One town and four villages in Turkey’s Black Sea province of Rize have been quarantined over the coronavirus outbreak, the local mayor said on Friday, in the first case of a lockdown in the country since the beginning of the outbreak two weeks ago. Alaettin Serdar, the mayor of the Kandirli...

France extended its stay-at-home order for all non-essential employees, as well as widespread business closures, until at least April 15 in an effort to curtail the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Friday. "In agreement with the president, today I'm announcing the...

On a deserted street in the old city of Damascus, the new coronavirus has forced salesmen like Ahmad to close up shop indefinitely for the first time in Syria's war. "We've lived through some tough times during the war," says the 59-year-old, sitting on a chair on the pavement outside his...

The Red Cross called Friday for increased psychological support to health workers and others fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, warning of rising suicides as a result of pressure and isolation. Countries around the world have taken dramatic measures to try to halt the spread of the virus,...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Turkish army trucks entered Idlib province on Friday, carrying US air missile systems, local activists said as Damascus and Ankara make rapid deployments in northern Syria despite a ceasefire deal reached early March. According to the military news sites, the HAWK...

Manchester United will offer fans either a pro-rata cash refund or a rebate on next season's tickets if this season's remaining Premier League games are cancelled or played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, the club said Friday. The outbreak has brought sport around the...

Has the coronavirus saved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? The sense of urgency created by the pandemic has opened the way for the right-wing premier to stay in power as head of a "corona government" despite his corruption indictment. After more than a year of political...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- The European Commission's anti-fraud office (OLAF) said it had closed an investigation into fraud against the EU budget relating to a “Rule of Law” project in Syria last January, recommending that authorities in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium consider prosecuting the...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Two former rebel commanders were killed and one more wounded Thursday in an attack by unknown assailants in southern Daraa province. The gunmen opened fire on Adnan Abazid and Motez Qanat near the town of al-Nakhla east of Daraa city, according to Zaman al-Wasl...

Through decades of conflict, Dr Haidar Hantoush has watched wounded soldiers and civilians flood into Iraq's emergency wards. But he's never been so scared. "Violence we can just about handle. Patients stream into hospitals for hours at a time - but you can see how many there are. You get a...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian regime forces killed four armed men in the southern Sweida province what sparked tensions in the main stronghold of Druze Community in Syria, Sweida 24 news site said Friday. The faction of Arman Al-Hrayeb denied in statement any assault by its fighters, saying...

  (Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian activists and former detainees have renewed calls on the Syrian regime to release the prisoners to protect them against the novel coronavirus pandemic. Activists say the COVID-19 has been spreading in Syria, as the air corridor between Tehran and Damascus...

Battles raged on several fronts in Libya Friday after a night of heavy bombardment in Tripoli, combatants and residents said, despite the threat continued fighting poses to efforts to stop the coronavirus pandemic. Serious warfare resumed this week after a comparative lull in recent weeks,...

Iran Friday announced 144 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the official number of fatalities to 2,378 in one of the world's worst-hit countries. "In the past 24 hours, we've had 2,926 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections across the country," health ministry spokesman...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self isolating but will still lead the government's response to the outbreak. "Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus," Johnson said. "I am now self-isolating,...

The death toll in Spain soared over 4,800 Friday after 769 people died in 24 hours, in what was a record one-day figure for fatalities in the country, the government said. Spain has the world's second-highest death toll after Italy, and has so far suffered 4,858 deaths, while the number of...

The sundecks on Dubai's beaches lie empty, and red flags warn visitors away from the waterfront to protect the Middle East's tourism hub against coronavirus. The infection is starting to deliver a painful blow to Dubai, one of the most visited cities globally, with some hotels closed and...

The mother of France’s youngest coronavirus victim has spoken of the “unbearable” loss of her 16-year-old daughter, as the country reported its highest daily toll from the pandemic. French authorities said on Thursday that 365 people had been killed by COVID-19 over the previous 24 hours,...

Indonesia's most active volcano Mount Merapi erupted Friday, shooting a column of ash some 5,000 metres (16,000 feet) into the air in its second major eruption this month. Ash and sand covered areas several kilometres (miles) away from the peak of the rumbling crater near Indonesia's...

Israel will deploy its army to assist police on street patrols to enforce a lockdown against the coronavirus epidemic, the military said on Friday. About 500 troops will join police squadrons from Sunday to help "in patrolling, isolating and securing certain areas, blocking routes and...