worldwide news
Russian leader Vladimir Putin threw his weight behind proposals to amend Russia’s current constitutional cap on presidential term limits — a move that opens the door to Putin, 67, staying in power far beyond the end of his current and, in theory, final term in 2024.Under the proposed changes, which Putin insisted would need backing …
Read more “Russia’s Putin Hints at New Path to Staying in Power”
Italian streets are empty after the government extends a clampdown across the entire country in a bid to slow Europe’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus. Elsewhere, Lebanon records its first casualty from the virus while guests at a Canary Islands hotel celebrate the end of a two-week lockdown. VOA’s Mariama Diallo has more. …
As thousands of migrants continue to mass on the Turkey-Greece border, there were few signs of a breakthrough in emergency talks between Turkey and the European Union Monday. Meanwhile five EU member states, Germany, Finland, France, Luxembourg and Portugal, agreed to take in unaccompanied migrant children who are stuck in Greece, though the numbers are unclear.Ankara …
Read more “Amid Stalemate Over Greece-Turkey Border Crisis, EU Takes In Migrant Children”
As thousands of migrants continue to mass on the Turkey-Greece border, there were few signs of a breakthrough in emergency talks between Ankara and Brussels Monday. Turkey is hosting around four million migrants, many of them escaping the war in Syria. But critics say accuse Turkey of weaponizing the migrants to blackmail Europe. Henry Ridgwell …
Read more “Amid Stalemate Over Greece-Turkey Border Crisis, EU Takes in Some Migrant Children”
The United States has offered to sell Turkey its Patriot missile defense system if Ankara promises not to operate a rival Russian system, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, in what he called a significant softening in Washington’s position.Two Turkish officials told Reuters that Turkey was evaluating the U.S. offer but that Ankara had not changed …
Read more “Turkey Says US Offering Patriot Missiles If S-400 Not Operated”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is standing by his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, despite escalating tensions between them over Syria.Erdogan confirmed Tuesday his commitment to activate Russia’s S-400 missile system, claiming Washington’s “position regarding the S-400 has toned down significantly.”In a telephone press briefing Tuesday with James Jeffrey, U.S. special representative for Syria engagement, U.S. …
Read more “Erdogan Stands by Russia Despite Syrian Tensions”
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he agrees with a proposed constitutional amendment allowing him to seek another term in office, but only if it is approved by the Constitutional Court.”In principle, this option would be possible, but on one condition — if the constitutional court gives an official ruling that such an amendment would not …
Read more “Putin Agrees With Proposed Constitutional Change Allowing Him to Run For Reelection”
U.S. President Donald Trump will not be coming to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations on May 9, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Russia has repeatedly invited Trump to visit Moscow on the 75th anniversary of victory in World War II — the nation’s most important holiday. Trump said last year he appreciated the invitation, but wasn’t sure …
Read more “Kremlin: Trump not Coming to Moscow for Victory Day”
The death toll from coronavirus in Italy is mounting as nearly a quarter of the country’s population starts the week under travel and other restrictions. In the United States, the number of cases is surging – spreading to 34 states – with 22 people having died from the illness. In China, a different picture, with …
The European Union outlined Monday a new partnership with Africa that seeks to build a more equal relationship between the two sides. The strategy is still in the bare-bones stage. Many details still need filling in, including financial ones. European Union officials said they will be looking for feedback from African counterparts in the run-up to …
Public health officials and epidemiologists are at odds over how deadly COVID-19 will prove to be, with forecasts ranging from 1% to 3.4% of infected people dying. The disparity, disease modelers and virologists say, isn’t surprising for a novel virus. They warn national differences could skew predictions — especially if health care systems are …
Greeks and Turks are waging a proxy war on social media with photos, video and commentary purporting to show the other side behaving badly in a migrant crisis that has seriously strained already tense relations between Athens and Ankara.An estimated 35,000 migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere have been trying to enter …
Read more “Amid Migrant Crisis, Greece-Turkey Conflict Plays Out on Social Media”
European Union leaders are set to hold a teleconference “shortly” to discuss a coordinated EU response to the coronavirus outbreak, the president of the European Council Charles Michel said on Monday.”Following consultations I will hold a EUCO members conference call shortly on COVID-19 to coordinate EU efforts. We need to cooperate in order to protect …
Read more “EU Leaders Set to Hold Emergency Talks Over Coronavirus”
Italy’s coronavirus death toll spiked Sunday by 133 to 366, the most in any country outside China.With the growing health risks, Rome imposed a new emergency decree, locking down the northern part of the country with a quarter of Italy’s population.That includes the Lombardy region and the financial capital, Milan. In addition, Italy is closing …
Read more “Italy’s Coronavirus Death Toll Spikes as Lockdown Takes Effect”
Italy’s coronavirus death toll spiked Sunday by 133 to 366, the most in any country outside China.With the growing health risks, Rome imposed a new emergency decree, locking down the northern part of the country with a quarter of Italy’s population.The northern part of the country includes the Lombardy region and the financial capital, Milan. …
Relatives of the victims of the MH17 plane crash set up 298 empty chairs outside the Russian embassy in the Netherlands, a day before four individuals will stand trial at the Hague over their alleged involvement in the downing of the passenger jet.The Malaysian air flight crashed over territory in Ukraine held by pro-Russia separatists …
Read more “Families of MH17 Victims Stage Protest Ahead of Trial”
Countries hit by outbreaks of the novel coronavirus are celebrating International Women’s Day despite the cancellation of multiple events.In China, the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus which originated in the northeastern city of Wuhan, state-run news outlets celebrated the female health workers on the frontlines of the crisis.State-run media outlet Xinhua profiled female laboratory technicians, …
Read more “Celebrating International Women’s Day During an Epidemic”
The World Health Organization said Sunday that 100 countries are now reporting coronavirus cases with more than 100,000 people reported as being ill.”While very serious, this should not discourage us,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “There are many things everyone, everywhere can and should do now.”Tedros praised Italy for “taking bold, courageous steps aimed …
Read more “WHO: 100 Countries Now Reporting Coronavirus Cases”
More than 15 million people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early Sunday as the government approved drastic measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe.Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said via Twitter he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement in and …
Read more “One-Fourth of Italy’s Population Under Virus Lockdown”
Over the years, villagers who live near Greece’s border with Turkey got used to seeing small groups of people enter their country illegally. The Greek residents often offered the just-arrived newcomers a bite to eat and directed them to the nearest police or railway station.But the warm welcomes wore off. When Turkey started channeling thousands …
Read more “Greek Villagers Enlisted to Catch Migrants at Turkey Border”
Britain is expected to announce next week a new levy on banks and other firms regulated for anti-money laundering to raise up to 100 million pounds ($130 million) to tackle dirty money, the government said Saturday.London has long attracted corrupt foreign money, especially from Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan, former Soviet states and Asia, and the police …
Read more “UK Plans Levy on Banks, Others to Help Fight Money Laundering”
Pope Francis’s Angelus prayer on Sunday will be livestreamed in a break with centuries-old tradition, the Vatican announced as the number of coronavirus deaths in Italy soared past 200.Worldwide, the number of cases exceeded 100,000 and the overall death toll was more than 3,500 across 95 nations and territories.The World Health Organization called the spread …
Read more “Pope’s Sunday Prayer to Be Livestreamed as Coronavirus Spreads”
The tent camps sprouting around Paris are a potent affirmation that Europe has never figured out a sustainable migration strategy since its 2015-16 migrant crisis. In periodic pre-dawn raids, police dismantle them. But eventually they sprout back, often in tougher, grimier places. Today, fears of another mass influx of asylum-seekers have come roaring back, and …
North Korea accused several European nations of “illogical thinking” Saturday after they called a closed-door U.N. Security Council meeting to condemn missile launches by the reclusive state earlier this week.Britain, Germany, France, Estonia and Belgium raised North Korea’s latest missile firings at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, calling them a provocative action that violated …
Read more “North Korea Slams European Nations for ‘Illogical Thinking’ Over Missile Launches”