Europe

Jaishankar congratulates Annalena Baerbock on appointment as new German FM

New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): Foreign Minister S Jaishankar congratulated Annalena Baerbock on Thursday on her appointment as Germany's Federal Foreign Minister.

2021-12-09T09:44:13.644021+00:00 IST

EU says Minsk's sanctions not transparent, envision difficult mechanism

Brussels [Belgium], December 9 (ANI/Sputnik): The European Union is studying the retaliatory sanctions of Belarus and considers them to be non-transparent with an incomprehensible challenge mechanism, EU External Action Service lead spokesman Peter Stano told Sputnik.

2021-12-09T08:45:57.340542+00:00 IST

COVID-19 is biggest threat to child progress in UNICEF's 75-year history

New York [US], December 9 (ANI): The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), in a new report on Thursday, said the COVID-19 pandemic is rolling back progress on key childhood challenges such as poverty, health and access to education.

2021-12-09T08:33:22.950037+00:00 IST

PM Modi congratulates newly-elected German Chancellor Scholz, hopes to strengthen strategic partnership

New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated newly-elected German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and hoped to strengthen the existing strategic partnership between India and Germany.

2021-12-09T05:23:17.137612+00:00 IST

Serbia discussing with Russia additional gas supplies: President Aleksandar Vucic

Belgrade [Serbia], December 9 (ANI/Sputnik): Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters that he had discussed with the management of Russia's Gazprom energy giant the receipt of additional gas volumes from Russia in excess of 2 billion cubic meters per year.

2021-12-09T03:36:50.815710+00:00 IST

France faces new records in daily COVID-19 infections

Paris [France], December 9 (ANI/Xinhua): France on Wednesday saw a new daily record of infections since November 2020 with 61,340 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the past 24 hours.

2021-12-08T22:28:17.174915+00:00 IST

UK records more than 51,000 new coronavirus cases

London [UK], December 9 (ANI/Xinhua): Britain registered 51,342 new COVID-19 infections bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 10,610,958, according to official figures released Wednesday.

2021-12-08T19:57:20.917071+00:00 IST

Polish envoy to India, Burakowski extends condolences on demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat

New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): The Polish ambassador to India, Adam Burakowski on Wednesday extended his deepest condolences on the demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and to the families of those who died in the tragic helicopter crash in the Nilgiri Hills.

2021-12-08T19:06:16.584610+00:00 IST

UK to allocate additional USD 1.32 bln in support for Ukraine

London [UK], December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): The United Kingdom will allocate additional 1 billion British pounds ($1.32 billion) in support for Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

2021-12-08T17:18:48.870455+00:00 IST

In Finland, new Swedish PM discusses forestry, security policy

Helsinki [Finland], December 8 (ANI/Xinhua): Getting more understanding in the European Union (EU) for the Nordic environmental forestry policy was a top agenda item during new Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's visit to Finland on Wednesday.

2021-12-08T17:18:09.217406+00:00 IST

EU alarmed by reports on arbitrary arrests in Ethiopia

Brussels [Belgium], December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): NGO reports on arbitrary and extrajudicial arrests of Ethiopian citizens based on their ethnicity are "alarming" to the European Union, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel said on Wednesday.

2021-12-08T17:03:41.987489+00:00 IST

Switzerland confirms daily record of over 12,000 new COVID-19 cases

Bern [Switzerland], December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health said on Wednesday that 12,598 new cases of coronavirus infection have been detected over the past day, marking a record daily increase in cases since the start of the pandemic.

2021-12-08T15:17:06.275712+00:00 IST

Boris Johnson announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

London [UK] December 8 (ANI): The United Kingdom has joined the US in announcing a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over concerns about human rights abuses in China.

2021-12-08T15:10:14.743168+00:00 IST

Swiss Parliament names top diplomat Cassis Federal President

Zurich [Switzerland] December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): The Swiss parliament voted on Wednesday to appoint foreign minister Ignazio Cassis as the confederation's new president for what is a largely symbolic 12-month tenure.

2021-12-08T13:43:26.094695+00:00 IST

UN rights chief describes 'disastrous' human rights situation across occupied Palestinian territory

Geneva [Switzerland], December 8 (ANI): The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said on Tuesday that the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has become "disastrous", with severe infringements affecting some four million people.

2021-12-08T11:40:45.524711+00:00 IST

UK to turn off 2G, 3G mobile phone networks by 2033: Government

London [UK] December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): The UK will phase out 2G and 3G mobile networks by 2033 as part of measures to increase the security of telecommunication supply chains and to make room for 5G expansion and faster future networks, the government announced on Wednesday.

2021-12-08T11:14:27.057791+00:00 IST

Putin will surely send congratulatory message to new German chancellor Scholz: Kremlin

Moscow [Russia], December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): Russian President Vladimir Putin will surely send a congratulatory message to newly-appointed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

2021-12-08T11:14:05.507414+00:00 IST

Olaf Scholz appointed as Germany's new chancellor, replacing Angela Merkel

Germany [Berlin], December 8 (ANI): Olaf Scholz has been appointed as Germany's new Chancellor on Wednesday, bringing an end to Angela Merkel's 16 years of leadership.

2021-12-08T11:10:24.587375+00:00 IST

Pakistan FM Qureshi meets NATO chief Stoltenberg in Brussels, discusses Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis

Brussels [Belgium], December 8 (ANI): Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels and discussed the fast deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, reported local media.

2021-12-08T10:06:58.737990+00:00 IST

Poland expects no positive impact of Putin-Biden talks: Foreign Ministry

Warsaw [Poland], December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): Warsaw does not envisage any positive results from the talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, Polish First Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek said on Wednesday.

2021-12-08T09:16:52.000006+00:00 IST

German Bundestag meeting that will elect new Chancellor starts

Germany [Berlin], December 8 (ANI/Sputnik): A German Bundestag meeting that will elect a new chancellor started in Berlin on Wednesday, according to the N24 tv channel's broadcast.

2021-12-08T08:41:29.957449+00:00 IST