Battle rages over strategic Syrian town of Saraqeb as humanitarian catastrophe unfolds
Syrian rebels backed by Turkish forces said on Thursday they had recaptured the crossroads town of Saraqeb, marking a first big push-back of a Syrian government offensive.
Lebanon health ministry confirms third case of coronavirus, NNA reports
Lebanon confirmed the country’s third case of coronavirus on Thursday, after a man arriving from Iran on Feb. 24 tested positive, the health ministry said, according to news agency NNA.
U.S. grants sanctions waiver to ease humanitarian aid to Iran
The United States on Thursday granted a license to allow for certain humanitarian trade transactions with Iran’s sanctioned central bank, a move it said was in step with the formalization of a Swiss humanitarian aid channel.
Pool, books or buffet: Limited options in Tenerife’s locked down hotel
At first glance, the hotel looks like any other. It bustles with holidaymakers choosing their food and drink from the buffet while others bag sunloungers by the pool.
Kremlin plays down hammer attack on exiled Chechen critic in Poland
The Kremlin on Thursday played down the significance of an attack on a Chechen blogger living in Poland who has been highly critical of Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov, the third such incident this month.
France says Mali envoy is spreading fake news over its troops
France accused Mali’s ambassador on Thursday of spreading false accusations against its soldiers that could play into the hands of Islamist militants at a time when Paris is trying to organize a more efficient response to insurgency in the region.
For Afghan actor, now a refugee, survival is toughest role
Talibshah Hosini played some tough roles as an actor in Afghanistan before he fled. None was as hard as his real-life fight for survival in a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
Saudi Arabia suspends entry for Umrah pilgrims, tourists amid coronavirus
Saudi Arabia on Thursday suspended arrivals by foreigners for the Umrah pilgrimage and tourists from two dozen countries where the new coronavirus has spread, as a growing number of cases globally deepened fears of a pandemic.
Climate activists jubilant as expansion of Britain’s Heathrow Airport blocked
The planned expansion of London’s Heathrow Airport was declared unlawful on environmental grounds by a court on Thursday, a ruling that could sink the $18 billion project that has been dogged by decades of dispute and indecision.
Coronavirus outbreak at ‘decisive point’: WHO chief
The new coronavirus outbreak has reached a “decisive point”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, urging countries to redouble efforts to contain its spread effectively.
