The U.S. military said early Wednesday it had conducted an airstrike against Taliban forces in Afghanistan, the first such attack since a historic peace deal was signed with the militant group Saturday.
The Helmand Province strikes targeted fighters attacking an Afghan government checkpoint.
“This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attack. This was our 1st strike against the Taliban in 11 days,” Col. Sonny Leggett, a U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, tweeted.
“To be clear- we are committed to peace, however, we have the responsibility to defend our #ANDSF partners. #Afghans & US have complied w/ our agreements; however, Talibs appear intent on squandering this opp. and ignoring the will of the people for #peace. #Showyourcommitment,” he added.
He said the U.S. is calling on the Taliban to stop needless attacks and uphold their commitments to the peace deal.
President Trump confirmed Tuesday that he spoke on the phone to a Taliban leader, making him the first U.S. president believed to have ever spoken directly with the militant group responsible for the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops in nearly 19 years of fighting in Afghanistan.
EU officials have pledged millions of euros of financial assistance to Greece to help tackle a migration surge from neighbouring Turkey, warning against those wishing to "test Europe's unity".
Flying by helicopter over the Greece-Turkey border, where thousands of desperate asylum seekers have tried to break through for days, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday the bloc would provide Greece "all the support needed".
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"Those who seek to test Europe's unity will be disappointed. We will hold the line and our unity will prevail," von der Leyen said, standing alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the chiefs of the European Council and European Parliament.
Von der Leyen said the bloc would provide 700 million euros ($777m), half of it immediately, to help manage the refugee situation.
In addition, the EU border agency Frontex will deploy a rapid intervention team including an additional 100 guards backed by coastal patrol vessels, helicopters and vehicles, she said.
"Our first priority is making sure that order is maintained at the Greek external border, which is also the European border," von der Leyen told journalists.
'Wake-up call' for Europe
Earlier, Mitsotakis announced that Greek border forces had averted "over 24,000 attempts at illegal entry" by land and sea, making dozens of arrests.
"Europe has not been up to the task of dealing with the migration crisis," he said.
"I hope this crisis will serve as a wake-up call for everyone to assume their responsibilities."
Amid claims on the Turkish side that Greek security forces are shooting near refugees and migrants, European Council President Charles Michel said it was "crucial to act in a proportionate manner and to show respect for human dignity and international law".
At the Greek border crossing of Kastanies, reporters with the AFP news agency saw soldiers boarding refugees and migrants onto military vehicles. Other unmarked vans were also picking up people wandering on the streets.
Thousands have arrived at the frontier since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week that Turkey would no longer stop them trying to enter Europe.
European leaders have insisted Ankara abide by a 2016 deal to stop departures in exchange for six billion euros in assistance.
"Our first priority is making sure that order is maintained at Greece’s external border, which is also Europe’s border." President @vonderleyenpic.twitter.com/qU8tcZ9v0h
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) March 3, 2020
Von der Leyen said she had "compassion for the migrants that have been lured through false promises into this desperate situation."
Turkey is the world's largest host of refugees - about four million, and faces another influx from Syria where the government, backed by Russian air power, is pressing a violent offensive to retake the last rebel-held province of Idlib.
Erdogan had previously warned that he would open the gates, accusing the EU of not fulfilling its promises.
"We have been calling for a more equitable burden and responsibility-sharing for a long time," Hami Aksoy, the Turkish foreign ministry spokesman, told Al Jazeera.
"All our efforts contributed significantly to the security of Europe. However, our calls were ignored by the EU and member states."
The coronavirus epidemic has had a ripple effect on some of the world's busiest cities, with fears of the highly contagious virus emptying cafes, public squares and streets in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy, among other countries.
The streets of Seoul, the South Korean capital, stood nearly empty this week. Those who do venture out wear masks. The normally busy subways have few passengers and riders make sure to sit far away from one another. Many residents are relying on grocery and restaurant delivery apps.
A woman sits at an empty cafe in a tower in Seoul, South Korea on Monday.Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
In Daegu, one of the cities in South Korea hardest hit by the virus, people lined up at pharmacies Tuesday to buy masks distributed by the government.
There have been long lines outside retail stores and online suppliers have sold out as soon as stock arrives. The World Health Organization says only people who are taking care of someone who is ill or those who display respiratory symptoms need to wear masks.
South Korea on Tuesday saw its largest daily rise in new cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to more than 5,000, with 31 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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People wait to buy face masks outside a department store in Seoul on Tuesday.Yonhap / AFP - Getty Images
Drive-through virus testing centers are operating, with workers dressed head-to-toe in white protective suits leaning into cars with mouth swabs, a move meant to limit contact with possible carriers of the illness. Troops were also dispatched across the city to spray streets and alleys with disinfectants.
President Moon Jae-in said that the country has declared “war” against the virus and that he was placing all government agencies on a 24-hour full alert.
He also apologized for the shortage of masks, saying that with the increase in patients, there were "practical challenges that cannot keep up with the increased demands."
March 3, 202000:46
In Japan, which has seen more than 250 cases — not including the passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship — and 12 deaths, TV stations are airing continuous coverage on the virus. In Tokyo, the normally bustling capital, people are still out on the streets, though slightly fewer than usual.
During lunch times, the lines at restaurants and cafes are shorter than normal, and at least half of the people on the streets are wearing masks. Last week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe requested that schools close.
In China where the epidemic originated, the number of new cases dropped to 125 — the lowest level in weeks. The total number of cases stands at more than 80,000.
Many shops are still closed in Beijing, and residents’ temperatures are scanned at regular checkpoints, as well as inside each store. On streets that are normally so crowded that people are forced to brush shoulders, those who are out keep a good distance from one another.
A woman wearing a face mask uses an escalator in Beijing on Tuesday.AFP - Getty Images
However, as the number of coronavirus cases in China has dropped, the city’s cafes are slowly starting to come back to life.
In Milan, Italy's business capital and the center of the country's outbreak, restaurants, bars and train stations are much less crowded than normal. The usually teeming Piazza del Duomo, home to the city's cathedral and lined with shops and bars, was almost empty at points Monday.
Italy is the worst-hit country in Europe, with more than 1,800 cases of coronavirus and 52 deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. France, Germany and Spain each have over 100 cases, and the United Kingdom has 40.
Most schools, fitness centers, universities, theaters, cinemas and offices in Milan are closed, and cultural events and conferences have been postponed or canceled.
Alex Shi reported from Beijing, Na Yeong Kim from Seoul, Michele Novaga from Milan, Arata Yamamoto from Tokyo, and Rachel Elbaum from London.
Rachel Elbaum
Rachel Elbaum is a London-based editor, producer and writer.
The head of the European Commission has sent a strong message of support to Greece in its attempts to stop migrants crossing its border from Turkey.
"Our first priority is to ensure order is maintained at the Greek external border, which is also a European border," Ursula von der Leyen said.
She promised Greece, which she called a "European aspida [shield]", €700m (£608m; $780m) in financial aid.
Turkey lifted controls on migrants exiting for the EU on Friday.
It took the decision after suffering a heavy military loss in north-west Syria, where it has been trying to create a safe area to resettle millions of Syrian refugees it took in during the ongoing civil war.
At least 24,000 people have been stopped from crossing the border from Turkey since Saturday, according to Greek government figures.
Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of using the migrants as pawns. He also announced that his government had strengthened Austria's borders to make sure the mass influx of refugees and migrants of 2015 was not repeated.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is due to visit Ankara to discuss Turkey's decision to drop restrictions on migrants, abandoning a deal struck in 2016.
What was the 2016 EU-Turkey deal?
It was proposed as a solution to the migrant crisis in which almost one million refugees and migrants arrived in the EU in 2015 and thousands died in mass drownings
On 20 March 2016 the EU and Turkey made a deal that saw Syrian refugees who arrived on Greek islands sent back to Turkey. In return Turkey received €6bn (£5.2bn; $6.7bn) in EU aid for migrants and refugees
For every Syrian person removed from Greece to Turkey, another would be resettled from Turkey to the EU
The EU agreed to work towards lifting visa requirements for Turkish citizens by the end of June 2016
After the deal was agreed, the number of migrants arriving in Greece declined sharply
How is the EU helping Greece?
Mrs von der Leyen inspected the land border on Tuesday along with European Council chief Charles Michel and European Parliament speaker David Sassoli, accompanied by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The support she announced for Greece included:
€700m in aid for migration management
A Frontex force comprising seven vessels, two helicopters, one plane, three thermal-vision vehicles and 100 extra border guards
Civil protection aid including medical equipment and teams, and shelters
"The Greek worries are our worries," she told reporters at the Kastanies border crossing.
"This border is not only a Greek border but it is also a European border and I stand here today as a European at your side... We have come here today to send a very clear statement of European solidarity and support to Greece...
"I am fully committed to mobilising all the necessary operational support to the Greek authorities."
She added that she wanted to express her "compassion for the migrants that have been lured through false promises into this desperate situation".
Charles Michel said it was very important as to protect Europe's borders but also to show respect for international law.
He called on Turkey to keep to the 2016 agreement.
Defending his tough line on maintaining the border, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said Greece could not and would not be "blackmailed".
"This is no longer a refugee problem," he said. "This is a blatant attempt by Turkey to use desperate people to promote its geopolitical agenda and to divert attention from the horrible situation in Syria."
He tweeted photos of himself meeting Greek security forces.
Από τον Έβρο στέλνουμε ηχηρό μήνυμα: η Ελλάδα δεν εκβιάζεται από κανέναν που θέλει να χρησιμοποιεί κατατρεγμένους ανθρώπους για να εξυπηρετήσει τους δικούς του σκοπούς. Έχουμε απόλυτη εμπιστοσύνη στις Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις και τα σώματα ασφαλείας. Στα στρατιωτικά φυλάκια των Κήπων. pic.twitter.com/NViuXJkMQy
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) March 3, 2020
End of Twitter post by @PrimeministerGR
What is the situation at the border?
Monday night was quiet in comparison with events over the weekend when thousands of migrants clashed with Greek security forces, a Greek army officer told Reuters news agency near the Kastanies border crossing.
"There were only a few attempts today [by migrants to cross the border]," he said. "Let's hope they get the message."
Some migrants including women and children could be seen in custody after being detained on the Greek side of the land border.
On the Turkish side, migrants who had been waiting around the border city of Edirne were again moving towards the frontier.
Several hundred migrants crossed to Greece from Turkey by boat in recent days but people were deterred by choppy seas on Tuesday, a police source told Reuters.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
A young boy died when a boat capsized off the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday, Greek police say. It was the first reported fatality since Turkey opened its border.
Why is the humanitarian crisis so grave?
Nearly a million Syrians have fled to the Syrian-Turkish border since December, amid heavy fighting in the Idlib region between Turkish-backed rebels and Syrian government forces.
Turkey is already hosting 3.7 million Syrian refugees, as well as migrants from other countries such as Afghanistan.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
President Erdogan said the EU had provided no help for resettling Syrian refugees in safe zones inside Syria and he predicted that "millions" of migrants would go to the EU.
Greece has blocked any new asylum applications for the next month, because of what it calls the "coordinated and massive nature" of illegal migration from Turkey.
Europe's top human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has condemned both Turkey and Greece, calling the situation an "unprecedented humanitarian crisis".
"Everything must be done to de-escalate violence in the border region, including by ensuring that law enforcement authorities refrain from using excessive force," it said.
Israeli’s embattled prime minister declared Monday’s general elections the “biggest win” of his life when he claimed victory with partial results over main rival Benny Gantz.
With roughly 90 percent of votes already counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and its allies looked to maintaining its lead after capturing 59 seats out of the 120 in parliament.
Final results are expected later Tuesday and could swing Netanyahu over the top – two weeks before he goes on trial to face corruption charges.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife Sara, addresses his supporters after first exit poll results for the Israeli elections at his party's headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
“This is a victory against all the odds because we stood against powerful forces,” he told a raucous crowd of supporters early Tuesday. “They already eulogized us. Our opponents said the Netanyahu era is over.”
Critically, Netanyahu’s party is just two seats shy of a 61-seat parliamentary majority, and if the final tally remains the same, he would be forced to form a government in the coming weeks by enticing rival politicians to join him. Monday marked the third general election in less than a year in Israel.
Gantz and his Blue and White party, who focused their campaign on Netanyahu’s alleged corruption and anti-democratic moves, took 32 seats, partial results showed.
Blue and White party supporters hold banners and flags during an election campaign rally in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The Hebrew writing say " Must to advance ". (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
However, Gantz refused to concede defeat, telling his supporters: “We won’t let them destroy the country.”
“We won’t let anyone separate between us. We won’t let anyone dismantle Israeli society and crush democracy,” he said. “Even if it is difficult, we will win at its end.”
Maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman, whose party is projected to win seven seats, once again looms as a key player. Speaking Tuesday, he repeated his campaign pledge that there won't be a fourth election, but wouldn't indicate how he would act in case of a further deadlock.
At his victory rally, Netanyahu – who will serve his fourth consecutive term in office and fifth overall – vowed to immediately form a new coalition and press forward with a hardline agenda that includes annexing large parts of the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's supporters celebrate first exit poll results for the Israeli elections at his party's headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Shaina Kaplan, a resident of Jerusalem, told Fox News after casting her vote that she believes they will have a working government whatever the outcome.
“We should finally have a government,” she said. “This is the third time. Without a government, the country can’t work right.”
She said her biggest desire is to get the government working amid continued security threats against the country.
“When bombs are going over, we should have a strong government to make the right decisions,” Kaplan said. “It makes me want to go and vote, and tell people to go and vote, so we can have a normal government working.”
The easiest way out of the impasse would be a unity government between Likud and Blue and White, which together command a solid parliamentary majority. They don't have major ideological differences, though Blue and White has staked its claim as the moral alternative to Netanyahu amid his corruption charges.
Supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displays his hand with BB written on it for Netanyahu's nickname "Bibi" as they celebrate after first exit poll results for Israeli elections in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Netanyahu was indicted in November on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes, making him the first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. He denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a witch hunt by police, prosecutors and a hostile media.
During the campaign, Netanyahu failed in a bid to secure immunity from prosecution. As prime minister, he could still rally public opposition against prosecutors and judges in the case. He also could seek other avenues to delay or derail the proceedings against him.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace, Trey Yingst and Dana Karni and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu accept congratulations at a Likud party celebration on March 3, 2020, in Tel Aviv.
JERUSALEM — Over the past 11 months, many pundits had declared Benjamin Netanyahu politically dead, as the longest-serving leader in Israel’s history twice failed to achieve a majority in separate elections, hemorrhaging more support each time.
But the man known as Israel’s political magician will now have to pull off two final tricks to complete the comeback: finding those two seats, maybe by poaching them from opposing parties, and navigating his own upcoming corruption trial, something no sitting prime minister has ever faced.
One day after Israel’s third election in less than a year, with just over 90 percent of the vote officially tallied, Netanyahu’s Likud party held 36 parliamentary seats, erasing its previous losses and making it once again the country’s largest party. His bloc of right-wing parties commands 59 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament, placing it far closer to the majority threshold than the rival Blue and White party, which has 32 seats.
The results could change moderately as officials count a final batch of some 300,000 votes from military bases and special biohazard polling places set up for voters quarantined because of possible exposure to the coronavirus. (Senior election officials, unable to find workers willing to open the doubly-sealed ballots, were doing the count themselves in a tent outside the parliament, according to media reports.)
But Israel was well into dissecting Netanyahu’s feat, the latest in his escape-artist career of clinging to power. Polls for months had shown little change in the dynamics of the grinding stalemate that kept Israel from forming a new government for more than a year.
But in the final weeks, as Blue and White and its leader Benny Gantz worked down a list of what critics disparaged as overly staid hanger rallies around central Israel, Netanyahu worked tirelessly to electrify his base and reawaken thousands of Likud voters who had reportedly sat out the previous election.
Likud launched what political reporters described as an unprecedented voter-targeting operation. The 70-year-old prime minister appeared all across the country, beseeching supporters to personally lobby their fellow Likudniks and encouraging them to upload video of him to social media.
By the end, in a country exhausted by the nonstop politicking of three straight elections, Netanyahu appeared to dig deeper.
As a candidate, Netanyahu “has phenomenal power,” Topaz Luk, Netanyahu’s head media adviser and strategist said in an interview the morning after the election. “Netanyahu went out to the field this time and did so many rallies.”
Menahem Kahana
AFP/Getty Images
Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, greets supporters at his campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv early on March 3, 2020, after polls officially closed.
Gantz, a former Army chief of staff, based his campaign almost entirely on being a measured, ethical alternative to the controversial, divisive and criminally indicted prime minister. Although a majority votes cast Monday were not in support of Netanyahu, Gantz’s message and manner could not prevent his rival from shouldering past him.
“The generals are not good at politics, and Bibi is the expert,” said Jonathan Rynhold, a professor of political studies at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.
Yet, while Netanyahu has seized the momentum, he still has to find two seats to create a new government. That has proved impossible for any candidate over the last two elections, but observers said Likud was now in the best position yet to pull it off. Politicians are desperate not to be blamed for pushing Israel to a fourth election.
“There will have to be maneuvering to reach that 61 seats, and the power that will come with being the 61st member of the coalition will be tremendously significant,” said Jason Pearlman, a communications strategist.
Already Tuesday, there were signs that some previously unthinkable deals were being weighed, most notably a merger of convenience between Likud and Blue and White. The two sides failed to reach a power-sharing agreement after previous elections, and Gantz has vowed never to partner with Likud as long as Netanyahu remains in charge.
But Netanyahu seemed to be leaving that door open in an election night speech that spared Gantz any criticism. And Blue and White may be calculating that Netanyahu’s trial on bribery, fraud and breach of trust, scheduled to begin in two weeks, might put him out of commission in any case.
The process of coalition building will begin formally when the vote is certified in a few days.
Top European officials are visiting Greece's border with Turkey to assess the new crisis over refugees and migrants trying to enter the EU.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council chief Charles Michel and European Parliament speaker David Sassoli arrived on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is hoping for support for Greece's tough line on defending its borders.
Turkey lifted controls on migrants exiting for the EU on Friday.
It took the decision after suffering a heavy military loss in north-west Syria, where it has been trying to create a safe area to resettle millions of Syrian refugees it took in during the ongoing civil war.
At least 24,000 people have been stopped from crossing the border from Turkey since Saturday, according to Greek government figures.
Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of using the migrants as pawns. He also announced that his government had strengthened Austria's borders to make sure the mass influx of refugees and migrants of 2015 was not repeated.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is due to visit Ankara to discuss Turkey's decision to drop restrictions on migrants, abandoning a deal struck in 2016.
What was the 2016 EU-Turkey deal?
It was proposed as a solution to the migrant crisis in which almost one million refugees and migrants arrived in the EU in 2015 and thousands died in mass drownings
On 20 March 2016 the EU and Turkey made a deal that saw Syrian refugees who arrived on Greek islands sent back to Turkey. In return Turkey received €6bn (£5.2bn; $6.7bn) in EU aid for migrants and refugees
For every Syrian person removed from Greece to Turkey, another would be resettled from Turkey to the EU
The EU agreed to work towards lifting requirements for Turkish citizens by the end of June 2016
After the deal was agreed, the number of migrants arriving in Greece declined sharply
What is the situation at the border?
Monday night was quiet in comparison with events over the weekend when thousands of migrants clashed with Greek security forces, a Greek army officer told Reuters news agency near the Kastanies border crossing.
"There were only a few attempts today [by migrants to cross the border]," he said. "Let's hope they get the message."
Some migrants including women and children could be seen in custody after being detained on the Greek side of the land border.
On the Turkish side, migrants who had been waiting around the border city of Edirne were again moving towards the frontier.
Several hundred migrants crossed to Greece from Turkey by boat in recent days but people were deterred by choppy seas on Tuesday, a police source told Reuters.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
A young boy died when a boat capsized off the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday, Greek police say. It was the first reported fatality since Turkey opened its border.
The three EU leaders arrived at the Kastanies border crossing.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said earlier he expected a message of support.
"Greece cannot be blackmailed in this way, and it will not be blackmailed," he told people in the town of Alexandroupolis.
"I think the fact that today we have, will have the presence of all the leadership of Europe here is support of this policy because I will never tire of reminding everyone and the Europeans that the borders of Greece are also the borders of Europe."
Mr Mitsotakis tweeted photos of himself meeting Greek security forces.
Από τον Έβρο στέλνουμε ηχηρό μήνυμα: η Ελλάδα δεν εκβιάζεται από κανέναν που θέλει να χρησιμοποιεί κατατρεγμένους ανθρώπους για να εξυπηρετήσει τους δικούς του σκοπούς. Έχουμε απόλυτη εμπιστοσύνη στις Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις και τα σώματα ασφαλείας. Στα στρατιωτικά φυλάκια των Κήπων. pic.twitter.com/NViuXJkMQy
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) March 3, 2020
End of Twitter post by @PrimeministerGR
Mr Sassoli tweeted a photo of himself and his EU colleagues on their way to the border.
Why is the humanitarian crisis so grave?
Nearly a million Syrians have fled to the Syrian-Turkish border since December, amid heavy fighting in the Idlib region between Turkish-backed rebels and Syrian government forces.
Turkey is already hosting 3.7 million Syrian refugees, as well as migrants from other countries such as Afghanistan.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
President Erdogan said the EU had provided no help for resettling Syrian refugees in safe zones inside Syria and he predicted that "millions" of migrants would go to the EU.
Greece has blocked any new asylum applications for the next month, because of what it calls the "coordinated and massive nature" of illegal migration from Turkey.
Europe's top human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has condemned both Turkey and Greece, calling the situation an "unprecedented humanitarian crisis".
"Everything must be done to de-escalate violence in the border region, including by ensuring that law enforcement authorities refrain from using excessive force," it said.
