Europe

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian lawmakers on Wednesday rapidly rubber-stamped sweeping constitutional changes that could keep President Vladimir Putin in power until 2036.

If Putin won and completed two more terms as president, it would make him the ruler of Russia for 36 years — longer than any other leader in its modern history.

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic and urged aggressive action from all countries to fight it, as U.S. stocks plunged into bear market territory and several American cities joined global counterparts in banning large gatherings.

By using the charged word “pandemic” after shying away from calling it so earlier, the U.N. health agency sought to shock lethargic countries into pulling out all the stops.

London; 11 March 2020 (UMMN): British health minister Nadine Dorries has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, raising fears about the potential spread of the disease in Westminster. She is in self-isolation.

Dorries' diagnosis comes as the UK's coronavirus cases near 400, while six people have died of the virus in the country.

SIMFEROPOL, March 11. /TASS/: Law enforcement officers have detained five suspects tied to the Hizb ut-Tahrir religious extremist organization (outlawed in Russia) in the Crimean city of Bakhchisaray, Defense Attorney Nikolai Polozov informed TASS.

"Five individuals accused of involvement in the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir have been detained. Lawyers are working at the scene," he said.

Polozov earlier told TASS that law enforcers had conducted searches in six apartments in Bakhchisaray.

MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/: The volume of vodka exports from Russia in January 2020 in monetary terms decreased by 31.6% compared with the same period last year and amounted to $6.1 mln, according to the Federal Customs Service.

At the same time, in the reporting period, deliveries of vodka in kind amounted to 83.056 mln deciliters, which is 33% less than a year earlier.

MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/: Sporadic violations of a ceasefire agreed by Moscow and Ankara are taking place in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

NOVO-OGAREVO, March 11. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin promised support in creating the most favorable working conditions at a meeting with investors on Wednesday.

"For my part, I can once again say that we will do everything in order to create the conditions for your work, despite all the difficulties that we face," the president said.

Putin said that he considers the upcoming conversation particularly useful, given the turbulent economic environment in recent days.

MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/: Turkey will not stop Syrian refugees seeking entry to the EU until Brussels takes concrete steps towards integration of Turkey into the Union, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said before the parliament on Wednesday, according to NTV channel.

"We will continue with our current policy, until there are concrete steps on visa-free regime, until new points of negotiations [on European integration] are open, until the agreement on Customs Union is updated. The flows of illegal migrants will fill the Mediterranean," he vowed.

SEVASTOPOL, March 11. /TASS/: The Black Sea Fleet ships sank a notional enemy’s submarine spotted by naval aviation aircraft during drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/: Russia’s representatives will participate in the meeting of the OPEC+ technical committee in March, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Wednesday.

"Yes, our representatives will be present. I will repeat myself: the format of our relations within the framework of the charter (cooperation of oil-producing countries) has remained as we continue monitoring the situation with our colleagues," he said.