U.N.’s Bachelet urges Saudi to release women activists, uphold rights
U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged Saudi Arabia on Thursday to uphold freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly and review convictions of activists, religious leaders and journalists as it prepares to host a G20 summit this year.
Pakistan shuts schools, suspends Iran flights to curb coronavirus spread
Pakistan on Thursday shut schools in several areas and suspended flights to and from Iran to try to stop the spread of new coronavirus, after reporting its first cases of the infection, officials said.
U.N. asks world to fight virus-spawned discrimination
United Nations human rights guardian Michelle Bachelet urged the global community on Thursday to show solidarity with people of ethnic Asian origin subject to discrimination amid an outbreak of a novel coronavirus that started in China.
Swiss confirm three new coronavirus cases, now four in total
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Switzerland has risen to four, the country’s health authority said on Thursday.
Japan PM Abe says to ask all schools to close for most of March
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that the government would ask all elementary, junior high and high schools to close from March 2 until spring break, typically around the end of March.
Kremlin rebuffs Turkey’s Erdogan on proposed Syria meeting with Putin
The Kremlin said on Thursday that President Vladimir Putin had no plans to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on March 5 to discuss the situation in Syria’s Idlib region despite statements by Erdogan saying such a meeting was likely.
Syrian government forces launch bid to take back Saraqeb town – Turkish official
Syrian government forces backed by Russian air power have launched an operation aimed at taking back the pivotal town of Saraqeb in northwest Syria from Turkey-backed rebels, a Turkish official said on Thursday.
Two more coronavirus cases in UK bring total to 15
Two further cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United Kingdom, bringing the total number of cases to 15, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said on Thursday.
China aims to bar those infected with virus from crossing borders: health official
China will focus on preventing those infected with coronavirus from crossing borders and work to strengthen international cooperation, a spokesman for the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Thursday.
Turkish-backed rebels say they regain pivotal Syrian town Saraqeb
Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish military said on Thursday they had recaptured the strategic town of Saraqeb in what would be the first major reverse for the Syrian army in a Russian-backed offensive that had made swift gains.
