News archive of August 2020

The interception of large quantities of Captagon - the so-called "Jihadi pill" - at the Greek-Turkish land border at Evros in recent weeks has prompted an investigation by Greece's anti-terror unit. 

The seizures were made during successive arrests at the border of undocumented migrants who were found carrying the drugs in their backpacks.

Activities in theaters, cinemas and restaurants will resume on September 1, a decision going to be adopted in this regard at Monday's Government meeting, said Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, who added that the reopening will be achieved in relation to a threshold of the level of spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in each county.

Turkey has experienced one of the hottest days of the year over the last week as a heatwave across the country has sparked high temperatures.

When the air temperature exceeded 44 degrees Celsius in İzmir, Muğla and Antalya provinces on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, public beaches, hotels and swimming pools were flooded by residents who wanted to cool off.

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Monday that the National Liberal Party (PNL) lawmakers would not participate in the parliamentary debate on the motion of censure, but the government would be present, arguing that the motion was unconstitutional.

A British woman has died after being struck by a speedboat's propeller while swimming off Avlaki beach in the Ionian island of Corfu.

Emergency services arrived at the scene of the accident Monday where the woman was pronounced dead. The identity of the victim, who was reportedly visiting the island on vacation, has not been made public.

Millions of students are digitally starting the 2020-2021 school year on Aug. 31 across Turkey after a three-month summer break and they will have to wait until Sept. 21 to physically return to their schools due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

President Klaus Iohannis remarks, in the message sent on Monday on the occasion of the Romanian Language Day, the effort of teachers abroad who "transmit to the new generations the roots inherited from the past and help them define themselves culturally and spiritually". "A special message is addressed to those who speak and preserve the Romanian language abroad.

The Olympic flame is going on display in Tokyo, just a short walk from the new National Stadium where it was supposed to be burning a month ago.

The flame arrived in Japan from Greece in March and has been largely hidden away in Tokyo since the Olympics were postponed until next year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Romania's Interior Minister Marcel Vela on Monday morning had a telephone conversation with his Hungarian counterpart, Sandor Pinter, on traffic restrictions for foreign nationals imposed by Hungary, with agreement being reached on Romania's proposal for four additional border crossing points being kept open besides eight initially communicated.

Turkey's exports this July dropped by 5.8 percent to $15 billion, while imports fell 7.9 percent to $17.7 billion on an annual basis, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data showed on Aug. 31.

The country's trade balance posted $2.7 billion deficit in July, according to the institute's figures.