Europe

The Hague, Dec 21 (AFP/PTI) The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has said she wanted to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories, sparking a furious reaction from Israel and condemnation from the United States.

The Palestinians welcomed the move by the ICC as a "long overdue step" following a nearly five-year preliminary probe by the prosecutor into the situation since the 2014 war in Gaza.

LONDON, Dec 20 (APP): Pakistan’s High Commissioner Mohammad Nafees Zakaria Friday drew the attention of international community towards the plight of Kashmiris as their silence in that regard was emboldening India to continue human right violations in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK).

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/: The Ecuadorian authorities may reconsider the decision to take off air Russia's RT channel if the sides make steps to establish a dialogue, Ecuador's Ambassador to Moscow Julio Cesar Prado Espinosa told the Izvestiya daily in an interview published on Saturday.

KIEV, December 21. /TASS/: Kiev hopes to sign gas contracts before January 1, Ministry of Energy of Ukraine Alexey Orzhel said on Saturday.

"Good news, we should have enough time [to sign contracts with Gazprom] before January 1," he said.

According to him, "as a result of complex and difficult negotiations, a package understanding has been reached." "There will be gas transit," Orzhel said.

The minister added, "The negotiations were constructive." "Everything that was formalized by the Stockholm arbitration will be paid," the minister said.

KIEV, December 20. /TASS/: Russia's gas company Gazprom will pay $3 billion to Ukraine in accordance with the Stockholm arbitration ruling, advisor to the Ukrainian president Andrey Ermak said on Friday.

"We are returning home with very good news and will have a transit contract on the conditions beneficial for Ukraine," Ermak told Obschestvennoye Televidenie TV channel. "Thanks to these agreements, Ukraine will get $3 billion in accordance with the Stockholm arbitration ruling," he added.

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/: Gazprom and Naftogaz may sign a contract on transit of Russian gas through Ukraine for 5 years, the volume of gas transit in 2020 will amount to 65 bln cubic meters, and in 2021-2024 - 40 bln cubic meters annually. The figures were confirmed to reporters by Gazprom after publication in the Ukrainian media.

"The numbers are correct," Gazprom said.

Following the results of gas negotiations in Minsk on December 20, the Russian and Ukrainian sides signed a protocol on gas transit and claims settlement.

BRUSSELS, December 20. /TASS/: The agreement on gas transit that was reached by Russia, Ukraine and the European Union means that Moscow remains a reliable supplier to European markets, the European Commission (EC) said in a statement released on Friday.

LISBON (Reuters) - A storm sweeping across Spain and Portugal has killed at least five people, damaged buildings, cut power lines and forced authorities to shut roads hit by flooding and fallen trees, officials said on Friday.

Storm Elsa hit the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday and increased in intensity on Thursday afternoon, packing high winds and heavy rain. Authorities said it was being tracked by a second storm, Fabien.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has approved Advent International’s $5 billion purchase of defense company Cobham (COB.L) after the U.S. private equity group made commitments to address national security concerns.

Business minister Andrea Leadsom had put the deal on hold to review the sale of air-to-air refueling equipment maker Cobham, which employs 10,000 people and also makes communications equipment for military vehicles.

MOSCOW, Dec 21 (NNN-TASS) – Moscow no longer wishes to rejoin the Group of Seven (G7), as it has other priorities, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said.

There are other platforms where serious issues are being addressed, including the G20, formats for Eurasian integration and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), he said, at a seminar of the Valdai Discussion Club think tank.