Europe

PARIS (AP) — A fire ripped through a vacation home for adults with disabilities in eastern France on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, the head of rescue operations said.

Lt. Col. Philippe Hauwiller, who was leading the rescue work of firefighters, said crews were searching for the bodies of two others who were feared dead in the fire. Authorities said 17 people were evacuated, including one who was sent to a hospital with serious injuries.

09 August 2023; MEMO: Pro-democracy demonstrators gathered in the Cypriot city of Paphos to protest outside the hotel where Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was staying during his vacation, Israeli media reported.

"It must be nice to sleep in a democracy," the demonstrators shouted at the far-right extremist Israeli minister.

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/: Russia is strong enough to achieve all of the goals of its special military operation despite facing an almost direct confrontation with all of NATO, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram.

He drew parallels between the current conflict and the developments that took place in South Ossetia in August 2008.

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/: Moscow is hoping that Tbilisi will adopt a more constructive approach to the Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus because progress on this track is in the interests of all countries in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in her commentary on the 15th anniversary of the onset of Georgia’s military aggression in South Ossetia.

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/: Russian air defense forces intercepted five rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed 17 Ukrainian combat drones over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/: The Russian News Agency TASS and the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation have signed a partnership agreement, which, among other things, is aimed at raising awareness about voter rights and providing them with information.

The document was signed at the agency's press center by Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson of Russia’s Central Election Commission, and Andrey Kondrashov, Director General of TASS.

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin is submitting to the State Duma draft amendments to the procedure of notifying the United Nations and the Council of Europe in the event of the introduction or termination of martial law or state of emergency in Russia. The official portal of legal information published a presidential decree saying that Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko will be the official representative of the president during the consideration of these amendments by the Russian parliament.

LJUBLJANA, Aug 8 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Clean-up operations in Slovenia were in full flow Saturday after torrential rains and severe floods brought havoc to the Alpine country in its worst natural disaster since independence, officials said.

As heavy rainfall started to ease, with the weather situation gradually normalising, the extent of the damage caused by the devastating floods was being assessed.

LISBON, Aug 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Around 800 personnel attended a fire near the southern town of Odemira overnight on Monday, with more than 1,400 people having to evacuate.

At least nine firefighters have been injured tackling the fires.

Temperatures in excess of 40C (104F) are expected to hit much of the Iberian peninsula this week.

Three major fires that scorched hundreds of hectares in Spain over the weekend have been brought under control, but weather alerts remain in place across much of the country.

Aug 8 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree suspending Russia's double taxation agreements with what it calls "unfriendly countries" - those that have imposed sanctions on Moscow - the state news agency RIA reported on Tuesday.

The measure had been proposed by the Finance Ministry and the Foreign Ministry in March.

Western countries have imposed successive waves of economic sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February last year, which it calls a "special military operation".