Month: August 2018

Vienna has dislodged Melbourne for the first time at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index, strengthening the Austrian capital’s claim to being the world’s most pleasant city to live in. The two metropolises have been neck and neck in the annual survey of 140 urban centers for years, with Melbourne clinching the title for the past seven editions. This year, a downgraded threat of militant attacks in western Europe as well as the city’s low crime rate helped nudge Vienna into first place. Vienna regularly tops a larger ranking of cities by quality of life compiled …

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Turkey’s currency, the lira, continues to slide as the country’s central bank failed to halt the decline Monday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United States of purposely trying to damage his country’s economy. More from VOA’s Bill Gallo. …

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White House national security adviser John Bolton met on Monday with Turkey’s ambassador to the United States to discuss Turkey’s detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, the White House said. “At the Turkish ambassador’s request, Ambassador John Bolton met with Ambassador Serdar Kilic of Turkey (on Monday) in the White House. They discussed Turkey’s continued detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson and the state of the U.S.-Turkey relationship,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. “The fact that there’s ongoing discussions between the two countries regarding Brunson’s return to the U.S. is positive,” said Jay Sekulow, an attorney for U.S. President Donald …

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The Turkish lira has fallen more than 40 percent since the start of the year, 20 percent just last week, amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, and international investors’ concerns over the economy.  For Turkey, the dramatic collapse of the currency signal fears for the future, as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. Fruit and vegetable sellers, along with fishmongers, try to drum up business in Istanbul’s old Kadikoy market.  But trade is slow. Most people just look and walk on. Organic shopkeeper Meltem worries for the future. She says she is pessimistic about the future because prices will …

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Turkey’s central bank failed to halt the slide of the country’s lira currency on Monday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of purposely trying to damage his country’s economy. “We are together in NATO and then you seek to stab your strategic partner in the back. Can such a thing be accepted?” Erdogan said in the capital, Ankara. The Turkish lira has plunged 40 percent this year, dropping 16 percent Friday and tumbling another seven percent Monday, trading at 6.9 to the dollar, up slightly from its low point. The Turkish central bank said it would …

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Italy’s transport minister says Britain should take in 141 migrants picked up by a rescue ship that sails under the flag of the British territory of Gibraltar. Italy continues to refuse port to ships run by humanitarian groups, and Danilo Toninelli said Monday on Twitter that Britain should take responsibility for the migrants aboard the Aquarius, operated by French humanitarian groups. Toninelli said the rescue was coordinated by the Libyan coast guard and that the ship was now in Maltese waters. The French aid groups SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders have called on European nations to identify a close …

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Asian and European markets were rattled by the Turkish lira’s record low of 7.24 to the dollar overnight.The markets began to recover Monday, however, when Turkey’s Central Bank said it was ready to take “all necessary measures” to help Turkish banks manage their liquidity. The bank’s announcement followed the finance minister’s disclosure that Turkey has prepared an “action plan” scheduled to roll out Monday that is intended to ease market concerns that led to the slump in the value of Turkish currency. The lira recovered to 6.61 to the dollar following the Central Bank’s announcement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, …

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Leaders of five countries surrounding the resource-rich Caspian Sea have signed an agreement on the status of the world’s largest inland body of water. The convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea was signed Sunday at a summit in Kazakhstan. Separately, the Caspian nations signed various documents on trade and economic cooperation. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports the summit comes at a time when Russian and Iranian economies face a fallout from U.S. sanctions. …

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Greek authorities have ordered the evacuation of two villages and a monastery on the island of Evia near Athens after a large fire broke out in a dry pine forest on Sunday. Agriculture minister Vangelis Apostolou, who is on the scene, told reporters that fire crews are bracing for an all-night struggle. “Forces from the entire region have been transferred here,” Apostolou said. Traffic on the main road that runs the length of the 180-kilometer island has been stopped and travellers are being asked to take ferries rather than drive near the blaze. Greece is still mourning the 94 people …

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