Damage to Historic Monasteries on Mount Athos After Earthquake; Bulgarian Monastery Remains Unharmed
A recent earthquake in northern Greece caused damage to three centuries-old monasteries on Mount Athos
The US is to terminate a programme that gives more than 50,000 immigrants from Haiti protection against deportation, reported BBC.
Immigrants from the Caribbean nation received protected status in 2010 after a devastating earthquake.
But the Trump administration says conditions there have now improved and its nationals can return safely.
It says their protected status will end in July 2019, giving Haitians 18 months to return or otherwise legalise their immigration status in the US.
"Those extraordinary but temporary conditions caused by the 2010 earthquake no longer exist," a statement from the US Department of Homeland Security said.
"Significant steps have been taken to improve the stability and quality of life for Haitian citizens, and Haiti is able to safely receive traditional levels of returned citizens," the statement added.
But campaigners say the Trump administration has unfairly singled out small numbers of the most vulnerable people as part of its tougher stance on immigration.
In a statement, House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi said: "Deporting tens of thousands of men and women back into the nation will only deepen the suffering in Haiti."
"I completely disagree with the characterization that the situation in Haiti has improved", she added.
The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme grants temporary visas to more than 435,000 people from 10 countries ravaged by natural disasters or war.
The move to terminate TPS for Haitians comes after a similar step was taken against 5,000 Nicaraguans. Protection for 86,000 Hondurans in the US has been extended.
A decision on El Salvador's status, which was given TPS after its 2001 earthquake, is due in January.
The convergence reports on Bulgaria, issued by the European Commission and the European Central Bank, are expected to receive broad support from all Eurozone countries
The TurkStream gas pipeline, which transits through Bulgaria on its way to the Western Balkans and Central Europ
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has called on Europe to take advantage of a unique moment to elevate the euro’s status on the global stage
The death toll from Russia’s latest overnight missile attack on Kyiv has risen to 22
Missile exchanges between Israel and Iran entered a sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, intensifying an already volatile crisis across the Middle East
The European Commission has introduced a draft regulation aimed at ending the European Union’s reliance on Russian gas and oil by the close of 2027
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