Europe

14 May 2022; MEMO: The European Union (EU) condemned on Friday the "disproportionate use of force" by Israeli occupation forces during the funeral procession of slain Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Anadolu Agency reported.

"The European Union is appalled by the scenes unfolding" at the funeral procession of Abu Akleh in the occupied East Jerusalem, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced in a statement.

13 May 2022; MEMO: Former British-Israeli treasurer of the UK's Conservative Party has been reported to authorities over suspicions of money laundering after a six-figure donation towards the prime minister's election campaign was apparently sourced from a Russian bank account.

13 May 2022; MEMO: A Berlin court, on Friday, upheld a ban on all Palestinian "Nakba Day" demonstrations which were scheduled to take place in the German capital this weekend, the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel newspaper reported.

The administrative court outlawed five Palestinian demonstrations because what it said was a risk of inflammatory or anti-Semitic calls and violence, Anadolu News Agency reports.

PARIS (AP) — The stakes are high, the fight nasty and the party of centrist President Emmanuel Macron is the one to beat. But to a visitor from outer space, June’s parliamentary election in France could look like a contest between the far right and the hard-left.

A month before the first round of voting, the campaign for the 577 seats in France’s lower house of parliament has been brutal. Pressure has been mounting since the April presidential election when Macron won a second mandate, beating far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the run-off to quash her third bid for the job.

WEISSENHAUS, Germany (AP) — The Group of Seven leading economies warned Saturday that the war in Ukraine is stoking a global food and energy crisis that threatens poor countries, and urgent measures are needed to unblock stores of grain that Russia is preventing from leaving Ukraine.

In a statement released at the end of a three-day meeting on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, the G-7 nations also called on China not to help Russia, including by undermining international sanctions or justifying Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops are withdrawing from Ukraine’s second-largest city after weeks of heavy bombardment, the Ukrainian military said Saturday as Kyiv and Moscow’s forces engaged in a grinding battle for the country’s east.

Ukraine’s general staff said the Russians were pulling back from the northeastern city of Kharkiv and focusing on guarding supply routes, while launching mortar, artillery and airstrikes in the eastern Donetsk region in order to “deplete Ukrainian forces and destroy fortifications.”

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 4,896 over the past day to 18,250,290, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.03%.

As many as 2,506 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 25.3% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients decreased in 58 regions, while in 20 regions the figure increased. The situation remained unchanged in seven regions. A day earlier, 3,353 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the course of talks between Moscow and Kiev delegations, the Kremlin press service said.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: There are no plans to stop Russian gas supplies to Finland from Friday, May 13, reports from Finnish media are "another newspaper hoax", Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Gazprom supplies gas to various consumers in Europe, including countries - members of NATO. Gazprom has repeatedly shown its reliability as a company that supplies energy resources to the European continent. Therefore, these reports are most likely just another newspaper hoax," Peskov said.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his condolences over the death of President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin press service said on Friday.

According to the Kremlin press service, the telegrams on condolences were sent to Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Al Nahyan, and to Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.