Russia

Cyprus is blocking new European Union sanctions against several officials from Russia-annexed Crimea in a bid to secure EU backing for tougher action against Turkey in a separate row over drilling for hydrocarbons, three diplomatic sources said.

Nicosia denied linking the two issues and said it needed time to review the proposed measures against the Crimean officials.

Russia's ambassador to Bulgaria has complained that he was not officially informed that Sofia had declared two of his staff personae non grata for spying. 

Russia's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to hold such a meeting.
Peskov recalled that the head of state suggested that such a meeting could take place "in any place in the world".

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has denied rumors that Moscow plans to recognize Turkish-occupied Cyprus which, according to some Turkish media reports, would take place in exchange for Turkey recognizing Abkhazia.

US Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt has reiterated Washington's support for the deepening cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel in the energy sector.
In early January, the three countries signed a deal to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean's rapidly developing gas fields to Europe.

A 39-year-old Russian national suspected of bitcoin fraud and wanted by three countries is to be first extradited to France, according to a ruling issued on Thursday by the Council of State.

Some 300 Turks living in and around the Libyan capital have said that they feel better after a truce between the battling sides in the country.

Turkish citizens living under the siege by Gen. Khalifa Haftar's military forces for nine months are mostly owners of restaurants, furniture shops and auto mechanic shops, according to the Turkish consulate in Tripoli.

AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports reports: Romania's President Klaus Iohannis participates today in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum dedicated Holocaust remembrance, which takes place at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Sam Mendes' war epic "1917" has captured the attention of audiences and critics alike; it's also an Oscar favorite. Watching the film made me think about Greece's experience in the Great War.

"I think that Russia, with its vast territory, with many faiths, with a large number of nations, peoples, nationalities living in the country - you can't even count, someone says 160, someone 190, you know, needs strong presidential power," Putin said at a meeting with the public.