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Greece Says Many Migrants in Turkey Could Seek Asylum there

In this Friday, April 16, 2021, file photo, refugees walk at Eleonas refugee camp in Athens. (AP)
In this Friday, April 16, 2021, file photo, refugees walk at Eleonas refugee camp in Athens. (AP)
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Greece Says Many Migrants in Turkey Could Seek Asylum there

In this Friday, April 16, 2021, file photo, refugees walk at Eleonas refugee camp in Athens. (AP)
In this Friday, April 16, 2021, file photo, refugees walk at Eleonas refugee camp in Athens. (AP)

Greece on Monday designated neighboring Turkey as a safe country in which to seek international protection for the majority of asylum-seekers departing its shores for Greece.

A joint decree from the Greek foreign and migration ministries said the designation applies to asylum-seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia. It said Turkey meets all criteria to examine asylum requests from these nationals, as there “they are not in any danger ... due to their race, religion, citizenship, political beliefs or membership in some particular social group, and can seek asylum in Turkey instead of in Greece.”

That, in theory, could reduce migration flows to European Union member Greece, as it would allow it to return asylum-seekers from these countries to Turkey — which itself has a huge migrant and refugee population.

Nevertheless, despite pressure from the EU and Athens, Ankara has shown little appetite for taking back migrants who reached Greece from its territory, despite a 2016 Turkish-EU agreement that was meant to stem illegal migration into the 27-nation bloc.

Greek officials said Athens has so far this year asked Turkey to take back 1,453 people, without success.

Nevertheless, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi described Monday's decision as “an important step in tackling illegal migration flows” which, he said, would “force” Turkey to crack down on illegal migration and smuggling networks.

Mitarachi added that the decision “is fully in line with international law and enhances Greece’s legal arsenal against (asylum) requests by citizens of ... Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia, who objectively have no reason not to consider Turkey a safe country.”

Greece and Turkey are historic regional rivals, and military tensions rose dangerously last year over marine boundaries. Athens accuses Ankara of using migration as a weapon, pointing to the Turkish government's failed bid last year, before the military tension, to wave thousands of migrants and refugees towards Greece.

Several human rights groups have accused Greece of illegally deporting some migrants to Turkey without letting them apply for asylum. Athens denies that.

Although a record 1 million people entered Greece through Turkey in 2015 — mostly seeking to move on to wealthier EU countries — flows have since been greatly reduced.

So far this year, just over 3,000 people have reached Greece from Turkey, mostly by sea in flimsy craft. According to the UN refugee agency, 47% were Afghans, 15% were Syrians and 9% were Somalis.

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World

Pakistan Security Forces Kill 12 Militants, Thwarting Attempted Hostage-taking in Southwest

File photo: Pakistani Army and security officials stand guard as the opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaft (PTI) continue their protest for the third day demanding release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, 06 October 2024. EPA/SOHAIL SHAHZAD
File photo: Pakistani Army and security officials stand guard as the opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaft (PTI) continue their protest for the third day demanding release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, 06 October 2024. EPA/SOHAIL SHAHZAD
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Pakistan Security Forces Kill 12 Militants, Thwarting Attempted Hostage-taking in Southwest

File photo: Pakistani Army and security officials stand guard as the opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaft (PTI) continue their protest for the third day demanding release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, 06 October 2024. EPA/SOHAIL SHAHZAD
File photo: Pakistani Army and security officials stand guard as the opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaft (PTI) continue their protest for the third day demanding release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, 06 October 2024. EPA/SOHAIL SHAHZAD

Pakistani security forces killed at least 12 militants and thwarted an attempted hostage-taking in southwestern Pakistan after assailants attacked a police station, the military said Friday.

In a statement, it said the attackers also targeted two banks and looted millions of rupees (dollars) during the assault in Kharan district of Balochistan province a day earlier. The militants attempted to seize hostages at the police station, but a swift response by security forces forced them to retreat, it said.

The military identified the assailants as “Fitna al-Hindustan,” a phrase the government uses for the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, and other separatist groups. It claimed the attackers, including those killed in the shootouts with security forces, were backed by India, though it provided no evidence. India has repeatedly denied Pakistan’s accusations that it supports separatists in Balochistan or Pakistani Taliban fighters.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a statement praised the security forces for killing the militants and foiling the attacks by the insurgents in Kharan, reported The Associated Press.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has long been the scene of insurgency by separatist groups, along with attacks by the Pakistani Taliban. The BLA, which the United States designated a terrorist organization in 2019, has been behind numerous attacks targeting security forces and civilians across the province in recent years.

World

Massive Fire at a Shopping Mall in Southern Pakistan, Kills 3 People

People gather as firefighters try to control a massive fire that broke out in a multi-story shopping mall, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)
People gather as firefighters try to control a massive fire that broke out in a multi-story shopping mall, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)
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Massive Fire at a Shopping Mall in Southern Pakistan, Kills 3 People

People gather as firefighters try to control a massive fire that broke out in a multi-story shopping mall, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)
People gather as firefighters try to control a massive fire that broke out in a multi-story shopping mall, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)

A massive fire swept through a multistory shopping mall in Pakistan’s largest southern city of Karachi late Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring about a dozen others, police and rescue officials said.

Firefighters and rescue workers rushed to the Gul Plaza shortly after 10 p.m. local time following reports of the blaze, police and rescuer officials said. According to the local media, most shop owners were closing their stores or had already left when the fire broke out and spread quickly, The Associated Press said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation would be launched once the blaze was extinguished. However, most structures in Karachi, and other parts of the country, lack fire prevention and firefighting systems, which often results in damages and casualties.

TV footage showed firefighters in protective gear battling the flames. Several fire trucks used ladders, water cannons and hoses to douse the building’s floors, where flames shot out of windows and balconies. Thick black smoke billowed into the night sky and was visible from several blocks away, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

Authorities said the fire spread rapidly after erupting in an area of the mall where shopkeepers had stored imported garments, clothing and plastic household goods, which helped fuel the flames.

Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common. In November 2023, a fire tore through a shopping mall in the city, killing 10 people and injuring 22 others.

World

Flash Flooding Eases in Australia's Largest City Sydney

Some of the more than ten cars washed into the surf by the flood at the Cumberland River Caravan park after flash flooding near the Wye River, Australia, 16 January 2026. EPA/MICHAEL CURRIE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
Some of the more than ten cars washed into the surf by the flood at the Cumberland River Caravan park after flash flooding near the Wye River, Australia, 16 January 2026. EPA/MICHAEL CURRIE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
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Flash Flooding Eases in Australia's Largest City Sydney

Some of the more than ten cars washed into the surf by the flood at the Cumberland River Caravan park after flash flooding near the Wye River, Australia, 16 January 2026. EPA/MICHAEL CURRIE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
Some of the more than ten cars washed into the surf by the flood at the Cumberland River Caravan park after flash flooding near the Wye River, Australia, 16 January 2026. EPA/MICHAEL CURRIE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Australian authorities on Sunday downgraded a flood alert for a suburb of the country's largest city Sydney, after residents were evacuated due to rising waters sparked by torrential rains, said Reuters. 

Flooding was "receding and ‌no further ‌significant rise ‌in flood ⁠levels is expected," ‌State Emergency Services said on Sunday afternoon, referring to the suburb of Narrabeen, a beachside area with a population of around 8,000. 

Residents and holidaymakers in the low-lying area ⁠of New South Wales capital Sydney had ‌been told late on ‍Saturday to evacuate to ‍higher ground due to dangerous ‍flash flooding, according to state authorities. 

Climate change is causing heavy short-term rainfall events to become more intense in Australia, the country's science agency said last year. 

Emergency crews responded to more ⁠than 1,700 incidents in New South Wales since the heavy rain hit on Saturday, the state authorities said. 

A woman died on Saturday amid the wild weather after being hit by a falling tree branch near Wollongong, about 66 km (41 miles) south of Sydney, the Australian ‌Broadcasting Corporation reported.