Sweden

The passport-free Schengen zone is "in danger" because of Europe's refugee crisis, Germany warned on Jan. 4 after Nordic countries announced new controls at their borders to stem a migrant influx.

"Freedom of movement is an important principle - one of the biggest achievements [in the European Union] in recent years," Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer told reporters.

Denmark has announced it is closing its border with Germany, daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports.

The development is a reaction to Sweden's move, hours earlier, to introduce passport control with Denmark, the newspaper quotes the country's PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

The measures is in force "starting immediately".

For the first time in half a century, Sweden was demanding photo identification for all travelers from Denmark in a drastic move to stem an unprecedented influx of refugees.

2015 brought a second Nobel prize to Turkey thanks to scientist Aziz Sancar but it was also a time of farewell for doyen of Turkish literature Ya?ar Kemal as well as for masters of television and cinema, Zeki Alasya, Levent K?rca and Memduh ÜnTurk wins Nobel prize in chemistry 

Bulgaria is ranked 45th by the the Best Countries for Business report of Forbes magazine.

Performing among the world's "top 10" (9th) in "Trade Freedom", the country is also doing well in Investor Protection (14th) and Monetary Freedom (15th) and moderately in Technology (38th) and Personal Freedom (41th).

There is less snow and ice than usual for this season, but for the 11th consecutive year the Hotel of Ice in Romania's Carpathian Mountains has opened its doors as scheduled, just after Christmas.

Ameer Mehtr could not afford to pay smugglers to take him from Turkey to Greece so the Syrian refugee swam across in swirling currents, defeating high waves and exhausting circumstances. Swimming the eight kilometer stretch to Europe took a total of seven and a half hours.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" raked in an estimated $120.5 million in its first full day in U.S. and Canadian theaters, setting an industry record, Disney said on Dec. 19.

The movie is likely to become the highest grossing film in an opening weekend Disney added, while reporting that it had already made $250 million globally.

A Syrian detainee at Trikala prison, aged 32, and his compatriot, aged 22, being sought by the police face murder charges after killing a 27-year-old Syrian (pictured) in Athens. The victim’s body parts were found in a dumpster in Kallithea, south of the Athens center.

Christmas time conjures images of family gatherings, tinsel, gifts and love… What better backdrop for romance? Illustrator Emma Block collaborated with Vashi Jewelers to explore the different ways that the romance of Christmas travels around the world.

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