Europe

KYIV, May 29 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian presidential aide said on Monday a demilitarised zone of 100-120 km (62-75 miles) should be established inside Russia along the border with Ukraine as part of a post-war settlement.

The zone would be necessary to protect Ukrainian regions from Russian attacks, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

"The key theme of the post-war settlement should be the establishment of safeguards to avoid the recurrence of aggression in the future," he wrote.

VATICAN CITY, May 29 (Reuters) - The Vatican urged bishops and high-profile lay Catholic leaders on Monday to tone down their comments on social media, saying some were causing division and stoking polemics that harmed the entire Church.

The appeal was part of a 20-page document by the Vatican's communications department titled, "Towards Full Presence. A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media."

WARSAW, May 29 (Reuters) - Poland's president said on Monday he would sign a bill to allow a panel to investigate whether the opposition Civic Platform (PO) party allowed the country to be unduly influenced by Russia and as a result too dependent on its fuel when it was in power.

The liberal PO, in government from 2007 to 2015, rejects the claims and says the law is designed to destroy support for its leader and former prime minister Donald Tusk ahead of an election scheduled for October or November.

MOSCOW, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday on the denunciation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).

The relevant document has been published on Russia's official legal information portal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia's denunciation of the CFE will have no direct impact because the mechanism has been non-working for a long time.

"The Russian side simply brought the situation de facto into line," Peskov said.

MADRID, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called a general election for the country on July 23.

Sanchez announced his decision from his official residence following the defeat of his Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) to the People's Party (PP) in the elections for 12 of Spain's regional governments and over 8,000 city halls on Sunday.

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci, who is on trial in The Hague on 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, was in Kosovo on Monday to visit his sick mother, the court said.

An email message from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers said that “due to compelling humanitarian grounds, … the Trial Panel has instructed the Registry to manage a custodial visit to Kosovo for Hashim Thaci to meet family.”

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Interior Ministry on Monday issued an arrest warrant for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham following his comments related to the fighting in Ukraine.

In an edited video of his meeting on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that was released by Zelenskyy’s office, Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, noted that “the Russians are dying” and described the U.S. military assistance to the country as “the best money we’ve ever spent.”

29 May 2023; AA: Spain has decisively swung toward the right after local elections Sunday resulted in right-wing parties winning power in most major cities and in several regional governments. 

The conservative Popular Party and far-right party Vox surged in popularity across the country as the liberal Ciudadanos party virtually disappeared.

The outcome was a blow for Spain’s left-wing parties, particularly since it occurred only months before general elections.

28 May 2023; MEMO: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory in the presidential election.

Putin said he appreciates Erdogan's contribution in strengthening of "friendly" relations between Moscow and Ankara, and expressed his readiness to continue "constructive dialogue" on bilateral, regional and international agenda, the Kremlin said in a statement.

MILAN (AP) — Italian firefighters said Monday that they have recovered four bodies from a northern Italian lake after a tourist boat capsized in a sudden, violent storm.

Divers searched overnight after a whirlwind overturned the boat carrying more than 20 tourists and crew Sunday evening. The final body was recovered early Monday.

Firefighters said 19 people were saved. Many reportedly managed to swim to shore, or were picked up by other boats.

Firefighter video released Sunday showed pieces of wood floating in the lake as a helicopter flew overhead.