Turkey has revived its bid for membership in the European Union (EU), calling to ‘revitalize’ their relationship and citing the coronavirus pandemic as a clear demonstration of the need for unity.
Ben Hoekendijk, the Dutch evangelist who became the face of the Netherlands’ post-war Pentecostal movement, has died. He was 81, friends confirmed to Worthy News. Hoekendijk, who was in frail health after suffering a stroke, died last week in his hometown of Harderwijk.
A leading democracy watchdog has suggested that Hungary has become the first non-democratic European Union member state, prompting an angry reaction from the government. Washington-based Freedom House also warned that Poland is heading towards the same direction.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed progress in combating the coronavirus pandemic along with arms control issues and oil prices in a phone call Thursday, the White House and the Kremlin said.
Rights group Amnesty International has condemned the Hungarian parliament’s rejection of an international treaty to combat violence against women amid a coronavirus pandemic. “This decision is extremely dangerous,” said David Vig, Amnesty’s Hungary director. “It comes at a time when reported domestic violence incidents in Hungary have doubled since the start of the [new coronavirus] COVID-19 lockdown” to halt the virus outbreak.
Israel says its leading biological research laboratory has made a “significant breakthrough” toward a possible treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donors have pledged 7.4 billion euros ($8 billion) for developing a vaccine against the new coronavirus disease COVID-19. But after the online-meeting with world leaders, banks and organizations, officials warned more money might be necessary.
Israeli airstrikes in eastern Syria have killed 14 Iranian and Iraqi fighters, a group monitoring the Syrian war says.
After weeks of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, churches across America were encouraged to hold in-person services again on May 3, Fox News reports. This date was the first Sunday since the US government launched its reopening plan and allowed congregants to attend church in person.
The 30th anniversary of Hungary’s first freely elected Parliament since the end of Communist dictatorship has been overshadowed by fresh doubts over the government’s democratic credentials. Opposition parties stayed away from this weekend’s ceremony in Parliament, citing concerns about policies by the increasingly autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
A senior US government official has said that clinics run by abortion provider Planned Parenthood will not qualify for a federal aid program being offered to small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. Part of the wider Cares Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is intended to support businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
An international pledging marathon has begun where world leaders are to raise at least 7.5 billion euros ($8.2 billion) to find a coronavirus vaccine. With social distancing the world’s new norm, world leaders choose video conferencing to raise the billions of dollars needed for research into a possible vaccine.
Iran has suggested it will abandon an already shaky deal to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons if an arms embargo on Tehran remains in place. The United States wants to extend the ban, which was due to end in October this year.
Pakistan and Russia have reported their most significant one-day rise in new coronavirus infections. Their announcement Saturday came after some other countries and U.S. states where case numbers are stabilizing allowed businesses and public activities to reopen.
Iran has condemned Germany’s decision to ban the militant Hezbollah movement from carrying out activities on its soil. Tehran also threatened Berlin with unspecified consequences for designating Hezbollah as a “terrorist “organization this week, when German police raided mosques and venues linked to the group.
Turkey’s planned deployment of Russian S-400 missile defenses has been delayed by the coronavirus outbreak but will ultimately go ahead, President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Thursday, despite Washington’s warnings that Ankara risks U.S. sanctions.
A survey by the world’s largest journalism group shows three in every four journalists have faced official restrictions, obstruction or intimidation in reporting on the new coronavirus disease COVID-19. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also noticed that most staff and freelance journalists have “suffered pay cuts, lost revenue, job losses, canceled commissions, or worsening working conditions.”
Urban experts have warned that over 100 million people in cities worldwide may suffer extreme poverty as a result of losing their jobs and income to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reports. In addressing the issue, the World Bank and other experts have called for investment in slum areas around the world and for mapping strategies to identify vulnerable communities.
A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has praised Sweden for its strategy in managing the coronavirus outbreak, the NY Post reported. Executive director of Emergencies Program Mike Ryan told reporters Wednesday: “I think in many ways Sweden represents a model if we wish to get back to a society in which we don’t have lockdowns.”
Germany has banned Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah’s activities on its soil and designated it a terrorist organization, a move welcomed by Tehran’s rivals the United States and Israel.