World News

Russia is mourning the death of at least five coronavirus patients who died early Tuesday when a fire broke out in a hospital in St. Petersburg. The tragedy in Russia’s second-largest city, followed two other deadly blazes at care facilities in Russia as it struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic. These incidents overshadowed plans by Russian President Vladimir Putin to re-open the economy after an extended lockdown.

Iran’s navy says nineteen sailors were killed and 15 others injured when an Iranian warship accidentally fired an anti-ship cruise missile at another Iranian naval vessel.

A young Italian woman arrived in Italy after 18 long months as a hostage in eastern Africa, where she had been an aid worker. Silvia Romano, 24, returned from Somalia late Sunday to a homeland still suffering from the coronavirus pandemic that authorities claim killed more than 30,000 Italians and devastated the economy.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Sunday that most coronavirus lockdown measures would remain until at least June 1, and he announced a “conditional plan” for reopening British society.

Leaders of Europe attended subdued ceremonies over the weekend to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe while facing a perceived new war against an invisible enemy, the coronavirus.

Nations on Monday struggled to balance public and economic health amid mounting pressure to reopen economies despite an uptick in coronavirus cases ranging from China to even the White House.

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.

China’s Communist Party and government are stepping up the use of Twitter to spread disinformation that Wuhan was not the origin of the coronavirus outbreak and that China is helping the world recover, the State Department said.

The World Red Cross Day celebrating the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was overshadowed Friday by concerns that the coronavirus would spread to overcrowded refugee camps.

U.S.-led coalition forces have reportedly hit back against an Islamic State cell in Syria. They captured a midlevel leader linked to increasing attacks by the terror group in the Deir el-Zour countryside, the Voice of America (VOA) network said Thursday.

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.

The United States will be relocating four Patriot missile batteries from Saudi Arabia that were deployed amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

On the morning of Jan. 3, an email was sent from the Indonesian Embassy in Australia to a member of the premier of Western Australia’s staff who worked on health and ecological issues. Attached was a Word document that aroused no immediate suspicions, since the intended recipient knew the supposed sender.

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.

UN experts are concerned South Sudan’s peace deal is at risk because unity government partners are arguing about security and resources instead of implementing the terms of the 2018 agreement, VOA News reports. A panel of experts on South Sudan reported to the UN Security Council last week that “selective and incomplete implementation” of agreed security arrangements threatened peace and stability in the country.

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.

Iran officially called off its annual anti-Israel al-Quds Day rallies due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The United States and Britain will begin negotiations Tuesday on a post-Brexit free-trade agreement.

The world’s biggest lockdown forced 122 million people out of jobs in India last month, according to estimates from a leading private sector think tank.