Europe

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Almost 50 European leaders used a summit in the southern Spanish city of Granada on Thursday to stress they stand by Ukraine at a time when Western resolve appears somewhat weakened.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that besides maintaining such unity, more military aid to get through the winter was just as essential.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia targeted Ukraine with drones in another massive attack early Thursday as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Spain to rally support from Western allies at a summit of some 50 European leaders.

Ukraine’s air force said that the country’s air defenses intercepted 24 out of 29 Iranian-made drones that Russia launched at the southern Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions.

04 October 2023; MEMO: Spain, Portugal and Morocco joined to be the only bidder to host the 2030 World Cup as the three nations will host matches, FIFA confirmed Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

BERLIN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 jolted Iceland at 1612 GMT on Wednesday, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 64.44 degrees north latitude and 17.64 degrees west longitude. 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials from the International Monetary Fund say they expect the United States will continue playing its key role in amassing multinational support that has helped keep Ukraine’s economy afloat during Russia’s invasion.

That’s despite Congress recently passing a short-term funding package that averted a U.S. government shutdown but dropped $6 billion in aid to Ukraine. It’s not clear if, when or how that aid installment might be restored.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis shamed and challenged world leaders on Wednesday to commit to binding targets to slow climate change before it’s too late, warning that God’s increasingly warming creation is fast reaching a “point of no return.”

In an unusually bleak update to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment, Francis heightened the alarm about the “irreversible” harm to people and planet already under way and lamented that once again, the world’s poor and most vulnerable are paying the highest price.

(AP) --- Russian air defenses shot down 31 Ukrainian drones during a concerted nighttime attack by Kyiv’s forces on border regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday, as uncertainty grew over Ukraine’s future access to weapons and ammunition from Western allies.

The drone attack appeared to be Kyiv’s largest single cross-border drone assault reported by Moscow since the Kremlin launched its invasion 20 months ago. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Venetians stopped in dismay Wednesday to pay respects to the 21 foreign tourists who were killed when an all-electric shuttle bus crashed through an overpass guardrail and fence, plunging more than 10 meters to the ground.

It’s a road they had traveled many times and considered safe but now stopped to inspect the aging guardrail and rusted fence.

The bus, which was just a year old, crashed to the ground and landed upside down on Tuesday night. The 40-year-old driver was among those killed and 15 people were injured.

GENEVA (AP) — A unique 2030 World Cup is set to be played in Europe and Africa with the surprising addition of South America in a deal to allow the men’s soccer tournament to start with a 100th birthday party in Uruguay.

FIFA reached an agreement Wednesday between soccer’s continental leaders to accept only one candidate for hosting the 2030 tournament in six countries, the sport’s governing body said.

Moscow, IRNA – The share of national currencies in commercial transactions between Russia and Iran has increased to 90 percent, according to the head of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on the Budget and Financial Markets.

Speaking at a meeting with the head members of the Iranian Parliament’s Planning, Budget and Research Committee in Moscow on Tuesday, Anatoly Artamonov said the two countries settle their mutual payments using national currencies.