Putin holds talks with Erdogan to seek Syria ceasefire
Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Thursday with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan over a potential ceasefire in northern Syria and offered condolences over the recent killing of Turkish soldiers there.
Monkey business at Bansky’s Bethlehem hotel masks coronavirus fears
British artist Banksy’s hotel in Bethlehem brought a touch of humor to the West Bank town by strapping a surgical mask to the model monkey bellhop at its entrance as coronavirus fears grip residents and tourists.
South African president says coronavirus will hurt tourism, economy
The spread of the coronavirus to South Africa will have a huge impact on travel and a negative impact on the already struggling South African economy, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
Concerned by coronavirus outbreak, UAE advises against travel abroad
The United Arab Emirates is urging its citizens and other residents to avoid traveling abroad because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, state news agency WAM said on Thursday.
Iran’s Khamenei asks India to stop attacks on Muslims after deadly riots
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged India on Thursday to “confront extremist Hindus” and “stop the massacre of Muslims”, adding to the international fallout over deadly Hindu-Muslim violence in New Delhi.
Kiss me? Are you mad? Coronavirus turns Italian life upside down
A day after their government ordered a limit on public gatherings and recommended that people avoid shaking hands to limit the spread of the coronavirus, normally sociable Italians have been grappling with new habits.
Ireland’s Fianna Fail says it’s decision time on government talks
The leader of Ireland’s Fianna Fail told its fellow center-right rival Fine Gael on Thursday to decide whether or not to enter formal government negotiations after nearly a month of sluggish exploratory talks.
Greek coronavirus cases triple after people linked to pilgrim test positive
Greece said on Wednesday that 21 people linked to man who had tested positive for coronavirus after they all visited Israel and Egypt had themselves become infected.
Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity ordered closed over coronavirus fears
The Church of the Nativity was ordered closed on Thursday and foreign tourists were banned from West Bank hotels after four suspected coronavirus cases were found in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem.
Iran says IAEA case for inspecting sites based on fake Israeli intel
Iran on Thursday stood by its decision to deny U.N. nuclear inspectors access to sites where they have questions about past activities, arguing that the agency’s case is based on “fabricated” Israeli intelligence.
