the capital through Thursday, fearing the national holiday might bring particularly heavy Russian missile strikes.

24 August 2022; MEMO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday condemned Israeli missile strikes on Syria, Reuters reported.

Lavrov was speaking at a joint news conference alongside his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad.

Russia is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his government.

"We strongly condemned the dangerous practice of Israeli strikes on Syrian territory," Lavrov said.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: Russia thinks highly of Syria’s support for the special military operation in Ukraine as well as of Damascus recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said opening talks with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: The agreements on Syria that were reached at the Tehran summit in the Astana format on July 19, 2022 are being fully implemented, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, August 23. /TASS/: Europe is probably facing the most severe drought over the last 500 years, the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission said on Tuesday.

"Cumulatively, 64% of Europe is under warning or alert, which is also contributing to spread widely the areas of fire danger across the EU," JRC said.

Dry and warm weather in certain western regions and the Mediterranean will last until November, experts said. "According to JRC experts, the current drought still appears to be the worst since at least 500 years," the statement reads.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: Ukraine's Ambassador to Kazakhstan Pyotr Vrublevsky is openly engaged in undermining interethnic accord in his host country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary on Tuesday.

KYIV, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine will not agree to any proposal to freeze the current frontlines in its conflict with Russia in order to "calm" Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a news conference on Tuesday.

He also urged the world not to show fatigue with the war, saying this would pose a big threat to the whole world.