Brazil’s Carnival kicks off with political divisions front and center
Brazil’s famed Carnival kicked off in earnest on Saturday, as millions of scantily-clad revelers poured into the streets, many of whom took the opportunity to parody or otherwise comment on the nation’s deeply polarized politics.
Alarm in the holy land after visit by pilgrims with coronavirus
Israeli and Palestinian authorities sought to quell fears of a potential local outbreak of the coronavirus after learning that South Korean pilgrims who had toured some of the holy land’s most popular sites were later found to be carrying the virus.
Erdogan says to meet Putin, Merkel, Macron on March 5 over Idlib
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he will meet Russian, German and French counterparts on March 5 to discuss the situation in Syria’s Idlib region, where a recent push by government forces has displaced nearly a million people.
U.N. suggests Turkey border crossing to deliver aid to Syria’s northeast
The United Nations has suggested that the Tal Abiyad border crossing between Syria and Turkey could be used to deliver aid to civilians in northeast Syria after Russia and China blocked the world body from using a crossing point on the Iraqi border to …
France’s Macron says ‘intolerable’ rights violations taking place in Cameroon
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday “intolerable human rights violations” were taking place in Cameroon, a week after 22 people were killed by gunmen in military fatigues in a village at the heart of a separatist insurgency.
Now to end ‘long suffering’: South Sudan’s former rebel leader sworn in as first vice president
Former rebel leader Riek Machar was sworn in as South Sudan’s first vice president on Saturday as part of a unity government with his former adversary President Salva Kiir, a tentative step toward peace after years of civil war ravaged the oil-rich yet…
Japanese emperor, on birthday, expresses coronavirus concern, looks forward to Olympics
Japanese Emperor Naruhito said on Sunday that he was looking forward to the Tokyo Olympics in summer but that he was concerned about the spread of the new coronavirus, which has killed three in Japan and is slowly spreading across the country.
Syrian bomb kills 16th Turkish troop in Idlib this month
A Turkish soldier was killed in Syria’s Idlib region in a bomb attack by Russian-backed government forces, the defense ministry said on Saturday, Turkey’s 16th military death during a month in which talks between Ankara and Moscow have stalled.
Man accused of stabbing London mosque prayer leader appears in court
A man accused of stabbing a prayer leader inside a north London mosque appeared in court on Saturday charged with causing grievous bodily harm and was remanded in custody to appear again next month.
Iran’s ‘cup of poison’? Hardline win may point to eventual U.S. talks
Anti-Western hardliners are set to sweep Iran’s parliamentary elections and appear favorites to clinch the presidency next year, but an economic crisis could force them to engage with the United States despite their tightening grip on power.
