DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, a Shiite cleric who as Iran's ambassador to Syria helped found the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and lost his right hand to a book bombing reportedly carried out by Israel, died Monday of the coronavirus. He was 74. A close...

Walking down the streets of Damascus, visitors would immediately notice that COVID-19 has not been taken seriously as very few people wear masks and those who do cover their faces are largely regarded as sick or “paranoid.” Buses and public transportations are usually jam-packed with...

A Chinese shopping app has been blocked on social media after a post on the anniversary of the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989, as Beijing's censorship kicked into gear around the sensitive date. The Weibo page of Xiaohongshu, a Pinterest-like platform where users share travel and...

France has opened a probe into the personal wealth of Riad Salameh, central bank chief in crisis-hit Lebanon, sources told AFP Sunday. Paris financial prosecutors have opened a preliminary probe into criminal association and money laundering by Salameh, a source close to the investigation...