Japan govt faces questions over coronavirus, Tokyo cancels events
Japan faced growing questions about whether it was doing enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus on Friday, as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it would cancel or postpone major indoor events it has sponsored for the next three weeks.
Prime minister leaves Lesotho, avoids being charged with murdering wife
Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane left the country, skipping a court appearance on Friday at which he was expected to be charged with murdering his estranged wife.
Iran holds election, hardliners set to dominate with turnout key
Iranians voted on Friday in a parliamentary election likely to help hardline loyalists of the supreme leader tighten their grip on power as the country faces mounting U.S. pressure over its nuclear program and growing discontent at home.
Norway rejects Moscow’s claim it violated Svalbard Treaty
Norway has rejected Russian accusations of violating the terms of an international treaty regulating activities on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, as a diplomatic spat over Russian operations there escalated.
Kazakh poachers sentenced to life for murdering ranger
A Kazakh court on Friday sentenced three poachers to life in prison for murdering a state ranger who attempted to stop them from hunting endangered saiga antelope, a case that drew the attention of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Erdogan says will decide his Idlib stance after call with Putin
President Tayyip Erdogan said he will speak by phone with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday evening and, based on those talks, will determine Turkey’s stance on the military conflict in northwest Syria’s Idlib region.
Six cases of coronavirus in Italy’s Lombardy region: official
Six Italians have tested positive for the coronavirus in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, a local official said on Friday in the first known cases of local transmission in Italy of the potentially deadly illness.
Could warmer weather help contain the coronavirus?
Public health officials, businesses and financial markets are looking for signs of whether the arrival of warmer weather in the northern hemisphere might slow the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic. Here’s what we know about seasonal featu…
Pakistan expects reprieve at global anti-terror financing meeting
Pakistan hopes to secure a four-month reprieve at a global meeting on anti-terrorism financing in Paris on Friday where a decision whether or not to blacklist the South Asian nation is expected, officials and analysts said.
Ireland’s Fianna Fail, Fine Gael to meet for initial government talks
The leaders of Ireland’s Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, two of the three largest parties to emerge from a Feb. 8 election, will meet early next week for what they described as exploratory talks as negotiations to form a government step up.
