Category: World

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 …

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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, …

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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”

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 …

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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 …

Read more “Britain Warns of Wider Coronavirus Threat”

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 …

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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 …

Read more “Half of World’s Sandy Beaches at Risk from Climate Change”

Authorities in Greece are facing the biggest mass migration push in years and the government in Athens is laying blame with Turkey.Greece is beefing up its defenses along its land and sea borders with its neighbor; but, the heightened controls are starting to take a deadly toll.On Monday, Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas openly accused …

Read more “Greece Grapples With New Migration Crisis”

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 …

Read more “Syrian Government Recaptures Strategic Town of Saraqeb from Turkish-Backed Rebels”

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 …

Read more “Russian Court Sends Opposition Activist Kotov’s Case to Moscow Appeals Unit”

Tourists trying to visit the Louvre Museum on Monday are out of luck, as the world’s most visited museum stayed closed for a second straight day because of workers’ worries about the potential spread of the new virus. Most of the Paris landmark’s 9.6 million visitors last year came from other countries, and the museum …

Read more “France’s Louvre Stays Shut Amid Staff Fears of Virus Spread”