Europe

BAGHDAD, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday that his government granted one billion euros (1.15 billion U.S. dollars) loan to Iraq to support reconstruction and stability efforts in the areas destroyed by the war against the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants.

"France has decided to allocate a loan of one billion euros to Iraq to contribute to the reconstruction and stabilization efforts in the country," Le Drian told a joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed al-Hakim.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s space agency says another attempt by its specialists to establish contact with an orbiting radio telescope has failed.

The Spektr-R satellite is continuing to transmit signals, but scientists have been unable to control the satellite since Friday.

Alexander Bloshenko, an adviser to the Roscosmos space agency, was quoted by the state news agency Tass as saying that Sunday’s attempt to restore contact had failed. Another attempt is expected on Monday.

BERLIN (AP) — A German labor union has expanded a planned strike by security staff at Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday to include several other airports, including Hamburg.

News agency dpa reported that the ver.di union on Sunday announced the one-day walkout at Hamburg, two days after calling the strike at Frankfurt, Germany’s busiest hub.

Walkouts are also expected Tuesday at the smaller Hannover, Bremen, Leipzig-Halle, Dresden and Erfurt airports.

13 Jan 2019; AFP: A possible land swap between Serbia and Kosovo, suggested by their leaders to end one of Europe's most volatile territorial disputes, has sparked concerns that the border could be redrawn along ethnic lines and reignite festering communal ethnic animosities.

With few details yet made public, media reports say that the Serb majority northern border region around the city of Mitrovica would be incorporated into Serbia under the plan, which would also see Belgrade hand over a mainly ethnic Albanian region in Serbia.

13 Jan 2019; AFP: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday spelled out the questions underpinning his "great national debate", a public consultation aiming to quell "yellow vest" anger after nearly two months of sometimes violent protests.

Macron made his appeal in a "letter to the French" released on Sunday, following the ninth consecutive Saturday of nationwide "yellow vest" rallies which saw an uptick in turnout.

WARSAW, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The mayor of northern Polish city of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz, was stabbed by a man while he was on stage of a charity event held in the Baltic city of Gdansk on Sunday evening, local media reported.

According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Adamowicz was attacked during the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. He was immediately taken to hospital and is in serious condition. The suspect was arrested at the scene.

LONDON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday that a failure to support her Brexit deal will be catastrophic for Britain.

In a strongly worded plea to politicians, May described the vote due to be taken in the House of Commons on Tuesday as the biggest and most important decision MPs will be taking in a generation.

Writing in the Sunday Express newspaper, May told the people of Britain: "You have delivered your instructions. Now it is our turn to deliver for you. We cannot, and must not, let you down."

PARIS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A woman who was reported missing was found lifeless, a day after a gas explosion blew up a building in the center of Paris, a state radio reported on Sunday.

French rescuers have found the victim's body buried under the rubble earlier on Sunday, France info said, citing a source from Paris prosecutor office.

The death of the 28-year-old woman, who lived in the exploded building, brought the death toll to four. Two firefighters and a Spanish tourist were confirmed dead on Saturday.

12 Jan 2019; AFP: An explosion that caused a fire at a bakery in central Paris on Saturday killed at least three people and injured 47, French authorities said. At least 10 people are believed to be in critical condition after the blast, which blew out windows and overturned cars.

Two of those killed were firefighters, according to police. Later, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said a woman from Spain who was on holiday in Paris also died as a result of the explosion.

The remains of a German UC-61 submarine have reappeared near a French seaside resort. The submarine was used to sink merchant ships during the First World War. Parts of the U-boat have been visible since December.

The wreckage of a German submarine used in World War I has reappeared on a beach in northern France after being buried under the sand for decades.

The UC-61 submarine sank more than a century ago, with the 20-member crew abandoning the vessel then scuttling it.