Europe

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said it cannot guarantee the safety of Turkish aircraft over Syria, after Turkey shot down two Syrian war planes and struck a military airport, the latest clashes that have brought Moscow and Ankara closer than ever to direct confrontation.

Damascus said on Monday it was closing Syrian air space over the Idlib region, the last rebel-held sector of Syria, where fighting has escalated as Russian-backed government forces try to oust opposition fighters allied to Turkey.

ROME, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has risen to 34, five more than a day earlier, officials said.

The head of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said the cumulative number of confirmed cases of the virus had jumped to 1,694 from 1,128 on Saturday, virtually all of them coming to light since Feb 20 in the worst such contagion in Europe.

Of that number, 83 people had fully recovered, while 140 patients were in intensive care. The vast majority of those who have tested positive have few, if any symptoms.

BRUSSELS, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — With Brexit “done” as far as London is concerned, UK and EU negotiators on Monday begin talks aimed at forging a future relationship – while brandishing red lines that may yet prove to be irreconcilable.

The discussions covering trade and trading standards, agriculture, security, transport, energy, fisheries and police cooperation kick off in Brussels under teams run by Frenchman Michel Barnier for the EU and governmental advisor David Frost for Britain.

LONDON, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain announced a jump in coronavirus cases, with 13 new infections taking the total to 36, as health minister Matt Hancock said the government was preparing for the global epidemic to get worse.

Scotland confirmed its first case on Sunday evening.

MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The fight against terrorists in Syria will continue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Rossiya-1 television channel, TASS news agency reported on Sunday.

Peskov noted that Russian military facilities in Syria come under shelling by terrorists, so "fight against these terrorist elements will be continued against all the odds."

According to Peskov, Turkey was supposed to ensure inaction of these elements under the Sochi agreements.

LONDON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Britain and the United States are set to begin transatlantic trade talks, the Department for International Trade (DIT) announced here Monday.

The British government published its negotiating objectives for the post-Brexit free trade agreement with its largest bilateral trading partner, saying it would deliver a 3.4-billion-pound (4.36-billion-U.S. dollar) boost to the British economy.

MYTILENE, Greece, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Greece on Sunday decided to increase the level of deterrence at its borders to the maximum, as the country is facing a forthcoming increased refugee and migrant influx recently.

The Greek government also criticized Turkey for allegedly "directing and encouraging" the increased refugee and migrant flows to its borders in the past few days.

PARIS (AP) — Coronavirus cases surged in Italy, and France closed the world-famous Louvre Museum as the epidemic that began in China sent fear rising across Western Europe, threatening its tourism industry.

The virus has spread to more than 60 countries, and more than 3,000 people have died from the COVID-19 illness it causes.

LONDON, Mar 01 (APP): The United Kingdom (UK) has welcomed the United States (US) deal with the Taliban and called for Afghan leaders to seize opportunity to end decades of conflict.

In a statement issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth office today, the UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP placeholder said the United Kingdom has welcomed the United States’ Joint Declaration with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the United States’ agreement with the Taliban, which paved the way for a meaningful peace process and an end to decades of conflict in Afghanistan.

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/: This past week has become the worst for the global oil market since 2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.

"This past week has become the worst for global markets, since the crisis of 2008," Putin told a meeting at Vnukovo airport’s government terminal.

The Russian president noted that China’s business activity index published on Friday declined blow the minimum level of the 2008 global crisis. "In their turn, global stock indices dropped more than 10%," Putin said.