Europe

KYIV, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top military intelligence official said on Wednesday that Russia's military offensive was slowing because of moral and physical fatigue in their ranks and Moscow's "exhausted" resource base.

The remark on television by Defence Intelligence agency chief Kyrylo Budanov was one of the strongest signals by Kyiv that it believes Russia's offensive power may be waning.

ATHENS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A Greek parliamentary committee approved on Wednesday the appointment of diplomat Themistoklis Demiris to head the country's intelligence service (EYP) after his predecessor's sacking over a wiretapping scandal.

Demiris, 70, a secretary general at Greece's foreign ministry, has served as ambassador to Italy, Cyprus and the European Union.

His appointment was cleared by the parliament's 19-member institutions and transparency committee after a closed-door hearing, the parliament's president said in a statement.

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet approved legislation Wednesday that ensures basic protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic are continued during the fall and winter when more virus cases are expected.

The presentation of the rules — which also include the new obligation to wear N95-type face masks during all long-distance travel by train and bus as well as on planes — coincided with the publication of photos showing the chancellor and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck flying to Canada earlier this week without wearing masks.

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.