Europe

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union said Thursday it has launched action against China at world trade’s governing body for engaging in discriminatory practices against Lithuania, saying that Beijing’s spat with the Baltic country is hitting other EU exports.

Lithuania broke with diplomatic custom by agreeing that the Taiwanese office in Vilnius would bear the name Taiwan instead of Chinese Taipei, a term used by other countries to avoid offending Beijing. China considers Taiwan part of its territory with no right to diplomatic recognition.

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/: US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan arrived in his car at the Russian Foreign Ministry at about 19:30 Moscow time on Wednesday, a TASS correspondent has reported.

CNN reported earlier that the US intends to hand Moscow written responses to proposals on security guarantees as early as Wednesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the State Duma earlier in the day that Russia would not publish a US response on security guarantees, if asked, but would disclose the general meaning of the answers.

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/: Russia will take necessary measures, should the West fail to provide a constructive response to Moscow’s initiatives on guarantees of security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, speaking in the State Duma Wednesday.

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/: UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss may visit Russia within the next two weeks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Wednesday.

"We have already agreed on the date," he said. "It’ll happen in the next two weeks."

A diplomatic source earlier told TASS that Russia agreed to a request for a visit by the UK foreign minister. UK foreign ministers haven’t come to Russia since Johnson, who’s now the prime minister, visited in December 2017.

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/: Nord Stream 2 AG, operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, has established a German subsidiary, Gas for Europe GmbH, for the German section of the pipeline, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Gas for Europe GmbH will become the operator of this section as an independent transport system operator in accordance with German law.

NOVO-OGAREYOVO, January 26. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin told Italian businessmen that Moscow will compete with Rome for the right to host the World Expo 2030.

NICOSIA, Jan 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The party of President Ersin Tatar and Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoglu, has won the parliamentary election in Northern Cyprus, according to preliminary results on Monday.

The National Unity Party (UBP) was at about 39.5 per cent, state broadcaster BRT reported on Monday, citing the election commission.

BUDAPEST, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Hungary will in March host right-wing participants from the United States and Europe including the leader of Spain's Vox party at a conference linked to U.S. conservatives, a leading pro-government think-tank said on Wednesday.

The gathering of American conservatives along with leaders and activists from Europe and Latin America will feature Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a keynote speaker, said Miklos Szantho, director of the Centre for Fundamental Rights think-tank.

BUCHAREST, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Romania is in talks with the United States and France over ways to enhance their troop count in the country and was ready to host an increased NATO military presence, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Defense said on Monday it put about 8,500 American troops on heightened alert, awaiting orders to deploy to NATO's eastern flank should Russia invade Ukraine. France has also offered to send more troops if needed. 

Jan 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv urged American citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now, saying that the security situation in the country was "unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action."

The security situation in Ukraine "can deteriorate with little notice", the embassy said on its website on Wednesday.

In Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv would remain open but added that Americans in the former Soviet country should "strongly consider leaving."