Greek island refugee camp too crowded to house newcomers
AP, Athens
A perpetually overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos can’t accommodate any more newly arrived asylum-seekers after the number of people already housed exceeded the camp’s intended capacity by 400%, authorities said Friday.
Migrants who made it to Lesbos were sleeping in the open or in tents outside the Moria refugee camp, and the population inside has reached 12,000, two regional officials told The Associated Press.
Trump scolds Europe over captured IS
fighters
AP, Washington
President Donald Trump is warning European nations to take back citizens who joined the Islamic State and are now being held prisoner in Syria and Iraq.
Trump told reporters Friday at the White House that the U.S. did Europe a “tremendous favor” by leading the fight to force the Islamic State from the last of the territory it held in Syria. He says it’s time for countries such as Germany and France to take back the “thousands” of citizens who joined the extremist organization.
Syrian oppn held anti- govt protests
AP, Beirut
Syrian opposition activists say anti-government protesters have captured at least two army checkpoints in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the protests occurred in government-held areas close to those controlled by U.S.-backed fighters on the east bank of the Euphrates river. It said the protests began after Friday prayers. Protesters marched toward and captured two army checkpoints. When they tried to march to the village of Salhiyeh, troops opened fire, killing one person and wounding others.
Hezbollah tells Saudi Arabia to stop Yemen war
AP, Beirut
The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Friday called for Saudi Arabia to stop its war in Yemen, or else face more attacks on its soil.
In a televised speech, Hassan Nasrallah warned Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates not to incite war “because your houses are made of glass.” The U.S. accuses Iran of being behind recent drone-and-cruise-missile attacks that knocked out more than half of Saudi Arabia’s daily crude oil production. Saudi Arabia has said “Iranian weaponry” was used.
Greek refugee camp unable to house
new arrivals
AP, Brussels
Malta has taken in 35 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by a humanitarian ship a day earlier.
The Ocean Viking had assisted Maltese authorities and pulled the migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat on Thursday in international waters. The Ocean Viking initially counted 36 people but corrected the number to 35 after the Friday transfer.
Still, 182 migrants remain on the ship, which is operated by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders. Malta has refused to take the remaining people, arguing they were found in international waters where Libya has search and rescue duties.
