Russia Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll of 174 but said more than 12,000 people had also recovered over the past 24 hours. Health officials said Russia's total death toll from the pandemic had reached 3,807 and its number of cases had hit 362,342, the third-highest...

An exchange of gunfire between North and South Korean forces in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula was a violation of the armistice agreement, the United Nations Command (UNC) said Tuesday. The two sides remain technically at war, since fighting in the Korean War ended with an...

Afghan authorities plan to release 900 more Taliban prisoners Tuesday, as calls grew to for the militants to extend a ceasefire on its third and final day. The pause in fighting -- which came into effect Sunday to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr -- was, for the most part, holding...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is confronting the biggest challenges to his hold on power since Syrians first rose up against him nine years ago, as a rift within his family, a collapsing economy and rising tensions with his key ally Russia lay bare the fragility of his regime. The rebels...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- It has been eight years since one of the most gruesome massacres committed against tens of unarmed civilians in the town of Al-Houla, in central Homs province. Residents of Al-Houla like their fellow revolutionary Syrians acrossout the country went to streets to demand...

Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, reopened to worshippers and tourists Tuesday as Palestinian authorities eased coronavirus restrictions in the occupied West Bank. Amid lingering pandemic concerns, the church is capping access to 50 people at a time...

Chile registered a new high for coronavirus cases Monday, with nearly 5,000 infections in 24 hours, including two ministers in President Sebastian Pinera's government. Health authorities announced 4,895 new infections in the South American country and 43 deaths. Public Works Minister...

Saudi Arabia will revise curfew times this week, and lift it entirely across the Kingdom with the exception of the holy city of Mecca starting June 21, state news agency reported in a statement early Tuesday. Bans on domestic travel, holding prayers in mosques, and workplace attendance in...

The risks of reigniting coronavirus outbreaks are complicating efforts to fend off further misery for the many millions who have lost jobs, with a top health expert warning that the world is still in the midst of a "first wave" of the pandemic. "Right now, we're not in the second wave....

China's plans to impose a new security law on Hong Kong will "only target a handful of lawbreakers", the city's leader said Tuesday, as she tried to reassure international businesses and investors rattled by the proposal. Beijing wants to enact legislation banning "secession, subversion,...

 Kuwait will not extend its 24-hour curfew beyond May 30, the interior minister said at a press conference Monday. The minister added that the cabinet will announce Thursday the details of a partial curfew and a plan for public life to return to normal gradually. Kuwait had imposed...

British leader Boris Johnson’s powerful chief aide insisted Monday that he wouldn't resign for driving the length of England while the country was under strict lockdown - a trip he made without informing the prime minister first. The government is facing a tide of anger from politicians and...

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, emerged from more than two months seclusion Monday, wearing a black face mask during a visit to lay a wreath on the day the United States honors its war dead. "Thank you for your service," the former vice president said to a...

Two proposed British Grands Prix could be moved into August if it means the UK government do not insist on a 14-day quarantine period, according to Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle. Plans for two races at the English track were thrown into turmoil when the government offered no...

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian settlement in a phone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi on Monday. The two leaders agreed to coordinate the steps aiming to achieve a sustainable peace in Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement on its official...

Africa has so far been spared the worst impact of the coronavirus, but the World Health Organization is worried the continent could face a "silent epidemic" if its leaders do not prioritize testing for it, a WHO envoy said Monday. "My first point for Africa, my first concern, is that a lack...

President Vladimir Putin made a rare recent appearance in the Kremlin on Monday as Russia prepares to ease restrictions imposed over the coronavirus pandemic. The 67-year-old has worked remotely over the past few weeks from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, chairing meetings with...

Forces backing Libya's unity government said Monday that hundreds of Russian mercenaries fighting for their rival, military commander Khalifa Haftar, had been evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli. The claim comes after a series of setbacks for Haftar's year-long...

Traffic returned to a major highway in northeastern Syria for the first time in seven months Monday, following Russian mediation to reopen parts of the road captured last year by Turkey-backed opposition fighters. Syrian Kurdish media and a Syrian Kurdish official said several vehicles...

A power struggle between Chancellor Angela Merkel and two German states over coronavirus rules erupted Monday as Berlin sought to extend social distancing restrictions by another month against a regional revolt. A draft policy document from Merkel's office seen by AFP showed that the German...