Europe

ZAGREB, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Greece will support Croatia's entry into the Schengen area as soon as possible, and next year will be crucial when Croatia assumes the EU Presidency, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said here on Tuesday as he started a two-day official visit to Croatia.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic stressed Greece's significant role in managing the migration crisis, saying it plays the role of Europe's first border guard.

5 Feb 2019; DW: Members of the Taliban have sat down with prominent Afghan politicians, including women, in an attempt to find a solution to nearly two decades of conflict. The sidelined president, Ashraf Ghani, isn't thrilled.

Members of the Taliban and high-ranking Afghan politicians opposed to President Ashraf Ghani outlined their future visions for the country in Moscow on Tuesday.

Both sides are trying to end 17 years of war that began in the aftermath of the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

5 Feb 2019; DW: The Bundeswehr (Germany’s Federal Defence) provides Catholic and Protestant clergy for soldiers, but no spiritual counsel for Muslims. According to the government, key questions must be answered before the Bundeswehr's religious ranks are expanded.

Nariman Reinke, a naval petty officer, is one of about 1,500 Muslim soldiers who serve in the Bundeswehr.

5 Feb 2019; DW: A series of fake bomb threats forced tens of thousands of people on Tuesday to evacuate buildings in Russia's capital of Moscow.

School children, office workers and shoppers were among those who had to briefly empty 100 buildings in and around the city, reports said. In total, some 20,000 people were affected, while authorities swept the areas and ruled out any danger.

5 Feb 2019; DW: A former Dutch far-right MP and right-hand man to anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders revealed he has converted to Islam. He was known for saying that Islam is "a lie" and the Quran is "poison."

For years, as a lawmaker for Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV), Joram van Klaveren fought a relentless campaign in the Lower House against Islam in the Netherlands.

5 Feb 2019; DW: Russia will build ground-based intermediate-range nuclear missiles within two years, the nation's Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

Shoigu said a land-based version of the navy's Kalibr cruise missile and a new land-based hypersonic missile must be built in 2019 or 2020.

5 Feb 2019; DW: A study published Tuesday by consultancy EY shows that China's mergers and acquisitions in Europe dipped by 21 percent last year with a total of 196 M&A deals registered in 2018.

In Germany alone, the number of investment deals sank from 54 to 35 last year.

5 Feb 2019; DW:Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Tuesday that coup suspects are "not welcome" in Greece, but the case regarding eight Turkish servicemen who fled the country after a failed 2016 coup attempt on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a judiciary matter.

"On the thorny issue of the eight soldiers, Greece respects the decisions delivered by the judiciary," Tsipras said in Ankara after meeting with Erdogan.

5 Feb 2019; DW: Germany's economy minister, Peter Altmaier, on Tuesday officially launched a controversial plan aimed at developing the country's industrial sector and increasing its international competitiveness in technology and innovation.

Though it was the first time Altmaier fully detailed the "National Industry Strategy 2030," some key points had previously been revealed to the German media the previous week, prompting the minister to take the defensive against claims of protectionism and intrusive state intervention.

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid has signed the order for the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India. Mallya’s legal team has two weeks to lodge an appeal.

“On 3 February, the Secretary of State, having carefully considered all relevant matters, signed the order for Vijay Mallya’s extradition to India,” the British Home Office said in a statement. “Vijay Mallya is accused in India of conspiracy to defraud, making false representations and money laundering offenses.”