Author: Fworld

The European Union has pledged over $780 million to help Greece cope with a surge in the number of migrants trying to cross into the country from Turkey, as the bloc fears a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis.Greece has closed down the land border and ramped up security around islands in the Aegean Sea …

The European Union has pledged over three-quarters of a billion dollars to help Greece cope with a surge in the number of migrants trying to cross into the country from Turkey, as the bloc fears a repeat of the 2015 crisis. Greece has closed down the land border and ramped up security across the frontier. …

A German cruise ship with 1,200 passengers is moored in southern Norway waiting for the test results of two passengers who had been on land to be tested for the new coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. The town of Haugesund, 110 kilometers (70 miles) south of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, was alerted Monday by the …

A Mexican scientist pleaded not guilty Tuesday to U.S. charges that he spied for Russia in Miami. The plea was entered in a brief hearing by Ronald Gainor, attorney for 35-year-old Hector Cabrera Fuentes. Cabrera stood nearby in chains and a tan jail outfit but did not speak. Cabrera also has now been formally indicted …

British officials are trying to ready the country for a “more widespread transmission” of coronavirus and have warned that in the event of a major spread cities could be locked down and public transport suspended.But they are being buffeted by a headwind of criticism — either being blamed for sowing the seeds of panic, or …

More than 700 police officers searched 30 homes and businesses across Germany on Tuesday in a crackdown on human trafficking from Vietnam, authorities said.      The raids focused on 13 suspects, all Vietnamese, who were alleged to have illegally trafficked at least 155 of their fellow country people into Germany. Six arrests were made …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has hopes of reaching a deal on a cease-fire in Syria’s northwest when he meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Moscow.“I hope that he will take the necessary measures there, such as a cease-fire, and that we will find a solution to this affair,” the Turkish …

Scientists say that half of the world’s sandy beaches could disappear by the end of the century if climate change continues unchecked.Researchers at the European Union’s Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, used satellite images to track the way beaches have changed over the past 30 years and simulated how global warming might affect them …

Syrian government forces have recaptured the strategic town of Saraqeb on the Damascus to Aleppo highway, one day after Turkish fighter jets reportedly shot down two Syrian government SU-24 warplanes. Damascus is also claiming it shot down three Turkish drones.  Syrian state TV showed its correspondent standing next to the strategic Damascus to Aleppo highway, which …

A Russian court has sent the high-profile case of an opposition activist imprisoned for repeatedly taking part in unsanctioned rallies to an appeals unit of the Moscow City Court.Moscow’s Court Of Cassations No. 2 said on March 2 that it rejected a motion by Konstantin Kotov’s lawyers and prosecutors to annul a four-year prison term …

The coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy has so overwhelmed the public health system there that officials are taking extraordinary measures to care for the sick, seeking to bring doctors out of retirement and accelerate graduation dates for nursing students.The region of Lombardy has been the epicenter of Italy’s outbreak, registering the first positive test and …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he hopes to reach a cease-fire deal for Syria’s Idlib province during talks this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.The two leaders are due to meet Thursday in Moscow.Turkey and Russia back competing sides in the Syrian conflict, which has increasingly turned violent in Idlib and sent one …

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called current oil price levels “acceptable” in a possible sign that Moscow is willing to bend when the world’s biggest oil exporters gather this week in Vienna to discuss supply curbs as coronavirus effects pummel oil demand and prices.Putin also said Moscow was approaching a so-called OPEC+ meeting this week …

British health authorities on Sunday confirmed 12 more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the country’s overall tally to 35, and the Czech Republic announced its first three infections.The British government’s chief medical officer, Prof. Chris Whitty, said one of the new patients “had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether they …

The spreading coronavirus epidemic  shut down France’s Louvre Museum on Sunday, with workers who guard its trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum’s flow of visitors from around the world.”We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere,” said Andre Sacristin, a Louvre employee and union representative for its staffers.”The risk is …

Pope Francis said Sunday he would not be taking part in a planned six-day spiritual retreat south of Rome after coming down with a “cold”.The 83-year-old pontiff suffered two coughing spells that forced him to turn away from the crowd and cover his mouth with his fist on a windy and cloudy day on Saint …

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday threatened to let thousands of refugees cross into Europe and warned Damascus would “pay a price” after dozens of Turkish troops were killed inside Syria.Around 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said as several thousand migrants were in skirmishes with …

Deaths continue to mount from the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, with Australia, Thailand and Japan reporting new fatalities.In Australia, a 78-year-old man who had been quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship died in Perth, becoming that country’s first outbreak fatality, while in Thailand, a 35-year-old salesman described as having had contact with foreign tourists became …

Thousands rallied in central Moscow on Saturday to call on President Vladimir Putin not to stay in power indefinitely, in the first major protest by the Russian opposition since the Kremlin chief announced controversial plans to change the constitution. The rally marked five years since the assassination of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, but its organizers also …

Some 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border after Turkey’s president threatened to allow some of the 3.6 million refugees in the country cross into Europe, the United Nations said Saturday. “Thousands of migrants, including families with young children, are passing a cold night along the border between Turkey and Greece,” the International Organization for Migration said …

The pro-Irish unity Sinn Fein party would easily win a repeat Irish election if ongoing government talks fail, with an opinion poll on Saturday showing it has almost twice as much support as its two nearest rivals. The left-wing party’s support jumped to 35%, ahead of Fianna Fail at 20% and acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael at 18% …

In another one of its many fallouts, the coronavirus is creating new strains for Europe’s 26-nation Schengen zone that allows for the free movement of people among member states. European officials say, for now, there is no reason to close borders, but the spread of the virus seems to bolster nationalist arguments for the zone …

France’s annual Cesar Award film ceremony Friday is already clouded in controversy, with a shake-up of its board, sexual assault accusations against top director Roman Polanski, and now, fresh calls for more diversity on screen.After Hollywood, French cinema is having its own introspective moment. The latest hashtag trending this week is #BlackCesars, after some 30 …

Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation, responsible for investigating high-level crime in that country, Thursday opened a criminal case concerning alleged pressure by then-U.S. vice president Joe Biden to get rid of Viktor Shokin, then Ukraine’s prosecutor general.Biden, who served under former U.S. President Barack Obama, is running for the Democratic Party nomination to unseat U.S. …

Fears of an escalating conflict in Syria grew Friday as Turkish forces pounded Syria’s military in retaliation for the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers. Meanwhile, Russia’s and Turkey’s presidents spoke, as Ankara threatens to launch even more assaults on Russian-backed Syrian forces.”Turkish forces destroyed five Syrian regime choppers, 23 tanks, 10 armored vehicles, 23 howitzers, …

Tensions between Russia and Turkey over their sometimes allied and often dueling military campaigns in Syria broke into the open Friday, with Moscow blaming Ankara for the deaths of 33 Turkish troops in Syria’s Idlib region during airstrikes. While Russia denied any role in the deaths of the Turkish soldiers, the Kremlin accused Turkish forces of operating unannounced in the …