Pope Francis celebrated the Ash Wednesday ritual that marks the opening of the Catholic Church’s Lenten season in traditional fashion while greeting the public in Rome as other Masses were cancelled in northern Italy over fears of the coronavirus outbreak. Francis and a long line of priests, bishops and cardinals walked in a procession through […]

United States President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to spend whatever was appropriate to respond to the novel coronavirus. The administration requested from Congress $2.5 billion in funding to develop treatments, vaccines and national stockpile of essential equipment, but Trump said he was happy to spend more if it was on offer by Democrats. “We were […]

Israeli first responders were on high alert Wednesday at a coronavirus nerve centre, as the health ministry issued new recommendations to avoid contracting the virus. A designated hotline launched on Saturday has been fielding around 6,500 calls a day, according to the Magon David Adom emergency services. The coronavirus response centre in the central town […]

Iranian authorities on Wednesday announced domestic travel restrictions for people with confirmed or suspected cases of the novel coronavirus, which has claimed 19 lives in the country — the highest tally outside China where the disease originated. The authorities also slapped curbs on visits to major Muslim pilgrimage sites. “Instead of quarantining cities, we are […]

Pakistan Wednesday marked the first anniversary of its standoff with New Delhi in which it shot down and captured an Indian pilot in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. The February 2019 scuffle was the first dogfight between the nuclear-armed nations in decades. Pakistan’s army on Wednesday flew teams of reporters to the site where […]