Russia's president Vladimir Putin will receive the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state TV channel on Sunday. "He said he will be vaccinated, he made this decision and was waiting until all formalities are completed," the...

 Iraq’s capital Baghdad and other cities are at risk of serious power shortages after Iran slashed gas exports, the electricity ministry said on Sunday, potentially placing further pressure on the government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iran has reduced gas exports to Iraq to...

Brexit offers Britain a chance to do things differently in financial services, finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday, but it will co-operate with the European Union on an approach to the sector despite little detail on the topic in its trade deal. From Jan. 1, British-based financial...

Israel was set Sunday to begin its third coronavirus lockdown, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced optimism that a "world record" vaccination drive will restore a degree of normality within weeks. After a sharp rebound in detected infections, Netanyahu's government announced three...

 Oman will reopen its land, air and sea borders as of Tuesday December 29, a government Twitter account said on Sunday. A negative COVID-19 polymerase test within 72 hours of entry is required for people from all countries and another test will be taken by those arriving from abroad at...

Dubai said Sunday it expects to cut its budget to $15.5 billion in 2021 after its economy was impacted by a plunge in tourism and other sectors amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The emirate, one of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates, had posted a record $18.1 billion budget...

Europe launched a massive COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday with pensioners and medics lining up to get the first shots to see off a pandemic that has crippled economies and claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide. "Thank God," 96-year-old Araceli Hidalgo said as she became the...

 Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar warned on Sunday that the forces of Khalifa Haftar and their supporters based in eastern Libya would be viewed as "legitimate targets" if they attempted to attack Turkish forces in the region. Speaking during a visit to Turkish troops in Tripoli,...

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, with initial reports indicating no immediate casualties. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said there were no reports of material damage or casualties so far. The USGS said the quake was registered...

TOKYO (AP) — Japan is barring entry of all nonresident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain. The Foreign Ministry says the entry ban will start Monday and last through Jan. 31. Last week, Japan banned...

 European Union nations kicked off a coordinated effort Sunday to give COVID-19 vaccinations to the most vulnerable among the bloc's nearly 450 million people, marking a moment of hope in the continent's battle against the worst public health crisis in a century. Health care workers, the...

A Syrian refugee camp in northern Lebanon was set on fire Saturday night following a fight between members of the camp and a local Lebanese family, state media reported. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed a large fire had broken out in a camp in the Miniyeh region and...

Hundreds of migrants were stranded Saturday in a squalid, burnt-out tent camp in Bosnia as heavy snow fell in the country and winter temperatures suddenly dropped. Migrants at the Lipa camp in northwest Bosnia wrapped themselves in blankets and sleeping bags to protect against the...

 Federal agents converged Saturday on the home of a possible person of interest in the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville as investigators scoured hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that pulverized city blocks on Christmas morning and damaged dozens of buildings. More than 24...

The sexual exploitation of women in Syria is nothing new — but it has increased as predators take advantage of social media and the ongoing conflict to pursue their victims. A number of initiatives are fighting back. Like most girls her age, 19-year-old Nour* was blinded by love for her...

The checkpoints  deployed by the Syrian regime forces and pro-Iranian militias along the main road between the cities of Deir ez-Zor and al-Bukamal — which were liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in November 2017 — are among the main sources of huge sums of money for Syrian officers and...

At least three Syrian farmers were killed in an attack by the Bashar al-Assad regime forces in the northern province of Idlib on Saturday. Violating a ceasefire signed between Turkey and Russia on March 5, the regime forces carried out an artillery strike on a village near Hama, killing...

ISTANBUL: Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar made a surprise trip to Libya on Saturday flanked by top military officers to inspect his country's troops, the ministry said. Turkish forces backing the UN-recognised government are under strain after strongman Khalifa Haftar called on his...

The news came after a rebel coalition called off a ceasefire and said it would resume its march on the capital and following the arrival of troops from Russia and Rwanda to shore up the government of the resource-rich country. "Three peacekeepers from Burundi were killed and two others were...

Across the world, people are being urged to respect social distancing guidelines, as the World Health Organisation urged people not to "squander" the "great, heart-wrenching sacrifices" people had made to save lives. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives and is...