Geneva

Istanbul is poised to become a regional hub for the United Nation's development operations in Europe and Central Asia as the organization is set to establish a coordination office in the city as part of its ongoing reform efforts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning regarding the spread of bird flu (H5N1) to various species, including humans, expressing deep concern over its impact and potential consequences, according to reports from AFP.

The World Health Organization voiced alarm Thursday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an "extraordinarily high" mortality rate.

"This remains I think an enormous concern," the U.N. health agency's chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters in Geneva.

The U.N. voiced grave concern Tuesday over escalating violence in the West Bank, demanding that Israeli security forces "immediately" stop supporting settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territory.

Israel is blocking far more convoys carrying food aid within Gaza, where famine is looming, than convoys carrying other kinds of aid, the U.N. said Tuesday.

A spokesman for the United Nations' humanitarian agency pointed to statistics from March showing that it was much more difficult to get clearance for delivering food than other aid in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

Countries thrashing out a historic agreement on tackling future pandemics must use April to bridge their differences because failure cannot be an option, the negotiations co-chair told AFP.

BELGRADE - China continues to show unwavering support and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Li Ming said at a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic on Thursday, and noted that his country was dissatisfied with a decision by the Committee on Political Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

GENEVA - On the second day of a visit to Geneva, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met with Azerbaijani counterpart Sahiba Gafarova to discuss advancement of cooperation based on bilateral parliamentary cooperation.

Brnabic said Azerbaijan was a country Serbia could always rely on.

Flights abroad for the long weekends of Clean Monday and Independence Day on March 25 are showing increased occupancy rates of over 75%.

For those departing this weekend from Athens, the most popular destinations are Oslo, Bologna, Geneva, Amsterdam and Lisbon, while those departing from Thessaloniki mainly travel to Frankfurt, Berlin, Larnaca, Munich and Dusseldorf.

Aegean Airlines has secured another slot at London's Heathrow airport and is adding to its schedule a fourth daily flight from Athens to the UK's busiest international hub, it said on Tuesday.

The new flight will operate every day throughout the year except on Saturdays, leaving Athens at 4 p.m. local time and London/Heathrow at 7 p.m. local time.