Coronavirus spread ‘deeply concerning’ but not a pandemic: WHO’s Tedros
The sudden rise in novel coronavirus cases in Italy, Iran and South Korea is “deeply concerning”, but the virus can still be contained and does not amount to a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Wednesday.
Russia extends detention of ex-U.S. marine over alleged assault
A Moscow court has ruled that a former U.S. marine accused of drunkenly assaulting Russian police officers six months ago last summer must remain in custody.
Turkey will repel Syrian forces from Idlib posts this week: Erdogan
Turkey plans to push Syrian government forces away from its military observation posts in northwest Syria’s Idlib region this week, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, despite advances by Damascus’s Russian-backed military.
UAE says ready for ‘worst case’ scenarios as coronavirus spreads in Middle East
The United Arab Emirates, a major international air transit center, is prepared for “worst case scenarios” as the new coronavirus spreads in the Middle East, a government official said on Wednesday.
EU calls for coordinated European response to coronavirus
European Union countries should coordinate their responses to the outbreak of the coronavirus to avoid diverging approaches, the EU’s Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told reporters.
Factbox: Sports events hit by the coronavirus epidemic
The following is a list of international sports events hit by the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Pope to Catholics: For Lent, give up trolling
During Lent, Catholics are called on to give up something, like sweets. On Wednesday, Pope Francis added a modern twist to the list of things to quit during the season and beyond: insulting people on social media.
Bosnia war veterans become peace messengers as threats to stability rise
They played football together as young men. Then they fought each other in a 1990s war in three rival Bosnian armies. Now, as the country goes from one crisis to another, the three veterans feel it is their duty to warn of the horrors of war.
Greece confirms first coronavirus case
A Greek woman who recently returned home from northern Italy has become Greece’s first coronavirus case and she is being closely monitored, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
Coronavirus pandemic inevitable, U.S. warns as disease spreads across globe
Asia reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including the first U.S. soldier to be infected, as the United States warned of an inevitable pandemic, and outbreaks in Italy and Iran spread to more countries.
