Europe

BUDAPEST, July 19. /TASS/:  Hungary will not allow the European Union to use funds from the European Peace Fund to finance arms supplies to Ukraine until OTP Bank is removed from Ukraine’s list of "international sponsors of the war," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at a press conference in Budapest after a meeting with his Yemeni counterpart.

Answering questions from reporters, he noted that the position of the Hungarian government on this issue has not changed.

MOSCOW, July 19. /TASS/: Poland will not open its borders to grain from Ukraine and will unilaterally extend the ban on its supply to the country after September 15, if the European Commission refuses to do so.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki made this announcement at a press conference following a meeting of representatives of the ministries of agriculture of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

ATHENS, Jul 19 (NNN-AMNA) – Hundreds of Greek firefighters continued for a second day yesterday, to battle two major wildfires near Dervenochoria, some 30 km north-west of Athens, and near the seaside resort of Loutraki, about 80 km south-west of the capital, authorities said.

No injuries have been reported, but the blazes scorched forested areas and forced the evacuation of six settlements, Fire Service spokesperson, Vasilios Vathrakogiannis, said, in a press release.

PRAGUE, July 19 (Reuters) - The head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy service said on Wednesday last month's mutiny by Russian mercenaries showed there were 'deep fractures' surrounding the Kremlin, and invited Russians appalled by the war in Ukraine to come spy for Britain.

In just his second public speech since becoming chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in 2020, Richard Moore said there appeared to be little prospect of Russia regaining momentum in Ukraine.

LONDON/GAYDON, England, July 19 (Reuters) - India's Tata Group will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Britain to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories, delivering a major boost for a UK car industry in need of domestic battery production to help secure its future.

The announcement marks Britain's biggest move in the car gigafactory space as it seeks to keep up with the United States and European Union in the race to develop green industries.

KYIV, July 19 (Reuters) - Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of damaging grain export infrastructure in "hellish" overnight strikes focused on two of its Black Sea ports, vowing not to be intimidated from working to keep grain exports moving out of them.

Russia attacked the Odesa region for the second consecutive night after quitting a year-old deal allowing the safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea on Monday. Ukraine said it was setting up a temporary shipping route to Romania.

July 19 (Reuters) - A fire that broke out at the military training grounds in the Kirovske district on the Crimean Peninsula has forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people and a closure of nearby highway, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea said on Wednesday.

"It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements - this is more than 2,000 people," Russian-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov of Crimea said on the Telegram messaging app.

There was no reason given for the fire, which also forced the partial closure of the major Tavridy Highway.

ST. PETERSBURG, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia will develop an international information exchange system to counter the legalization of illegal income, the government announced on Tuesday.

According to the government's press service, Russia will develop the system in cooperation with countries of Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, which will become one of the tools to fight money laundering.

LEEDS, Britain, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The China-Northern England Cooperation Forum was held here Monday, bringing together business representatives from China and Britain to explore new opportunities for cooperation in investment and trade.

At the forum themed "Partnership for a Prosperous Future," Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang noted that trade and investment relationship between China and Britain serves the fundamental interests of both sides.

He pointed out that thanks to the measures China has put in place more growth opportunities will be generated.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Missiles and drones launched by Russia in an intense series of nation-wide nightime air attacks have damaged critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine, including grain and oil terminals, and wounded at least 12 people, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.