Iraqi militia factions expected the usual cash handout when the new head of Iran’s expeditionary Quds Force made his first visit to Baghdad earlier this year, succeeding the slain General Qassim Soleimani. Instead, to their disappointment, Esmail Ghaani brought them silver rings. For his...

US Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday there had been no sign yet of an increase in coronavirus cases from two weeks of nationwide protests over police misconduct and racism. "What I can tell you is that, at this point, we don't see an increase in new cases now, nearly two weeks on...

Black Lives Matter protesters should be punished for ignoring coronavirus lockdown rules Australia's prime minister said Thursday, sparking anger by also claiming slavery never existed in the country. Tens of thousands of Australians demonstrated this week against systemic racism at home...

After months of tensions, Baghdad and Washington are poised to launch strategic talks Thursday to reset ties -- but even with a new US-friendly Iraqi premier, a major breakthrough is unlikely. Due to coronavirus travel restrictions, top-level talks expected to take place in Baghdad have...

Thousands of Palestinians stranded around the world by the coronavirus are still seeking a way home, months after countries closed their borders and grounded flights in the face of the pandemic. Aseel Bader touched down in Tuscany in January, after winning a scholarship for a master's...

More than 70,000 people have died from coronavirus in Latin America as the pandemic sweeps through the region, putting growing pressure on an already stretched healthcare system. As the number of cases in the United States soared past two million, Central and South America has emerged as...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- When he applied for asylum in Germany six years ago, Alaa Adel  Khalil  tried to conceal his military service within Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the first years of the Syrian Revolution, but well-informed sources have revealed to Zaman al-Wasl that he...

Long-term stability in Syria almost seems quixotic, more likely measured in decades than years. It will take time to assess the extent to which Russia has “won” in Syria. Absent a peaceful end to the conflict and an infusion of large-scale Western aid, downside risks for Russia could take some...

Anti-government demonstrations and counter protests continued in the southwestern Syrian city of Sweida on Wednesday, as an economic crisis exacerbated by sanctions and a collapsing currency provokes unrest for a fourth day. Syrian state media reported the pro-government crowd gathering...

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militants attacked a group of journalists covering a joint Turkish-Russian military patrol in northwest Syria’s Idlib province on Wednesday, causing outrage in the rebel-held enclave. The attack took place near Turkish soldiers supervising the patrol on the M4 highway...

 (Zaman Al Wasl)- Militant Tahrir al-Sham group has badly beaten and abused 13 journalists, including Zaman al-Wals reporter, who were covering a joint Turkish-Russian patrol in northern Idlib province on Wednesday. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the former...

Lebanon’s battered currency has slid to fresh lows against the U.S. dollar despite a new pricing system which Beirut hopes can curb soaring food prices as it negotiates an IMF deal to climb out of crisis. The Lebanese pound has lost over 60% of its value since October, as dollars dwindled,...

The European Parliament will Friday urge Britain "to urgently revise its negotiating position" to avoid a breakdown in post-Brexit trade talks, according to a draft resolution seen by AFP. The draft says London must agree that future UK-EU ties be governed by "a single, comprehensive and...

The brother of George Floyd, whose killing by police sparked worldwide protests against racism, made an emotional plea to the US Congress Wednesday to "stop the pain" and pass reforms that reduce police brutality. One day after burying his brother in Houston, Philonise Floyd appeared in...

US fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers twice on Wednesday off the coast of Alaska, US air defense command said. The intercepts come less than two weeks after US bombers were met by Russian jets over the Black Sea. North American Aerospace Defense Command said US F-22 Raptors...

A senior European Union official warned online platforms like Google and Facebook Wednesday to step up the fight against fake news, coming notably from countries like China and Russia, but she praised the approach of Twitter for fact-checking a tweet by US President Donald Trump. Unveiling...

Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon rainforest was worse than previously reported in 2019, revised government data showed Tuesday, during the first year of President Jair Bolsonaro, who is keen to develop the forest crucial to curbing global warming. Brazil's space research agency INPE...

Dozens of Sudanese protesters rallied Wednesday in Khartoum against a newly formed United Nations mission mandated to support a political transition following last year's ouster of president Omar al-Bashir, witnesses said. The anti-government demonstration, held near the army headquarters...

Turkey dismissed Wednesday Egypt's proposal for a ceasefire in Libya, saying the plan aimed to save Khalifa Haftar after the collapse of his offensive to control the capital Tripoli, Hurriyet newspaper reported. Turkey supports Fayez al Serraj's internationally recognised Government of...

The global economy will contract at least six percent this year due to economic shutdowns to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the OECD said Wednesday, warning that recovery will be "slow and uncertain". In the case of a second wave of contagion later in the year, world economic output...