Yemen’s Saudi-backed government accused its Houthi foes of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas they hold and the United Nations warned that the country could suffer a “catastrophic” food security situation due to the pandemic. The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen’s war-ravaged health sector deal with […]

Yemen, already pushed to the brink of famine by a five-year war, could see a “catastrophic” food security situation due to the coronavirus pandemic and lower remittances from the Gulf, the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Monday. The conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement has caused what the […]

Iran’s supreme leader said Sunday that the United States will be expelled from Iraq and Syria and alleged that even Washington’s allies “abhor” it now. The US “will not be staying either in Iraq or Syria and must withdraw and will certainly be expelled”, said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to his official website. Both the US […]

Benin staged local elections minus key opposition parties on Sunday with authorities pushing ahead despite the coronavirus threat and calls for a delay. The West African nation of 11 million this week lifted a raft of restrictions aimed at halting the spread of the virus. COVID-19 has caused 339 confirmed infections and two deaths in the […]

UK on Sunday reported 170 more coronavirus deaths — its lowest number since late March, when lockdown restrictions were introduced, although the figures from Northern Ireland were not included. Prime Minister Boris Johnson meanwhile acknowledged public frustration with the restrictions imposed to fight the virus. The coronavirus deaths take the UK government’s official rolling tally […]