Syria

Even though the number of coronavirus cases is low in Syria, there are big worries that this will change very quickly.Millions of displaced people live in the northwestern province of Idlib, which has a weak healthcare system destroyed by years of conflict.Five COVID-19 cases have been reported, but many are…

The Department of Justice. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images As the novel coronavirus reshapes virtually every facet of American life, it’s also coloring how aspiring terrorists plot attacks. And that shift has caught the attention of American national security officials. Law enforcement and intelligence officials are watching the virus’s impact on…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military has decided it will stop providing some of the more granular data about coronavirus infections within its ranks, citing concern that the information might be used by adversaries as the virus spreads. FILE PHOTO: U.S. and Mexican Marines conduct operations in urban terrain as…

(BAGHDAD) — Iraq’s military on Thursday said at least two rockets hit inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq’s government and home to the U.S. Embassy, according to an Iraqi military statement, the first attack following a brief lull in violence from earlier this month. The two…

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria on Wednesday began a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. as lockdown measures to counter the spread of coronavirus were extended, residents and state media said. FILE PHOTO: A man walks in empty Souk al-Hamidieh as restrictions are imposed as measure to prevent the…

BERLIN (Reuters) - Five years ago the arrival of a wave of refugees caused much consternation and fueled support for Germany’s far-right. Now, the country is turning to its migrant community to plug an anticipated shortage of medical staff battling the coronavirus. FILE PHOTO: General view of a room in…

For years now, Moustafa Youssef has been rushing to buildings flattened by heavy bombardment, risking his life to pull out people trapped underneath the rubble. But these days, the 47-year-old is among the thousands of first responders in Idlib, a war-battered province in northwest Syria that is home to more than three million people,…

The United Nations special envoy for Syria has called for an immediate nationwide ceasefire across the war-torn country to enable an "all-out-effort" to combat the coronavirus pandemic.  Geir Pedersen, in a statement, also appealed on humanitarian grounds for "large-scale releases of detainees and abductees" in Syria and access for medical workers to…

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen speaks during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured), in Moscow, Russia January 24, 2020. REUTERS/Evgenia NovozheninaGENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Special Envoy for Syria called on Tuesday for an immediate nationwide ceasefire across Syria to enable…

Health officials in war-battered Syria have announced the first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, as authorities in the country prepare to halt all public transportation in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. Health Minister Nizar Yazji told a news conference in the…