Europe

MOSCOW, July 27. /TASS/: The Russian side emphasizes the need to unlock Afghanistan’s national assets illegally held by Washington, Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Ivan Nechaev told a press briefing on Wednesday.

"On our part, we again drew attention to the need to unlock the national assets [of Afghanistan]," the Russian diplomat said, commenting on the results of the international conference on Afghanistan held in Tashkent on July 26.

July 27 (Reuters) - The European Union found evidence that smartphones used by some of its staff were compromised by an Israeli company's spy software, the bloc's top justice official said in a letter seen by Reuters.

In a July 25 letter sent to European lawmaker Sophie in ‘t Veld, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said iPhone maker Apple had told him in 2021 that his iPhone had possibly been hacked using Pegasus, a tool developed and sold to government clients by Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group.

July 26 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

Experimental chewing gum reduces Omicron particles in saliva

An experimental chewing gum that "traps" SARS-CoV-2 particles in saliva holds promise for curbing transmission of new variants of the virus, according to new data, as researchers prepare to launch the first human trial.

ATHENS, July 27 (Reuters) - An Iranian-flagged tanker anchored off Piraeus port is expected this week to retrieve part of its cargo which was confiscated by the United States and sail back to Iran, following a Greek top court ruling, government sources said on Wednesday.

The case has strained relations between Athens and Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States.

The removal of oil from the Lana, formerly Pegas, prompted Iranian forces to seize two Greek tankers in the Middle East Gulf which have not yet been released.

KYIV, July 26 (Reuters) - A tongue-in-cheek petition to give outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Ukrainian citizenship and make him the country's prime minister has garnered over 2,500 signatures hours after being put up on Ukraine's official petitions site on Tuesday.

Despite losing domestic popularity and eventually having been forced to announce his resignation after dozens of ministerial departures in early July, Johnson remains a cult figure in Kyiv for his vocal support of Ukraine as it fights off Russia's invasion.

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - Scientists advising the World Health Organization (WHO) on monkeypox say the window is closing to stop its spread, with cases currently doubling every two weeks, raising concerns that it will take several months for the outbreak to peak.

WHO Europe has forecast just over 27,000 monkeypox cases in 88 countries by Aug. 2, up from 17,800 cases in nearly 70 countries at the latest count. 

KYIV, July 27 (Reuters) - The fate of Ukraine's second biggest power plant was hanging in the balance on Wednesday after Russian-backed forces claimed to have captured it intact, but Kyiv did not confirm its seizure, saying only that fighting was under way nearby.

Seizing the Soviet-era coal-fired Vuhlehirsk power plant in eastern Ukraine would be Moscow's first strategic gain in more than three weeks in what it calls its "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its neighbour.

MOSCOW, July 27 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces on July 24 had destroyed more than 100 U.S.-made HIMARS rockets in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region.

Reuters was unable to independently verify battlefield accounts from either side.

Russia has previously said it has destroyed several HIMARS systems supplied to Ukraine by the West, claims denied by Kyiv.

FRANKFURT/LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - Russia delivered less gas to Europe on Wednesday in a further escalation of an energy stand-off between Moscow and the European Union that will make it harder, and costlier, for the bloc to fill up storage ahead of the winter heating season.

The cut in supplies, flagged by Gazprom (GAZP.MM) earlier this week, has reduced the capacity of Nord Stream 1 pipeline - the major delivery route to Europe for Russian gas - to a mere fifth of its total capacity.

Nord Stream 1 accounts for around a third of all Russian gas exports to Europe.

ATHENS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Greece and Saudi Arabia will explore further bilateral cooperation in many sectors with emphasis on energy, as announced by the two sides during the two-day visit of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz to Athens on Tuesday.

"We would like to explore further opportunities between our two countries and our two economies to partner and to attract more Saudi investment into Greece," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in statements welcoming the Saudi Crown Prince, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT.