Month: March 2020

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday agreed to a cease-fire in northwestern Syria, following talks in Moscow on easing tensions in the region.The two leaders said the cease-fire would take effect at midnight local time in the area of Idlib, where a Syrian and Russian offensive has driven more than …

Read more “Russian and Turkish Presidents Reach Cease-Fire Deal in Northwestern Syria”

Britain and the European Union began crucial talks this week on their future trading relationship after the Brexit transition period ends December 31, leaving less than 10 months for the two sides to negotiate and ratify any deal. On the same day as the talks began, Britain published its negotiating position for a trade agreement …

Read more “‘Salmon for Stetsons’: Britain Hopes US Trade Deal Will Pressure Europe”

The Carnival period in Venice usually marks the start of peak season in one of the world’s most visited cities, with hordes of tourists piling onto vaporettos to cruise the Grand Canal, strolling through cobblestone streets and lingering in picturesque cafes.      Venice in the time of coronavirus, though, is a shell of itself, …

Read more “Venice a Shell of Itself as Tourists Flee Virus”

British regional airline Flybe collapsed Thursday after a plunge in travel demand, making the long-struggling carrier one of the first big corporate casualties of the coronavirus outbreak.The failure of an airline that connects all corners of the United Kingdom with major European destinations not only puts around 2,400 jobs at risk but could also see …

Read more “Flybe 2nd British Airline to Fail, Stranding Travelers”

Judges are expected to rule on an appeal by International Criminal Court prosecutors of the rejection of an investigation into atrocities committed by all sides in the Afghanistan conflict, including U.S. forces.Thursday’s hearing could clear the way for Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open a full investigation into alleged crimes by the Taliban, Afghan government forces …

Read more “ICC to Rule on Afghanistan Investigation Appeal”

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Moscow on Thursday for a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at de-escalating tensions between the armies of Turkey, a NATO member, and Russia, a nuclear superpower, in Syria’s war-torn Idlib province. While nominally partners in a fight against terrorism in the region, Moscow and Ankara have been cast …

Read more “Erdogan, Putin to Seek to Avoid Clash Over Syria’s Idlib “

Its doomed maiden voyage happened more than a century ago, but the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 remains the stuff of popular culture and the object of deep-sea salvage.  A firm has recovered more than 5,000 of its artifacts, but as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, time may be running out to raise the ship’s Holy …

Read more “Titanic’s Wireless Telegraph Could Be Brought to Surface”

The United States appears to have found a new partner in its drive to discourage European allies from building their 5G telecommunication networks with Chinese equipment.In a joint declaration last week, the U.S. and the Baltic nation of Latvia agreed to encourage the use of “reliable and trustworthy network hardware” as the world builds out …

Read more “Latvia Joins US in Call for ‘Trustworthy’ 5G Hardware”

Ukraine’s parliament voted in favor of appointing the president’s choice for a new prime minister, 44-year-old Denys Shmyhal, after overwhelmingly accepting the resignation of his predecessor, Oleksiy Honcharuk.In all, 291 members of the Verkhovna Rada voted for Shmyhal’s appointment on Wednesday with 59 opposing, 46 abstaining, and nine not voting.Earlier, 353 lawmakers voted to accept …

Read more “Ukraine’s Parliament Approves Shmyhal as PM Amid Government Reshuffle”

The Louvre is no longer taking cash, because of the coronavirus outbreak.   The world’s most-visited museum is shifting to card-only payments as part of new measures that helped persuade employees worried about getting sick to return to work Wednesday. Louvre workers who guard Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and other masterpieces walked off the job on …

Read more “No Money for Masterpieces: Louvre Bans Cash Over Virus Fears”

Italian media reported Wednesday Italy was closing all schools and universities until mid-March amid a coronavirus outbreak as governments around the world continue to take measures to keep the virus from spreading.Italy reported a sharp increase in coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, up to 79, the most outside of China. Iran, meanwhile, has again canceled Friday …

Read more “Italy Shuts Schools Amid Coronavirus Outbreak”

Amazon and other big companies are trying to keep their employees healthy by banning business trips, but they’ve dealt a gut punch to a travel industry already reeling from the virus outbreak.The Seattle-based online retail giant has told its nearly 800,000 workers to postpone any non-essential travel within the United States or around the globe. …

Read more “Virus Hammers Business Travel as Wary Companies Nix Trips”

Wednesday, the nonprofit group, Freedom House, releases its annual report on freedom and the state of democracy around the world.  Continuing a 14-year trend, some of the findings are discouraging.  As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, the group says individual freedoms and democratic systems are under attack. …

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. …

Read more “Europe Locks Down Greece-Turkey Border, Blames Ankara For Migrant Crisis”

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 …

Read more “Europe Locks Down Greece Border, Blames Turkey For Migrant Crisis”

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 …

Read more “Mexican Accused by US as Russian Agent Pleads not Guilty”