‘A good firefighting day’: Crews hold blazes back from Australia’s capital
Firefighters kept wild blazes fueled by strong winds and soaring temperatures from reaching suburban areas of Australia’s capital, Canberra, using airdrops of fire retardant to create a 2.5-kilometre (1.55-mile) long defensive line late on Saturday.
Kurdistan’s Erbil airport denies entry to three Chinese over coronavirus
Erbil International Airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq denied entry to three Chinese citizens over fears about the coronavirus outbreak in China, authorities said on Saturday.
China to exempt taxes for imports of products related to virus control
China will implement tax exemptions for imports of products related to curbing the coronavirus outbreak, the finance ministry said on Saturday.
North Korea’s Kim offers condolences to China’s Xi about virus outbreak: KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping offering condolences about the coronavirus outbreak in China, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday.
Egypt sentences officer-turned-militant and 36 others to death
An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced Hisham al-Ashmawy, a former special forces officer turned Islamist militant, and 36 others to death after they were convicted of terrorism, court officials said.
Pompeo visits Belarus as Minsk’s ties with Moscow fray
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Belarus on Saturday, seeking to “normalize” ties at a time when relations between Minsk and its traditional ally Russia are under strain.
Death toll from China virus rises to 259, border curbs disrupt more flights
The number of deaths from a coronavirus epidemic in China has risen by 46 to 259, the country’s health authority said on Saturday, as the United States and other nations announced new border curbs on foreigners who have been in China.
Vietnam Airlines to suspend flights to China, HK, Taiwan over virus
Vietnam Airlines will suspend its flights to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan with effect from Saturday, over the outbreak of a new coronavirus, the company said.
Syrian rebels launch attack near Aleppo: rebel sources, monitor
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels attacked government-held positions northeast of Aleppo on Saturday, rebel sources and a war monitor said, opening a new front against Syrian army forces that have made significant advances in nearby Idlib over the last week…
French fishermen temporarily lose access to Guernsey waters
French fishermen are temporarily banned from entering the waters of Guernsey due to post-Brexit administrative changes that the authorities expect to resolve in the coming days, the French Agriculture Ministry said on Saturday.
