Europe

01 April 2024; MEMO: World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged Israel on Sunday to urgently enable access to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza and establish a humanitarian corridor, Anadolu news agency reported.

“We urge Israel to urgently facilitate access and a humanitarian corridor so WHO and partners can carry out the lifesaving transfer of patients,” Tedros said on X.

ATHENS, April 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thick clouds of dust blown in from the Sahara once again covered Greek skies Monday, especially Athens and Thessalonika, with temperatures rising as high as 31øC (88øF).

The dust storms, which had already affected Greece last week as well as regions such as Switzerland and Southern France, made breathing difficult for many people. 

A high of 26øC was forecast in the capital Athens Monday, which public television station ERT described as conditions more akin to May. 

28 March 2024; MEMO: Pope Francis has expressed his support for Catholics in the Holy Land as Easter approaches. He assured them, “You are not alone.”

The statement came following a meeting with two peace activists, Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, and Rami Elhanan, an Israeli, who both lost their daughters, ages ten and 13, because of the war.

29 March 2024; AP: For Evan Gershkovich, the dozen appearances in Moscow’s courts over the past year have fallen into a pattern.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at the possibility of his country launching an attack on a NATO member, calling it “sheer nonsense,” but warned that any Western air base hosting U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are slated for deployment in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for the Kremlin’s forces.

“Their statements about our alleged intention to attack Europe after Ukraine is sheer nonsense,” Putin said late Wednesday, referring to warnings in the U.S. and Western Europe that Russia could turn its sights on other countries unless it’s stopped.

26 March 2024; MEMO: A UK High Court ruling on Tuesday granted WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, the right to appeal his extradition to the US and set a new hearing date for the case in May before adjourning it, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a partial victory for Assange, the UK High Court has decided against his immediate extradition to the US, where he is wanted on espionage charges.

27 March 2024; MEMO: The Brussels City Council has passed a motion to halt the public procurement of products from Israeli settlements, Anadolu Agency reports.

The motion, brought by Benoit Hellings, a Councillor in the capital of Brussels, was adopted unanimously in a vote late Monday.

28 March 2024; MEMO: Members of Parliament (MPs) and ministers from the House of Lords have urged the British government to cease arms sales to Israel in response to international pressure against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Over 130 parliamentarians have endorsed a letter addressed to Foreign Secretary David Cameron, calling for a ban on arms exports to Israel.

24 March 2024; MEMO: The EU on Sunday condemned the Israeli seizure of 800 hectares of land in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The European Union firmly condemns the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that over 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory have been declared as ‘state lands’,” the EU said in a statement.

LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Simon Harris is set to become Ireland's new prime minister, or Taoiseach, after he was confirmed on Sunday as the new leader of the governing Fine Gael party.

He is to replace Leo Varadkar, who unexpectedly announced his resignation Wednesday as party leader and Taoiseach, citing "both personal and political" reasons.

"It's the absolute honor of my life... to accept the leadership of this great party," Harris said in his first speech as the party leader, according to Sky News.