Europe

LONDON, December 15. /TASS/: The United Kingdom will impose a ban on imports of diamonds from Russia beginning from January 1, 2024, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office said in a statement.

"The UK government is introducing separate legislation to ban the import of diamonds from Russia and plans to proceed with a prohibition on ancillary services relating to metals when this can be done in concert with international partners," the statement says.

PARIS, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of journalists killed in the line of duty fell this year, despite reporter deaths in Gaza in the past two months, media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said Thursday.

In the first 11 months of 2023, 45 journalists were killed carrying out their work, down from 61 last year, according to the annual report by RSF.

It was the smallest number since 33 died in 2002, largely due to a major drop in Latin America.

COPENHAGEN/DUBAI, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Danish shipping company Maersk on Friday denied a claim by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement that the militia carried out a drone strike on a Maersk vessel sailing towards Israel.

The Houthis earlier claimed it carried out a military operation against a Maersk container vessel, directly hitting it with a drone. The Houthis, who made the claim in a statement, did not release any evidence.

MOSCOW, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared briefly lost for words on Thursday when confronted with an AI-generated version of himself.

The "double" took the opportunity to put a question to Putin about artificial intelligence during an annual news conference where dozens of callers from around the country were hooked up to the president by video link.

BRUSSELS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - European Union leaders made a historic decision on Thursday to open membership talks with Ukraine, bypassing objections from Hungary to give Kyiv a major political boost as its war against Russia's invasion grinds on.

Although membership would likely be many years away, the decision at a summit in Brussels takes Ukraine a step closer to its long-term strategic goal of anchoring itself in the West and liberating itself from Moscow's orbit.

COPENHAGEN/BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Seven people, including four suspected Hamas members, were arrested in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, authorities in the three countries said on Thursday.

The arrests were made as Israel pressed on with its operation to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a war that was touched off by a cross-border Oct. 7 assault on Israeli towns by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement.

MOSCOW, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine does not wish to hold negotiations on its demilitarization, so Russia is forced to take other measures including military ones, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

He made this statement during his annual press conference and question-and-answer session.

"As for demilitarization, they (Ukraine) don't want to negotiate, well, then we are forced to take other measures, including military measures," said Putin.

When Russia realizes its target of the special military operation, then peace will come, he added.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The European Union's (EU) leaders convened here on Thursday and Friday, placing discussions over financial aid for Ukraine, the country's possible accession to the bloc, and the Middle East situation on their top agenda.

"Now is the time for decision-making. I call on you all to come equipped with a spirit of compromise, a sense of collective responsibility, with the Union's interests and values at the forefront of your minds," Charles Michel, president of the European Council, wrote in his invitation letter to the EU leaders.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ireland’s prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that the European Union is losing its credibility because of a lack of a strong position in the war between Israel and Hamas, urging his counterparts to call for a humanitarian cease-fire.

Speaking at the start of a EU summit in Brussels focusing more on Ukraine, Varadkar said the EU should condemn “terrorism perpetrated by Hamas,” but also call for justice for the Palestinian people.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders struggled at the start of a two-day summit Thursday to keep intact their two most basic promises to Ukraine at war — to give it the money and wherewithal to stave off the Russian invasion and maintain its hope that one day it will be able to join the wealthy bloc.