Iran releases French academic Roland Marchal: French official
Iranian authorities have released French academic Roland Marchal, who has been imprisoned in Iran since June 2019, a French presidency official said on Saturday.
South Korea advises 15-day facilities suspension as experts prepare for ‘long battle’ against coronavirus
South Korea on Saturday advised its public to close facilities and forgo socializing for 15 days, keeping to its policy of voluntary social distancing but warning of consequences if the rules are not followed to slow the coronavirus outbreak.
Jordan blows sirens for start of nationwide curfew to combat coronavirus: witnesses
Jordan blew sirens at the start of a nationwide curfew on Saturday that limits the mobility of its 10 million citizens indefinitely in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, witnesses and officials said.
Australia’s Bondi Beach closed after crowds defy coronavirus rules
Australian officials closed Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Saturday after thousands of people flocked there in recent days, defying social distancing orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, amid an unusually warm autumn spell.
Central Asia tightens restrictions as coronavirus spreads
Authorities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have announced fresh restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus as the number of cases in Central Asia rose.
Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation: FAO, analysts
Lockdowns and panic food buying due to the coronavirus pandemic could ignite world food inflation even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oilseeds in key exporting nations, a senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said.
China’s imported coronavirus cases jump as students, expats flock home
China reported a record rise in imported coronavirus cases on Friday as expatriates returned home from the United States and Europe, sparking fears of a second wave of infections just as the country recovers from the initial outbreak.
Colombia to hold 19-day quarantine to fight coronavirus
Colombia will enter a nationwide quarantine from Tuesday night, President Ivan Duque said late on Friday, the most drastic measure implemented so far by the South American country as it seeks to prevent the spread of the fast-moving coronavirus.
Winter is coming: cooler South America weather could fan coronavirus spread
The coronavirus is landing in South America as summer in the southern hemisphere draws to a close and winter approaches, potentially worsening the spread of the pandemic in Brazil and other parts of the region, medical experts told Reuters.
South Korea says detected North Korea missile fire ‘inapproriate’ amid coronavirus
North Korea fired two projectiles that appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, calling the action “highly inappropriate” given the global coronavirus pandemic.
