TRT World - World in Two Minutes, 2016, March 8, 09:00 GMT

EU-Turkey refugee crisis meeting
Leaders from Turkey and the EU say they’ve agreed a deal to tackle the refugee crisis. Ankara is to take back asylum seekers the bloc deems ‘economic migrants’ in return for the EU resettling a Syrian refugee in a one-on-one exchange agreement. Turkey has also requested an extra 3 billion in aid, above the 3.3 billion dollars the bloc has already promised. It also wants visa-requirements for Turkish citizens entering the bloc, lifted within the next few months. More than one million refugees crossed into Europe last year. And Turkey has taken in close to 3 million. Talks are scheduled to continue next week.

Bloomberg not to run
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will not enter the race for the US presidency. The billionaire had been considering a third party run. He says he decided against it because he didn’t want to risk Donald Trump or Ted Cruz becoming president. Bloomberg criticised Trump for running “the most divisive and demagogic presidential campaign” he could remember. He also accused Cruz of “pandering on immigration”.

Netanyahu declines US invite
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s turned down an invite from the White House because of the US election campaign. The US administration had invited Netanyahu to visit President Barack Obama on March 18. Israeli officials have told media that another factor affecting Netanyahu’s decision is the disagreement over a proposed US defence aid deal to Israel. Israel seeks a much larger increase than what the US is offering. Meanwhile, US Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Israel and the Occupied Territories, to meet Netanyahu and later, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

International Women’s Day
People around the world are marking International Women’s Day. The event dates back more than 100 years and originated as International Working Women’s Day. The UN later began to assign political and social themes to the event. This year’s theme is ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.’ But the World Economic Forum has estimated the gender gap won’t close until 2133. The hashtag ‘pledge for parity’ is being used on social media to celebrate the day.

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