Every year, Maher al-Rubaye would marvel at the gold-leaf walls of Iraq's Imam Ali mausoleum. He still visits the shrine today -- through a screen from his living room. The spread of the new coronavirus in Iraq has prompted the closure of major mosques to visitors, including the ornate...

The U.N. human rights chief Friday accused Daesh (ISIS) and other factions in Syria of taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to step up violence on civilians, describing the situation as a "ticking time-bomb." United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet lamented a surge in violence in...

Riot police hit Hong Kong's streets on Friday ahead of planned rallies by pro-democracy protesters who were looking to defy restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic to voice anger against authoritarian Chinese rule. The semi-autonomous financial hub was upended by seven...

Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued an order to partially lift the curfew in all regions of the kingdom, to become from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting Sunday through Wednesday May 13, while keeping a 24-hour curfew in Mecca and in previously isolated neighbourhoods, state news agency (SPA) said early...