Europe

BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A new edition of the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona (GFB) is being held from Monday to Wednesday, championing respect for biodiversity as the foundation of the food sector.

The GFB brings together up to 20,000 professionals from the world of food and gastronomy, with more than 350 exhibiting companies, large and small, showcasing the latest innovations in the sector.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Chinese military official Wednesday that Moscow and Beijing should expand their cooperation on military satellites and other prospective defense technologies— a statement that signaled increasingly close defense links between the allies.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank and other policymakers across Europe need to keep interest rates at current elevated levels until they’re sure inflation is under control despite sluggish growth, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday, warning against “premature celebration” as inflation declines from its peak.

The Washington-based IMF said that cost of underestimating inflation’s persistence could be painfully high and result in another painful round of rate hikes that could rob the economy of a large chunk of growth.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia received positive news on Wednesday about their quests to join the European Union, but countries in the volatile Balkans region that have waited years longer to become members of the world’s biggest trading bloc appeared to slip back in the queue.

In a series of reports on countries wanting to join the bloc’s ranks, the EU’s executive branch recommended that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks, once it’s addressed some shortfalls.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s intelligence agency took credit for a car bombing Wednesday that killed a member of the Russia-backed authority in the illegally annexed Luhansk region.

Mikhail Filiponenko was a member of the local legislature and previously served as police chief. He had survived a car bombing on Feb. 21, 2022, three days before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Local officials announced Filiponenko’s death.

SPATA, Greece (AP) — In an olive grove on the outskirts of Athens, grower Konstantinos Markou pushes aside the shoots of new growth to reveal the stump of a tree — a roughly 150-year-old specimen, he said, that was among 15 cut down on his neighbor’s land by thieves eager to turn it into money.

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/: Russian forces have destroyed over 8,700 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian army since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/: The price of Brent crude futures with delivery in January on the London ICE exchange fell below $83 per barrel for the first time since August 25, according to exchange data.

As of 05:32 p.m. Moscow time, the Brent price dropped by 2.24% to $82.97 per barrel.

By 05:50 p.m. Moscow time, Brent futures contract was trading at $82.95 per barrel (-2.26%). The price of a futures contract for WTI oil with delivery in January fell by 1.81% to $78.63 per barrel.

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a phone call with Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein al-Sheikh that Russian nationals need to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/: France has scuttled Russia’s participation in the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference by not issuing visas to members of the Russian delegation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.