Europe

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin sought Monday to deflect blame from the Kremlin for a riot in the southern region of Dagestan that targeted a flight from Israel, charging without evidence that Ukrainian agents of Western spy agencies were behind the rampage.

More than 20 people were hurt — none Israelis — in the clashes Sunday night that Putin cast as part of U.S. efforts to weaken Russia.

KIEV, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will introduce multi-level protection of energy facilities, the government press service reported Monday, citing Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko.

The "protective shield" over Ukraine's energy infrastructure will include air defense systems and equipment, making Ukraine the first country in the world to have such protection of energy facilities, Galushchenko said.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of security and law enforcement officials Monday, the day after a mob stormed the airport in the southern region of Dagestan after a flight from Israel landed there.

Hundreds of angry men, some carrying banners with antisemitic slogans, rushed onto the tarmac of the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, on Sunday night, looking for Israeli passengers on the flight from Tel Aviv, according to Russian news reports.

29 October 2023; MEMO: Tens of thousands of people once again held a massive pro-Palestine rally in the British capital on Saturday amid intensifying attacks on Gaza.

Chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, people gathered in Embankment and later held a march towards Parliament Square with Palestinian flags.

As the Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified, the protesters called for an immediate cease-fire, criticizing the British government for its support to Israel.

30 October 2023; MEMO: Tens of thousands stormed an airport in Dagestan, a republic in Russia, yesterday protesting against the arrival of an Israeli plane.

Dagestan media published a video showing huge crowds storming the gates of Makhachkala Airport, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan, and trying to reach the runway to force the plane to turn back.

Palestinian flags were raised and protesters chanted “God is Great” throughout Makhachkala Airport...

Russia. October 29. /TASS/: Russia is sparing no effort for the release of hostage kept by Hamas, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

"We are doing our best on all the tracks. First, this is political work in international formats, in the United Nations, to lobby the most important thing - namely, to cease fire, stop violence, to achieve what is generally called de-escalation," she said in an interview with the Voskresny Vecher (Sunday Evening) With Vladimir Soloviov on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

MOSCOW, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Russia will confiscate assets belonging to European Union states it deems unfriendly if the bloc "steals" frozen Russian funds in a drive to fund Ukraine, a top ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Friday that the EU executive was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction.

LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in cities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday to show support for the Palestinians as Israel's military widened its air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip.

In one of the biggest marches, in London, aerial footage showed large crowds marching through the centre of the capital to demand the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak call for a ceasefire.

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine are locked in a stalemate on the frontlines of their war and the two sides need to sit down and negotiate an end to the conflict, Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader of Belarus and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said over the weekend.

"There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position," Lukashenko said.

"They're there head-to-head, to the death, entrenched. People are dying."

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian air defense shot down over 30 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula overnight Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday.

“The air defense systems in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula,” the ministry wrote on Telegram.