US will also donate $4 billion for relief
President Barack Obama has asked advisers to let 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US in the coming budget year. The US has accepted only about 1,500 Syrians since civil war broke out more than four years ago. White House spokesman Josh Earnest says that administration has provided $4 billion to relief agencies and others, which is the most effective way for the US to help meet the humanitarian crisis in Europe. Tens of thousands of people from the Middle East and other war-torn countries are seeking safe haven across Europe.
EU announces refugee quota plan
European Union’s top executive Jean-Claude Juncker proposed a plan on Thursday to distribute 160,000 migrants throughout the member nations. He urged the bloc to put aside deep divisions over welcoming refugees from war-torn and poverty-stricken nations in the Middle East and Africa, and forge a stronger and more unified response. He argued that it was not only a humanitarian issue, but also a test of the European Union’s fundamental ability to act in a unified manner and in accordance with its values, rather than following bureaucratic language or practices.
Spain and Portugal face elections
Portugal goes to the polls early next month and Spain is expected to hold elections by year-end, with recent polls in both countries showing tightly-run races so far. "There is political risk in Greece, Spain, Catalonia and Portugal," Barclays chief European economist, Antonio Garcia Pascual said. "Growth is improving, domestic demand is okay, but investment is the big question mark here," he added.
Bangkok bomb suspect may be Chinese
Thai police said on Thursday that one of the suspects in custody over last month's deadly shrine bombing in Bangkok has a Chinese passport and that he is from the country's Xinjiang region. Yusufu Meerailee was arrested last week trying to flee across the Thai border into Cambodia. He has since confessed to carrying a rucksack that contained the bomb that killed 20 people at the Erawan Shrine. He said he exchanged the rucksack with a man caught on CCTV wearing a yellow t-shirt shortly before the attack.
More than 1,00,000 flee from Japan rain floods
Unprecedented rain in Japan unleashed heavy floods on Thursday that tore houses from their foundations, uprooted trees and forced more than 1,00,000 peopleto flee from their homes. The raging brown floodwaters spawned from Tropical Storm Etau has dumped 60 centimeters of rain over some areas since Monday. More than 170,000 people have been evacuated, officials said.
President Barack Obama has asked advisers to let 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US in the coming budget year. The US has accepted only about 1,500 Syrians since civil war broke out more than four years ago. White House spokesman Josh Earnest says that administration has provided $4 billion to relief agencies and others, which is the most effective way for the US to help meet the humanitarian crisis in Europe. Tens of thousands of people from the Middle East and other war-torn countries are seeking safe haven across Europe.
EU announces refugee quota plan
European Union’s top executive Jean-Claude Juncker proposed a plan on Thursday to distribute 160,000 migrants throughout the member nations. He urged the bloc to put aside deep divisions over welcoming refugees from war-torn and poverty-stricken nations in the Middle East and Africa, and forge a stronger and more unified response. He argued that it was not only a humanitarian issue, but also a test of the European Union’s fundamental ability to act in a unified manner and in accordance with its values, rather than following bureaucratic language or practices.
Spain and Portugal face elections
Portugal goes to the polls early next month and Spain is expected to hold elections by year-end, with recent polls in both countries showing tightly-run races so far. "There is political risk in Greece, Spain, Catalonia and Portugal," Barclays chief European economist, Antonio Garcia Pascual said. "Growth is improving, domestic demand is okay, but investment is the big question mark here," he added.
Bangkok bomb suspect may be Chinese
Thai police said on Thursday that one of the suspects in custody over last month's deadly shrine bombing in Bangkok has a Chinese passport and that he is from the country's Xinjiang region. Yusufu Meerailee was arrested last week trying to flee across the Thai border into Cambodia. He has since confessed to carrying a rucksack that contained the bomb that killed 20 people at the Erawan Shrine. He said he exchanged the rucksack with a man caught on CCTV wearing a yellow t-shirt shortly before the attack.
More than 1,00,000 flee from Japan rain floods
Unprecedented rain in Japan unleashed heavy floods on Thursday that tore houses from their foundations, uprooted trees and forced more than 1,00,000 peopleto flee from their homes. The raging brown floodwaters spawned from Tropical Storm Etau has dumped 60 centimeters of rain over some areas since Monday. More than 170,000 people have been evacuated, officials said.
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